Backyard Adventures

BACKYARD ADVENTURES 2014 Pike Publishing 21 added sport gives golf Course A NEW SPIN STORY BY ANDY HEURING PHOTOS BY ED CAHILL AND ANDY HEURING kyle Henry puts a short shot in the net at Prides Creek. Pike County and Prides Creek Park's newest at- traction opened for play on August 3, 2013. An 18 -hole disc golf course fit for championship play opened late last Fall as the group of volunteers who set it up played the inaugural rounds on the course. Before the weekend was over, people had driven from Owensboro, Ky., Vincennes, Evansville and Dale to play the course. The course is getting rave reviews from those play- ing it. Dane Prevo, who helped design the course said players are saying things like: "Championship level," and "Best in the area." But he said the biggest compli- ments are for Prides Creek Park itself. "The main compliment I have been getting is just how beautiful the park is. It is just an amazing park," said Prevo, who was a student at the University of Southern Indiana, where he started playing disc golf. Follow- ing graduation, Prevo moved to Alford, where he now lives. "We played on it and people have been coming up ever since," said Prevo, who is a member of the Aces and Eagles Disc Golf Club of Evansville. "We were very pleased," said Pike County Park and Recreation Board Chairman Jan Hollis about the new course. "About everyone who used it thought it was a great course. They thought it was very challenging. All the feedback we got was very positive," said Hollis Prevo helped organize the work day at Prides Creek to finish the new course. About 20 volunteers showed up to help finish the course. They trimmed back limbs, put the large metal baskets with chain nets in place. The baskets are the disc golf version of the hole in golf. "We had a great group of volunteers and the work went smoothly. It was much quicker than I expected because of the great help," said Prevo. They put the last basket on the course in the late afternoon and began playing. "It was like a dream come true," said Prevo. Prevo said he has been playing disc golf on the site for about two years with no catch baskets nor a defined course. While playing, he was working on a course layout in his head, but in August late on a Saturday afternoon he finally got to play a round with all the catch baskets and tee boxes in place. While there is a $2 charge per vehicle to get into the park, there is no charge to play disc golf. The start of the 18 -hole course is located between Shelterhouse 1 and the lake. There is an informa- tion board about the course and disc golf rules, a sign- in sheet and map of the course. The first hole starts at the top of a hill and goes toward the water, with the catch basket near the edge of the water. The holes wrap around the lake to- ward the showerhouse and Shelterhouse 2, and then come back to Shelterhouse 1 for the final hole. "The great thing about disc golf is anyone can play. We take my two-year-old and he throws with us and I have seen 80 -year-olds out playing. All you have to do is get a disc and go play," said Prevo of disc golf. Many of the holes run along the edge of the Prides Creek Lake, and up and down the rolling hills around the lake, and weaves their way through several wooded areas. Prevo, who moved to the Petersburg area about three years ago, said when he went to Prides Creek Park and saw how beautiful it was he immediately saw the perfect location for a disc golf course. "I thought wow, there needs to be a disc golf course here. "This piece of property is beautiful. You have eleva- tion change and big growth trees, and you throw in a lake and you really have something, "It will definitely will be one of the best in the area. From my knowledge and what I have seen, it will be one of the best. People will drive from Louisville and St. Louis to play on this course," said Prevo. He said disc golf is played similar to golf. You start on a tee box and throw the disc toward a basket. The holes range from 220 feet to more than 700 feet. They have pars ranging from three to five. Unlike traditional golf, disc golf courses typically can be played for free. At Prides Creek, there is an admission to get into the park, but the disc golf course is free. Prevo said disc golf is exploding in popularity. "When I started playing in 2002 there were about 700 courses in the US. Now there are more than 5,000. I really think it is because it is a inexpensive activity anyone can do." "All you have to have is one disc to play." He ex- plained competitive disc golfers typically carry about 15 different discs that do different things in the air. It also doesn't take as long as golf to play. He said it typically takes 90 to 120 minutes to play an 18 hole round. For more information about the course, there is a Facebook page under the name Pike County Disc Golf Club. Dane Prevo points out the information available on the sign at each tee. P R I D E S C R E E K D I S C G O L F

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