The City of Worthing opened its new disc golf course June 17 at the Rec Trail.
Disc golf is played much like traditional golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, however, players use a flying disc, or Frisbee®. The sport was formalized in the 1970’s, and shares with “ball golf” the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws). A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target which is the “hole”. The hole can be one of a number of disc golf targets; the most common is called a Pole Hole® an elevated metal basket.
As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive throw from the spot where the previous throw has landed. The trees, shrubs, and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer. Finally, the “putt” lands in the basket and the hole is completed. Disc golf shares the same joys and frustrations of traditional golf, whether it’s sinking a long putt or hitting a tree halfway down the fairway. There are a few differences, though. Disc golf rarely requires a greens fee, you probably won’t need to rent a cart, and you never get stuck with a bad “tee time.” It is designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages, male and female, regardless of economic status.
You can read more about the sport online from the Professional Disc Golf Association at www.pdga.com.
During Saturday’s ribbon cutting event at the new Worthing course, Commissioner Crystal Jacobson thanked the committee that helped get the course open: Eric Bunkers, Blake Crosby, Justin Wallenstein, Susie Weisenbach, John Ganschow, Gerald Otte, Nate Duncan and Nate Bambas.
She also thanked sponsors of the trail: Krump Concrete Construction, Countryside Apartments, Worthing Storage Center, CHS Eastern Farmers, Weller Brothers, Worthing Legion Post #177, KJ Automotive, Countryside Convenience, Worthing Insurance, Stockwell Engineers and Tri-State Utilities.
The course is located at the Worthing Rec Trail on the southwest side of town.
The first phase of the Rec Trail project is part of the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks and U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Recreational Trails Program.