SOUTHWICK- A public hearing was held by the Planning Board on Tuesday evening. The public hearing was based on the ongoing development of a proposed disc golf course on 41 & 51 John Mason Road.
Partial business owners Drew Gardner, Freda Brown, and Randy Brown were all present for the hearing.
Randy Brown conducted a revised plan for the disc golf facility, New England Disc Golf Center. The main entrance of the facility will feature a gravel driveway and a parking lot featuring 33 parking spots. The entire parking area will be 110 feet wide and 125 feet long. In case the parking lot is full due to a possible tournament of some sort, the access roads can be used for parking.
Similar to a regular golf course, the disc golf facility will have a pro shop. Gardner discussed that, at least at the beginning of the businesses growth, employees will not always be present when customers show up at New England Disc Golf Center to play.
Partial business owners of the proposed disc golf course, Freda Brown and Drew Gardner, stand by the revised plan created by Randy Brown. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
A drop box will be installed next to the pro shop that would allow the individuals to pay the fee for playing the 18-hole course. The drop box is a feature to disc golf that is commonly known around the disc golf society. It is a model for trust in the disc golf community that all paying customers will be respectful to the game and the facility they are at.
“The culture of disc golf is so that players really care for the land that they’re on,” said Gardner.
There will indeed be employees present at the facility when there are expected peak hours, especially if there is a tournament.
Gardner also stated that his vision for the long-term is to have an employee in the gift shop from 8 a.m. until they close at night.
“That’s a long term plan and we need to grow a sustainable disc golf market in this area,” said Gardner.
The entire property of the facility will be around 100 acres. Roughly 80 of those acres will consist of the 18-hole course. The business owners will also be providing a separate nine-hole disc golf course which can be designed towards children and families.
“We believe that this can be a very family-oriented business,” said Freda Brown. “It’s something that families can do together, learn the sport, a lifetime sport, as a family together.”
Gardner, Freda Brown, and Randy Brown are working on reaching out to elementary schools in the local communities such as Westfield to help gain a market with the youth.
As disc golf can also be seen as a competitive sport, the proposed atmosphere of this particular facility is to accept any level of players.
“We want beginners to come out there and feel accepted,” said Gardner. “They can play alongside top-tier players and everybody in between that.”
The set hours as of now will be from dawn until dusk. The hours allow the opportunity for people to play early in the morning or late at night, but Gardner is aware of when the majority of disc golfers begin to show up to play.
“Most disc golfers aren’t getting on the course until about 8 a.m.,” said Gardner. “I don’t think it would be an issue, if there are people going out that early it’s not going to be a ton.”
The revised plan that Randy Brown presented to the planning board as well as the public in attendance was another step forward for the disc golf facility.
Another public hearing will be scheduled at the next Planning Board meeting on July 26 to further the developments as the board made the motion to approve the next scheduled hearing.
