City Council approves Hoffman Park Ace Place

Will be first public disc golf course in Allegany County
Goal to open is Spring 2023

FROSTBURG — It was worth the wait.

Tuesday night’s public meeting of the Frostburg Mayor and City Council was originally scheduled for Dec. 15, but was postponed five days due to inclement weather. Turns out the delay was of little consequence, as city commissioners Nina Forsythe, Adam Ritchey and Kevin Grove, along with the gavel of support from Mayor Robert Flanigan, voted to approve the design of what is to become the first public disc golf course in Allegany County.

The Frostburg-based Allegany County Disc Golf Club submitted a proposal to Frostburg Parks and Recreation Director Brian Vought on Oct. 11. Parks and Recreation Commission members gave it the green light on Nov. 2, making the approval from the mayor and council members the last obstacle. The club was founded on May 14 and quickly reached out to Vought. Vought met with an Allegany County Disc Golf Club representative on May 18 for nearly an hour to discuss a possible disc golf course and other sport-related questions

The project one was of three included when Resolution 2022-56 was introduced by City Administrator Elizabeth Stahlman. Though the club had proposed a 50-50 cost share, the council voted to fund the entire $8,500 (plus taxes) project through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. That move speeds up the timetable for when Hoffman Park Ace Place disc golf course could open to Spring 2023.

The cost covers nine Innova DISCatcher Pro 28 baskets, nine metal tee signs customized with graphics/logos, nine sets of flush-mount tee markers, eight “next tee” signs, custom metal course overview sign (36″ x 60″), on-site course design, 50 custom-stamped Innova discs, assistance with course promotion and more.

The course will be designed by Brad Lescalleet, who has designed or collaborated in the design of several popular, well-liked courses in the region, including Ditto Farms at Washington County Regional Park in Hagerstown. This beginner-friendly course will include holes up to a maximum of approximately 200 feet — with only one hole possibly being longer than that — and will be built apart from existing park components, including the ball field, amphitheater and playground.

Ditto in Hagerstown was the closest public disc golf course in Maryland until The Glades at Meshach Run opened in Accident in May 2022. Currently, there are two courses in Allegany County, both on private land: Mile Lane Disc Golf in Mount Savage, and Central Assembly of God in Cumberland.

Local disc golfers Jim Buser, of Short Gap, W.Va., and Keith Raynor, of Vale Summit, conducted a site visit with Kevin Spradlin, of Frostburg, at Hoffman Park on June 7. Both Buser, who designed the course at Central as well as a course on family property in West Virginia. Both Buser and Raynor were quick to identify strengths of Hoffman Park as a possible location. Lescalleet, representing Innova, visited on July 31. Though the site visit took an hour, it took only a few minutes for Lescalleet to see the site’s potential for what some call a “pitch and putt” disc golf course.

An Ace Place, said Lescalleet at the time, “is a great option. This is beneficial for a multitude of reasons. It’s accessible for all levels of play (and) requires far less land than a larger course … The general idea is a course that is (roughly) 100 (to) 200 foot holes as a place to introduce new players, keep learning players engaged, and provide experienced players a place to hone their short game.”

Lescalleet said not every new course needs to be a championship-level course.

“In reality, the shorter and ‘easier’ courses are the ones that the vast majority of players gravitate towards. Why? It’s more fun! Sure, it’s fun to get ‘beat up’ once in a while (on a more challenging course), but most people want to feel some level of accomplishment or success, and an Ace Place product provides just that.”

While the project’s cost is essentially covered, the club will continue to raise money for the course in order to build a kiosk, assist with course maintenance and other sport-related activities.

About the Allegany County Disc Golf Club

The Allegany County Disc Golf Club was founded on May 14 when it became apparent there was a need in the community for a separate organization that was dedicated to growing the sport within a certain vision, apart from an existing group. The club quickly jumped into action by:

  • Staging youth clinics in July and August
  • Faciliating the Summer Flex League (with cash payouts or gift certificates in men’s, women’s, boys’ and girls’ divisions)
  • Participating in community events such as the Western Maryland Craft Beverage Festival
  • Conducting a five-week Youth League
  • Taking the reigns for Fall Doubles League (Oct. 23 – Dec. 18) and Winter Doubles League (Jan. 1, 2023 – Feb. 26)
  • Playing the club’s first glow rounds (December)
  • Planning the club’s first tournament – Allegany County Disc Golf Doubles Championship – for Saturday, March 4, 2023

This Google Maps image shows the boundaries of Hoffman Park in Frostburg.

 

 

Filed in: Latest Headlines, Outdoors, Sports

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