Staff writer
An anonymous donation of $6,000 will fund most of the construction of an 18-hole disc golf course at Marion County Park and Lake that could be operational by midsummer.
“Just hearing from people through email and general conversation, there’s been a lot of interest in it, a lot of talk about it,” Hudson said.
Hudson would not say whether the donor was a Marion County resident.
“He did not want to be attached to it at all,” he said.
In addition to courses in Goessel and Peabody, the lake will be the third location in the county for disc golf. Hudson looked at plans for the Peabody City Park course to get ideas.
Mickey Tibbetts frequents the course at Peabody City Park with a group of friends, and had not heard of a course at the lake, but was excited at the prospect.
“We need an 18-hole course that’s nearby,” Tibbetts said. “There’s one in Newton, but to have one here would be great.”
Tibbetts, who lives north of Peabody, wouldn’t speculate on how many would use the course, but said it would attract disc golfers.
“If it’s well designed, I can guarantee that people will go visit it,” he said.
The course, which is still early on in the planning process, will be split into two nine-hole stretches.
“One will be on the south side of the lake where it’s real barren and open range, the other nine holes would be down in the north area where the flats are, it’s real woody and treed,” Hudson said.
Hudson said the project is one that’s been in the idea stage for a couple years without a budget to make it a reality.
Disc golf courses need hardly any maintenance, but baskets can cost between $100 and $500, Hudson said. Some courses pour concrete tee boxes, but Hudson said they could potentially lay down tarp and put mulch on top, to minimize the renovation.
The donation will allow the lake to move forward planning the course. Hudson said he is meeting with a designer to discuss plans this week.
His rough estimate for when the course would open was midsummer. He said the donation should cover a “large majority” of the construction expenses.