9-Hole Disc Golf Course Now Open at Elings Park

Elings Park’s new disc golf course was proposed by Bob Bryant (left) of Bryant & Sons Jewelry, a longtime Elings Park supporter, seen here with his wife Patty, current president of the Elings Park Foundation Board, and Dean Noble, the Park’s executive director. | Credit: Courtesy

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(Santa Barbara, CA, August 19, 2022) A nine-hole disc golf course has been installed at Elings Park thanks to the efforts of avid players and generous donors who brought the sport to the Park. It is free to play, and the course has been designed to be suitable for beginners and family friendly.

The new Elings Park Disc Golf course was built along existing trails not far from the park entrance, in an arroyo behind the BMX track and below the softball fields. Access to the first hole is from the softball field parking lot. The baskets are secured to the ground, but not permanently installed, so they can be moved in the future. The par-3 course is oriented to offer dramatic views of the Park, Hendry’s Beach, and Arroyo Burro Watershed.

“The elevations are outstanding, and players should enjoy excellent strokes from our mesa into the arroyo below,” says Dean Noble, Elings Park executive director. “But the course’s biggest hazard are the epic views. Players have a tough time concentrating. We also hear that it takes on an entirely new personality with the afternoon ocean breeze kicks up.”

The course was proposed by Bob Bryant of Bryant & Sons Jewelry, a longtime Elings Park supporter. It is funded by Bob and his wife Patty, who is the current president of the Elings Park Foundation Board. Avid disc golfers Mike Evans and Noah Peresman volunteered to design it, and it was installed by the Sage Trail Alliance, a Park partner for more than twenty years. The course was completed in time for disc golf to be played by campers at Camp Elings’ Outdoor Adventures Summer Camp. For more information, including an overview of play and a glossary of disc golf slang, visit www.elingspark.org/sports-recreation/recreation/disc-golf.

Only dogs with EPDOG memberships are allowed in Elings Park and on the new Disc Golf course. For more information on how to become an EPDOG member, which allows off-leash access to the Park’s entire 230 acres, visit https://elingspark.org/off-leash-dogs/.

About Disc Golf

There are now more than 13,000 disc golf courses in the world, which is a 15% increase over 2020 and double the number in 2015, according to the UDisc 2022 Growth Report.

Disc golf is played by throwing specialized flying discs, commonly known by the brand name Frisbee, into a basket on an outdoor course. Though Frisbees can be used in disc golf, there are specific types of golf discs for different uses. Discs for driving off the tee are typically flat with a wide rim, while putters tend to be deeper and stockier with thick rims. Discs also vary by weight, from 140 to 180 grams, and by the type of plastic used in manufacturing.

Players use a variety of different throws and grips depending on the hole, including backhand, overhand, forehand (also called sidearm), fan, stacked, thumber, and more variations.

Disc golf is scored like traditional ball golf, with each throw equaling one stroke. Each hole has a par, which is the number of throws it should take to complete the hole. Any throws above par are counted as +1, and any below par are -1. If a player takes four throws to complete a par-3 hole, their score is +1 (“plus one”). The holes at Elings Park’s course are all par-3.

Disc golf baskets come in many shapes and sizes including permanent, portable, all-metal, and hybrid designs. They usually have a top ring (band) that holds chains that hang vertically down into the basket.

Recent Improvements at Elings Park

Elings Park has made many improvements in the past two months, thanks in part to the $10 million Elings Park Infrastructure Campaign (EPIC). This includes renovations of softball and soccer restrooms, upgraded LED tennis court lighting, hand-built sandstone walls, repaving of entry road and parking lots, new sidewalks, trail upgrades, and planting of native trees and plants throughout the park.

Elings Park is the largest privately funded, public park in the United States. More than two times the size of Disneyland, this scenic park on the Santa Barbara Mesa features sweeping views, picturesque oak groves and has been Santa Barbara’s gathering place for recreation, arts, nature, and inspiration since 1985. Elings Park is made possible by community donations and receives no regular government funding. Visit www.ElingsPark.org.