Course improvements drive surge in Dunlap disc golf
Dunlap Disc Golf ready for the season
BY JILL SCHABEN
For the Harrison County Times-Reporter
Improvements to the Dunlap Disc Golf Course at Pleasant View Park are already showing measurable results, according to year-end data from UDisc, the sport’s leading scorekeeping app. UDisc serves as a digital platform for disc golfers to find courses, keep score and track statistics, offering GPS-enabled maps and user-reported data for thousands of courses worldwide.
The Dunlap course was originally installed in 2014 by Devin Kline as an Eagle Scout project. Over time, weather took its toll on the wooden hole signs and course map, leaving them faded, broken or missing.
Last summer, funding from an Aureon Grant secured by the Dunlap Grants Committee allowed the course to be updated with new metal posts, metal hole signs and a weather-resistant course map.
The Aureon Grant is a community funding program from Aureon, a Midwest-based technology company that works in partnership with FMCTC. It awards quarterly grants to nonprofit organizations and community projects in eligible Iowa communities to help support local development and charitable efforts.
Letters of support for the grant were written by Ashley Denton and Donna Brasel. The Dunlap City Council approved the project, and the Dunlap Grants committee secured the funding. City workers installed the new posts and cleared brush along the trails and around the baskets. Myrlen Hein helped by making modifications to the posts.
The improvements were a team effort, and Dunlap City Council member Benjamin Schauer has noticed the success of the project.
“My brother and stepdad are both active disc golfers,” said Schauer. “They’ve both tried the Dunlap course and commented on how nice it is as well as how nice Pleasant View Park is.
Living near the dam, I’ve seen quite a few people out there, which is encouraging to see both as a citizen as well as a council member that approved the project.”
Disc golf continues to show steady growth nationwide. According to data compiled by UDisc, millions of rounds are logged annually through its app, and the number of courses worldwide now exceeds 16,000 — with new courses still being added each year. The United States leads the way in course installations, and the vast majority of courses remain free to play, helping fuel accessibility and participation.
According to UDisc’s year-in-review report, Pleasant View Park’s course usage increased significantly following the improvements:
Total rounds played increased 182% year over year.
Unique players rose 45%.
Holes played increased 45%.
Throws recorded jumped 307%.
The Pleasant View Park course also climbed in rankings. In 2025, Dunlap’s course ranked 308th in Iowa for play count, up from 354th in 2024. Nationally, it improved from 11,196th to 10,180th, and globally from 16,609th to 15,311th.
“It’s not surprising to see this level of growth given our recent investment,” said Schauer. “We know that when you put time and resources into a project, that good things will happen.
Continued improvements to our course as well as Pleasant View Park as a whole will only further increase our rankings, which is exciting for Dunlap.”
Community leaders say disc golf offers several advantages for small towns:
Low cost to install and maintain compared to traditional
sports facilities.
Free and accessible recreation for all ages and skill levels.
Increased Park usage and community engagement.
Potential to draw visitors for casual play or tournaments.
Promotion of physical activity and time outdoors.
“Disc golf is an activity that is rising in popularity that I’m glad that we have capitalized on,” Schauer said. “It’s a relatively cheap, family-friendly activity that can be played year-round. For a community looking for more things for its citizens to do, as well as to lure in visitors, this improvement is a no-brainer.”
With updated infrastructure and growing participation, the Dunlap Disc Golf Course continues to build on a project that began more than a decade ago — strengthening recreation opportunities and community connections in the process.