Case study · Wagga Wagga, NSW

Two volunteers, one reserve, one year

In 2024, two local teachers set out to bring disc golf to a regional city 154 km from the nearest public course. Here is how they did it, what it cost, and what happened next.

  1. 2024

    Research sites, costs and equipment. Contact NSW Disc Golf, ADG and the Central West Disc Golf club, whose president visits to look at sites.

  2. Proposal

    Letter and proposal to council’s Sport and Recreation officer, with a draft layout for Rawlings Reserve, Lake Albert: an underused, already-slashed reserve with parking, paths and cricket nets.

  3. 23 Jul 2024

    Meeting with council covering the app, equipment, costs, course design and grants.

  4. Council meeting

    Speak in support of the proposal. Council supports the concept but makes no direct funding contribution.

  5. Set-up

    Form and incorporate the club, arrange insurance and a bank account. Win a council community grant and a $1,000 ADG grant.

  6. Install

    Risk assessment and White Card. Two volunteers install 9 baskets and 18 tees for under $10,000.

  7. 30 Aug 2025

    First recorded round. Social competitions start in January 2026, then the club’s first ADG-sanctioned doubles event.

  8. Since opening

    Further funding won to expand the course.

Draft 18-hole disc golf layout over an aerial photo of Rawlings Reserve, Lake Albert, showing tees, baskets, fairways and a scorecard
The draft layout submitted with Wagga’s proposal: an 18-hole concept, par 59, holes of 50 to 160 m. The built course started smaller, with 9 baskets and 18 tees.
Dean Cartwright proudly shows off the course signage at Rawlings Reserve
Dean Cartwright proudly shows off the course signage at Rawlings Reserve

The first 13 months

407rounds recorded in UDisc, a fraction of all play
184people in 56 groups filled in the first-tee visitor form
29+players travelled 50 km or more to play, 16 from 250 km+
27club members, with around 10 regulars at social days

UDisc figures cover 30 Aug 2025 to 27 Sep 2026. Visitor form and membership figures from Wagga Disc Golf, Oct 2026.

What made the difference

  • Meeting council staff in person, and taking temporary baskets to the site so the sport and rec team could have a throw
  • A written proposal that covered maintenance, safety, insurance and ownership, not just benefits
  • Photos and videos of existing courses, plus first-hand stories from Canberra, Toowoomba, Jindabyne and Wangaratta
  • Help from an experienced club and the ADG secretary on incorporation and insurance

What they’d tell the next club

  • Start early, and expect it to take about a year
  • Decide who the course is for: beginners, championship play or both
  • You don’t need a contractor or a big upfront budget. Start with 9 baskets and add tees
  • Fundraising is hard until people can see the course
  • Membership grows slowly. Casual players will outnumber members
“Oh, that’s what they’re for!”

Despite a sign on every basket, some people genuinely thought the baskets were bins. Nobody has put rubbish in one yet.

“But how do you make money?”

The most common question, even though everything the club publishes says the course is free and run by volunteers.

Unexpected fans

Local horse riders now use the mown fairways as riding paths, and the fallen logs as jumps.

About this guide. Compiled by Australian Disc Golf in 2026 from written responses by the Cities of Clarence, Kingston, Moreton Bay, Mount Gambier, Latrobe and Wagga Wagga; the Wagga Disc Golf case study and proposal documents; ADG’s 2026 council-approach survey of players and clubs; correspondence with ADG state representatives; and UDisc course reports. Costs and participation figures are approximate and were current at the time of writing.

UDisc data: UDisc-recorded rounds are a conservative estimate of activity. Many players don’t use the app, so actual play is likely several times higher. Data courtesy of UDisc.