Nonprofit brings Lawrence disc-golf course up to par

After sitting unfinished for almost a decade, the Lawrence Park disc-golf course is complete as of Tuesday thanks to a group of devoted disc golfers.

The founder of the group, Dave Engle, said he decided to take action after retuning to Kalispell from a four-year, folf-less stay in Louisiana to find the course in the same state as when he left.

Several of the course’s 18 holes lacked functional tee-pads or baskets, limiting use to around half of the plotted course.

“Somebody needed to pull the trigger,” Engle said. “So a couple friends and I got together to form a nonprofit called Flathead Valley Disc Golf.”

The father of two young boys pulled into Lawrence Park Tuesday evening with his family packed into their minivan to play his first game on the finished course.

Flathead Valley Disc Golf was started this spring by a board of five directors, including Engle, with a desire to see their community enjoy their favorite sport on a quality, regulation course.

Funded primarily by board members and a few donors, completing the Lawrence course cost about $2,500.

That total included the cost of pouring and replacing several concrete tee-pads, and the construction and implementation of hand-made, regulation-size metal baskets, according to Engle.

“We formed [the organization] just to get the course built and finished,” Engle said. “The goal is to build a few more, hopefully.”

Designs have been submitted and funding set aside, according to Engle, for a new folf course on the Flathead Valley Community College campus. Engle said the group is still waiting on an official proposal from the college’s recreational director, but he expects the plans to move forward in the near future.

Disc golf, or folf, is played by the same basic principles of traditional golf with a few major differences.

The goal of the game is to toss a disc from a tee-pad into a basket at the other end of the green in as few throws as possible.

However, instead of breaking the bank playing a four-hour game, Engle said disc golf is considerably cheaper and can be played in about an hour and 15 minutes.

“One $8 disc and you’re good to go,” Engle said. “It makes it a little bit more convenient and doable.”

The shortened time requirement and small financial commitment draw people of all ages and stages of life to the sport that Engle said is one of the fastest growing in the world.

Born and raised playing traditional golf, Engle said he has been folfing for about 10 years.

Over the years, Engle said he has played with folfers ranging in age from 6 to 70 years old, and encourages people of all ages and skill to participate in his organization’s newest project — a disc golf league that meets Tuesday and Thursday nights at Lawrence Park at around 6 p.m.

Members can join for a $20 fee that gives them the option to play as many times as they want.

The league currently boasts nearly 50 members, with between 15 and 30 participating in each biweekly game.

Because the course is now complete and paid for, Engle said the organization takes each member’s entry fee and returns it to the players in the form of prizes and giveaways.

“For the most part, each person who buys in as a member will average over $20 worth in gifts and free stuff,” Engle said.

During their biweekly games, league members provide an additional service for the park by picking up garbage as they move from hole to hole, sometimes rewarding the folfer who collects the most trash with a free disc.

Board member Ed Warner said the game is more fun than competitive, but players do have the option to participate in a $3 “ace pot” to keep things interesting.

As of Tuesday, the pot held nearly $200 for the first player to make a hole- or basket-in-one.

With their $20 entry fee, members also gain automatic entry into the organization’s disc golf tournament on Aug. 20.

The Kalispell Sportsman and Ski Haus will host a putting clinic for the league on Aug. 12 on the lawn outside the store. The clinic will provide chances to win prizes and buy discounted discs.

The tournament and all games are pet and family friendly. Engle said he is excited for the possibility of a junior league, a women’s league and a fall league if interest increases.

For more information, contact Engle at 407-5697 or visit flatheadvalleydiscgolf.org.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.