WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Watertown City Council is set to add a golf course to Thompson Park – a disc golf course.
“Man, it was like a dream come true, I’ll tell ya. It was like waking up on Christmas,” said Brandon Wilson, a member of the North Country Disc Golf Club.
He says the news was not only welcome but long overdue.
“We’ve been working real hard to try and get public courses in our area, full 18s, something where we can bring a new sport, a new recreation to our city,” he said.
The club’s hard work might finally be paying off as a proposed disc golf course is in the city’s master plan for the park and scheduled for a vote at the next city council meeting.
“Disc golf is a growing sport. It’s relatively inexpensive to build, and it can fit into the landscape of the park quite nicely without disrupting anything,” said Watertown City Manager Ken Mix.
The cost of construction to the city is being budgeted at $45,000. That is currently earmarked to be taken from federal money from Covid, but Mix says the final decision for funding will take place at a June 12 work session.
“It will probably cost us more to try to collect fees than it would be worth. So, right now I’m expecting that will be there for anybody who just wants to start playing,” he said.
Mix says the addition of the course will help expand the areas of the park that are not being used daily, a sentiment that Wilson and the rest of his club members echo.
“I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in Watertown to walk around. I think there is a lot of unused areas that have a lot of potential,” said Wilson.
Wilson says he hopes his club can work with the city on designing the course to be both challenging, but welcoming to beginners.
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