Parks & Rec Commission reviews disc golf layout

Plans for a disc golf complex near Flint Drive at Carson City’s east edge were unveiled publicly and discussed at Tuesday’s Parks and Recreation Commission meeting.

The proposal on 129 acres north and west of the landfill calls for three courses and a “tournament central” spot, with two of the courses 18 holes for tournament competition and the third course nine holes for beginners. Disc golf is a competition using baskets and Frisbie-like discs on large courses of about an acre per hole.

Vern Krahn, city parks planner, described the complex and said it was laid out on maps during a charrette design session conducted with disc golf advocates and participants last month.

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” said Krahn, jesting about a process and result that provided layouts pleasing to those involved. It will go to public hearing next month. He said the public hearing will be Dec. 5, right before the next commission meeting. Commissioners then are expected to recommend the proposal to the Board of Supervisors. The site selection without course details was done earlier by the commission.

Dave Wiley, of Carson City, an advocate and charrette participant, said the three course areas looked “really nice” when he and colleagues toured the site. He also said disc golfers would help raise funds and make donations of equipment to help put the courses in usable shape. That remark came after Krahn said government funding isn’t in the cards now.

Krahn also said the land won’t come to the city from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for a few months, so the courses aren’t likely to be available for use until later next year.

The west course is proposed for 48 acres, the east course for 60 acres. The nine-hole beginners’ course is pegged for almost 14 acres and the tournament central area, for a parking lot and amenities, would go on seven acres. Krahn said the ample acreages are due to topographical terrain factors, which means every acre isn’t usable.

Commissioners also were treated to a discussion of the Kings Canyon-to-Ash Canyon hiker-biker trail being done on the city’s rural west side. The trail is being built by volunteers with the help of $176,000 in grants, according to Chas Macquarie and Oliver Lieder of Muscle-Powered in Carson City. Also on hand was Jeff Potter, who helped spearhead the project.

Lieder said the seven-mile project built community as well as a great trail.

“We hope to get it all done next year,” Lieder said.