Wagga’s first ever disc golf course could be on the cards, with Wagga Council looking at funding avenues to make it possible. Photo: James Coleman.
Wagga Wagga City Council (WWCC) has agreed to look into the construction of a disc golf course at Rawlings Park Reserve.
Following a decision by WWCC councillors on Monday night, council will seek funding to build a course that the entire community can use for free.
The idea for a disc golf course came from a community member – whose name was redacted from WWCC files – who, according to their submission are “keen to introduce the sport of disc golf to Wagga”.
“Disc golf [i.e. frisbee golf] is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities in the world and we believe that the Wagga community would benefit greatly by installing a course,” the submission read.
“Disc golf is similar to golf; the goal is to complete each hole in as few throws of specifically made discs as possible.”
According to a picture of the proposed course by council, the Rawlings Park Reserve could host 12 holes.
Council’s proposed map for a Wagga disc golf course at Rawlings Park Reserve. Photo: Wagga Wagga City Council business papers.
Manager of Recreation and Economic Development Ben Creighton said council was confident it would be able to gather funding for the project, due to the typically low costs associated with building a disc golf course and the potential it had to attract more people to partake in physical activity.
“It’s a very cheap sport to play, very easy to develop, and once it’s constructed, it’s available for community use at any stage,” Mr Creighton said.
“There’s a number of sites that were investigated, and there was actually a bit of work done across a variety of different sites. But ultimately, Rawlings Park made sense because the reserve area, the bushland out the back, is really well suited to this sport.
“There’s car parking adjacent. There’s an amenities building when there are events, and there’s reasonably good access from the Lake Albert area around it, so Rawlings Park, in the end, was the preferred location.”
Mr Creigthon said if WWCC was able to land the appropriate funding, it would be a huge win for the active community.
“This is something that’s come from the community; they’ve identified, that it’s an opportunity for the city, and then I’ve worked with staff over the last six months to identify potentially how it could be implemented,” he said.
“When the community bring these ideas to us, we can’t support everything all the time, but in this case, given the relatively low cost and the process, the ongoing process around seeking funding, it was a no-brainer for us to put it forward as something for the councillors to consider.”
