COCC disc golf course closing – for good?

Disc golfing has become a popular pastime in Central Oregon.

“It’s my release, is what I call it,” Stevie Pittman, OSU-Cascades student and avid disc golfer, said Friday. “I have a bad day, and I need to go play around and release a little bit.”

Construction at Central Oregon Community College will make playing a lot harder. On Monday, 17 , the disc golf course at COCC will be closed.

It’s all due to the construction of a new residence hall, which will open in the summer of 2015 and house about 330 students.

The future of the disc golf course is less clear.

“Between now and then, the college will make some decisions about some long-term viability of keeping the course open or if we need to close it for other reasons,” said Alicia Moore, COCC’s dean of Student Services and Enrollment.

There are many disc golf courses in Bend and Central Oregon, but professional disc golfers believe having one on campus is essential.

“Having that course up there for something for the students to do in between classes. Just for recreation — it’s outdoor, healthy, positive, and low-impact,” said Zoe Andyke, a professional disc golfer and coach.

No decision has been made yet. COCC is weighing the options, but there are reasons it may stay closed for good.

“There’s a lot of environmental impact, in terms of the wear and tear on the surrounding native plants, and causing some erosion, especially when we have snowstorms or rainstorms,” Moore said.

Other factors include student safety.

COCC says at this point they are still evaluating. Adam Bumstead, an OSU-Cascades student who played in the nationals last year, hopes the course will return, possibly even better than it was before.

“This is a good opportunity,” Bumstead said. “The T-pads are a little janky. So hopefully, we can have a nice course.”