Disc golf is back in Colfax

A favorite activity is back in Colfax. The disc golf course, which had to undergo a design change due to the construction of the Colfax-Mingo stadium, will re-open to the public Oct. 19 with a tournament scheduled the next day, Oct. 20.

“There was an original 9-hole course that Mark Otto created as an Eagle Scout project,” Colfax Park & Recreation Auxiliary Board Member Doug Garrett said. “In 2005, Don Edwards and I were on the Colfax Park Board and were looking for projects to do. We decided to take that original course and with permission from the school district, we were able to utilize some school property to enlarge it to 18 holes with only a couple of the original holes remaining the same.”

With the help of members of the Des Moines Metro Disc Golf Club including main contact Ryan Hesseltine and Edwards’ daughter, Danae, the expanded course was created. Local volunteers did the dirt work and for years the disc golf course was available to the community.

When plans for the new school stadium were laid out, several holes on the disc golf course were impacted. Organizers waited as construction was completed on the beautiful new amenity and then started to work to bring back the course.

“Once the stadium construction was complete, we began to walk the remaining available area,” Garrett said. “We were able to utilize more area to the north of the original course and areas that were closer to the school building and baseball field to complete the course.”

Hesseltine once again consulted on the project along with Des Moines Metro Disc Golf Club Board President Amanda Beery. He walked the area, along with Beery, several times and created a design that allowed flow without large distances between holes.

City of Colfax staff took the lead to carve out the course on the property along with several local residents donating time to “polish” the course and make it inviting for users. The Colfax-Mingo School Board and Superintendent Tim Salmon also chipped in by allowing the use of some school property and providing new disc catchers in the blue and orange school colors.

“The original 18-hole course was considered by many to be one of the best in the state. It had received acclaim from players of all talent levels. It definitely put Colfax on the disc golf map and was drawing more interest each year,” Garrett said. “We are very confident that this course will be well received as well and will grow its own recognition as a fun and challenging course. For a town of our size, anything that draws folks to visit and potentially decide to move here is important to our community.”

To celebrate the re-opening, a tournament by Titan Disc Golf of Des Moines is planned from Oct. 20. To sign up, head to www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/Colfax_Flex_Start_Sunday_2024.

“We just really want everyone to come out that weekend and have some fun,” Garrett said. “We especially would like to hear folks’ feedback on the course and to see if we may want to tweak things a bit more to improve play.”