5 minute read
Dedication to Disc Golf
By Shelley Basinger
In the early 2000s, as the sport of disc golf exploded in popularity across the U.S., Kenny Palmer had what seemed at the time like a long-shot vision—turn Bedford County into the “Disc Golf Capital of Virginia.”
“Kenny is the one who coined that phrase,” said Parks Manager Brian Martin. “He saw the availability of unused land in our parks. He was into disc golf at the time and started making it happen.”
From there, Bedford County started a slow climb towards that unofficial title.
5 COURSES, 5 YEARS
Palmer, a former Bedford County Parks & Recreation employee who passed away in January 2024, lead the charge to create Bedford County’s first disc golf course at Falling Creek Park. It opened in 2008 with 18 holes.
From there, Palmer and others on the Parks & Recreation staff opened a course at Moneta Park in 2017 (with financial help from the Smith Mountain Lake Rotary Club). Within two years, in 2019, they opened an 18-hole course at Montvale Park.
In late 2019, Bedford County purchased Independence Park from the Town of Bedford. In 2020, staff unveiled a new 18-hole disc course on the property.
The pinnacle in course development came in April 2021 with the opening of the New London Tech Disc Golf Course within the New London Business and Technology Center, which is owned by the Bedford County Economic Development Authority.
The professional-level course was designed by Paul McBeth, former Bedford County resident and international disc golf champion. It includes signature Paul McBeth baskets at every hole.
“The course at New London really brought Bedford County to a new level in the sport,” said Parks & Recreation Director Chris Higgins.
According to statistics on UDISC, the most commonly used app for disc golfers, the New London Tech Disc Golf Course is ranked 32nd in the world.
Martin believes a large part of that esteem is due to regular maintenance— keeping tee pads and baskets functional and paths clear.
“What helps us in Bedford County is the amount of people playing all year long. If there is a tree down on a hole, by the end of the day I know about it,” said Martin. “Our courses see a lot of traffic.”
Word Got Out
Statistics from UDISC show there were 1,256 total rounds played on Bedford County’s six disc golf courses in May 2024.
“And these are only rounds that were recorded on UDISC,” said Director of Tourism Nicole Johnson. “Disc golf has become an important tourism asset for us. People travel to Bedford County for disc golf.”
This year, the Tourism department unveiled a nine-hole course on the grounds of the Bedford Area Welcome Center.
Palmer was also instrumental in the development of this short course, including a recommendation to have red, white, and blue baskets as a nod to the National D-Day Memorial located just up the hill.
During a Dec. 2023 visit to the Welcome Center, Lowe Bibby, of Charlotte, N.C., told staff that he recommends Bedford County as one of the top places to play in Virginia. He has been an avid disc golfer since the 1970s and has played at 200 courses across Virginia.
“Hosting this event will bring disc golfers like Bibby to our region for years to come because athletes will want to play a “Worlds” course,” said Johnson.
International Opportunity
In late 2021, the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) approached Bedford County about playing the 2024 PDGA world championships at the New London course. Bedford County pulled the City of Lynchburg into the conversation, as the championships required a host “city” and a certain number of hotel accommodations. In December 2022, Ledgestone Group—the organizer of the PDGA world championships—made the announcement official.
Disc golf athletes from all over the world will play at Bedford County’s New London course as well as at a new course created at Ivy Hill Golf Club in Forest.
Preparation for the event has ramped up in the past few months as Martin and his team have been focusing on improvements at the New London property.
“Since the first of the year we have rebuilt all of the bridges to include a new spectator path between holes. We have rebuilt all of the tee pads and trimmed trees,” said Martin. He added that they are moving 20 sets of bleachers to the property for spectators to use as seating at various holes.
Staying The Course
As of right now, Bedford County doesn’t have any more land for new disc golf courses. But Parks & Recreation staff plans to stay busy maintaining and re-inventing current courses. They are known to think outside of the box when sourcing materials, such as using discarded turf from another locality’s school for tee pads.
“One of the best things we can do is make the courses we do have even better,” said Martin.
Higgins believes the world championships in August are only the beginning for Bedford County’s disc golf reputation.
“The PDGA worlds will put us on a national short list of locations for disc golf competitions,” he said. “After decades of investment in the infrastructure of disc golf in Bedford County, we are seeing everyone’s vision, hard work, and investment pay off.”
Learn more about disc golf options in Bedford County at www.bedfordcountyva.gov/discgolf.
