The Kootenay Rockies Disc Golf Society (KRDGS) hopes to build a new disc golf course in Castlegar
The Kootenay Rockies Disc Golf Society (KRDGS) is encouraging members of the community to attend an open house/town hall meeting to learn more about the organization’s plans to build a disc golf course in the forested area of Kinnaird Park.
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 26 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Kinnaird Park Community Church’s library.
Attendees can expect to hear more details about the proposed 18-hole course and see a demonstration of what disc golf is.
Disc golf is played similar to regular golf with par-based scoring, but instead of holes, there are baskets; and instead of balls, there are discs which are very similar to Frisbees. The sport has been growing in recent years across North America and courses have been developed around the region including at Rossland, Oasis, Nelson, Fruitvale, Blewett and Ymir.
Part of the sport’s popularity is its accessibility. A set of beginner discs can be purchased for under $30 and that’s all you need to start. Most courses are free to play and open year round. The sport can also be played by most ages and fitness levels.
KRDGS first approached Castlegar City Council in 2024 with the idea of developing a course. After consideration, city council chose Kinnaird Park as the preferred location for a course.
Even though the course will be built on city land, KRDGS’s plan calls for it to be paid for exclusively with grant money, so there will not be a burden on tax payers.
Patrick Audet, a representative of KRDGS, says the proposed course will have little impact on the forest as disc golf is played in natural surroundings.
Disc golf courses do not require fairway maintenance such as grass growing and mowing.
According to KRDCS, the proposed area will require some site preparation prior to the installation of the baskets.
“Some of the forest has received fire mitigation in the past five years, but a lot of the area has not,” said Audet. “We will have to clean out some dead or dying trees and some undergrowth to create fairways between the healthy living trees.”
This is one of the reasons that Audet expects the project to cost about $80,000, which is more than the typical course costs to build.
KRDGS has already heard a few concerns from other park users and they want to assure the public that the main walking trails that connect what is known as the “gas line trail” to the “water line trail” will not be impacted by the course.
“Dog walkers, bikers and joggers will be able to use these main connectors unimpeded,” said Audet.
“Remember Kinnaird Park is a shared resource and our disc golf plan will become one more user group in the park,” says Audet.
They have also heard concerns about increased litter, but the group said the opposite type of behaviour is more typical at disc golf courses. Disc golfers are known for carrying everything out with them and also cleaning up unwanted litter they find along the way as litter detracts from the natural experience players are looking for.
The open house is part of a public consultation plan for the new course. KRDGS will take what it hears at the meeting back to city council for further consideration in the fall.
