Disc golfers discover secret

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

COMFREY -- Seeing and doing is believing.

Several dozen disc golfers from south central and southwestern Minnesota helped raise money for Mound Creek County Park Monday afternoon in the southwest corner of Brown County.

Golfers came from Comfrey, Springfield, Sleepy Eye, New Ulm and Windom.

Friends of Mound Creek Park member Greg Roiger of rural Sleepy Eye said he was pleased with the turnout for the inaugural park fund-raiser.

"This place is so beautiful," Roiger said. "It's inexpensive too. No green fees. Discs are even available in the clubhouse."

Golfers toured the nine-hole course twice. Women's winner was Stacey Theobald of Fairmont who tossed her disc 64 times over 18 holes. Children's winner was Phil Tews, 12, of Springfield with a 79. Jack Vogel of Comfrey was the men's winner with a 52.

After the disc golf tourney, participants were treated to a Mexican buffet and prizes at Twisters Bar in Comfrey.

Vogel, who farms nearby, came close to acing the second hole, a par three. His tee toss nearly hit a metal pole with chains that is used to catch discs, allowing them to fall into a basket beneath.

The third hole was full of obstacles with a gully and ravine on the left side of the tee box and native prairie grasses between it and the green.

Vogel disc golfs at Mound Creek Park quite regularly.

"It's a good way to unwind," he said.

Scott Sparlin of New Ulm also enjoyed the event.

"This is really a fun outing," Sparlin said. "This is Brown County's best-kept secret. Most people don't realize how pretty this place is. We are talking about having a fishing club fund-raiser out here next year. Hardly anybody has ever tried this and doesn't realize how much fun it is."

The park includes a waterfall and swimming beach on the dammed up creek that resembles a lake. Some disc golf spectators said they caught crappies and large-mouth bass in the creek during the summer and good-sized northerns while ice fishing.

Ruth Mecklenburg of Sleepy Eye said disc golf wasn't entirely new to her, although the park was.

"I think it was a hippy thing," Mecklenburg said. "My husband (Dave) and I used to play it by setting up our own 'holes' in places like Flandrau State Park."

The course includes par three and five holes. Green distances for holes one through nine for non-pro golfers are 330, 200, 235, 225, 195, 340, 255, 245 and 230 feet for a total of 2,305 feet. Professional distances are 350, 255, 295, 300, 340, 520, 315, 325 and 470 feet for a total of 3,170 feet.

Mound Creek County Park can be reached by driving nine miles west of Comfrey on county highway 17, then a short distance north and west. The park is about 2 miles northwest of the Jeffers Petroglyphs.