http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/16101571.htm

Posted on Sun, Nov. 26, 2006

Park new site of disc golf course

By DANIA AKKAD
Herald Staff Writer

Local golfers will have yet another course to play early next year.

Like Pebble or Spanish Bay, the 18 holes of this course will be
surrounded by beautiful trees, fine hotels and the occasional fog
bank. But unlike most other courses, you won't have to call ahead for
a tee time and you can leave your clubs at home.

Instead, bring flying discs.

Monterey's Don Dahvee Park -- 36 woodsy acres sandwiched between the
Jack in the Box and Del Monte Center on Munras Avenue -- will soon be
the site of a disc golf course.

For a year, members of the Monterey Stinging Jellies Disc Golf Club, a
nonprofit group, have proposed to permanently install baskets at the
park and provide players and those who want to learn the sport with
the fourth course in the county.

Two others -- Oak and Cypress -- are located at CSU-Monterey Bay. A
third course is at Carmel Middle School.

Having a disc golf course for free play right in the heart of Monterey
will help increase awareness about the sport, give families a
recreational outlet and increase revenues for surrounding businesses,
particularly if a tournament drawing out-of-town visitors is held at
the course, said club treasurer Sean Allen.

At the same time, Allen said, the atmosphere at the isolated park
might change, too.

"It seemed like a perfect place," Allen said. "Parks that have some
kind of negative element like homeless people or drug use or whatever,
the city doesn't seem to be too happy with it. Disc golf seems to be a
great alternative."

This month, the city's Park and Recreation Commission agreed. The
course may be open as early as January, said Doug Stafford, a deputy
public works director for the city.

"Bringing people into the park is what I'm interested in," Stafford
said. "It's a great big space there and we don't have too many people
going through there."

Other than city employee time to work on the project, the club is
paying for the project and, depending on the advice of the city's
legal staff, members may also help install it, Stafford said.

By selling discs and other disc golf paraphernalia at tournaments,
Allen said, the club was able to buy 18 baskets at $300 each.

The gist of the game is much the same as golf, but in place of holes,
there are baskets into which to toss discs.

The big difference is the cost and the attitude. With a disc and some
free time, the game is a relaxing, low-key leisure sport and most
courses are free, Allen said.

"It's like a walk in the park," Allen said. "It's relaxing. It's
therapeutic and you don't really have to take it all that seriously.
You don't have to count your strokes it you don't want to."

The club, which was founded in 2004 and has 100 members ranging from
13 to 70 years old, hosts a beginners' seminar every couple of months.
Allen encourages anyone interested to come out and learn how to play.

"Everybody is so nice in the disc golf world," he said. "Even
beginners can play along with us, and we don't mind teaching them."

www.montereydiscgolf.com

Dania Akkad can be reached at 646-4494 or dakkad@....