It’s time to shoot for par in the park.
The first nine holes on Gardner’s disc golf course at the Bailey Brook Park and Conservation Area off of Leo Drive are now open for public play.
The layout of the course, which will eventually feature 18 holes, was planned to appeal to players at all levels of the sport, according to designer Benjamin Tucker.
“The course is available to play, just keep in mind that the Department of Public Works is still working on it,” said Tucker, who also helped design the Hillside Disc Golf Course in Boylston. “The front nine fairways have been cut, and baskets and tee-pads have been installed.”
Holes one through three are completely finished; DPW crews are currently working to define the fairways, clean out the rough, and lay down woodchips around the baskets on holes four through nine, Tucker added.
Also known as frisbee golf, the sport involves players throwing a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf.
The course’s first hole, a 337-yard par 3, is designed to allow players space to warm up and toss practice throws before starting a round, explained Tucker, who is a firefighter with the Gardner Fire Department.
“The area is long enough to throw drivers, but open enough to see if anyone else is using the area,” he said. “It is also a safe spot to learn how discs will fly and makes them easy to find. Not only is it a great starting hole, but it is also a fantastic practice field.”
Tucker said local disc golfers have already been playing the course and giving it positive reviews.
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“While working up at the course I have seen kids, teens, adults, and older adults playing the course,” he said. “People are getting back into the sport after not playing for years because it’s near where they live and it’s free, which they appreciate. Younger kids and teens will have the disc golf course and can play basketball afterwards. For the young kids, the playground is there.”
Tucker estimated that about 300 rounds of disc golf have been played at the course – officially designated as the “Bailey Brook DGC” – over past two months, with over 100 rounds registered on the UDISC app, which he said is used by most players to keep track of their scores. Players are posting weekly updates on the course’s Facebook page, he added.
Lost discs are turned over to John’s Sport Shop, and players have 90 days to pick them up after being notified, according to Tucker.
“After 90 days, the discs will be donated to the Veterans Disc Golf Club of Central Mass. program, which teaches veterans and military members how to play disc golf,” Tucker said.
A maintenance road running through the course, designed for DPW crews to move through the area with minimal impact on play, has been getting a lot of use as a walking path, Tucker said.
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“Which is fantastic because it gets people outside and moving around, which is amazing for your health,” he said. “I just want them to be aware that the road does go through the course, so watch out for flying discs, as well as players being on the lookout for walkers.”
The popularity of disc golf is on the upswing, with the sport becoming especially popular in Central Massachusetts, according to Tucker.
The park also features the city’s first public pickleball courts, basketball courts, and a playground designed for children ages 5 and under.
