Park Ranger Jenna Conner of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at Raystown Lake said course is designed to bring more people to Raystown, but its implementation came at a time of coincidence.

“It kind of played in perfectly with the onset of the pandemic,” she said. “It was recommended that people get outside for fun, so going further with this idea felt right.”

To create the course, she said the corps, in collaboration with Standing Stone Disc Golf Club (SSDGC), applied for a grant. They were awarded $25,000.

Designing the course started in winter 2020 with Dr. Jim Latten being the core designer.

Latten, a music professor at Juniata College, also coaches the college’s disc golf team. The sport has interested him since the 1970s, but he had an idea for a course since moving to the area in 2002.

“People who play the sport often see an area and think about how great it would be to have a course there,” he said.

Work on the course was done by SSDGC, Friends of Raystown Lake, Let’s Go Throw, the Huntingdon Visitors Bureau and USACE.

Volunteers have already donated over 90 hours of service in preparing the course. This includes clearing brush and small trees to make room.

Since September, the first nine holes of the course have been completed.

The holes are located at the Pine Shelter side of the visitors center at Seven Points.

A soft opening for the first nine holes was held at the end of October. Since then, Conner said there has been positive feedback from the community.

“We have already seen plenty of people coming out and using it,” she said. “Everyone really likes it and we are going to use their feedback as we continue working on the rest of the course.”

The course is designed to have 27 holes total. The first nine are more recreational and made for families to enjoy. The following 18 will be more advanced, but still open to all.

Construction on the whole course is set to be complete sometime in 2022.

Latten said the sport is perfect for anyone, even those who are not athletic.

“Anyone can pick it up pretty easily,” he said. “Mainly, it is all about having fun and having a little competition with friends.”

The sport has seen an uprise in popularity over the years. There are also courses at Juniata College and Sunset Golf Course in Oneida Township.

“In a place that sees over one million visitors a year, I think it will draw a lot of attention,” Latten said.

Conner said that seeing the course being utilized has been exciting.

“It just adds as another way that Raystown is great,” she said. “There is so much to offer already, but this is definitely the perfect activity for families and friends.”

As it is still recommended to be active in outdoor activities, Conner said she expects the course to be popular with the community.

The disc golf course will be open all year. The visitors center will be selling discs and kits that can be used at the course.

Volunteers are still being welcome to help create the course. This includes people helping to clear paths for future holes and people to provide feedback on further design.

Those interested in volunteering can contact the rangers’ office at (814) 658-3405, ext. 0, or park ranger Scott Graham at (814) 658-6808.