New Frisbee golf course to open at Capaha in May

Another golf course is coming to Cape Girardeau, but this course has nothing to do with clubs, little white balls or even an infamous player named Tiger.

The city of Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri State University have partnered to install a $10,000 disc golf course, commonly called Frisbee golf, that is expected to open at Capaha Park within the next three weeks.

"We've had requests for this since I came here, and I'm almost six years in," said Troy Vaughn, director of recreation services at the university. "The students are excited about it. But it's not just for students. It's for everyone in the community, and we're hopeful it's well-used."

Disc golf is a game in which players throw a disc -- specialized rubber discs or simple Frisbees -- into a basket. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, the object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws.

Of the more than 3,000 established U.S. disc courses, about 87 percent are free and the one at Capaha Park will be as well.

A basket will be located here on the new disc golf course at Capaha Park. (Fred Lynch)

The 10-hole course will run the perimeter of Capaha Park and will be about 1,670 yards in walking distance, said Vaughn, who is also a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Most of the holes will be par 3s, with each hole having a concrete tee pad where the player will start.

Like in regular golf, the distance between tee and the basket will vary, from the shortest of 56 yards to the longest of 218 yards.

The tee pads and baskets will be permanently installed and players will need their own Frisbees. Construction began April 4, with the cost being split about equally between the city and the university.

"We've been talking about this for three or four years," said Brock Davis, the city's parks division manager. "We've had issues: Where were we going to put it and funding's always an issue. We contacted the university and said, 'Hey, let's see what we can come up with.'"

The university's Student Government Association and the recreational services department paid for the equipment and the city provided construction and labor.

Davis said they've already begun thinking about a second course, should this one prove popular. Kiwanis Park would make for a great course, he said.

"If the one at Capaha Park gets played a lot this summer, we'd start trying to come up with some money to put one in at Kiwanis," Davis said.

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Capaha Park, Cape Girardeau, MO