INNISFAIL – Disc golf in town has successfully taken off but after just one successful season course officials want to add a back nine this year to secure major tournaments, a move they say will also be a financial boost to the community.
“Last weekend I was at a tournament in Lethbridge with 250 people booking hotels and eating out at restaurants for the whole weekend, and they are every single weekend in the summer, so we really want to bring that to Innisfail as much as we can,” said Josh Gette, the course designer at Centennial Park’s new Innisfail Kinsmen Disc Golf Park.
“We need a full 18 to host a big tournament, which is why we want that back nine to get installed. Once we have those 18 holes all installed, we’re able to host all these big tournaments. We just don’t want a front nine that’s so awesome it can’t get used ever in tournaments because there’s not the other nine.”
Innisfail Kinsmen asked town staff to go to town council at its May 16 Agenda & Priorities with its request to expand from nine holes to 18.
Steven Kennedy, director of operational services, told council the expansion plan is for three holes to be created south of the existing course, and then across the walking trail to the west with the remaining six holes.
Council’s reaction to the plan was generally favourable, but with some reservations.
Coun. Don Harrison said the three proposed holes south of the dog park were in “pretty heavy bush” and wanted to know how much clearing would take place.
Kennedy said the typical practice would be to choose existing trails to minimize any clearing.
“They do try to focus on low disturbance,” said Kennedy.
Mayor Jean Barclay said she had a concern with a proposed course path that curves around the edge of Napoleon Lake, and that the town faces the possibility of future events having several hundred people.
The mayor also raised concerns of potential holes being created in areas that become wet through spring melt from the nearby town snow dump.
“I talked to the guys working on the course and they were even asking if potentially the snow dump could be moved a little bit further east, or I would ask maybe even to another location. I don’t know if that’s possible,” said Barclay.
Kennedy said disc golf officials are aware of the snow melt situation and were told it was in a “strategic location” as the town is limited to where it can haul snow.
“If we remove that it means ultimately going to the town yard, so it just increases our operating costs for snow removal,” said Kennedy. “As we go through this and learn as the course gets developed, we will continue to monitor.”
Council agreed to soon meet with Kinsmen and local disc golf officials for a proposed back nine tour.
Gette told the Albertan on May 18th that planning for the back nine began a “few” months ago and the goal was to make the best layout possible.
He conceded one proposed hole is “near” the lake but there’s still a line of trees in between it and the hole.
“It’s an older game trail and mostly what we are using it for is a nicer open par 4 in an area that’s not really utilized,” said Gette, adding course officials have also collected many bags of garbage in under utilized areas that were pushed in by snow melt.
“We really try to help clean up those natural areas and keep them nice looking.”
He added one of his group’s primary goals is to only develop trails that are either created by animals or pre-existing.
“At most what is going to get removed are thorn bushes that are in the way. We really want to keep all the trees there. Those are what make the holes exciting. We want to keep them all there as much as we can.”
He said it’s hoped the back nine can be built and ready to play by mid to late summer of this year.
Gette noted the club has already acquired all baskets for the nine holes. The tee pads and sign still need to be ordered as sponsorship funds are secured.
Tim Ainscough, president of the Innisfail Kinsmen, said no sponsorships for the back nine project have yet been secured.
He said Kinsmen will put out wood survey markers out on the proposed back nine for the council tour.
Ainscough said the Kinsmen and course officials are fully prepared to make any course adjustments if they are wanted by either staff or any member of council.
“It’s not finalized yet, so we’ll put in approximately what we think we want and we’ll get council and town staff input,” said Ainscough. “Once everybody is happy then we’ll go ahead and put the stuff in.”
