Disc Golf Course Ribbon Cutting and Bobcat Open
Haywood Community College will celebrate the grand re-opening of its disc golf course on Saturday, September 25. As part of the festivities, the college, and its partners, will host the inaugural HCC Bobcat Open, featuring a two-round, one-day tournament sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association.
Thanks to a tourism grant from Visit NC Smokies and a partnership with the Kids in Parks program, the disc golf course at Haywood Community College was redesigned, creating a course that allows both novice and advanced players to test their skills. The newly renovated course features the installation of concrete tee pads, pin positions, signage, and wayfinding materials. New educational signage and scorecards, created by Kids in Parks, connect players with the natural and cultural resources found around the campus.
“HCC’s beautiful campus was designed to be enjoyed by the public as well as our students and employees,” says HCC President Dr. Shelley White. “Our enhanced disc golf course will provide an educational opportunity for new and experienced disc golfers to engage with HCC in a whole new way.”
The Kids in Parks program engages people in outdoor recreation as a way to foster lifelong wellness and meaningful connections to nature. Due to its new designation as a “Nature Trail Disc Golf Course,” the disc golf course at HCC is joining a network of more than 200 “TRACK Trail” locations across the country, connecting national parks, state parks, city/county parks, and other sites—like HCC—together through this common mission.
“We’re excited to have HCC join the Kids in Parks network,” said Jason Urroz, Director of Kids in Parks. “Now, as players follow the flight of their discs around the course, they will discover large oaks and pines, gardens and groves, and connect with history and culture found on the school’s beautiful campus.”
As a safe outdoor activity that allows for social distancing, the popularity of disc golf has
exploded in the last year. HCC’s disc golf course offers people of all ages a free outdoor activity that promotes physical and mental health through outdoor activity and is available for play any time the campus is open.
Check-in for the tournament will be from 7:30-8:30 a.m., with round one beginning after the ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. Round two will begin after lunch, with an award ceremony to close out the day.
To register for the tournament, please visit https://www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/Haywood_Community_College_DGC_Grand_Opening_2021.