Cory Byknish points to a feature on the layout for a proposed disc golf course, which trustees plan to have built in Brookfield Township Community Park.
Brookfield Trustee Mark Ferrara has never thrown a disc golf disc in his life, but he has championed the creation of a disc golf course at Brookfield Township Community Park, putting in countless hours researching the sport, talking to disc golfers and walking the park with disc golfers to envision where the course could be laid out. On Dec. 18, Brookfield trustees approved spending American Rescue Plan Act funds to build a course at the park.
“I really want to do this because I really think it’s gonna improve the park and the community,” Ferrara said.
Disc golf is “basically just like ball golf,” said Brookfield resident and disc golf enthusiast Cory Byknish. “You have (Frisbee-like) discs that are like a driver, a mid-range and a putter and they all fly different ways, different angles.” Disc golfers finish a hole by throwing a disc into a chain basket.
Disc golfers like obstacles that they have to throw around, making the park’s wooded area ideal for a course, said Bill Flynn of Niles, an inductee into the Ohio Disc Golf Hall of Fame.
“This isn’t a golf course as in manicured lawns,” Flynn said. There is no regular mowing required and disc golfers tend to keep the course clean and playable themselves, enthusiasts said.
The idea was first presented to the trustees in January when Brad Silvers of Howland, who builds disc golf courses, made a presentation. “Disc golf, it’s gaining popularity,” Silvers said. “COVID pretty much allowed it to boom.”
Former township trustee Dion Magestro argued the opposite view. He said he doesn’t see people on disc golf courses and called the building of a course at the park a waste of money. Ferrara said he believes disc golf is growing in popularity and said that building a course at the park is a good use of ARPA funds because those funds are intended to give back to the community.
The course will be built at the edges of the open field at the back of the park, and in the woods. There will be nine “holes” but there will be additional tees to make 12 or 13 holes, rendering the course eligible for sanctioned tournament play.
Trustees were worried that disc golf would interfere with other activities at the park, primarily baseball and softball, but enthusiasts said they will publicize other uses of the park so disc golfers can come at an appropriate time.
Trustee Dan Suttles said he is interested in anything that increases usage of the park without disturbing what’s already there.
The trustees awarded these contracts for the project:
- Hackett’s Tree Service, Masury, $9,800 to cut down trees – primarily saplings – clear land and mulch cuttings.
- Commercial Property Maintenance and Sweeping Inc., which is owned by Byknish’s father, David, of Sharon, $10,000 to set posts and baskets and install cement tee pads.
- Disc Golf Association, Watsonville, Calif., $6,560 to provide the baskets and posts.
- Signwork by Chuck Kish LLC of Masury, $592 to make directional and informational signs.
- Lowe’s, $1,902 for supplies such as lumber, screws, bolts and paint.
- Flynn, $1,800 to consult, primarily for his design of the course.
- Cory Byknish, $1,800 to manage the project for the township.
Ferrara estimated construction could take as long as nine months, adding that the course will be played on before the cement tee pads are put in because players will give the designer a better idea of where the pads should be.
In addition to the disc golf contracts, trustees awarded these contracts with ARPA money:
- Amazon and Sam’s Club for the purchase of chairs and carts to be used for public events at the administration building and the township banquet hall, $7,128.
- High Tech Health for the purchase of an infrared sauna for use by firefighters, $5,896. Chief David Masirovits asked for a sauna as a way for firefighters to sweat out toxins absorbed through the skin at fire calls. He noted that firefighter turnout gear is designed to protect the wearer from heat, steam, debris and larger particles of soot, carbon and other chemicals, but many other dangerous and cancer-causing agents get through. Cancer is the second-leading cause of firefighter deaths, Masirovits said.
- Rien Construction of Brookfield for the installation of a kitchenette in the trustees’ conference room for use by township employees, $7,980. It will include a sink, a mini-fridge, cabinets and the installation of a Keurig coffeemaker the township already owns.
- Kirila Contractors Inc. of Brookfield to pave the administration building parking lot, $71,570. Road Superintendent Jaime Fredenburg whittled down the scope of the project so it would come in under $75,000, the threshold at which sealed bids are required, but the trustees also set aside $3,000 in contingency funds in case the cost of asphalt goes up before Kirila can do the work. The project has a construction period of May 1 to Oct. 15.
- RDR Utility Services Group, Kinsman, $4,500 to install a transfer switch on the generator at the fire and road department complex to control the flow of gas from a gas well on the property to the generator.
The trustees also donated $1,951, their remaining ARPA funds, to the pantry at Brookfield Local School District, which provides food, personal products and clothing to students. This item was a compromise. Ferrara wanted to donate money to “certified food pantries” in the township, but Suttles objected on the principle of the separation of church and state as four food banks run by churches serve Brookfield.
