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This page shall serve to provide transparency and centralize information about the creation of this course, and it will be updated as we go along.
The idea of a disc golf course at McClung Park has been tossed around for many years. Bob Wieger of Xtreme Trendz took the first step forward in 2018 (I think). He began negotiation with JC Parks and set aside disc golf sale profits to purchase 19 baskets and had them all ready to go. There was a different Parks Director at that time and support for a new course was meh, and progress was slow. After Bob’s motorcycle accident in 2021, he decided to close the store in 2022 and the baskets were sold for a different project.
Bryan Stevens and Chris Neff picked up the McClung project in 2022 and started exploring options with JC Parks. Some challenges were immediately apparent.
Miller is on 34 acres, the Dam is on 30. The rule of thumb is 2 acres per hole for today’s standards, that’s 36 acres for 18 holes. Without borrowing land from LU on the northeast and southwest, McClung only has about 15 to work with after you take out the parking lots, pavilions and the old ballfield area that was supposed to be converted into a dog park. Also the southeast side has a bit of a cliff and a swampy gully with rusty steel junk embedded in it. Really cool looking, but without significant changes, it would make this course a questionable choice for school programs. Below is the 2023 design that was dependent upon borrowed land from LU, about 12 acres. Still very tight to get a satisfying 18 holes in. The new JC Parks director put this idea on the LU president’s desk several times, and it just was not going anywhere. In 2024 we saw the success of the Fairview 9-hole putter course in Columbia, and a new approach for McClung fell in place.
If you haven’t played Fairview, you should! It is super fun, addictive even. Such ace chance! The total hole distance is 1,530’, averaging 170’, only 3 are over 200’. This course gets a ton of traffic, the U-Disc stats are seriously impressive.
There is so much to like about a putter course. Using slow discs to shape shots teaches fundamentals for better growth of skill. New players only need one or two discs and shouldn't feel so under-equipped. This is a perfect setup for clinics and school programs, and at McClung it will be right next to a college, a high scool, and the Boys and Girls Club. With short holes there is less risk of an overpowered driver hitting a bystander not visible to the thrower. The shorter course will also create a buffer from the neighbors. People are not very tolerant about shenanigans in their back yard. With this layout approach, stray shots will not end up on somebody’s BBQ grill. The golfers who can’t play this game without yelling F bombs will be further away from houses also.
Like Miller, The Dam, Summit, and County, this course will be designed by the people who dedicate the time to create it. It can be difficult to rally so many different ideas. They say, if you send a committee to design a horse, you will get a camel. We've done this before though, and our courses are pretty dang nice! We will get there. The current concept is up on U Disc here.
The current challenge is setting up the right relationship with the city, times have changed since the last course we put in.
Tentative schedule:
September - Club walk-through with to get feedback on the initial design and does initial clearing of brush and dead trees.
Early October – Club sets up a temp course with tees and pin locations flagged in the grass. Have a shotgun-start round using temporary baskets provided by the club. This event will be advertised to local golfers for a chance to experience and provide input.
Mid October - Walk thru with Forester to discuss any small to mid-sized trees to come out. Very little cutting anticipated. No large trees would need to be removed unless unsafe. No trees in the currently mowed area would need to be removed.
Late October - Continue to work over the winter as permitted by weather. Have at least one more event on the temporary course as the proposed final layout, perhaps in Spring 2027.
Winter – order baskets. We are still thinking the Mach 5’s that are at the Dam Course would come to McClung and new pink baskets would be ordered for the Dam.
Spring 2027 – Club installs baskets.
Summer 2027– Pour tee pads.
Page updated
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