A new sport and place to play it are coming to Auburn.
Mayor Mike Hughes says a nine-hole disc golf park will be built adjacent to the city’s McCutchen-Coke Park in the area behind the city’s senior center.
Disc golf is relatively inexpensive for participants and can be played by a wide age range of players.
According to Wikipedia, Disc golf is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. It is usually played on a course with 9 or 18 holes. Players complete a hole by throwing a disc from a tee pad or area toward a target, throwing again from where the previous throw landed, until the target is reached. Usually, the number of throws a player uses to reach each target is tallied (often in relation to par), and players seek to complete each hole in the lowest number of total throws. The game is played in about 40 countries and, as of 2020, there are 71,016 active members of the PDGA worldwide.
Auburn is among 41 communities selected for more than $4.3 million to improve parks and outdoor spaces across Kentucky. Funds will help communities expand recreation spaces, enhance accessibility for all Kentuckians.
Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced which communities will receive funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). To receive funding, administered at the state level by the Department for Local Government (DLG), selected applicants must undergo federal review and receive approval from the National Park Service.
In addition to disc golf park, Auburn will use its $25,000 grant to construct a covered circular shelter with pad and lighting. Mayor Hughes also said a walking track will surround the new park area.
Meanwhile, Todd County will use $250,000 of the grant money for the acquisition of a vacant industrial property from the City of Elkton to create a regulation-size soccer field complete with a concessions stand and restroom facility, lighting, fencing and a parking lot.