Silhouette

Issue date: 9/28/06 Section: Lifestyles

Media Credit: Jason Rose Cassie Weiser, Garden City High School, tees off at basket four, Tuesday, Sept.26.

Driving out of town and lugging around golf clubs can now be considered the old way to play golf in Garden City.

Kyle Merz, Satanta, Kan., said he doesn't hassle with driving time, clubs or caddies. Instead, when Merz has the desire to golf, he walks into the Beth Tedrow Student Center and checks out a flying disc. How can a flying disc relate to golf?

The game is Disc Golf. The combination-sport involves players throwing flying discs into designated goals, mounted on various fairways around campus.

There are specific discs for throwing various distances. A driver allows the thrower to tee off and throw the disc down the fairway, mid-range is for shorter distances or to approach the basket, and putting, allows for short throws and goal shots.

The 18-basket course, recently added to campus was, "A great way of attracting new students to the college," Merz said. "It is the first community college I have heard of that has a disc golf course on campus."

The idea for the course was originated by the science club and later proposed to SGA. However, both groups worked closely with Bob Larson, assistant athletic director, to iron out the details.

"It was Bob Larson who did a great deal of planning to complete this course," Ryan Ruda, SGA sponser, said.

To design the layout of the course, SGA hired PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) member, Chris Smith from Winfield, Kan.

"I was very excited to visit the campus and work with Coach Larson, he has been a long time friend since I lived in Dodge City," Smith said. "The sport is cheap to start and is a great way to have fun. I encourage all people to get out and play."

According to Larson, Smith arrived on the July 3, 2006 and began walking the campus for ideas.

"I walked with him for a couple hours to give him a general layout," Larson said. "Then he pulled his own discs out and walked the campus for four hours".

"It was great having Chris come down. He exercised great use of our campus," Bob Larson said.

Smith walked campus and hammered flags into the ground where he envisioned the baskets would go. The labor to install the equipment was courtesy of college employees, Robert Larson, Barb Larson, Ryan Ruda, Colin Lamb, John Schafer, and Terry Lee who dug the holes.

"Besides the waterline and Internet connections we hit while digging those holes, everything went great," Larson said.

Supported by SGA, the Science Club, the City of Garden City, faculty and staff members of GCCC, the course is available free to the public. The overall cost to install the cost was approximately $7,000.

Discs are checked out through the Beth Tedrow Student Center with a valid college ID or drivers license.

"I see students out as early as 8 o'clock a.m. and as late as 9:30 p.m." Dane Hernandez, student activities coordinator, said. "It's great to see so much use of the course."

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