The City of Elkhart held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday for the opening of a new disc golf course, an 18 hole course that stretches between Lundquist-Bicentennial and Island Parks in downtown Elkhart. Jamison Czarnecki, superintendent of Elkhart city parks and recreation, said the city is excited about what this means for the future of Elkhart’s parks.

“It complements the other parks,” Czarnecki said. “I’m excited to bring this to the community, and I’m really excited to bring this to activate these spaces in a new way.”

Elkhart Mayor Rod Roberson echoed Czarnecki’s sentiments, noting the course’s potential to enrich the community’s recreational landscape.

“We want our parks to be connected to our neighborhoods in a way in which people not just embrace the sport, but also feel as though it’s a part of their community,” Roberson said.

City Councilman Aaron Mishler, representing Elkhart’s first district, emphasized the importance of responding to community requests.

“Adding an additional amenity, like disc golf, will continue to draw members of our community to enjoy our parks, and invite new folks who might not have had the opportunity to come down here before,” Mishler said. “Disc golf was one of the most requested additions to our community. I’m glad we were able to get this done for them.”

There’s a reason why disc golf is so popular according to one of the course designers Marshall King.

“The sport just keeps growing because it’s easy to begin,” King said. “You can start with just one disc. You can go out and get a little bit better each day. It’s a sport where the barrier to entry is really low. Families can play together. Kids can play. It’s a sport that attracts a lot of people.”

King said the course is perfect for beginners but also presents a challenge that other local courses lack: throwing a disc across a river.

“That is one of the unique things here,” King said. “Throwing across a body of water. I don’t know of another course around here where you do that.”