A demonstration on the new disc golf course will tee off this evening in Morinville. Tyler Edworthy, Morinville’s sport and recreation coordinator, says the event will celebrate the grand opening of the course, which is at Montreux Park (located north of the Morinville Community High School). “It’s one of the sports that’s kind of trending in the area right now. It’s a good recreational sport that entices people to get out and enjoy the park space that we have to offer.” The majority of holes at the 9-hole course are par three, making it ideal for the beginner. The course is being maintained by the town and is free for public use. Disc golf has the same rules as regular golf, only instead of using clubs and aiming for a hole, the player uses special discs and aims for a basket. “It’s very inexpensive to play so it allows everyone the opportunity to participate,” Edworthy says. Just as there are woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters for golf clubs, discs are specialized for distance and level of skill. The discs look similar to frisbees, but the traditional frisbee is designed lightweight with a large diameter, made for gliding through the air. A disc on the other hand is smaller and flies faster. Typically flatter as well, the disc is designed for distance, control and accuracy. Specialized baskets sit where the hole usually does in a golf course. Attached to a pole, the chain and steel basket is designed to catch discs flying through the air toward it.. Representatives from the Edmonton Disc Golf Association will be giving a demonstration at the course this evening. Players can try their hand at the recreational sport and will leave with their very own disc. Edworthy said it cost $9,000 to buy and install the baskets, but the largest cost incurred so far is the landscaping. He says a final figure of the course hasn’t been determined, as changes are still to take place to make playing more enjoyable. “We’ll be developing the actual hard-surface launch areas once we know exactly where we want to put them. With this being the first time we’re doing this, we don’t want to put anything permanent in until we know for sure that’s where we want it to go.” The Edmonton Disc Golf Association has partnered with the town and will help them in finalizing the course. Nature Kids will be at the event and is planting 69 trees to help offset costs of the course. The event will run from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Montreux Park.
