Did you know that the Apache Badlands Disc Golf Course was built largely through the efforts of Apache Shores residents?
The course was designed by Oliver Pollard and Joel Day, with volunteer labor and donated materials from members of the Apache Badlanders Disc Golf Club and other community supporters.
It started with just six holes in 2013, expanded to nine holes in 2014, and became an 18-hole course in 2015.
By 2017, records described a thriving disc golf community with more than 80 active club members and an estimated 75 rounds being played each week. The course also included a one-mile multi-use hiking trail winding through the fairways and some 400 feet of total elevation change — making good use of Apache Shores’ famously hilly terrain.
Thousands of Hours of Volunteer Work
Creating the course was truly a community effort. By 2017, volunteers had contributed more than 2,000 hours of work, while club members and private donors had contributed more than $8,700 toward baskets, signs, picnic tables, trash cans, tools, equipment, and other improvements.
One anonymous donor alone contributed $4,700 toward disc golf baskets.
An Eagle Scout Joins the Effort
The community effort continued when Zachary Weiss chose the Apache Badlands Disc Golf Course for his Eagle Scout project.
Zach’s project included mulching and chipping wood piles around the course and adding or improving course signage. His project was expected to require at least 100 hours of work, along with additional fundraising and volunteer help.
The Apache Badlands Disc Golf Course is a good example of something that makes Apache Shores special: neighbors seeing an opportunity, volunteering their time and skills, and creating something the whole community can enjoy.
The next time you walk the trail or play a round of disc golf, you’re enjoying something that was built — quite literally — by members of the Apache Shores community.
