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APPLING, Ga. () – While Wildwood Park campgrounds and boating docs are now open to the public, there are still some activities that are closed for the foreseeable future.
Located in Columbia County at Wildwood Park, the International Disc Golf Center is the place where people from all over the world come to play disc golf. But this year, that won’t be the case.
“This area right here is actually a perfect example of how hurricane Helene impacted the disc golf course. You can see trees that have fallen over, there’s a disc golf right there– one of the targets that we’re aiming for when we play…” Executive Director of Professional Disc Golf Association Doug Bjerkaas said.
Bjerkaas explains to me the importance of the course’s canopy.
“It’s devastated the course. On a wooded course like this– which the Southeast is known for, in disc golf, the trees play a big role in where you have to throw your shots…”
But the course’s layout wasn’t only impacted by fallen trees.
“A lot of our course equipment did too. These are actually baskets that had trees fall on them and they were damaged so much that we’re not gonna be able to use ‘em as targets on the disc golf course anymore,” Bjerkaas said.
And when the smoke clears, Bjerkaas says, that’s when the work begins.
“To be perfectly honest, we’re gonn need to move ‘26 as well, maybe ‘27, it just depends on how quickly things are able to be restored here. The trees all removed, land cleaned up, a new course design. Of course, you’ve gotta put it in the ground and get it played.
This year’s Champions Cup will be held in Stockton, California. But center staff and leaders are working hard to make sure the competition returns to Columbia County in the near future.