Another DisCap course !!

[Jeff Wiechowski]

http://thedailystar.com/localnews/x1552 ... ortin-Park

Course nearly set for disc golf in Fortin Park
By Jake Palmateer
Staff Writer, The Daily Star
Mon Aug 15, 2011


A town of Oneonta park is poised to become the home of the area's first permanent disc golf course. Several workdays are scheduled this month in Fortin Park, where an effort is underway to build an 18-hole course.

"Basically, it is very similar to ball golf," project chairman David Coury said Sunday.

There are birdies, bogies and pars and tees, fairways and greens.

"The big difference is we are using Frisbees," he said.

And instead of holes, the objective is to land the discs inside targets, which are baskets four-feet off the ground. The discs are specialized in a manner similar to a set of golf clubs. Some are designed for long ranges and others are designed for putting.

The first workday is set for today with additional dates Saturday, and Aug. 22 and 29.

Volunteer workers will be clearing fairways and greens on the course, which is focused on the upper level of Fortin Park, but with some holes also on the lower level.

The course in Fortin Park has been under development since the Oneonta Town Board approved the concept in April 2009. The board recently gave the green light for work to begin and the Fortin family, which donated the land for the park to the town, also approved the layout, Coury said.

A tournament last fall at Fortin Park using temporary targets was hosted by the Oneonta Rotary Club and DisCap, a disc golf club in the Capital District, and it raised $3,000 for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program.

"I think that opened a lot of eyes (to the viability of a permanent course)," Coury said.

The DisCap, a non-profit organization, has placed the Fortin Park project under its umbrella and it will become the group's fifth tournament-caliber course, according to Coury.

The course will be open for anyone to enjoy and there are no fees, he said.

The land used for the course is not devoted solely for disc golf. The baskets, tee areas and some signage are the only evidence a course is there. The estimated construction cost is about $350 per hole and Coury said businesses are being sought to sponsor each hole.

There is no cost to the town, he said.

"Our goal is to further the development of the sport," Coury said. "It has really exploded in the last 10 years."

Tournaments and casual play are expected to draw people in from a wide area and this could have a positive economic impact for Oneonta, according to Coury.

There is an even a Professional Disc Golf Assocation with 50,000 members. It serves as the governing body for the sport.

Coury applauded the town board for its support.

"They are doing a really good job in making sure we cross all our t's and dot all our i's," Coury said. "I appreciate their attention to detail."

The sport is very low impact and would not preclude the use of that area of the park for other activities, according to Coury.

There would also be a "green" aspect to the Fortin Park disc golf course because it will use the natural terrain and will involve the addition of shrubs and trees, according to Coury.

Disc golf can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities and can be very inexpensive, he said.

Coury, who works for the Oneonta City Recreation Department and is a contributor to The Daily Star's sports department, said in addition to having fun playing disc golf, the activity brings together like-minded people.

The courses are often in public parks, as is the case with an 18-hole course in Schenectady's Central Park.

"It's a really special community. The players really take pride in the courses and the parks," he said.

[Titan Bariloni]

wtf..how do you guys do this..?

jealous

[Jeff Wiechowski]

wtf..how do you guys do this..?

jealous

Dave Coury, who works for the Oneonta City Recreation Department and is a contributor to The Daily Star's sports department....

We got peeps on the inside.

The DisCap Ace Race will be here. Late October.