A nine-hole disc golf course planned for Holiday Beach Conservation Area has received approval from the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA), but not without concern from some community members over potential impacts on wildlife and habitat.
The course, funded by a local donor, would be installed in an area of the park already designated for recreation in the Holiday Beach Management Plan. ERCA said the proposed site is a mowed and manicured section of the park that is currently underutilized.
Disc golf, a sport similar to traditional golf but played with flying discs, is growing in popularity across the country. Players aim to land discs in raised baskets, moving through a series of holes from tee areas. In Windsor-Essex, disc golf courses are already in place at Lakewood Park in Tecumseh and Beaudoin Park in Amherstburg.
“The course is intended to be installed within existing mowed areas that are currently underutilized and used by some dog walkers or picnickers on weekends,” said Kevin Money, ERCA’s director of conservation services.
“Creating the course will mean the addition of nine baskets and tee signs through the already manicured section of the park that is identified as a recreational area within the management plan and compatible with existing activities. It is intended to provide another activity for park users to enjoy and would not restrict other park activities.”
But some local naturalists and residents are questioning whether the conservation area is the right location for this type of recreational infrastructure.
“My chief concern here is the continuous encroachment on these areas,” said Ken Bell, a naturalist and concerned citizen.
“It’s an interesting proposal, but there’s so many other places in Essex (County) that you could do this. Like, I have no problem with disc golf. Whatever. It’s fun, but not here, that’s all. Just not this place. Lots of other places.”
Bell, who frequently visits Holiday Beach for birding, worries about how the activity might disturb sensitive wildlife.
“The issue here is encroachment and human disturbance, and particularly this kind of human disturbance, where they’re throwing aerial objects around. That’s definitely going to affect bird migration,” he said.
Joanne Kilpatrick, a local outdoor enthusiast from Windsor, shared similar concerns.
“If they put it here, my understanding is the next thing they’ll want is lights, and that will really interfere with the migration,” said Kilpatrick.
“So, I would not support that at all. There’s got to be more appropriate places.”
ERCA chief administrative officer Tim Byrne said the proposal is still in the planning stages and will be subject to further consultation.
“This is coming together rather quickly, but because it’s coming together rather quickly doesn’t mean anything is going to be short-circuited,” Byrne said.
“There’s not a push just to shell something in for the sake of making a couple of bucks — farthest thing from the truth.”
Byrne emphasized that any installation at Holiday Beach must align with the existing management plan, which balances recreation and conservation uses.
“Anything that goes in and is considered on that property has to meet the current management plan,” he said.
“We’re going to forge ahead with some additional public contact and arranging some public meetings. But it’s important that we ensure a balance in what’s being put forward here, and that there’s no misinformation or disinformation bandied about with regard to a proposal that we are considering.”
He added that the disc golf course is not expected to require significant environmental disruption.
“The areas that have been mowed will continue to be mowed,” Byrne said.
“The disc baskets will be set up and the fairways identified. But it’s not anticipated at all to remove any growth. There may need to be a need to trim some branches. But we are regularly doing hazard assessments on our woody growth that’s present on the property, and again, any of that activity would be subject to having our licensed forester view and ensure that we’re proceeding accordingly.”
An open house is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. at the Libro Centre in Amherstburg, where residents can learn more about the plan and offer feedback.
Holiday Beach roads are set to reopen for the season on April 26. Day-use admission is $12 per vehicle, and seasonal passes are available for $80, plus a key fob deposit.
