Coming to a campus near you: Furman's new Frisbee golf course Paladin..
After an unsuccessful attempt four years ago, Furman will finally have its own disc golf course opening this month located near the University Center parking lot, in between the Furman golf course and the lake.
Play will begin on the nine-hole course by the end of February, said Owen McFadden, the head of Recreational Sports. The course, which is currently under construction, will have the finishing touches put on it in the coming weeks.
Disc golf, also known as Frisbee golf, is a game where players attempt to throw a disc into a basket from a set location, known as a tee-box. The rules are very similar to those of traditional golf. The object is to use as few throws as possible to get the disc into the "hole," which is typically a basket, but may also be a pole or stake.
Most disc golf courses have 18 "holes" - the same as a full-length golf course. While many casual players will use a standard Frisbee brand disc for play, more serious players carry multiple discs for use on the course. Using different discs is similar to using different golf clubs, depending on the length to the hole.
The sport has become increasingly popular in recent years, and courses can be found on many collegiate campuses. The United States Disc Golf Championship, for example, is played at the course on Winthrop University's campus in Rock Hill, S.C.
McFadden says the impetus behind the current course was Lily Center graduate intern Adam Benson, who graduated from Furman in 2009. Benson first broached the idea of creating a disc golf course at Furman during his freshman year. At the time, an outside contractor had already been hired to develop a plan to build a course. Plans for the course were halted, however, when the contractor laid out a plan that included cutting down plant life. In addition, the proposed budget for the course was higher than Furman was willing to pay.
"I love Frisbee golf. It's one of my favorite activities," Benson said. "I noticed a lot of land behind the lake that could be utilized for play." Signage will be limited because of budget restrictions, and the location is in a place that is admittedly "remote," he said, "[but] once they find [where the course is located] it won't be a big concern."
Course layout was handled by Benson, who had the difficult task of fitting the nine holes into the small area available, as well as creating a course that could be built without removing any obstructing trees or other plants.
The total construction costs for building the new course came in just under the $4,000 budget allotted to the project. Funding came from the Recreational Sports budget, which is approved by the Student Government Association. The course is "no-frills," according to Benson, lacking the concrete tee-boxes or hole markers that many courses have.
McFadden has plans to utilize the course for a disc golf tournament within the next few months, and Benson said that the course will be a great place for charitable tournament functions. In addition, the Ultimate Frisbee team has reportedly expressed interest in using the course for practice.
After an unsuccessful attempt four years ago, Furman will finally have its own disc golf course opening this month located near the University Center parking lot, in between the Furman golf course and the lake.
Play will begin on the nine-hole course by the end of February, said Owen McFadden, the head of Recreational Sports. The course, which is currently under construction, will have the finishing touches put on it in the coming weeks.
Disc golf, also known as Frisbee golf, is a game where players attempt to throw a disc into a basket from a set location, known as a tee-box. The rules are very similar to those of traditional golf. The object is to use as few throws as possible to get the disc into the "hole," which is typically a basket, but may also be a pole or stake.
Most disc golf courses have 18 "holes" - the same as a full-length golf course. While many casual players will use a standard Frisbee brand disc for play, more serious players carry multiple discs for use on the course. Using different discs is similar to using different golf clubs, depending on the length to the hole.
The sport has become increasingly popular in recent years, and courses can be found on many collegiate campuses. The United States Disc Golf Championship, for example, is played at the course on Winthrop University's campus in Rock Hill, S.C.
McFadden says the impetus behind the current course was Lily Center graduate intern Adam Benson, who graduated from Furman in 2009. Benson first broached the idea of creating a disc golf course at Furman during his freshman year. At the time, an outside contractor had already been hired to develop a plan to build a course. Plans for the course were halted, however, when the contractor laid out a plan that included cutting down plant life. In addition, the proposed budget for the course was higher than Furman was willing to pay.
"I love Frisbee golf. It's one of my favorite activities," Benson said. "I noticed a lot of land behind the lake that could be utilized for play." Signage will be limited because of budget restrictions, and the location is in a place that is admittedly "remote," he said, "[but] once they find [where the course is located] it won't be a big concern."
Course layout was handled by Benson, who had the difficult task of fitting the nine holes into the small area available, as well as creating a course that could be built without removing any obstructing trees or other plants.
The total construction costs for building the new course came in just under the $4,000 budget allotted to the project. Funding came from the Recreational Sports budget, which is approved by the Student Government Association. The course is "no-frills," according to Benson, lacking the concrete tee-boxes or hole markers that many courses have.
McFadden has plans to utilize the course for a disc golf tournament within the next few months, and Benson said that the course will be a great place for charitable tournament functions. In addition, the Ultimate Frisbee team has reportedly expressed interest in using the course for practice.
