Opening day for Carson City disc golf course Saturday

It may not be an ideal time to open, but Carson City’s first disc golf course is ready to play.

The Eagle Valley Disc Golf Association, which was instrumental in getting the city’s newest recreation site built and will maintain it going forward, is hosting Carson Ridge Disc Golf Park’s opening day Saturday starting at 9 a.m.

“It was a big project,” said Dave Navarro, Carson City parks operation superintendent, that was made possible by “the grant and the vision and hard work of the Eagle Valley Disc Golf Association.”

The $118,285 grant came from the Land Water Conservation Fund and another $14,000 was raised via donations through the Foundation for Carson City Parks & Recreation.

The facility has 20 other sponsors including Cinderlite, Firehouse Subs, Past Time Signs, and the Tile Outlet.

Members of the disc golf association contributed more than 4,000 volunteer hours, including designing the courses which cover roughly 30 acres of city-owned land on Flint Drive.

The park consists of two courses: the 9-hole Pony Express course for beginners and families, and the 18-hole Stadium course for more advanced players and competitions.

“Once you get into the course, there’s some really great views of the valley and the city,” said Navarro. “There are subtle changes in the topography that guide you in the direction of baskets.”

Disc golf, like traditional golf, has tees, but instead of using a club to hit a ball participants throw discs aimed to land in a basket. And like traditional golf, each hole has a par number of strokes to get from the tee to basket. Players use multiple kinds of discs, like clubs in the older sport, designed for different strokes such as long drives and putting.

The facility also includes signage describing the sport and listing sponsors, a 50-spot parking lot, and a portable restroom. Like other Carson City parks, the disc golf courses will be open from dawn to dusk. Admission is free.

Players need their own gear to play at the Carson City courses, but the Eagle Valley Disc Golf Association will have some equipment on hand on Saturday for novices to see how it works.

Navarro said the city will hold another event to mark the course’s grand opening sometime in the spring.

Carson Ridge Disc Golf Park is located at 3999 Flint Drive. For information, call Carson City Parks Recreation & Open Space at 775-887-2262.