Disc golfing sites considered for Carson City

Carson City’s Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed six disc golf sites with the help of a few of the sport’s supporters Tuesday, but made no decision about whether to bring a course here.

Any decision must await more work, as well as the commission’s September meeting.

Most of the potential sites are on the city’s east side, but one is on Western Nevada College land west of the campus buildings and the bike path behind them. The other five are at Carson River Park; near the Deer Run Road Bridge; near Flint Drive and the V&T Railway Eastgate depot; in the Goni Road water tank area; and near Arrowhead Drive.

“We have what we call a planning matrix,” said Vern Krahn, parks planner, noting it includes 15 questions and allows room for more.

Among them are questions regarding the appropriateness of each site, including such things as land-use restrictions, nature of the topography, access and traffic concerns, security needs, scenic views, sufficient parking or room for parking.

Krahn also said sites must provide about an acre per hole, so an 18-hole course likely would need about 20 acres to include the holes, access and parking. He said only the open space cottonwood trees area near the Deer Run Road Bridge might prove too small. Krahn said that area also can experience flooding.

Parks and Recreation Director Roger Moellendorf spoke of restrictions at that site when it comes to using it for active recreation such as disc golf.

Among those taking the bus tour was Skot Meyer, president of the Reno Disc Golf Association. At the first stop on the Carson River Park property, Moellendorf asked him whether the ability to expand the number of disc golf course holes at a site would be helpful.

He said it might be, given that converting an 18-hole course into a 27- or 36-hole facility could accommodate larger tournaments.

The sites other than the one near the Deer Run Road Bridge have sufficient acreage, according to Moellendorf’s estimates, for more than 18 holes.

Krahn said the next step is to see whether commission members want to expand the questions in his matrix and whether they have sites they would like considered in addition to the six now in the mix. He also said that should the WNC site become the commission’s preferred site, some talking with college officials would be required.

“The college is at least willing to talk,” he said.

The Carson River Park site is already in the city parks’ inventory. Carson City Open Space oversees the Deer Run Road Bridge property. The sites near Flint Drive, Goni Road and Arrowhead Drive are all eventually coming to the city as part of a federal lands bill, Krahn said.