Toolkit
Templates and checklists
Copy, adapt and use. Every council works differently, so treat these as a list of things to consider, not a set of requirements.
Start-here checklist
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Introductory email to council
Short on purpose. Replace the highlighted parts, and quote two or three real goals from their strategic plan.
Subject: A low-cost disc golf course for [suburb / park] Hi [Name], I’d like to propose a small project that would benefit local families and supports [Council]’s Strategic Plan: a public disc golf course. Disc golf is played like golf, but players throw a disc (a frisbee) at a metal basket instead of hitting a ball into a hole. It is free to play, suits all ages and abilities, and shares space with walkers, cyclists and dog walkers. There’s a short explainer here: https://www.australiandiscgolf.com/what-is-disc-golf/ A course would support these Strategic Plan goals: - [Goal number and title]: an inclusive, family-friendly activity that gets people walking outdoors. - [Goal number and title]: no irrigation, greens or clearing. The course works with the existing landscape. - [Goal number and title]: a 9-basket course can be installed for around $10,000 with volunteer help, with very low ongoing costs. Councils including [nearby examples, e.g. Wagga Wagga, Kingston, Moreton Bay] have built courses and seen strong community use. I think [site] could suit a course, and our [club / group] is ready to help with design, installation and upkeep. Could we meet, ideally on site, to talk about it? I can bring a portable basket so you can see how it works. Kind regards, [Name] [Club, phone, email]
Proposal builder
Fill in the fields to draft a council proposal. It follows the structure of the Wagga Wagga and Shark Bay proposals. Copy the draft into a Word or Google document, then add your map and attachments.
Your draft proposal
Fill in the form to build your proposal.
Proposal outline
- Summary and request
One paragraph: what, where, what it costs, and exactly what you’re asking council to approve.
- What disc golf is
Plain explanation, photos, and nearby courses councillors may know.
- Site and draft layout
Map with tees, baskets, throwing lines, hole lengths, parking and paths.
- Strategic fit
Quote the council’s own goals and plans by number.
- Community benefits
Health, inclusion, activation, visitors, schools. Use local detail.
- Budget and funding
Itemised costs with quotes, staging options and grant plan.
- Safety and risk
Design principles, signage, risk assessment, insurance certificate.
- Management
Who owns it, who mows it, who replaces a stolen basket.
- Who you are
Your club, ADG affiliation, experience, an ADG letter of support and support from other clubs.
- Measuring success
How you will track use and report back to council.
Speaking at council: key points
Councillors may give you three to five minutes. Wagga’s speech covered these points.
- It’s free, public and played year-round, with no off season
- Anyone can start with one disc, in everyday clothes
- A full round takes under two hours, alone or in a group
- It shares space: walkers, bikes, dogs, picnics
- It reaches people who can’t afford or don’t enjoy traditional sport
- It can be built in stages, and play can start before the course is finished
- The club will drive it and look after it
Installation risk assessment: starter list
Adapted from Wagga Disc Golf’s assessment for a volunteer installation. Rate each hazard for your site, likelihood × severity.
| Hazard | Cause | Key controls |
|---|---|---|
| Manual handling | Concrete bags, water, post-hole digging, baskets | Safe lifting briefing, rotate tasks, regular breaks, short carry distances |
| Machinery | Ride-on mower, bobcat, powered post-hole digger | Check for underground services (Before You Dig Australia), trained operators only, 5 m exclusion zone, spotters in high-vis |
| Wildlife | Snakes and spiders when digging or moving debris | Gloves and long pants, snake bite kit on site, phones carried |
| Public | Walkers, cyclists and dogs passing the work area | Warning signs, temporary barriers, assigned spotter |
| Rapid-set concrete | Mixing and placing | Gloves, masks, long sleeves, mix in open air, wash station |
| Heat and sun | Hot-weather work | Install in winter or spring, shade, water, hats, sunscreen; postpone in extreme heat, lightning or wind |
| Slips and trips | Uneven ground, hidden debris | Check site first, mark hazards, sturdy footwear |
| Environment | Machinery off track, spilt concrete | Mark work zones, contain mixing, avoid live shrubs and trees, remove all waste |
Also: a designated leader with a White Card, a sign-in register, a first-aid kit with a trained first aider, and all volunteers as ADG members.
Risk assessment for play: starter list
For the course once it is open. Councils and insurers often ask for this alongside the installation assessment. Rate each hazard for your site, likelihood × severity.
| Hazard | Cause | Key controls |
|---|---|---|
| Disc strikes another park user | Paths, picnic areas or play spaces within throwing range | Tees placed with full view of paths crossing the fairway; throwing lines angled away from shared areas; “give way” and “never throw into a blind area” on every tee sign |
| Disc strikes another player | Holes crossing or running side by side; players waiting near baskets | Fairways separated or screened by trees; next-tee signs that route players clear of other fairways |
| Discs leaving the park | Roads, car parks, private fences and buildings near holes | Tees point away from boundaries; out-of-bounds lines and trees used as buffers; no holes along busy roads |
| Slips, trips and falls | Uneven ground, roots, wet tee pads | Tee pads laid flush with the ground; regular mowing; hazards reported to the club and council |
| Wildlife | Snakes in long grass, magpies in spring | Fairways mown; seasonal signs; players told not to search long grass for lost discs |
| Heat, sun and storms | Hot-weather play and lightning | Information on the main sign; club events rescheduled in extreme heat or storms |
| Water and steep ground | Creeks, dams and drop-offs near fairways | No throws across deep water near tees; signs at retrieval points; out-of-bounds lines at drop-offs |
| Damaged equipment | Loose baskets, broken signs, raised tee edges, vandalism | Regular club inspections logged; an agreed process for reporting repairs to council |
| Tree and environmental damage | Repeated disc strikes, players leaving fairways | Avoid lines that hit young trees; adjust tees if wear appears; monitor sensitive areas |
Disc golf carries far less risk than ball golf, so courses can share parks. These controls show council how the course is designed to do that safely.
Resources
Where to go next
Have a council conversation underway, or a success story to share? Tell ADG, so we can connect you with people who have been through it.