Grove Hill Parks and Recreation Gets New Board, Studies Disc Golf Course at S.P. Hudson Park

GROVE HILL, Ala. — Grove Hill parks and recreation is getting a new advisory board, with the city setting up a five-member parks and recreation board and taking a serious look at a disc golf course for S.P. Hudson Park as the city’s young recreation department works to offer more than youth sports.

Mayor Ross Wood asked the Grove Hill City Council on Monday to come up with five nominations for the new board, which will help guide the Parks and Recreation Department that the city established in May. Meanwhile, Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Daniels Strength said she and Wood are exploring whether a disc golf course would be a good fit for the park.

How the new parks and recreation board will work

Wood said the board will have five members:

• Three members appointed by the city council
• Two members who will serve by virtue of being presidents of ball associations

The council’s five nominations will be used to fill its three appointed seats.

“Grove Hill people need to have their hand on the tiller” in guiding parks and recreation, Wood said.

Advisory boards of this kind are common in Alabama cities. They give residents a formal voice in how parks are used and what programs are offered, and including leaders of youth ball associations ensures the groups that use the city’s fields most often have a seat at the table.

Strength met with the council during its work session before the meeting to discuss the municipal pool and flag football.

Disc golf at S.P. Hudson Park in early stages

The disc golf idea is still in its early stages, Strength said, but she and Wood are interested in determining whether a course would suit the community.

“(Wood) saw our post and already started looking into it himself,” Strength said. “We’ve also been in contact with individuals who have experience designing disc golf courses.”

A nine-hole course is being considered as a possible starting point, although no decisions have been finalized. Strength said S.P. Hudson Park appears to be a promising location.

“It’s already a beautiful and versatile property,” she said. “Disc golf could be another way for people to get outside and enjoy that space.”

Strength said preliminary research suggests disc golf could be a relatively cost-effective way to expand the city’s recreational opportunities.

She was careful not to get ahead of the process.

“We’re certainly not promising a disc golf course at this point but we are genuinely interested, we’re doing our homework and we’re listening,” Strength said.

What is disc golf?

Disc golf is played much like traditional golf, but instead of a ball and clubs, players throw a flying disc from a tee area toward a target, usually an elevated metal basket with hanging chains that catch the disc. The goal is to complete each hole in as few throws as possible.

The sport has grown steadily in popularity across the United States, and many cities have added courses to existing parks. Part of the appeal for small cities is that a course can be laid out through wooded or open areas a park already has, without the large investment of an athletic field or building. Players need only a disc or two to get started, and courses are often free to play, which makes the sport accessible to families, teenagers and older adults alike.

A nine-hole layout is a common starting point for a new course, and some cities later expand to 18 holes as interest grows.

A department built for all ages

Strength emphasized that the department’s mission extends beyond youth sports and traditional athletic programs. The city plans to keep supporting youth activities, including its flag football program, but she said recreation should offer something for residents of all ages and interests.

The department hopes to provide a variety of options, potentially including:

• Pickleball
• Disc golf
• A walking trail
• Organized sports
• Fitness activities

S.P. Hudson Park is already one of the city’s gathering places. Earlier this fall, the council approved a licensing agreement to show movies at Hudson Park, as South AL News reported in its coverage of the city’s budget discussions.

New police officer and other council business

In other business Monday, the council:

• Approved hiring Anthony Hinson as a full-time police officer. Hinson most recently worked with the law enforcement arm of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
• Was given a proposed organizational and flow chart for city government and the utilities department to consider.
• Approved a permit for the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s Wild Game Cook-Off at S.P. Hudson Park on Nov. 5.

The law enforcement arm of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is made up of conservation enforcement officers, often called game wardens, who enforce hunting, fishing and boating laws and are certified law enforcement officers in Alabama.

The Alabama Wildlife Federation is a statewide nonprofit conservation organization. Its wild game cook-offs, held in communities around the state, feature dishes prepared from venison, wild hog, fish, duck and other game.

Grove Hill fall and holiday events calendar

The council also announced a busy lineup of upcoming community events:

• Oct. 29: Spook Around the Square, downtown
• Oct. 31: Pioneer Day at the Clarke County Museum
• Oct. 31: Trick-or-treating from dusk until 9 p.m.
• Nov. 5: Alabama Wildlife Federation Wild Game Cook-Off at S.P. Hudson Park
• Nov. 29: Town-wide Christmas open house sponsored by the Grove Hill Area Chamber of Commerce
• Dec. 3: Christmas parade, including the lighting of the courthouse Christmas tree

The Clarke County Museum in Grove Hill showcases the county’s history, and Pioneer Day gives visitors a look at how earlier generations lived and worked.

How residents can weigh in

Strength said the department is listening, and residents who would like to see disc golf, pickleball, a walking trail or other activities in Grove Hill can share their ideas with the Parks and Recreation Department or with council members.

Residents interested in serving on the new parks and recreation board may want to let their council member know, since the council is responsible for the nominations. Grove Hill City Council meetings are open to the public, and agendas and meeting times are available from Grove Hill City Hall.

Grove Hill is the county seat of Clarke County and sits along U.S. Highway 43 and U.S. Highway 84 in southwest Alabama.