Public Open House Planned For Disc Golf Course At Holiday Beach

A public meeting is planned to gain additional feedback on the planned new disc golf course at Holiday Beach Conservation Area.

Disc golf is rapidly gaining popularity in Ontario and across Canada. Like regular golf but played with frisbee-like discs, players attempt to sink the discs into baskets from designated tee areas. In the local area, there is currently an 18-hole course at Lakewood Park in Tecumseh and a 6-hole course at Beaudoin Park in Amherstburg.

The new addition is planned to be a 9-hole course and will be designed throughout the mowed grass area designated for recreation within the Holiday Beach Management Plan.

The new course has seen some opposition in the community, with people raising concerns about the location and the effects on the bird population.

According to the Essex Region Conservation Authority, there are currently 18 conservation areas and provincial parks in Ontario that host Disc Golf, including Albion Hills, Bruce Mills and Christie Lake Conservation Areas, and disc golf has proved to be complementary to those activities already enjoyed in these conservation areas.

Holiday Beach is managed by the Essex Region Conservation Authority under a long-term agreement with the Province of Ontario and is managed for recreational and conservation purposes. While there are many areas within the site designated as natural heritage or ecological protection, there are also areas identified for recreation. Ongoing activities at the park include seasonal camping, hunting, bird watching and bird banding, educational field trips, a playground, cottage rental and day use.

“The course is intended to be installed within existing mowed areas that are currently underutilized, and used by some dog walkers or picnickers on weekends.,” explained Kevin Money, ERCA’s Director of Conservation Services. “Creating the course will mean the addition of 9 baskets and tee-signs through the already manicured section of the park that is identified as a recreational area within the management plan and compatible with existing activities. It is intended to provide another activity for park users to enjoy and would not restrict other park activities.”

An open house will take place on Tuesday, May 6th at 6:00pm at the Libro Centre in Amherstburg.

“While adding this recreational amenity to the park already aligns with the Board-approved Holiday Beach Management Plan, we want to provide clarity about the scope of what this means for the conservation area,” Money adds. “We want to ensure that the public has the opportunity to receive information first-hand and to provide feedback.”