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Henry County park board reviews revised Memorial Park disc golf layout
Summary
At a special meeting, the Henry County Memorial Park board heard a presentation from Chris of the Muncie Area Disc Golf Club on design changes intended to reduce environmental impact and improve safety; the board held the item for future action after clarifying MOU language and mitigation plans.
Members of the Henry County Memorial Park board on Wednesday reviewed revised layouts for an 18-hole disc golf course at Memorial Park and discussed environmental protections, signage and a tentative opening timeline.
Chris, a representative of the Muncie Area Disc Golf Club, told the board the project began about four years ago and that fundraising and an MOU guided the installation. "An unsafe course is not a course in my brain," he said, framing safety as the project's top priority while describing changes intended to reduce impact on the park's unmowed woods.
The presentation laid out the project's progress: Chris said 16 of the 18 holes are currently installed and playable and that baskets and most tee pads are in place, while two holes still require final work. He estimated the course's footprint at "around 3.75 acres total," and said that figure represents roughly 10% of the park's unmowed woods, which he described as about 33–34 acres. "I think we've now halved the impact on the woods based on the eco study," he added.
Board members and attendees pressed for specifics about sensitive areas and erosion control. Chris described the use of "casual relief" rules—areas players should not throw from—to limit soil compaction, and outlined three planned footbridges for creek or drainage crossings. He described marking sensitive areas with stakes, tape or flags, and said signage and an in-app map would direct play between tees and baskets and warn users to yield to pedestrians.
Several participants raised differing counts of holes that touch sensitive areas; one resident counted five such holes while Chris said four appeared to touch or fall within flagged sensitive zones. Chris said two of those holes follow existing trails and that he would double-check the eco study to confirm the exact count. The board noted the need to clarify MOU language that refers to a two-year review cycle—whether that period begins on signature or after installation.
Chris told the board all 18 holes are sponsored, with each sponsor nominating a veteran for hole dedications, a key part of the project's fundraising. He requested that the board approve the revised layout so final tee pads and signage could be installed; he proposed August 8 as a possible grand opening date if approval and production of signs proceed on schedule.
The meeting was conducted as an informational work session; the Chair told members they would take the material under advisement and discuss next steps at a future meeting. A motion to adjourn the informational session was made and seconded and the meeting concluded.
What happens next: the board did not take a final vote on the layout at the special meeting; members asked staff and the presenter to clarify MOU wording, provide a confirmed list of holes that intersect sensitive areas, and return the item for formal consideration at a future meeting.
