Officials reject disc golf in Lake Co. forest preserves

Disc golf aficionados hoping for a course in a Lake County forest preserve are in the tall grass without a shot.

After more than a year of discussions, forest district officials on Thursday opted to keep the burgeoning sport out of local preserves, saying it's a better fit for area parks.

Members of the forest board's planning and restoration committee also feared allowing the disc golf plans to progress would lead fans of soccer and other sports to deluge the district with requests for their own fields.

"Get ready for a never-ending group of people asking us for more land," committee leader Carol Calabresa said before the group's vote. "We're going to feel the pressure more and more."

Developed in the 1970s, disc golf resembles traditional golf but uses flying discs rather than balls and clubs. Players throw the discs at above-ground baskets.

Local courses can be found in Grayslake, Libertyville, Mundelein, Waukegan and other towns. None, however, is on forest district property, and some area players and members of the board hoped to change that.

Among the concept's advocates was planning committee member Brent Paxton, who thought the sport would bring new people to the preserves. He compared disc golf to the district's playgrounds, marinas and other non-traditional recreational opportunities.

Paxton also said disc golf is relatively low-maintenance and non-invasive, unlike fields for some other sports. Visitors to a preserve can picnic on a course that's not in use, he said.

Paxton and David Stolman were the only two committee members who wanted district staffers to develop site-selection criteria and a list of potential sites. Three others -- Calabresa, Bob Sabonjian and Bob Powers -- voted against the move and thus killed the proposal.

Like Calabresa, Sabonjian was concerned about setting precedent. He reminded the panelists that, years ago, officials rejected pleas for soccer fields on forest-district land.

"We have to hold that policy consistent," Sabonjian said.

In separate, earlier votes, the forest board's finance committee voiced support for the disc golf proposal, but a land preservation and acquisition committee opposed it.

The planning committee's decision is final. The issue will not progress to the full board.