HAMLET — A tentative plan is in the works for a 18-hole disc golf course at City Lake in Hamlet.

Chris McDonald, president of the Richmond County Disc Golf Group and an associate planner in Charlotte, presented the concept to the Hamlet City Council at their July meeting about the plan.

Both McDonald and Hamlet City Manager Matt Christian said the plan received unanimous praise from the council.

The RCDGG was a product of COVID-19 and formed in the summer of 2020. It became an official LLC in mid-2021, with over 70 current paying members.

“When we started, we probably had maybe 12 people show up to our doubles events,” McDonald said. “Our league now has 30+ people showing up every week.”

McDonald said their is a desire to grow the group and have another destination not just for local residents, but something that could attract people from Wilmington and Charlotte.

Charlotte is considered the disc golf capital of the world, boasting over 50 courses in the area. The Disc Golf Pro Tour Championship takes place at Hornet’s Nest park in Charlotte, and the United States Disc Golf Championship is held at Winthrop University in nearby Rock Hill, SC.

The USDGC in 2021 shattered their previous attendance record and had over 3,500 spectators in a single day. Disc golf was one of the few sports that was relatively unscathed by the pandemic, and a major surge in public interest propelled the sport while others struggled.

Rockingham already has a course at Hinson Lake, and Richmond Community College has a six-hole course adjacent to their lake. The Hinson Lake Classic, a tournament led by McDonald, hosted over 70 competitors in October. McDonald also runs a sanctioned Professional Disc Golf League at Hinson Lake, which attracts competitors from Southern Pines and Laurinburg. There is also a course at South Piedmont Community College in Polkton in Anson County.

“If we’re going to bring a new course to the area, we want to bring something that will bring people from further away,” McDonald said about the plan for the Hamlet course.

McDonald said that Hinson Lake is a great course, but caters more toward beginners. This new course would include multiple Par 4 holes of around 6oo feet, and a Par 5 hole of 900 feet.

Hamlet City Manager Matt Christian said he was first approached by McDonald about the concept last July.

“It seems like a really great project that would benefit the [RCDGC} and the citizens of Hamlet,” Christian said. “It would maybe…