Whispers and rumors have been flying - the baskets at the soon-to-be historic Creekside Disc Golf Course are getting pulled. While this may initially seem like a shocking move, there's much more to the story.
Let's go back to late 2021 when Scott Belchak of ElevateUT Disc Golf, first pitched to Salt Lake County the idea of adding disc golf to Dimple Dell. This seed of an idea took root, but it was in 2023 when the real magic happened. When Draper city embraced the vision for their own disc golf course, they not only secured funding from the city council, but they also pursued a Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant. In doing so, they sought a letter of recommendation from the director of Salt Lake County Parks. This prompted the director to consider disc golf as an important recreational activity for the community, prompting him to re-examine their current facilities. At the same time, ElevateUT Disc Golf was tirelessly advocating for disc golf and its historical significance in the county. It was a perfect storm, leading to the decision of substantial investment into Creekside at the right time - budget season.
The renovations at Creekside are a complete game-changer. The course will temporarily close to the public as we begin a comprehensive makeover: all tee pads will be replaced with PDGA recommended sizing (2x4 meters), sleeves will be upgraded, and new MVP Black Hole Portal Version 2 baskets will be installed. A slight redesign will take place to ensure we have a fully playable 18, with no changes during the school year. We will also reclaim the holes in the natural area of the course, across the river (this is no longer the case). In future phases, new benches, signs and more features will come. A finished product will replace the current footprint with a state-of-the-art modern disc golf course.
There will be open house event on the second of August, hosted by Salt Lake County Parks. In the pavilion at Creekside: 6PM-7:30PM. This gathering will provide an opportunity to discuss the Creekside project and reveal the larger vision for the Big Cottonwood Regional Park. The concept sees an interconnected park space that not only enhances the recreational experience but also holds the potential for adding another disc golf course north of the road. Please be sure to attend and discuss how disc golf enriches your life and what the impact of including a second course would make to not only you, but the entire community.
This transformative project will be ready in time for the 25th Annual Creekside Open Am Weekend, organized by ElevateUT Disc Golf. It's going to be a monumental event, and here's why: MVP Disc Sports, the creators of the new baskets, are also sponsoring the tournament, providing exceptional player packs for our amateur participants.
With $3,000 added cash to the pro weekend from our generous sponsors, Party Shirt International, and CrackShack Chicken Shack, this is an event you won't want to miss (We have another $1,000 sponsor we aren't ready to announce yet).
And the excitement doesn't stop there. The weekend following the Creekside Open, the Utah State Championships will take place in the majestic setting of Brighton Ski Resort and The Wasatch Wunder, with a whopping $5,000 added cash to that tournament. That's a grand total of $8,000 added cash over two weekends! But that's not all. ElevateUT, in collaboration with Mountain Air Disc Golf, is bringing Central Coast Disc Golf out to film the Utah State Championships, adding an extra level of excitement to the event. So, sign up, shoot hot and get on some coverage.
The future of disc golf in Utah looks incredibly bright, and it's all thanks to the continued support and passion of our community. Stay tuned for more updates and prepare for some exciting disc golf action this summer. See you at the 25th Annual Creekside Open and the Utah State Championships!
This is great. I love Creekside, but it has begun to show it's age. a refresh will be wonderful. and reclaiming the holes across the river is fantastic. My favorite stretch of the course the the holes along the hill. and the one across the river gave me nightmares as a new player. I can't wait to play them again. Might i suggest a planting new trees? A course in my home town Blackfoot Idaho had a similar situation to creekside where they had a ton of trees that grew naturally, but also died often. They didn't cut any of those down, but they planted new, hardier trees near them, so when the cottonwoods died, there was a map…