New Disc Golf Course coming to Graham Creek Nature Preserve

By Jessica Vaughn
Posted 5/8/17

Leslie Gahagan, the Environmental Manager and overseer of the development of Foley’s Graham Creek Nature Preserve, came before the Foley council on Monday, May 1, to propose a plan to expand the …

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New Disc Golf Course coming to Graham Creek Nature Preserve

Posted

Leslie Gahagan, the Environmental Manager and overseer of the development of Foley’s Graham Creek Nature Preserve, came before the Foley council on Monday, May 1, to propose a plan to expand the disc golf course found on the preserve into a full course within the year.

Currently there are two courses at Graham Creek. The Prairie Course is an amateur based course and the first one that the preserve started with. The Pro Course, also known as the Preserve Course, is for more experienced players.

“Right now on just The Prairie Course we’re averaging about 300 players a week,” Gahagan said. “And that’s not counting tournaments and things like that. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays we have doubles come out and play. And then on Sunday it’s league. It’s gotten so popular they’ve actually moved most of the doubles and the leagues down to our Pro Course, in the back of the park.”

One of the main problems the park is facing is getting players from course to course without them driving. Otherwise, visitors to the preserve must walk a mile to the course, play an entire mile, and then walk the two miles back to where they parked.

“During Spring Break,” Gahagan stated, “we had a four-time world champion show up on a Wednesday afternoon at four o’clock and 150 spectators-slash-players showed up to get his autograph and see him play. With that, they’d play just a couple of holes with their family; it was families, it wasn’t just players. The children were out there, it was so exciting that we discussed the option of a third course at some point in the future, because to have a national sort of tournament we would have to have three courses. And so we’ve talked to Glen Lakes in the past about putting up a temporary course with portable baskets, but we have all this land in the back that we just don’t use.”

The beforementioned land has mountain bike trails cut in as of now, but it is unable to be used for biking as the dirt is too soft. Gahagan has considered packing the dirt, but Graham Creek does not have enough mountain bikers coming their way to justify the procedure.

Gahagan then explained to the council the plan for the upcoming disc golf course. “Disc golfers and mountain bikers are on board to work together to make these multi-use trails, and create a very difficult technical course without clearing any additional trees. We’ll use existing trails, we’ll clear some underbrush, and the best part of this sport is that the players manage the course. We spend money only on putting the course in, and the players even come out with their own equipment sometimes and cut the fairways if I can’t get the big mowers out there quick enough. They’ve built up some of this, they work with us, they maintain it, they police it, they call me if there is an issue.”

Gahagan has a core group of players who are going to do the actual design for the new course, and who are also going to be doing the installation, along with some of the park’s staffing. The only thing Gahagan came before the council to ask was for their permission to go ahead and begin the design and for operational monies to buy the baskets.

There will also be updated parking, as disc golfers will be sent down a trail to a wooded parking lot that will lead them directly to the course. The parking lot will be well maintained and covered in grass, keeping in theme with Graham Creek’s desire to promote and protect nature. Plans for a pavilion to be built for the players is also in the talks.

As for timing for this project, everyone may be able to play a few rounds at the new course before the year is over.

“We’re hoping to have the course open, ready, and inaugurate it at the tournament in November,” Gahagan told the council.

“The Advisory Board for the Graham Creek was unanimous in this,” councilman Ralph Hellmich said. “They thought it was a great use of the property, and will help benefit that part of the property.”

Right now, the park is already handling 300 people a week. Once the expansion has been added, not only will players be able to drive directly to the course, but more players at once will be able to enjoy the preserve.

The project was unanimously approved by the council, and with the players themselves designing and installing the course, the outlook is optimistic that Foley will have a new fully functional disc golf course by the end of this year.