Disc golf is a fun, casual and inexpensive sport for anyone. Thanks to the City of Starkville’s Parks and Recreation Department and several members of the Mississippi State University Disc Golf Club, the sport is making a mark in Starkville.
As of Sept. 9, there is a brand-new disc golf course with seven nets and a variety of terrain at J.L. King Park in northern Starkville. The course is now open and available for community use.
Steven Hillerman, president of MSU’s disc golf club and senior computer science major, helped the city design the course to best benefit the players and the park.
“A typical course would have nine or 18 nets, like a golf course,” Hillerman said. “We chose to put out seven here instead because we wanted to provide the chance to make a variety of shots.”
This game is an “every man’s sport” in the sense that anyone can get out and play it, Hillerman said. It does not require expensive equipment or a fee to enter the course.
Aaron Tucker, who is an MSU graduate student pursuing a degree in plant pathology, plays for the disc golf team. For him, the appeal of this sport is partly because of its casual nature.
Last April, the university’s team came away from nationals with a winning title, shooting 59 under par and coming out ahead of Texas A&M’s team, who finished with a 26 under par.
It was this success which inspired the City of Starkville to fund the installation of this new park, according to Gerry Logan, executive director of the Starkville Parks and Recreation Department.
The seven-hole course is designed to provide players a chance for a multitude of different putt techniques, and to have a clean flow throughout a previously underutilized area of the park, Logan said.
Logan said he enjoyed playing disc golf in the past, and he encourages others to get out and give it a try.