Disc golf course in the works for Lincoln

Lincoln is expected to have its first 18-hole disc golf course at Auburn Ravine Park by next spring. Disc golf is a sport that has been growing exponentially in popularity in recent years The Auburn Ravine Park is at 1260 Green Ravine Drive, Lincoln. City of Lincoln Maintenance Services manager Scott Boynton recently received approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop the course at the site. Boynton needed approval because the area is in a preserve permitted by the corps when it was created. "Because it was not identified specifically for disc golf, the proper protocol would be to run it back through the corps to ensure they approve of the activity occurring with a preserve," Boynton said. "This is going to be huge. A lot of people have wanted this and I think for after work and weekend people, it will be jam-packed." Boynton still needs to get the design approved by the Lincoln Parks and Recreation committee and then final approval by City Council in February or March. The idea of creating a disc golf course in Lincoln was presented last April to the Parks and Recreation committee by Kevin Evers. Evers is a Lincoln resident and disc golfer, who has played in a number of Professional Disc Golf Association tournaments during the last year. He recently won the National Amateur Disc Golf Tour State Championship at Browns Valley in the intermediate division and qualified for the National Championships in Austin, Texas. "I first came up with the idea for a Lincoln disc golf course in February 2020," Evers said. "My friends and I were playing a lot of disc golf in Rocklin and Orangevale and Auburn and it occurred to me that Lincoln would also be a great location for a course. Earlier this year, it was announced that a new course is being developed in west Roseville and together with a Lincoln course, congestion at the other courses will be reduced. This, in turn, will allow for further growth in the sport by allowing more access to new players." According to UDisc, a disc golf scoring app, nearly 19,000 rounds of disc golf were played at Johnson-Springview Park in Rocklin with more than 6,100 players in 2021. Shady Oaks Disc Golf Course in Orangevale had an increase of 95 percent in 2020 and then another increase of 53 percent in 2021, according to UDisc. Regional Park in Auburn had a 145-percent increase in rounds in 2020 and then another 59-percent increase in 2021, according to UDisc. The other 18-hole course mentioned by Evers is planned to open near the intersection of Fiddyment and Blue Oaks Road in Roseville. It is being designed by Bruce Knisley, the Final 9 Sports co-owner in Rocklin, and he and his wife, Jenny, own another one in Orangevale; Nick Sears and Roger Vartabedian. There will also be two dog parks, a gazebo, a picnic area and bathrooms at the park. "There will be some technical holes and some bomber holes with a lot of options for all types of player skill levels," Vartabedian said. The new course in Lincoln is estimated to cost from $900 to $1,500 per hole for the installation of tee pads, signs and baskets. This would put the total cost for the project at about $20,000. "I believe that through private fundraising, by opening up tee pads and signs for naming rights via sponsors, and with public/private partnerships, the entire development and maintenance of the course could be paid for with private funds," Evers said. "However, there are many other funding and maintenance options that still should be discussed with and approved by the city." A positive aspect of adding a disc golf course in Lincoln is the increase of physical activity for the community. Disc golfers take an average of 6,500 steps during an 18-hole round, which is over half of the recommended 10,000 daily steps by the American Heart Association. Players can typically finish rounds in under two hours' time. Evers has created a Facebook page. Lincoln CA Disc Golf, which currently has 311 members and he encourages anyone who is interested in the course to join. "There will be a time when we reach out to the public for assistance and the Facebook page will be the first place I go to reach out," Evers said.