Following a $6 million remodel of the park in 2017, a roadway, parking lot, and splash pad were constructed in the middle of the existing course, and the baskets were relocated to the deepest part of the grounds near the BMX track. The current course features a full 18 holes with few overlapping fairways and professional concrete tees. There are, however, several holes that throw across the walking trail, and the new course will eliminate those safety issues.
The new proposed course design was created by DiscGolfPark, a multi-national corporation headquartered in Tampere, Finland. The Sand Springs course will be the first DiscGolfPark in Oklahoma and the third layout designed by Jenkins, who is a touring member of Team Innova. Jenkins previously designed LHC DiscGolfPark in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and co-designed The Sanctuary DiscGolfPark in Delta, Ohio. He is a transplant to Oklahoma, and currently lives in Pawhuska where he helps manage The Lodge at Taylor Ranch disc golf courses.
DiscGolfPark uses several unique concepts, including a turf tee pad. Most Oklahoma courses utilize concrete tees, but the turf pads are well reviewed by touring professionals like Paul McBeth and Simon Lizotte who praise the natural look and feel. The tees are also safer than concrete tees, which are easy for an inattentive player to trip over.
The new course will come with all new baskets and will also include a large Info Board showing the course layout, rules and guidelines. All of the new equipment will come with warranties.
The proposed Sand Springs layout checks in at 6680 feet with a par of 57, including three par 4s. Hole 4 will be the longest at a whopping 820 feet, followed by Hole 18 at 640 feet. The overall square footage of the course will increase significantly with expansions north of the BMX track service road and deeper into the woods beneath the Highway 97 bridge.
Those longer distances won’t be permanent, however, as the course will have multiple pin locations. During tournaments the course directors will be able to move the baskets to their longest length, then the baskets will be moved back for year-round recreational play. Parks staff want the course to be desirable for professionals, beginners, and everyone in between.
The Tulsa metropolitan area is considered by many to be the Mecca of disc golf, with dozens of courses and over 4,000 members in the Tulsa Disc Golf Facebook group. The Tulsa Disc Sports Association hosts weekly mini-tournaments during the summer months and Tulsa even hosted the Am World Championships in 2006.
The newest layout design isn’t final, as the Parks Advisory Board voted Monday to allow the course to utilize a two-acre field that was previously designated an “avoidance area.” The field once housed the Sand Springs Round Up Club rodeo arena, which was demolished in 2018. The area was initially intended to be used as a possible practice field for youth sports teams, but that plan was scrapped due to limited parking.
Jenkins is also waiting for contractors to finishing clearing overgrowth before he submits his final plans. Significant work is already underway along the river and under the Highway 97 bridge. Workers are increasing the amount of playable land, as well as increasing the aesthetic appeal and river view. The final plans will then have to be approved by the Advisory Board and the City Council.
Case Community Park is the flagship of the Sand Springs Parks Department, located at 2500 South River City Park Road along the Arkansas River. The 100-acre grounds include baseball, softball, soccer, and BMX complexes, a Community Center, a splash pad, four playgrounds, a skate park, a trail system, an amphitheater, horseshoe pits, basketball and volleyball courts, and more. The entire park was submerged during historic flooding in May of 2019, but the last of the repairs are expected to be complete in time for the spring softball and baseball seasons.
A new roadway is also planned that will allow visitors to cross over the river levee that surrounds the park. This will create a park entrance from the Sheffield Crossing development near the disc golf course and softball/BMX complexes.
