Pawtucket plans disc golf course

By: Melissa Randall
mrandall@abc6.com
@MRandallABC6
 
Pawtucket is moving forward with a plan to build a new disc golf course at Slater Park. Once it’s done, it will be the largest in New England. But some city councilors are gasping over the hefty price tag, and wondering whether or not disc golf is really a good fit for the community. 
 
T.M. Dyer has been playing disc golf since the 80's and says the game, popular in places like the mid-west, is finally catching on locally. He’s excited at the idea of a new venue. 
 
“Even in Rhode Island there was no courses and now there's three and possibly Slater will be the 4th,” he said. 
 
The course will include 18 baskets. The plan is for it to go around the parameter of the park. 
 
“We're trying to add to the family fun. It's going to be open to everybody. Hopefully we can make a little revenue off of it and have some fun with it and do some competition,” said Mayor Donald Grebien. 
 
Disc golf is similar to traditional golf, except you throw a disc, kind of like a Frisbee, instead of hitting a ball. And rather than a hole the target is a basket. 
 
But some people are raising concerns about the investment, especially in a year with a big tax increase. The course will cost more than $67,000. 66.3% of that would be grant funded. Still, Councilor Mark Wildenhain wants the city to take a step back, saying the price tag is higher than originally planned. 
 
“Bond money has to be paid back. Grant money comes from the federal government but its still tax dollars that we pay so I’m just looking out for the tax payers in the city of Pawtucket,” he explained. 
 
Money is not the only concern councilors have about the project. 
 
"As the Councilman for the district in which Slater Park sits, I was also concerned that the original plan to site the disc course in a little-used section in the middle of the park was revised to spread the course over a much wider area that included a swath along a residential street," said Terrence Mercer, City Councilman District 3. 
 
Recreational director John Blais says disc golf will help promote the city. 
 
“It gives us an opportunity to have regional tournaments, national tournaments if necessary. Helps bring people into the city so it's good for business as well,” he said. 
 
But the big question still remains. If you build it, will they come?
 
The cities purchasing board approved the project last month, so it looks like the course is moving forward despite the councilors concerns. It could be up and running by this fall. 
 
© WLNE-TV 2015