Residents share concerns with new disc golf course, working to find solutions

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Four disc golf baskets have been removed from a new course that is located on Park Hudson Trail.

This was in response to resident complaints surrounding the new course, the locations of some holes and environmental concerns. Park Hudson Trail in Bryan is situated right between homes, businesses, schools and a creek. This is where resident Jim Morel says they have noticed concerns.

“It is simply an inappropriate thing, to take a walking trail that was never intended to be any sort of an athletic park,” he said. “We object to that, that was never the purpose of the park, and that’s what they made it now. There are several issues, one being safety for trailers and homeowners. The other one is the environmental damage that was done as far as we know. There was no environmental impact study done.”

Morel said these concerns are shared by the dozens of homes included in the HOAs surrounding Park Hudson. What he says was a relaxing trail for neighbors and residents has now changed.

“This has been a fantastic little trail for everyone in the neighborhood here has really enjoyed this thing for over 50 years. It’s very quiet. It’s trying full tranquil. There are animals, wildlife here,” he said. “They put this park in, took out all these trees, took out all this bush, without any study of the impact of that installation on the effectiveness of the drainage.”

Tyler Pharr, a member of the Brazos Valley Disc Golf Club says when he approached the city about the project, he didn’t realize how much of an impact it would make.

“We’ve already had people from Oregon, Washington, Virginia, North Carolina and a handful of other states that I can name actually travel into town to play this course,” he said.

With the cost for the course being under $50,000 and an existing park to work with, Pharr said the city didn’t have many hurdles when they took on the project. But, since getting input from residents, Pharr says they’re working with city leaders and hopefully residents as well.

“We want to keep the course at Park Hudson specifically because it’s the only property in Bryan that can hold a course of this scale, this value. So keep a tournament Championship level course at Park Hudson, but redesign working with the city and the neighbors that are that have concerns about the course so that we can make it work for everybody,” he said.

The City of Bryan says there are no further updates at this time as discussions are still occurring internally and with stakeholders.