Disc Golf Coming to Greenfield Recreation Park in Botetourt County

Residents and visitors to Botetourt County will soon have another new opportunity to enjoy the outdoors as the Botetourt County Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department announces the opening of an 18-hole Disc Golf Course at Greenfield Recreation Park in late May.

The course will feature 18 holes in a front and back nine layout similar to a traditional golf course. It will provide variations of multiple par 3’s, par 4’s, and a par 5 as well as two sets of tee boxes for both the amateur and the more skilled players. The course will be mostly  shaded as it meanders through a wooden area near Preston Pond that was intentionally devoted to passive recreation use when the county last updated the Master Plan for the 125-acre park in 2010. The wooded area will continue to act as a buffer between the business and recreation parks.

“When the Disc Golf Club approached the County about developing a course in Botetourt, we were delighted to be able to work with the group to provide this opportunity within Greenfield,” said Pete Peters, Director of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. “The eventual site chosen was an ideal location for disc golf due to its requirement for minimal impact on the land and the opportunity it provides for all ages and abilities to enjoy the less developed areas of the park”.

The Roanoke Disc Golf Club began finalizing the course’s layout in the late summer of 2012 as well-known local course designer Mitch Hoeppner began walking the site along with a few other members of the club. The club and its members have since spent numerous volunteer hours constructing the holes, installing tee boxes, and locating basket placement.

“The idea was to make the best use of the natural lay of the land, existing vegetation and features of the property while also providing a challenging yet playable course that both the novice and the more seasoned players can enjoy,” said Matt Rose, President of the Roanoke Disc Golf Club. “Our volunteers have thoroughly enjoyed the effort, as we’ll all eventually get to benefit when it’s completed by playing it regularly and growing the game locally”.

The Department along with the help of the Disc Golf Club is already planning instructional outreach programs with the local schools and weekly leagues for the locals to join and play as well as planning to host regional tournaments that will attract players from across the state and beyond.

To date, multiple local business such as The Branch Group, Branch Highways, Three Little Pigs, Outdoor Trails, Play It Again Sports, Alexander Rose Photography, and the Roanoke Disc Golf Club have signed on as permanent hole sponsors and will receive a dedicated acknowledgement sign at their chosen tee box with their contact information. Additional hole and kiosk sponsorships are available and any business, club, or individual interested should contact the Department for details.

A Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting ceremony to officially open the course to the public will be hosted by Botetourt County’s Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, the Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce, and the Roanoke Disc Golf Club on Saturday, May 31st at 11 a.m. at Greenfield. The public is encouraged to attend and those in attendance will receive a guided tour of the course and will receive a complimentary playing disc. For more information on the course or the grand opening, please contact the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism at 540-473-8326 or email at ppeters@botetourtva.gov. Anyone interested in joining the Roanoke Disc Golf Club should contact Matt Rose at mattrose624@gmail.com.