Disc golf in Vallejo?

While a recent article in the Times-Herald last may have led everyone to believe that the course tested out at Hanns Park was open for public use, we still have a little way to go to before a disc golf course in Vallejo is a reality.

Exiting 16 months of the COVID-19 nightmare, Vallejo citizens are looking for new, economical ways to enjoy our parks and recreation resources. I took up playing disc golf just prior to the pandemic, traveling to Benicia, Napa and Vacaville to take advantage of the wonderful courses they have there, where I was able to enjoy a sport that was free and allowed me to get out of the house and hike the hills.

In 2019 we had reached out to the GVRD General Manager to inquire about what steps we might take to bring a course to Vallejo. Enter COVID-19 and much larger issues presented themselves. Then a couple of months ago we got an email from the district asking to meet about bringing this fun, easy, inexpensive recreational opportunity to Vallejo! Danny Bernardini and

I, along with Dave Wren, who we met playing in Benicia, began working on developing a course.

We had already explored using Hann’s Park, which is underutilized, as the perfect park to bring one of the fastest-growing sports in America. With a beautiful eucalyptus forest that opens to a spacious meadow, it has all the elements needed. And with it comes hundreds, if not thousands of players to Vallejo and Hann’s Park, introducing them to the reasons why we choose to live and play in this wonderful city. Local businesses will benefit and with more people utilizing the park the undesirable elements will feel less comfortable loitering about. And one bonus for the neighbors is that they can brag to their friends that they now live on a golf course!

So where does the huge amount of dollars needed to bring this all to Vallejo come from? Well, for a small investment of about $10,000-$20,000 to purchase equipment and a volunteer force we can get it done. And this is for the entire project. We have already secured commitments from the cement masons and Ironworkers unions to assist in the pouring of the nine tee pads needed and a small army of volunteers are waiting in the wings to get the work done.

On Saturday, June 26, we held the test run at the park, inviting members of disc golf clubs from Benicia, Napa and Vacaville who brought out temporary baskets and played our proposed course. Before any expense is allocated, we wanted to hear from course designers and disc golf enthusiasts from Vallejo and other cities to give us advice on setting up the best course possible. Over 40 people showed up to help give feedback. The oldest person was in their 70s and the youngest was Vallejo resident Ben Hill Jr at 7 years old, showing that disc golf is a sport that can be enjoyed by citizens of all ages.

We were happy to present this project to the GVRD Board of Directors on Thursday, and hope to have overwhelming support. We stand ready to help in any way we can to bring disc golf to Vallejo.

— Jon Riley/Executive Director

Napa/Solano CLC