There is a new disc golf course in Muskingum County! The 18-hole course located at Zane State College was revealed Thursday, September 29 during a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The well-maintained course is open to the public and like most disc golf courses, it is completely free to play, just bring your discs and enjoy. The course spans a total of 3,797 feet. Most holes have a par of three, and the overall par for the course is 53. It is a great course for beginners and veteran players alike. Baskets one through six have you teeing off in front of the campus in open grass that is clear of too many obstacles. The next five holes are thoughtfully positioned throughout Zane State’s beautiful campus. The last six wind around the ball fields and wrap up in the northern part of Collegial Woods between the walking trail paths.
There are over 300 disc golf courses in Ohio. Around a half dozen of those are in a 25-mile radius of Dresden. The sport was invented in the early 1900s but the first official course, located at Oak Grove Park in Los Angeles, was not built until 1975. Disc Golf has been rapidly growing in popularity with most of the existing courses being built in the last decade.
It’s no wonder why disc golf is so popular, anyone can play and the cost to get started is very minimal. Most discs cost about $15 on average and are readily available at most sporting goods and department stores.
Disc golf plays a lot like traditional golf, but instead of using clubs to hit the balls into holes along a course, you throw discs into baskets.
Zane State College’s Senior Graphic Designer Jesh Folden became very passionate about disc golf after playing for the first time at Dillon State Park in April 2020. Last year he presented his ideas for a disc golf course to Katlyn Porter head of the Zane State College Foundation and President Dr. Chad Brown. Shortly after planning began. Jesh Folden and Advisor and Professional Tutor Cole Mathers designed the course. Funding was provided by the Zane State College Foundation.
“It’s a great thing for students and getting people on campus,” said Katlyn Porter.
ZSC Wildlife Conservation Students and their professor, Jim Stafford were instrumental in setting the baskets and helping with the installation process. The students plan to create disc golf clubs and play in their free time on campus.
Jesh Folden is excited to see his ideas for a course become a reality. “It is a little overwhelming because I’m really passionate about the sport,” stated Folden. “I really felt like we needed something here for our students to get engaged in and have fun here on campus.”
More information about Zane State College’s Disc Golf Course can be found at www.zanestate.edu/campus/discgolf. You can also view the map for the course here.
