(Caption, second photo): Light equipment operator Chad Hyland, left, and grounds worker Tim Moore of Public Works’ Devou Park/Urban Forestry Division dress the area around the disc golf tees with gravel.

New Devou Park Disc Golf Course gearing up for early fall opening

COVINGTON, Ky. – Get out your distance drivers, fairway drivers, mid-range drivers, and putters … and note we’re talking about discs, not clubs.

That’s because by early fall The Cov will have its own 18-hole disc golf course in Devou Park.  

LK Concrete recently poured concrete pads for the 18 tees, and crews from Public Works’ Devou Park/Urban Forestry Division are finishing up dressing the area around those pads with gravel and fixing challenges related to the slope.

“We’ve got three tees left to do,” Supervisor Jason Roberts said.

Meanwhile, Covington got notice Wednesday that the baskets for the course, which had been on back order for months, were finally on their way from Georgia, said Covington Parks & Rec Manager Ben Oldiges. Once the baskets arrive, volunteers will install them.

Apparently there will be no shortage of help.

“Cincy Disc Golf put out an all-call on Facebook, and the post got nearly 300 ‘likes,’ ” Oldiges said.

Oldiges said that engagement speaks to the increasing popularity of the sport, especially here in Greater Cincinnati, and that Covington had long sought to engage with that popularity.

“A disc golf course is something that we have been missing for a very long time within the Covington parks system,” Oldiges said.

“This new course is going to bring a new massive and passionate crowd to Devou Park, and because of this, the influx of people will affect the urban core in a very positive way. It should bring energy, excitement, and enthusiasm to a park that already has a high level of energy in place.”

Once dismissed as a fad, disc golf has matured to a professional sport, and the trajectory of its popularity continues to rise.

The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) estimates that more than a million people regularly play the game. In 2021, there were 1,748 registered PDGA members in Kentucky, and the state is home to 132 disc courses.

The rules for disc golf are similar to traditional golf by way of scoring and etiquette, but, obviously, the equipment differs. That said, it’s a lot more than just throwing Frisbees.

Standing on what is generally a 4-foot by 6-foot concrete tee box, a…