Disc Golf

My first outdoor recreation activity in Manhattan that I love to take advantage of are the two high-quality disc golf courses around Manhattan. Fairmont Park is the bigger one; an 18-hole course off of Bill Snyder Highway that is connected to both a football field with a track and a small playground, and is situated in a residential area. The other course, Warner Memorial Park, is off of Seth Child Road and sits on a hill behind the Target and Arby’s. It is a little bit of a trek up the hiking trail to get to the course, but nothing intense. Both parks are public land so it is not hard to get out and play some disc golf. Obviously you’re going to need some discs if you want to play, but you get sets of three discs at places like Dick’s or Academy or even Walmart for pretty cheap. If you’re looking to get some good high-end discs and don’t mind the drive, there is a Dynamic Discs store in Emporia, KS just south of Manhattan that sells new and used discs, as well as bags and apparel. Me and two friends took a mini-roadtrip to Emporia to play one of their biggest, PDGA certified professional courses and stopped at this store to get a few new discs and ask the employees about the course. They were very knowledgeable and gave us some good advice about where we should play. We very much enjoyed going down there to play and it gave us a sense of adventure as we just drove down there with no plan just to play some disc golf. I have played lots of courses in Manhattan but none will ever compare to this course. I don’t actually remember what it’s called, but it was a massive, sprawling 18-hole course that could never be rivaled by anything in Manhattan. The conditions were beautiful and it wasn’t too hot or too cold. The wind was mild so we didn’t have to fight it too much, and the holes are strategically placed to make the course flow. To top it off, we headed to the famous Braum’s afterwards and got burgers and milkshakes—it was truly an experience. The best thing about disc golf is that you really only need one disc to enjoy your time. While there are other varieties of discs you can buy and use, one is all it takes for a good experience on the course. If you can’t make the drive to Emporia to play their PDGA course, Manhattan and Wamego have several courses you can play at. Tuttle Creek Park has a very good 18-hole course, and Wamego has a nice little 9-hole course in some trees. Even though I’ve played a lot of courses in my three years at K-State, the PDGA course in Emporia has got to be the best Kansas course I’ve played. If you’re looking for a cheap day of outdoor recreation, you can never go wrong with a round of disc golf.

Written by H Hess