Disc golfers to Millersburg council: Please mow, and can we talk about the amphitheater?

MILLERSBURG – More than 3,000 rounds of disc golf were recorded in 2021, and more than 1,700 rounds have been recorded so far this year at the Deer Run Disc Golf Course.

Avid players report their scores on an app and that is how the numbers are tracked. However, it only represents a fraction of the players that use the course, as not everyone who plays disc golf uses the app.

Ethan Steiner, vice president of the Holmes County Disc Golf Club shared his report of the high volume of play with Millersburg Council on Monday to give community leaders an update on the status of the course, and to express some concerns about maintenance.

Steiner noted the course is used year-round, and averages about 10 rounds played per day through the summer, and three per day during the winter months, according to statistics from Udisc.com.

The course has hosted six tournaments since it opened in the summer of 2020, drawing players from as far as Dayton.

Steiner said the course has earned a 4.4 (out of 5) UDisc rating. There are only two courses within a 50-mile radius of Millersburg that have a higher rating, and eight with 100 miles.

Holmes County Disc Golf Club representative: 'I think we've got a really nice course here.'

"The course is getting a lot of use. It's not just a few people playing all the time," he said. "So far this year, we've got 198 unique players. There are some people who play multiple times, especially locals, but we also get a lot of people coming in from outside to play.

"In the disc golf community, the course is very well thought of," he added. "People really enjoy coming in to play. I think we've got a really nice course here that is a really good asset for the community."

Steiner said he has heard from players from New Philadelphia and Massillon who come to Millersburg to play regularly because it is their favorite course.

Despite the positives, Steiner said, it's unclear who is responsible for maintenance and he questioned the village's role.

"Last year it went really well, but so far this year, it has only gotten mowed one time," he said. "Mowing has been done by members of the club using their own private equipment. That includes cleanup from the storm that came through. We cleaned up all the trees that were downed, and we've done all the mowing since then."

Steiner requested the village show its support of the course by adding it to the regular maintenance schedule to be mowed at least once every couple of weeks.

"We don't ask for high levels of mowing," he said. "We don't expect it to be like the ball diamonds. However, when you throw your disc and it's hard to find when it lands in the middle of the fairway, it's kind of tough."

Village: Disc golf course 'not a huge priority'

Village Administrator Nate Troyer said crews have been focused on storm cleanup throughout the community.

He added there may have been miscommunication or misunderstanding about expectations for maintaining the course.

"We can try and mow it more often," Troyer said. "I can't guarantee it will be every two weeks. Quite honestly, it's not a huge priority. There are other things we have to address first in town."

Steiner also brought up the proposed amphitheater, which he noted would be placed right in the middle of the fairway of hole No. 1.

"When we designed the course, we took into account everything that was there and tried to work around what was there originally," Steiner said. "This would put a seating right in the middle, and one of the first things I tell people when I'm teaching them to play disc golf is you don't throw if there are people in front of you. So, any activity that happens in that amphitheater would prevent us from playing on Hole No. 1."

Any tree removal would take out guardian trees that protect discs from going into the swamp area on the course, he said. He pointed out some other issues, including the proximity to the baseball diamond, which could lead to a home run hitting someone facing away from the ball diamond.

He said the stage design would have the audience facing due west, which would have them looking into the sun as it's setting.

Amphitheater would be an asset, if the location is changed

Steiner proposed another location at the other end of the parking lot, which faces due north, so the sun would not be directly in the eyes of the audience and wouldn't interfere with the disc golf or baseball.

"We really like the idea of the amphitheater," he said. "It would be a tremendous asset to the park. We would just request it be moved to an alternate location."

Mayor Jeff Huebner proposed getting members of the club together with village officials and the Eagle Scout who plans to build the amphitheater in the next few weeks to see if they can agree on a location.

Council member Kelly Hoffee said, "We do like the amphitheater idea, and we want what's best for everybody. If you guys can play and we can have that at the same time, that would be more ideal."

Troyer said Brenna Barbey, who proposed building the amphitheater for her Eagle Scout project, has raised more than $12,000 toward her goal, which doesn't include the money the village has earmarked for the project. She has also received some volunteers who have offered to lay the block for the seats.

Reach Kevin at 234-249-5294 or klynch@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Deer Run Disc Golf Course getting plenty of play but needs maintained