ARCOLA - Disc golf has been around for years, and it is now available in Arcola.
Eugene Brown created the idea in 2021 and brought the activity to the town. It was approved and then the work began.
In a matter of three months, the course was up and running.
They wanted to set up on the old railway lands. The town agreed to this and also allotted an equal size of property just east of the current parcel for a back nine.
The railway was repurposed for the course and the other parcel has newly planted trees once it was staked out.
On Wednesday nights, they have an informal league which begins at 4 p.m. and allows people to come out and play.
In the winter, part of the course will be used for cross-country skiing and in the future, they have plans for walking paths, benches and picnic tables to create a greenspace for people to enjoy.
The game is similar to golf, but instead of using a golf club and ball, a person uses a frisbee-like disc.
These discs can be used both day and night, but the glow-in-the-dark discs bring a bright streak across the night sky.
With similar rules as golf, instead of a hole to aim for, a basket has chains.
A person's game can be set up however they like, with distance and fairway drivers, midrange, or putters, but it can be as simple as just taking a disc out and getting it into the basket.
It is a nine-basket course, and they are in the process of adding moon rays to the tees and baskets.
A person needs to purchase their own discs, but there is no charge to use the course. The town office does have discs to rent, but they do not glow in the dark.
According to Brown, 95 per cent of these courses around the world are free of charge to use.
The course is also open all the time. The summer is the ideal time to go out and use the glow discs, which have a black-light flashlight to enable the glow.
Brown said the course sees more action all the time, and people have come from as far as B.C. and played on the course.
Due to great sponsors from local businesses and the Arcola Optimist Club, it was all possible to add this attraction to the town of Arcola.
