Town opens disc golf course at Camp Verde Sports Complex

Justin Herlihy practices putting at the newly-opened disc golf course at the Sports Complex on Wednesday, March 27, in Camp Verde. The new 18-hole course officially opened to the public on Monday, March 25. Although the course is open, additional construction work will be done on it in the future. Daulton Venglar/Larson Newspapers

Camp Verde Parks and Recreation announced on Monday, March 25, that the new disc golf course at the Camp Verde Sports Complex is open and available for use. 

Construction and adjustments will continue, as the course is a work in progress, but the 18 short-hole baskets are installed and ready for use at no charge. 

Construction work began in the middle of January and was carried out by volunteers. The course is located in and around the stormwater control flood basin at the sports complex. This area was considered unsuitable for other purposes. 

The town contracted with Dillon Gassaway, a disc golf designer and President of the Tucson Disc Golf Association, to design the course. 

A group of residents formed the Facebook page Camp Verde Disc Golf to spearhead the volunteer and fundraising effort. The Camp Verde Recreation Association, which initially formed to support the Sports Complex, has been the fiscal agent for the fundraising. 

“There is still a lot of tree trimming, sign installations and tee pad construction and such, but the course is playable now,” Parks and Recreation Manager Michael Marshall stated in a press release. 

“Mike [Marshall] and I really want the local users to have the control and involvement to make sure that this course works for them,” Parks and Recreation Supervisor Shawna Figy stated in the press release. “The course designer, Dillon Gassaway … has consulted with them, and they have had input on the design and adjustments, and we want that to continue.” 

While fundraising for and adjustments to the course are in progress, users will help refine the pathways and signage while volunteers install the long basket locations. 

The town has committed $10,000 to design the course and purchase the 19 initial baskets and ground sleeves. Fundraising has brought in over $2,300 through additional donation pledges. As more funds roll in, another set of baskets will be purchased and tee pads created. 

“Our plan is to continue to improve the course playability while we continue fundraising and work on tee pads, alternate pin locations and signage,” Figy said. 

Parks and Recreation recommends using the app UDisc to navigate the course, which combines the course’s layout with GPS assistance. 

The full course build-out is estimated to cost around $25,000. The town’s Parks and Recreation website offers options to sponsor a hole, basket or the whole project. 

For information, email parks@campverde. az.gov or visit the Camp Verde Parks and Recreation Facebook page for updates. 

Alyssa Smith

Alyssa Smith was born and raised in Maryland, earning her degree in Media Studies from the University of North Carolina Greensboro after a period of traveling out West. She spent her high school and early college years focusing on music journalism, interviewing, photographing and touring with bands and musicians. Her passion is analog photography and she loves photographing the scenes of Jerome, where she resides. Her love of the Southwest brought her to the reporter position at Larson Newspapers where she enjoys hiking with her dog along the Verde River and through the desert’s red rocks.

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