Disc Golf at Northwest Branch Recreational Park

woman throwing a disc into a basket, playing disc golf.

Photo of dozens of residents and stakeholders attending the community meeting on June 20, 2023.

Project Description

M-NCPPC, Montgomery Parks, is currently planning for an 18-hole disc golf course at Northwest Branch Recreational Park, adjacent to the National Capital Trolley Museum (NCTM). This will be the first 18-hole disc golf course in the Montgomery Parks system. M-NCPPC owns and operates an 18-hole disc golf course at Calvert Road Park in College Park (Prince George’s County), and there is a 27-hole, public disc golf course at Seneca Creek State Park in Germantown.

Montgomery Parks is planning for this disc golf course not only because players have been requesting one for years, but it’s also recommended in the 2022 Parks Recreation and Open Space Plan (PROS) as a facility type we should be providing to county residents.

The disc golf course will be designed around, and complement, the NCTM. The existing parking lot will be available to disc golfers, but the building will remain for museum activities only. The course will be at least 100’ from the trolley tracks, to minimize stray discs from landing on them or striking trolley cars. Staff and Board members from the NCTM have been involved from the project’s inception and are excited about the project, and the additional number of visitors to the park and to the NCTM.

What is Disc Golf?

Disc golf is played much like “traditional” golf except, instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc. The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with “traditional” golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, the fewest throws). A disc golf course is laid out like a “traditional” golf course with tees and fairways, but instead of a putting green with a hole/cup, there is a basket into which the disc is thrown to complete each hole.

Disc golf courses are “designed with nature”, which is to say they do not require much land development. Each hole has two 12’x6’ tee boxes for different skill levels, a 50’ mowed or cleared fairway, and a basket (with options for multiple placements). Natural surface pathways guide players from hole to hole. Aside from tee boxes, fairways, and areas near each basket, the rest of the park will be natural and lightly maintained.

Community Outreach

During spring and summer 2023, park planners conducted outreach and community engagement for the project, culminating with a community meeting at the National Capital Trolley Museum on June 20th. More than 50 residents and stakeholders attended. A recording of the staff presentation can be found below. Announcements for this meeting included posts on NextDoor.

Following the community meeting, an open town hall page went live allowing for residents and stakeholders to comment on the proposed project and complete a brief survey. The survey remained open through the end of August 2023. Response was overwhelmingly positive, particularly about the potential to further activate the undeveloped areas of the park and the potential to bring more visitors to the museum. Most concerns were related to traffic and parking as well as impacts to natural resources. Full survey results are in the table below.

Disc Golf Course and Public Plaza with Picnic Area

The disc golf course will consist of two, nine-hole loops for a total of 18 holes. Adjacent to the disc golf course will be a public plaza with seating and additional amenities to support the disc golf course. The course will be constructed and opened ahead of the plaza, as Phase 1 of the project. The plaza (Phase 2) will open 3-4 months after the course is completed. Please view the renderings for both phases of the project using the links below.

The 18-hole course map highlights out-of-bound areas and shows the 18 holes, each featuring two tee pads and two baskets. This setup offers a variety of layouts and course lengths to challenge both beginners and advanced players. The scorecard includes the par for each hole and the length for each layout. View the layout of the Northwest Branch Disc Golf Course.

The plaza features ADA accessible walkways, a picnic shelter, picnic tables and seating, a drinking fountain, stormwater management, and nearby trash cans, portable toilets, and bike racks. View the location and layout of the proposed plaza.