The popular sport, disc golf is coming to St. Catharines and it's arrival is providing a welcome clean-up and new use for the city's Centennial Gardens park. The 18 hole disc golf course will open in the park next month; both the City of St. Catharines staff and the Disc Golf Club team have spent the summer cleaning up and prepping the course for public use.
What is Disc Golf
Disc golf is based on the premise of regular golf but instead, players throw discs into targeted metal baskets. The sport has become increasingly popular over the last decade, up until now the only disc golf course in Niagara, was at Port Colborne's Whisky Run Golf Course. You will often hear disc golf referred to as FROLF.
About the course at St. Catharines Centennial Gardens Park
The course's formal address is 321 Oakdale Avenue, but it does run throughout the Centennial Gardens park. It is the perfect place for a course with water hazards, brush, elevations and long green ways.
Many residents look at the downtown St. Catharines park with disdain as it has become a place for garbage dumping and vandalism, but organizers hope the course will help curb some of this behaviour. The club and city have worked tirelessly to clear out the park for the course and will continue to maintain the park with regularity.
The course will be open to the public, the only equipment needed is a disc.
History of Centennial Gardens St. Catharines
The 9.3 hectare park opened as a part of Canada's 100th anniversary in 1967. The Merrit trail, which runs throughout the park follows the path of the first and second Welland Canal and eventually runs into the Canal Valley. The history of the second Welland Canal is kept alive at the Westchester end of the park, as a stone lock remains in tact. The original canal was built and used from 1824 - 1833, it's impact and history is found on a plaque within the park. Another notable landmark, is the totem pole that sits in the centre of the park. The pole, named Kwa' Waka' Wak, was designed by artist Doug Cranmer and was erected in 1967 to commemorate Canada's centennial year.
The above image (source) was taken in 1967 as a part of Canada's centennial celebrations in St. Catharines.
How you can support and participate in Disc Golf
Work is nearly complete on the first nine-holes of the course, meaning the course will be completed and opened for September. A fundraiser is being held to help complete the back nine. The Disc Golf board has joined forces with local businesses Kully's and Oast House Brewers to sell branded $20-$35 discs. Disc's are also available by contacting info@stcdiscgolf.ca, visiting my buddy Karl Vanderkuip at his downtown UPhouse office, or you can visit the club's Facebook page, click here. The club hopes to introduce memberships, league nights and tournaments, they encourage you to follow the Facebook page to stay up-to-date of club news.
An official fundraiser #FROLFnotgolf will be held on September 12th from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. during the courses official launch, to learn more about the fundraiser click here.
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