A new disc golf course is set to open later this winter, a collection of 12 holes wrapping around the campus of the Fountain Hills First Baptist Church.

According to Fountain Hills Disc Golf Club President and First Baptist Youth Pastor David Taylor, Jr., this new course will be perfect for beginning disc golf players, which cleverly uses six baskets and multiple tee locations to make the most out of the desert landscape surrounding the church.

The campus also provides drinking fountains, restrooms and light switches for night play.

“I first learned how to play disc golf with my own youth pastor so, being a youth pastor, it’s a great sport for getting out and connecting with people,” Taylor said.

“With disc golf, you’re walking and talking and that sort of things. We just wanted to create another opportunity for people to get out and enjoy the environment while connecting with each other.”

Fountain Park is currently home to a nationally known disc golf course that offers long drives, challenging shots and even a rarity in Arizona, water hazards. The site is frequently included in both national and local tournaments, meaning that it can challenge players from the beginner level on up to expert.

With the First Baptist course, Taylor said he wanted to help create a course that would remove some of those obstacles, making it a more welcoming course for beginners and folks who maybe can’t drive 300-plus feet.

“I presented the idea to the church and they were all on board and excited,” Taylor said.

“They provided some funds and we sought some outside funds to put everything together. I also got a lot of input from people who know a lot more about course design than I do and it all came together nicely.”

Taylor said he relied on a lot of trial and error while laying out the short course, practicing shots to and from various locations to determine what will make for the most entertaining play. He said that certain holes require mandatory directions (left of the light pole, for instance) to up the challenge, and more advanced players can treat the surrounding concrete as out of bounds to keep things more interesting.

Holes range from 161’ to 271’, though, players who can’t throw great distances will have an easier time earning par.

“This project first began in July and we won’t be ready to open until later this year,” Taylor said.

“We’ll be making the official announcement at our local tournament that’s being held at Fountain Park on Dec. 5.”

Taylor said that he did a bit of landscaping to keep heavy play areas clear of too many bushes and brush but, for the most part, he wanted to retain the desert landscape of the course. Permanent tee boxes will also be missing for the time being, as Taylor wants to give players about a year on the course to help him determine where more lasting fixtures should go.

“We’ve tried to keep this quiet so far, because the course won’t be ready to open until next month,” Taylor said.

“The focus of the course is to be a beginner-friendly, introductory course, and I’m really excited about that. We’re all excited to introduce more people to this great game, and a course like this can make that happen.”

The course will not be available during church activities to help ensure safety but, otherwise, Taylor said everyone will be invited to come out and play whenever they like. It’s also one of the few courses in the state that will be available for play at night.

“Night golf is a lot of fun, so I really wanted to make sure that was an option here,” Taylor continued.

“We’ll also have a box set up with loaner discs, so people can try it out without having to spend their own money on discs up front. Just use them and please return them. Again, we really want this course to be welcoming to newcomers.”