WALESKA, GA – Reinhardt University has opened its newly expanded 18-hole disc golf course on Feb. 12.

The original nine-hole course opened on campus in fall 2014. Since then, the popularity of disc golf among Reinhardt students and the public has grown exponentially.

Reinhardt senior, Austin Daman, president and captain of the Reinhardt Disc Golf Club Team, attributes much of the growth to the pandemic.

“When COVID-19 started, people were afraid to go into buildings, but they weren’t afraid to go outside,” Daman said. “Disc golf grew in popularity because people could easily distance from others, no one shares equipment, and the sport is healthy, outdoor exercise.”

Increased growth and popularity have disc golfers searching for courses, and Reinhardt boasts a prime location.

“It’s in the middle of a disc golf ‘dead zone,'” Daman said. “Only one other course exists in Cherokee County – Sequoyah Park in Canton. Now, Reinhardt is on the map for disc golfers in Blue Ridge, Jasper, Ellijay, and Canton.”

Last spring, Daman, who has been playing disc golf for more than three years, approached Reinhardt’s Dean of Students, Walter May, about launching a disc golf club team and expanding from nine holes to a full 18-hole course.

“We had increasing interest in disc golf on our campus, and thought it necessary to re-envision and expand the course from the original nine-holes to a tournament-ready 18-hole course,” Daman said. “Upgrades now make the course both challenging enough and large enough to be competitive and attract more advanced players.”

Mark Sheldon, owner of TrainHopper Disc Golf, led the course redesign. An avid disc golfer, Sheldon started his organization to create disc golf tournaments in the metro Atlanta area. Reinhardt’s course was his first design project. A resident of Cherokee County, Sheldon played the original course and formulated new ideas. He describes the new course as an “intermediate level course that highlights the natural beauty of the campus, designed to blend into the campus scenery.”

The February tournament will be the second event hosted at Reinhardt.

“Last summer we had a tournament called Fairways and Fireworks – a fundraiser to help the disc golf team and support course expansion,” Daman said. “We had a full tournament with 18 holes, and considerable attendance and participation – a great display of support that helped raise funds to move us forward.”

North Georgia disc golfers have been eagerly watching the progression of Reinhardt’s new course.

“The tournament sold out within four hours of opening registration in January,” May said.

Amateurs and professionals will compete in the tournament.

Reinhardt’s course is also included on the UDisc app, used by disc golfers worldwide, to find courses and track their scores. During January, more than 100 disc golfers logged their scores on the Reinhardt course, nearly three times more than in all of 2021.

The Reinhardt disc golf course is open daily to the public. For information on Reinhardt’s disc golf course, complete with a downloadable course map, disc golf rules and safety information, visit online.