Alex Smith is set to bring a unique and exciting sport to Fayetteville.

Looking to fulfill his requirements to earn the Eagle Scout rank, the highest advancement rank in Boy Scouting, Alex Smith, a Fayette County Boy Scout, came up with an idea that will provide hours of enjoyment for the citizens of the county: an 18-hole disc golf course at McCurry Park.

“Before becoming an Eagle Scout, I need to get my Eagle Scout project done,” said Smith, a 15-year-old Tyrone resident who is homeschooled. “There aren’t many big disc golf courses around here, and professional disc players I have been talking to wanted a course here, so I thought creating the course would be a fun idea that would also help me complete my Eagle Scout requirements.”

According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, disc golf was formalized in the 1970’s and is similar to traditional golf, but the biggest difference is that, instead of using a ball and clubs, disc golf players use a flying disc. The object is to throw the disk into the “hole” (usually a metal basket on a pole) and complete each hole in the fewest number of strokes possible.

Smith’s youth pastor at Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City took him to play disc golf two years ago. Smith struggled in his first outing, but he was intrigued by the sport and stuck with it.

“I was really bad at it when I played the first time,” Smith said. “My youth group at church plays a lot, so I continued to play disc golf.”
Smith plays the sport a couple of times a week at the nine-hole Village Green Course near City Hall in Peachtree City. He wanted to expand access to the sport that he thoroughly enjoys, so he discussed the idea of opening a course in the area with professional disc golf player Ot Arnounlet.

Arnounlet designed the course layout for Smith, who made some changes before approaching the Fayette County Parks and Recreation Commission with his idea last year.

The Fayette County Parks and Recreation Commission voted to support Smith’s Eagle Scout project. The commission didn’t have any funding in its budget to help finance the project; however, it did agree to install the course once Smith raised the necessary funds for the equipment.

Smith recently picked up his 18th and final sponsor. He is now in the initial stages of building his course; he ordered the course’s targets last week.

“I’ve been working on this project since October,” Smith said. “It’s pretty exciting. I can’t wait to get started. I heard a lot of people have been talking about it.”

If all goes as planned, McCurry Park Disc Golf Course is on schedule to be completed later this summer, said Smith. The course will be a mix between an open-field and wooded design in a pine area at McCurry Park, and each hole will be at least 200 feet long.

Contact Smith on his cell phone (678) 877-5513 or at home (678) 870-2004 for more information. Visit the Professional Disc Golf Association’s website, www.pdga.com, to learn more about disc golf.

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