St. Mary’s County Department of Recreation and Parks hosted the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Hot Shots Disc Golf Course at John G. Lancaster Park Oct. 20. The 18-hole course sits where the old flattops of Lexington Manor used to be and offers a great space for outdoor recreation with a unique sport.  

Department Director Phil Rollins attributed the original idea to College of Southern Md. student Will Franklin. Rollins also acknowledged the county staff and citizen volunteers that helped bring the project to fruition. The disc golf course, he suggested, is a great fit for the revitalization of this restricted-use land and stated it will add to the great amenities available at Lancaster Park, like the walking trails, new picnic pavilion and dog park. 
The unique sport has been around since the 1970’s and has a professional league that hosts tournaments at courses across the nation. Disc Golf is similar to traditional ball golf, but uses varied plastic discs and elevated basket targets to offer a fun and competitive outdoor activity. The equipment is affordable and the course at Lancaster is free to the public, open from sunrise to sunset. 

 

Pleased with the project’s success, Rollin’s said, “If you build it, they will come and from what I’m hearing they’re certainly coming.” 
 
Mike’s Bikes owner, Mike Schwartz said he has played disc golf for decades and sells the equipment at his Great Mills Road shop. Disc golf enthusiast and active project volunteer Jeff McIntyre said he recently moved to St. Mary’s County from Virginia and is glad to have a great course to enjoy.
 
Original inspiration and course pro, Will Franklin urged those interested in learning to play or networking with other local disc golfers to check out http://www.pdga.com/course_directory/course/hot-shots-disc-golf or the Hot Shots myspace page at www.myspace.com/hotshotsdiscgolf.

Located on the former “Lexington Manor” south parcel, the course can be accessed via the Lancaster Park entrance off Willows Road. The game can be played on a year-round basis. Maps of the course can be downloaded from the county’s website at www.stmarysmd.com. Click on Recreation and Parks under Citizen Services, then click on Lancaster Park under the Parks and Facilities tab.