Baskets stolen from Covington disc golf course just days after grand opening

Just days after its grand opening, the disc golf course at Devou Park is down 13 holes, according to Covington police and city officials.

Police initially said 13 of the 18 disc golf baskets which are the holes on the course, were reported stolen overnight. The theft was reported by a Devou Park employee.

During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Dan Hassert, communications manager for the city of Covington, said only 12 of the holes were actually stolen. The 13th was vandalized, he said.

Want to go disc golfing in Cincinnati?There are plenty of options. Check out our list

Hassert said the thieves apparently drove off the road and through the woods, destroying trees, to get to the disc golf course. Officials said the theft was a "coordinated" effort and that the baskets stolen weren't near any homes.

Officials said the thieves would've needed trucks or another large vehicle to make off with the baskets.

The baskets were placed into a sleeve − embedded in concrete − and locked in place by a padlock, said Ben Oldiges, parks and recreation manager for the city, adding the suspects had to use bolt cutters to remove the baskets from the ground.

Oldiges said the theft "is a loss of joy for people in the community." He said the city plans to install temporary baskets so people can continue to use the course.

Oldiges said the disc golf course had already proven popular. There have been roughly 700 playthroughs since the course opened, he said.

Police say they're in the early stages of investigating the theft. City officials said the value of the 6-foot metal baskets would be minimal if sold for scrap.

Covington police officers have been instructed to make passes through the park overnight while on patrol, Chief Brian Valenti said during a press conference.

Devou Park's 18-hole disc golf course was unveiled Saturday with a ceremonial disc-throwing and public tournament, city officials said. The course is free to the public and open from dawn to dusk, seven days a week.

The city started planning its disc golf course a year ago, with the location and layout for the course approved by the Devou Park Advisory Committee in November 2021, the city said in a news release. It is funded by the Devou Trust and Devou Properties Inc.

Formalized in the 1970s, the sport is played much like traditional golf, except players use a flying disc or Frisbee instead of a club and ball, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association. Disc golf targets or "holes" are usually an elevated metal basket.

Anybody with information should contact Detective Gregg Andrews at (859) 292-2271.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Devou Park disc golf baskets stolen from Covington course