Local supporters pitch ‘Project 99’ disc-golf expansion for Vigo County parks

Aaron Warner, a local resident, proposed an ambitious disc-golf expansion he calls “Project 99” during public comment at the Vigo County Parks and Recreation board meeting on Dec. 15, 2025. Warner said the initiative began informally and aims to add numerous championship-style courses across the county to attract tournaments and visitors.

Warner told the board that a national tournament-style championship could draw about "10,000 spectators" over a multi-day event and that visitors would likely stay in area hotels, creating tourism revenue. "If we had a national tournament style championship course, one event could have 10,000 spectators," Warner said. He described a plan to name courses after family members and said Prairie Creek Park could become one of the state’s top woods courses.

John Houck, who identified himself and noted he is not a Vigo County resident, endorsed Warner’s plan and praised the Prairie Creek property’s topography and potential for a professional-tour course. "You have the potential to have something really special here," Houck told the board. Max Hostetler, president of the Crossroads Disc Golf Club, also expressed club support and said the course would be a draw for regional players.

Board members and staff responded positively but treated the presentations as public comment rather than a formal project approval. Staff and trustees noted the parks department’s capacity and referenced prior successful projects—such as the Griffin Bike Park—when assessing whether to support construction and ongoing maintenance. No binding vote or formal commitment to fund Project 99 was recorded at the meeting.

Next steps discussed included continued coordination with course designers, volunteer efforts and staff capacity assessments; staff indicated more information and potential formal agenda items would be needed before the board could make a funding decision.