An expensive toss: Michigan park gets $200k for a disc golf course

Michigan taxpayers will soon spend $200,000 on a disc golf course in Berrien County, according to State Rep. Joey Andrews, D-Saint Joseph, who issued a statement taking credit for the expenditure. The money is meant for a new course at New Buffalo Township’s Glassman Park. The grant is the second allocation of state funds for the park in recent years.

New Buffalo Township received $100,000 from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in 2014, with a matching grant of $100,000 from The Pokagon Fund, according to the Harbor Country News.

A basic 18-hole course can be created for $6,300, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association, which says “A very nice course can be installed for under $25,000 in most places where not much clearing is required.”

CapCon sent an email to Michelle Heit, New Buffalo Township supervisor, asking how the township will spend the $200,000. Heit has not responded.

A five-year recreational plan created by the New Buffalo Area Recreational Authority, of which the township is a member, anticipated the possbility of a disc golf course, according to The New Buffalo Times.

Local officials created online survey for local residents, though CapCon was unable to discover its questions or findings. Glassman Park has a “kayak launch, walking trail, zen labryinth and river look out points,” according to the New Buffalo Township website.