MONSON – With an 89.9 percent score, Mountainside Disc Golf at Flynt Park in Monson was ranked top five for the best disc golf courses in Massachusetts.

The ranking of the course was determined by the UDisc disc golf app. Timothy Pascale, Parks and Recreation director, said this phone app can be used to keep score during the games, along with writing reviews and ratings of the overall course.

Pascale explained that disc golf is similar to ball golf. There are a total of 18 holes, each of which have two different baskets. Essentially, Pascale said this makes for 36 different “holes” or “baskets.”

In 2018, Pascale said they began putting in the course at Flynt Park. Peter Charron, a Monson resident, designed the course. “It started as a nine-hole course. There were no tee pads – just dirt,” said Pascale.
In 2019, the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) awarded the town a $49,510 grant to put in the tee boxes, said Pascale.

He went on to say that all 36 of the baskets were donated by Todd Rainwater, a disc golf course tour owner from Texas.

Over time, Pascale said they have started to add secondary tee pads, using the same layout as the ones already in place. Currently, there are six tee pads. Pascale said he is hopeful to receive additional grant funding to install more.

The objective of disc golf, as explained by Pascale, is to land the disc within the chains of the basket. People are able to play in teams or individually.

Pascale noted that the game encompasses a variety of different skill levels along with disc types, comparable to golf terms. This includes irons, putters and driver discs, all of which are made to travel different distances, said Pascale.

Depending on if a person is left or right-handed, Pascale said the discs are designed to…