There has been a lot of talk this fall about the need for Monmouth College to construct a disc golf course on campus. As a Monmouth Park District commissioner, I felt compelled to inform the Monmouth College student body of a disc golf course already being constructed in Monmouth. The nine hole course at Monmouth Park, otherwise known as “out there where they have that festival” in early September, should be completed this fall.

While this location does require a short commute (less than five minutes), it does offer a place to get together and enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise and experience disc golf.

The course currently has nine “holes” or baskets and the tee boxes should be in place within the next month or so. While this is the Park District’s first foray into disc golf, we believe it is a challenging course requiring the golfer to make a variety of shots. There are a number of holes which will require a strong throw and many others that will test the golfers’ accuracy. The finishing hole features a dog leg with an island green.

The suggestion that installing a disc golf course is cheap may be a relative term. Quality baskets run over $350 each, when you figure in the materials for the tee boxes and labor to install the course, the cost can easily near $10,000. So, compared to a new residence hall, yes, a disc golf course is cheap, but most people don’t have an extra ten grand to spend on recreation.

A good point was brought up that students wishing to play disc golf can be creative and use existing objects as holes, the lower portion of a large tree or bench might be suitable.

For those golfers wishing to try the disc golf course at Monmouth Park, I say give it a try, what have you got to lose? The course is located to the east and north of the ball diamond in both the north and south sections of the park.