Claremont NH

Valley News – Claremont disc golf course coming together

admin Claremont NH 0 Comments September 20, 2022

, 2022-09-19 20:41:20,

Valley News Correspondent

Published: 9/19/2022 9:39:08 PM

Modified: 9/19/2022 9:39:11 PM

CLAREMONT — The building of an 18-hole disc golf course in Moody Park began later than expected this summer but if all goes according to plan, golfers will likely be able to experience the new course before winter sets in.

Alex Baldwin, of Claremont, who planned the course with Park and Recreation Department officials, and other volunteers have been busy since mid-August laying out the course.

Originally planned to be primarily to the right of the park access road beginning near the park entrance, Baldwin said they had to make some changes and now there will be six holes instead of two in the wooded area left of the access road.

“We changed it because some of the holes we were going to put in were interfering with some of the hiking and biking trails,” Baldwin said. “We decided we wanted to avoid them altogether so we were able to use some space on the left of the road.”

The six holes on the left are beyond the picnic area. Baldwin stressed that their objective was to avoid areas with walkers, picnickers and others. The course is laid out so the 18th hole basket leaves the golfers only a short walk back to the parking area.

For those unfamiliar with the sport, the object of disc golf is to fling a disc, similar in shape to a Frisbee, from a tee pad toward a basket about chest high mounted on a pole. Similar to golf, the goal is to deposit the disc into the basket in the fewest throws. The distance of each hole ranges from about 220 feet to just over 300 and different size discs are used depending on distance to the basket

Baldwin said the wooded landscape on the northwestern side of the park with steep ravines and trees, serving as natural obstacles on the course, are ideal for the sport.

“We play on, around and over these ravines which makes it interesting,” Baldwin said. ”It is nice to be able to use a part of the park that is not used at all.”

Walking parts of the course will be challenging as well because golfers will have to descend then climb back out of a few of the ravines. Hole 2 for example has the tee-pad on a flat area and the basket across a deep ravine on another level spot. To reach the basket area, or the disc, depending on where it lands, golfers will have to hike down the ravine and climb back up the opposite side on a trail, which was built by the volunteers working on the…

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Disc News

Valley News – Disc golf course coming to Claremont’s Moody Park

admin Claremont NH, Disc Golf, recreation 0 Comments April 15, 2022

Valley News Correspondent

Published: 4/15/2022 9:30:26 PM

Modified: 4/15/2022 9:29:17 PM

CLAREMONT — The increasingly popular game of disc golf will be coming to Claremont this summer with an 18-hole course at Moody Park.

On Wednesday, the City Council accepted a donation of almost $26,000 from Mike Lemieux, owner of Pine Hill Construction, for the purchase of baskets, tee boxes, concrete bases, benches, railroad ties and small concrete slabs and use of Pine Hill’s equipment to build the course.

For those not familiar with the game, disc golf challenges players to throw a disc (similar to a Frisbee) as few times as possible to land it in a pole-mounted basket about chest-high. As in regular golf, the low score wins.

Each hole will begin at a tee box, with the target, or basket, a few hundred feet away. Similar to golf, which has different clubs depending on the shot, different discs are used based on the distance.

Claremont Parks and Recreation Director Mark Brislin said the course has been laid out and will be in a rarely used area to the right of the park road just beyond the park entrance off Maple Avenue. He emphasized it will not encroach upon on any of the trails used by runners, walkers and bicyclists.

“Moody Park offers unique terrain that disc golfers would like, using the natural beauty and aesthetics of the park,” Brislin said. “This will be another great asset to the Claremont park system and would draw many people to the park.”

The park terrain in the area of the course includes a number of steep ravines that are not conducive for trails. Construction will be a volunteer effort beginning in June and will be led by Alex Baldwin, who told the council they have walked the area several times to lay out the course.

Baldwin said disc golf is an easy, minimal-cost activity, and the course will have low environmental impact on the park. Work will include installing the concrete bases for the basket poles, creating tee pads and general cleanup such as removal of undergrowth and dead trees and limbs to make walking the course easier. Because the terrain is steep and wet in some sections, rope railings, stairs and water bridges will be built.

Baldwin said he has heard from a lot of people through social media who are interested in helping with building the course. He welcomes anyone interested to email him at [email protected].

Those interested in learning the game, are looking for courses and seeking places to buy discs can download the free UDisc app on their phone.

Nearby disc golf courses are in Newport; Sunapee; Hartland; Bradford, Vt.; and Chester, Vt.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at [email protected].