| The Northwest Vista College (NVC) Disc Golf course, with an updated design, has reopened after it was closed as part of the campus during the 2020 pandemic.
NVC President Dr. Ric Baser is an avid disc golf player. “The course is known as a technical short course. It’s good for beginners and still challenging for experienced players. I’ve been looking forward to getting back on the course this fall,” he said. Disc Golf is growing. During the pandemic, many people ventured outside to play the sport. The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) lists Texas as having the most members at 4,752, with 465 courses in 2020 and the association boasts an increase in U.S. membership between 2019 and 2020 of more than 35.5%. Established in 2011, the NVC Disc Golf course is competition style with a par 54 and a length of about 4,000 feet. The redesign was started in 2017 to add back holes that were displaced during the construction of expanded campus parking. With 18 holes (baskets) that wind mostly through the wooded areas of the campus, the NVC course has obstacles such as low-hanging tree limbs and a tee across the lake. Well-known disc golf course designer Charles Chapman made sure the NVC course was top notch during the redesign. Chapman worked alongside Larry Clark from Bender Wells Clark Design who worked under Alamo Architects. These two firms have done most of landscape and architectural design on the campus. Design began in 2008 on the original course, with Bender Wells Clark Design working with initial course designer Brandon Melton of IOM Design. The course is open from dawn until dusk, with no smoking or alcoholic beverages allowed on campus. Players must bring their own equipment to play the course.
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