Disc golf course planned for Camp Petosega

admin 0 Comments March 15, 2022

ALANSON — Emmet County Parks and Recreation is looking to install disc golf equipment at an empty section of Camp Petosega this spring.

The plan came forward as one community suggestion offered up when the county collected surveys from residents on their opinions for how the county could best use its parks and recreation facilities.

“Disc golf is something that’s become very popular, similar to some of the other things that we’re seeing in the survey,” said Dave Boyer, assistant county administrator, at a previous county meeting. “Some of the things we can deal, and with some of them we can’t.”

Disc golf involves trying to throw a frisbee-style disc into a basket on an outdoor space constructed similarly to a golf course. The sport has been increasing in popularity over the course of several decades, and officials say the course at Petosega would complement the handful of setups which already exist elsewhere in the county.

Those courses include one on the Blissfest property grounds, which is open to the public despite being private property, one at Kiwanis Park in Harbor Springs, and one at the River Road Sports Park in Petoskey.

Emmet County Commissioner Matt Koontz, who is the commissioner appointment to the Parks and Recreation board and a disc golf player himself, said the addition should not only attract more people to the area’s parks, but also fill a niche that is untapped by the other three existing courses.

He described the Harbor Springs course as a “wood course,” that was relatively short. The Petoskey facilities are “quite challenging” and closer to the design of a professional course, potentially taking up to two or three hours to complete. The Blissfest course is “fantastic,” but not immediately convenient for people in all parts of the county, Koontz said at a meeting.

“This one will be a really friendly course,” he said. “The way it’s designed, it’ll be friendly for all levels. … I think it’ll be a very nice compromise in between.”

He added that the addition could begin to turn Petoskey into a “destination” for disc golf enthusiasts.

The initial designs include 18 holes, with temporary tee boxes during the first year.

Those can be moved in following years as the staff observes how players naturally are using the course. The only relatively permanent equipment will be the metal baskets used for “holes.” The course will be built around some trails that are used by some visitors for walking and hiking.

“We feel that we’ve got a great spot at Camp Petosega,” Boyer said. “We do have some trails we’ll keep that open and we will work around that, making sure we’re far enough away from the campers.”

The course will be able to be paid for out of the budget, although county administrator Mike Reaves said American Rescue Plan money could also be used, depending on the upcoming discussions about how the county should use that funding.