By Sondra Rodriguez, Student Reporter
ACU students can expect a professionally designed nine-hole disc golf course to open on the Sherrod Residential Park in the spring.
Deonna Shake, professor and Wildcat Disc Golf Project Director, said the course, currently under construction, was designed by Professional Disc Golf Association member Jay Redding and will feature cement tee pads, picnic areas, benches and tee signs. It will be free to use and available to students and community members.
Campus groups and social clubs were asked to donate $500 to sponsor a hole or $250 to split a hole with another donor. These donations will cover the estimated installation fee of $1,000 per hole, and sponsors will have their logos printed on tee signs throughout the course.
Social clubs such as Sub-T 16, Alpha Kai Omega and GATA have contributed, as well as The Campus Store, athletic department and the Campus Activities Board.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to get a club’s name on something that is permanent,” Shake said.
The course also will have picnic tables, benches and a kiosk. Shake said $13,000 was raised so far for the entire course. Amy Finn, social director for GATA, said GATA was one of the first clubs to accept sponsorship of a hole. “It’s another way to have our name out on campus,” she said. “A lot of people who aren’t in club will be playing on them, so it gets our name out.”
Women of the club had a three-day bake sale in the Campus Center to raise the $500. Finn said because of the upcoming construction to Gibson, gym availability will lessen, and students will look for another sport to play.
“It’s another open field to add a sport to,” Finn said. “It will be fun to have a new sport on campus.”
Planning the disc golf course began this summer when Shake learned she had to teach the first disc golf class in the fall.
“It was my job to get familiar with the sport and be able to teach it,” she said. “It’s free, you don’t need much equipment to play and it’s just a great activity to learn.”
Only two other disc golf courses can be found in Abilene, at Cal Young and Will Hair parks. Shake hopes construction will continue to go smoothly and expects a grand opening in the spring.
“Hopefully before long, we’ll be flying discs over at Sherrod Residential,” she said.
Three holes do not yet have sponsors, and because she needs to finalize group sponsorship in the next couple weeks, any groups interested can e-mail Shake at shaked@acu.edu.
