Carthage moves forward with disc golf course | Lifestyles
The Carthage City Commission has given a professional disc golfer permission to create a new disc golf course at the ballpark.
Miles Seaborn, who plays professionally, had previously asked the city to let him design and fundraise for a new course at the ballpark. He got that permission last week, with commissioners saying they were looking forward to the new amenity.
“There have been a lot of positive comments online,” City Manager Steve Williams said.
The project does not use any city funds; commissioners just gave approval for Seaborn to use city-owned land around the walking trail for the disc golf course. Seaborn plans to fundraise for each of the course’s holes.
Seaborn has been working to finalize a plan for the course, using the naturally wooded area around the walking trail. There will not be a lot of clearing to do; Seaborn said much of the area’s natural obstacles are something disc golfers prefer to keep.
He is planning nine holes, with two ways to play each for a total of 18 holes. The course will be accessed through the walking trail, but Seaborn says people will be playing away from the trail, so they won’t be hitting anyone.
“None of the holes cross or play close enough to the path to have any real impact on it,” Seaborn said. “And that utilizes a lot of the already-manicured space. So as far as new upkeep, they’re really not going to be. The idea is to do about a $700 hole sponsorship that pays for all the equipment and the installation.”
Seaborn previously designed a disc golf course in Logansport and has been playing the sport for 15 years.
“Designing is different than playing, obviously, but you know, I know kind of what I’m looking for. And I’m happy with this. I don’t know if you remember last time, but I’ve actually reversed the layout from what I thought it would be because it gives more room to make the holes a little bit more challenging. There will be two tee boxes on every hole. So there’s a more amateur, intermediate beginner tee box, something easier, then something a little longer for advanced players.”
Seaborn encouraged city commissioners to give the sport a try and also noted it’s good for kids of all ages.
“It’s a good activity for young kids too and youth,” he said, adding “the numbers, you know it’s been around for almost 50 years, the first 41 years of professional Disc Golf Association, they went from zero to 100,000 members. In the last four, they’ve gone from 100,000 to over 200,000 and COVID. So it’s exploding like crazy.”
