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A Williamsport man has tossed his idea at City Council for a disc golf course designed and constructed in Brandon Park.
Nick Saramandich recently briefed council on his efforts that he said began two years ago.
Disc golf is like golf but the sport uses specialized flying discs, where players throw them into a metal basket target in the fewest throws possible, following rules similar to traditional golf.
Disc golf courses have been installed in thousands of parks in municipal, county and state parks.
"Safety begins with good course design," Saramandich said, handing out copies of the conceptual design.
Such course design would intentionally keep the fairways away from roads, parking lots, pavilions, sidewalks and other high-use areas he noted.
A disc course design at the park would be a proposed course that avoids throwing discs across these areas and signage would be installed as would protective buffers. Course design at the park would minimize interaction with other park users.
Modern design standards emphasize visibility, spacing between holes, controlled throwing direction and separation from other recreational activities, he added.
"This has been ongoing for a little while now," Saramandich said. "I initially submitted the proposal late November of 2024 to the city. "I had an in-person meeting with the mayor and the recreation department and then a second meeting where we walked through the park and went over preliminary design for a potential course. Everybody seemed to be very supportive and on board with the idea," he said.
It was recommended to Saramandich that he get in touch with the Brandon Park Commission that oversees aspects of the 43-acre park in the city adding that would be his intent.
"I understand and appreciate that the first priority is public safety," Saramandich said. "Fortunately," he said, "disc golf has been installed in thousands of public parks across the U.S., including many municipal, county and state parks where there are also walkers and families and other recreational users of these parks."
Another plus, he observed, is there are several disc golf course design professionals in the area. Moreover, he added, thousands of communities have found a properly designed disc golf course can coexist safely with other park amenities while increasing recreational opportunities for everyone.
"We've got a few public disk golf courses in Lycoming county.
"There is one at Indian Park in Montoursville, one at Lime Bluff in Hughesville, and one at Trout Run. These are all 18-hole courses. There is a huge following for the sport, he said.
"I'm hoping to have this push forward and have a conversation with the Brandon Park (Commission).
He also brought the council samples of the discs.
Stats on disc golf
About 11,000 courses are installed nationwide.
More disc golf courses than Dunkin' Donut establishments.
About 17,289 courses globally in 99 countries.
About 89 % of disc courses are free, as this concept would be.
Approximately 21.2 million rounds of disc golf were played last year.
Disc golf is recreation that doubles as exercise.
Locally, Lycoming County Disc Golf Association has doubles leagues and a singles league and rotates between three courses.
First course was built in 1975 in Pasadena in the backyard of NASA's jet propulsion laboratory.
Traces its roots to the toy company Whammo, maker of the Frisbee originally launched as the Pluto Platter in 1957 before being renamed and it was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.