Sports
After-Hours Disc Golf Lights Up Jefferson County
Post-sunlight events such as the Night Flight at Jokerst Park and the upcoming Halloween Glow at Arnold City Park offer local disc golfers an alternative to the alternative sport.
When the fresh fall breeze is this enjoyable, disc golfers won’t even stop for sunset.
Despite the days getting shorter, local disc golf club Jefferson County Sharpshooters extended its weekend for two more rounds with the 4th annual Night Flight at Jokerst Park on Sept. 24. Players threw glowing discs at the Festus course’s chain baskets, which were illuminated by specialized LED rings for the event that began registration at sundown.
“The weather was perfect, and the LED halos for the baskets worked great,” said Alan Amos, vice president for the Sharpshooters. “To change things up a bit, we played the first 18 holes in all the long positions, and moved every pin to the short position for the second round.”
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Evenings such as the Night Flight serve as recreational fundraisers and sport awareness events for the disc golf clubs around the area who oversee the upkeep and maintenance of their local courses. The Sharpshooters, who branch off of the larger St. Louis Disc Golf Club, promote Jokerst and West City Park in Festus. The club also takes care of the course at Arnold City Park, which will host its own evening event – the JCS Halloween Glow – on Oct. 22.
The events are geared leisurely, with souvenir discs and food and beverage offered, but are laced with the always-competitive side of the sport. “Ace” pools are often created and the clubs offer merchandise prizes for specific closest-to-pin (CTP) shots. Local Joe Bryson won three of the Night Flight’s four CTP contests.