Disc Golf Course | Photo by Kayli Thompson | The Wright State Guardian
In the area around Lot 1 and the soccer fields at Wright State University (WSU), a new temporary course has been built that allows students, faculty and staff to play disc golf.
Building the course
The disc golf course, nicknamed Rowdy Acres, was built in the early hours of Aug. 28 by Campus Recreation director Eric Corbitt, Nutter Center assistant director for facilities and operations John Cox, and mechanical engineering student Dylan Hall.
“When making the course, we were looking for the right spot on campus so that people could see it,” Hall said. “If people saw it, it would make them wonder what the baskets were for and they would look more into it or say ‘Wright State has a course now? Awesome!’”
Hall explained that while setting up the course, the three of them wanted to give it just the right amount of difficulty in order to not frustrate inexperienced players.
Rowdy Acres is split into yellow and white courses, with the white courses being more suitable for beginners. Each tee is marked by a painted box where the player begins throwing their disc from, and every hole is meant to be completed in three throws.
Positive response from students
Many students at WSU who have played the course have reacted positively. Most agreed that it is an exciting activity that allows them to get fresh air during the current pandemic.
“I like it,” said computer science major Jonathan Goble. “It’s a great way to have socially distanced fun while getting some much-needed fresh air and exercise.”
Students are not the only people on campus who are enjoying the disc golf course. The new Dean of Students, Dr. Chris Taylor, also had a positive experience playing it.
“I think it’s a great course,” he said. “It’s got some length on most holes and the use of the small rises in the landscape provides enough of a challenge. It’s also laid out in a way that makes for a quick game when you have less time.”
Support for a permanent course
Though Rowdy Acres is a temporary installation for students and faculty to enjoy, many of them would like to see a permanent disc golf course installed on campus.
“I think it would be an excellent addition to the recreational options the university has,” said Taylor. “Disc golf courses are fairly easy to maintain and it’s a sport that most folks can play without a huge investment in equipment or great expertise. While there are many disc golf courses, the sport is still unique enough that it may attract folks who have never played before.”
However, Goble believes that the course’s current location should not be used if it becomes a permanent fixture on campus.
“The current course blocks intramural fields that will need to be used in the future, and the design is too simple to retain interest long-term,” he said. “I think with a little thought, a permanent 18-hole course could be integrated into the woods and hiking trails around campus that would be perfect for a challenge that keeps players coming back for another round, and might even lead to intramural tournaments.”
Hall agrees that the forest around WSU should be utilized if the course becomes permanent.
“I think they should always keep the course that they have now. But I think that they should use some of the forest to make a harder course.”
For those interested in playing Rowdy Acres, disc golf equipment can be checked out at the Recreation Desk in the Student Union and scorecards can be printed from the Campus Recreation website. The course is also listed on the disc golf app UDisc.
