'Championship caliber' disc golf course opening in southeast Rochester
A new disc golf course will begin welcoming players this week in Rochester.
The Rochester Parks & Rec department says the Driftless Disc course at Gamehaven Park will be open to the public on Friday, Oct. 8. The course, part of the 2015 master plan for the park, includes a 9-hole recreational course as well as an 18-hole “championship caliber” course.
Photo courtesy Rochester Parks & Rec
The department says given the strong demand for the course, it decided to open the area now that is safe to play while additional work on the park continues. Some of the remaining work includes installation of course signage and nearby playground safety improvements.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Parks & Forestry Division director Mike Nigbur said the disc course has surpassed his original expectations “by including some of the best views of the park.” He added, “I think there will be great appreciation for the prairie, woods, water, and our unique geology as park users make their way through the course.”
In addition to disc golf, Gamehaven Park offers trails for mountain biking, hiking, running, and cross country skiing. Other activities include fishing, a nature-based playground, bird watching, archery, and sledding.
Gamehaven, located in the southeast quadrant, is being developed using funding from the Parks and Trails Legacy Grant Program and local taxpayers. In 2016, the city spent $1.1 million in legacy funds to purchase 93 acres to expand the Park. In 2020, the Park Board authorized the use of $1.8 million in additional funding to support improvements to the park.
Once open, Driftless Disc will join a handful of other disc courses in the area including ones at Slatterly Park, East Park, and the IBM Woodside Park.
Accessing Gamehaven Park
Access to Gamehaven Park includes two parking lots: one directly off from 45th Street SE and the new access drive to the parking lots from 50th Street SE near the Olmsted County Regional Safety Training Facility.
Parking lot access for the new disc course — along with a new playground, sledding hill, and parking areas — will be from 50th Street SE once that roadway project is completed in mid-November. Until then, community members and visitors may use the current access to Gamehaven Park on 45th Street SE to access the 18 hole course starting on Hole #3.
Cover photo: File / licensed via Canva
