No final plans for disc golf course

KXAN (AUSTIN) - Despite plans to put a disc golf course in at Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Park in East Austin, to take the place of the now closed Pease Park course , the Parks and Recreation Department has put the project on hold.

“Due to some opposition voiced from the immediate neighborhood on that disc golf course, we opted to stand down on the planning,” said Marty Stump, Park Development Coordinator with the department. “We ran into a mis-communication there. Colorado River park and the site we were looking at, we thought was very appropriate for disc golf. So, it was a high priority for us.”

The Parks and Recreation Department is now trying to put together an advisory committee to scope out other locations. Guerrero Park is still a possibility.

“Depending on the site we select, it could be a fairly extensive amount of time,” Stump said.

The site at Guerrero Park was initially set to be completed about the time the Pease Park disc golf course closed. The Pease course closed on December 31st. But, after the closure, the new completion date was changed and set for June. When KXAN inquired about the progress this week, the Parks and Recreation Department said it will be up to 12 months for the planning process to be finalized. The department's website was then changed to reflect that.

“We thought we'd have a new facility online sooner then we actually will be able to. But, that's just part of the public process,” Stump said.

“It's frustrating trying to work with them and then having the rug pulled from underneath us,” said James McCaine.

McCaine is with Waterloo Disc Golf Club and has played disc golf at Pease Park for years. Like many, he was saddened to see the iconic course close.

“It's empty. On a day like this in the past on a beautiful day like this it would be full of people using the park and now no one is out here,” he said.

There are currently four disc golf courses in Austin, the most centralized location is at Zilker Park.

The Parks and Recreation Department hopes to have at least one, but possibly a handful more disc golf course open around the city in the next four to five years.