Austell Approves Construction of $8,000 Disc Golf Course

Disc golf is becoming increasingly more popular across the United States, and now Austell will have its own disc golf course after the Austell City Council unanimously approved on Tuesday construction of the course on 12 acres at the .

The nine-hole course, which will cost $8,000, will be available for free, public use seven days a week during open park hours, Mayor Joe Jerkins explained.

The city plans to construct another nine holes at a later date, he said.

Because Cobb SPLOST funds cannot be used for the disc golf project, funding for the course will come from the .  Four of the five members of the AACIC board recommended approving construction, while the fifth member could not be reached for a vote.

As of right now, Cobb’s Oregon Park in Marietta is the only public park with a disc golf course. Both Douglasville and Dallas have parks with 18-hole disc golf courses as well. Georgia has 55 disc golf courses, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association website.

The new disc golf course could attract active players from around the county and region.

Cobb resident Craig Dickerson serves on the current events committee of the Cobb Disc Golf Club and is a member of the Professional Disc Golf Association and the Atlanta Disc Golf Organization.

Dickerson said he plays disc golf twice a week and competes in about 20 tournaments a year in Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and Alabama.

"It's a family-friendly game that can be played at the competitive level," Dickerson wrote in an email to South Cobb Patch.

What do you think about the city's plan for a disc golf course? What will be the benefits of a course like this for the city? Tell us below in the comments.

According to the disc golf proposal, “the course must cater to both people with no prior experience with the sport as well as experienced players.”

Professional Disc Golf Player John Ritger will design the course. Ritger has played disc golf for 15 years and was the primary designer of Perkerson Park in Atlanta.

Also at Monday’s City Council meeting:

• Council members unanimously approved revisions to the fiscal year 2012 city budget and held the first public hearing on the preliminary fiscal year 2013 city budget.
• Seven city employees were honored for their service with the city. See attached photos for details.
• Council members approved increased health insurance premiums, which will cost the city $10,370 a month. The city will continue to use Coventry as its healthcare provider. However, deductibles for individuals will increase from $1,000 to $2,000, which the city will cover.
• Council members unanimously approved the purchase of a Caterpillar backhoe for $69,345 from Yancey Brothers along with a $45,000 steel-frame building for use by the Public Works Department. Funding will come from the 2011 Cobb SPLOST.
• The city council held the second public hearing for the city’s ward redistricting.