A new disc golf course in Shaunavon is already complete and open to the public only a few months after it was initially conceived.
“It actually came about pretty quickly. There was talk about it, I think it was in November, a little bit. Then it got officially decided kind of in the start of March really. Now it was already installed just last weekend. It was a pretty quick turnaround,” explained Shaunavon Director of Wellness and Leisure, Dana Dale.
“I know our community members had family members that had used them in their community wherever they’re at and they were really enjoying it, so that’s kind of how it got brought into the ideas of people in Shaunavon,” Dale added.
She said the roughly $7,000 cost was covered by the town and the reserves in the Wellness budget that they were looking to use.
“We did get a bunch of volunteers to help install it. That kind of lowered the cost a little bit. We did apply for some grants to purchase discs, more than anything. It was the disc sets that people can rent them or purchase them if they want to purchase them.”
The course was completed on April 10.
“We had I think five high school students that came and helped to install it. They said it usually takes about two hours to install a nine-hole course. I think ours took, from start to finish, about an hour and 10 minutes, so that made a big difference. It just made the process go that much quicker. We also had some other community members and Council members that helped with the installation as well,” said Dale, who added that other community members allowed them to use their tools to complete the project.
The Town of Shaunavon worked closely with Disc Golf Saskatchewan on the project.
“I reached out to the lead, Evan. We talked back and forth for a bit and then what they proposed is he came down and kind of scoped out the area we were looking at and gave his two cents. The next trip down there was a few more that came and marked out where the tee boxes should go and where the holes should be placed.”
The DGS representatives also entered the course into the UDisc app. “That was great because they entered all that, the distances and everything.”
Once they had settled on the course layout they were given a complete list of supplies needed for the install day.
“They were phenomenal. They were great and easy to work with,” Dale added.
The Shaunavon Disc Golf Course is spread out between BenchView and Avondale Park along the TransCanada Trail walking path. The par 27 course spans 766 metres over nine holes. The shortest hole is 54 metres and the longest is the ninth hole at 125 metres.
Dale said that they have already had people drop in to buy sets of discs and a few others that had rented them.
Disc golf has been rapidly gaining popularity across the province in recent years. There are now disc golf courses in Shaunavon and Gull Lake with one set to open in Swift Current soon.
“I think just because it’s something that is getting popular in Saskatchewan. There wasn’t really anything like that in the Southwest, now’s there three of them, so that’s kind of cool,” said Dale.
