Fort St. John could soon get a second disc golf course and the only 18-hole golf course in the area, a report said.
BC Parks approached members from the FSJ Disc Sports Club to design a disc golf course at Charlie Lake Provincial Park. This was to attract people to the park for other reasons than camping.
“Currently, we have only the nine-hole course. Although it’s easy to navigate and is very beginner-friendly, those who have been playing for a while would appreciate more variety. Like regular golf, you may have your favorite course, but there are always other options,” stated Tim Atchison who was one of the club’s board members involved in designing the course.
“We are looking at clubs in other cities like Grande Prairie. They just built their third 18-hole golf course and hosted the Alberta provincials, with people from all over.” Atchison stated that they would “love to see something similar here.
Atchison, along with others, went on a hike in the woods to find out what holes could possibly be made without causing any damage to existing trees or foliage.
“It is quite thick in there so look out for natural lanes or gaps in the forest. The course layout has been mapped and we are currently waiting for BC Parks to approve it,” Atchison stated.
“Then it would be time. It would take time to finish the work before we get snow here.”
The course will not have baskets for starting, but instead, tone targets — wood posts with hollowed-out fire extinguishers attached — which ring when the target has been struck.
Atchison said, “It’s an inexpensive way to set up and test a course.”
Atchison stated that BC Parks will use the course as a pilot and that this is the first time that a disc-golf course has been built in a provincial park in B.C.
Once the course is completed, the club is building a volunteer list.
Atchison stated, “Hopefully it becomes an attraction spot next to the campground.
Fellow disc golfers in the Charlie Lake area! How awesome is this news? Picture this – a brand new 18-hole course in the works, promising a mix of challenge and beauty. It’s going to be the go-to spot for us enthusiasts to come together, play, and soak up everything we love about disc golf. Can’t wait to tee off on that course!