Get In Your Tee Time at Rome’s New Disc Golf Course
I am terrible at throwing them but I will admit: disc golf has always been super fascinating to me. How people can throw with such accuracy and power is so interesting and I wish I had the hand-eye coordination to be good at the sport.
Good news if you are in a similar position as I am, or if you enjoy throwing for fun and are looking to throw locally: there's a new disc golf course opening in Rome at Griffiss Park.
The Griffiss Park Landowners' Association recently sent out their tenant briefing and project update, including all details about the Bomber Disc Golf Course:
A planned 18-hole course will begin at the Ellsworth Trailhead. The "front nine" is concentrated in the green space parallel to Ellsworth Road. The "back nine" is "Adirondack style" through the woods near the water tower.
With Innova DISCatcher Pro 28 baskets installed and 12 of 18 tees having been poured, the course is playable. However, you should exercise caution. In an email with the plans, Lauren Cohen of MV Edge says there's some things you should keep an eye out for while playing:
There are numerous woodchuck holes throughout the front nine. There is also poison ivy throughout the woods on the back nine; I advise you to stick to the mulched areas of the fairway where it has been eliminated.
The course is free to the public, and you'll need to bring your own discs if you're looking to play.
What Exactly is Disc Golf?
According to the PDGA, disc golf is played much like golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, though, players use a flying disc or a Frisbee. The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws).
A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target, which is the "hole." The hole can be one of a number of disc golf targets; the most common is an elevated metal basket. As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive throw from the spot where the previous throw landed. The trees, shrubs, and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer. Finally, the "putt" lands in the basket and the hole is completed.
According to the plans from the Griffiss Park Landowners Association, the course will be fully insured. Design accommodations were made for trail users and will not interfere with regular activities, so you won't have to worry about people being in the way or getting in their way.
You can find out more details by checking out the course on UDisc.