DECATUR — There is a new sport sweeping through northwest Arkansas. It is not tennis, racquetball or even golf (of sorts). It is a simple sport involving a set of spinning discs, a goal that resembles a merry-go-round, and lot of fresh air. What is this new sport? It is called Frisbee golf.
A new Frisbee golf course opened June 1 at Decatur's Veterans Park. It is part of a rapidly growing network of courses springing up in the area. Along with Gentry, Gravette, Siloam Springs and the Jones Center in Springdale, Decatur's course is a nine-hole set up. Fayetteville and Springdale both have a complete 18-hole set up.
The Veterans Park course is the brain child of Mike Stout, who also designed and built the courses in Gentry and Gravette.
The Decatur course begins east of the concession stand near McCollum Park and winds its way down the hill toward the north end of Veterans Park. The course finishes near the top of Veterans Park, just northeast of the Edmiston Park softball field.
Frisbee golf takes a set of three discs, score cards, tee pad and a good throwing arm to play. Similar to golf, each disc performs a different function. The driver disc is used to tee off and covers a range of between 200 and 300 feet. The mid-range disc is used to cover ground from the lie of the first shot to the green, a distances of between 100 to 200 feet. The putter is used in a similar manner as its brother in regular golf. It is used to get the disc into the hole, at distances of 100 feet and less.
Like golf, the number of throws used to get discs into the basket is recorded. Par is the number of strokes it should take to get the disc into the goal. The longest hole on the Veterans Park course is 880 feet from tee to goal. This par 5 hole is one of the three longest holes in the United States.
Putting looks easy, but takes a steady hand and a keen eye. If the disc is thrown too hard, it can overshoot the goal and bounce off the lip or chains and sail back onto the green, adding a stroke to the score.
There is a semi-professional Frisbee golf league in northwest Arkansas called the 59 Flyers. It consists of a group of Frisbee golf enthusiasts who wanted to bring the sport to the Highway 59 corridor. The 59 Flyers are currently working on plans to host a Frisbee golf tournament at Veterans Park in Decatur on July 30.
The two-round morning session will begin in Decatur, followed by a lunch break. The tournament will wrap up with two rounds at Gravette course.
Frisbee golf sets come in a variety of options to obtain the discs, either by purchase or rental. A set of three discs costs around $10 and can be purchased at any area sporting goods store. For the serious player, a complete set includes discs, score cards and a Frisbee golf bag and runs about $60 and up.
The city of Decatur has a limited number of disc sets available for rent at the Decatur Public Library for $5 a set. These can be obtained during regular business hours and can be returned using the library drop box.
For more information on the Decatur Frisbee golf course, call 752-3912.
General News on 06/29/2016