Upper Bidwell Park Disc Golf Course

First hole of the course Upper Bidwell Park Disc Golf Course consists of two disc golf courses: an 18 hole "beginner" course and a 20 hole "advanced" course (18 holes plus 2 extra holes) located in Upper Bidwell Park. It is located along the Big Chico Creek Canyon off of Highway 32. The holes are not your typical "basket" style, but are a metal cylinder over the top of a pole that the golfer aims for.

Controversy surrounds the Upper Bidwell Park Disc Golf Course. There are two groups who have opposing views on the park and whether it should exist. Friends of Bidwell Park express concern about the environmental impacts caused by this form of recreation. They challenged the City of Chico in court about the environmental impacts of disc golf, which has halted any improvements on the course until after the review process can be competed. The Outsiders on the other hand, advocate for disc golf and other outdoor recreation, and are proponents of keeping the course open and improving it. At a very early hour of August 26, 2008, the Bidwell Park & Playground Commission voted 4-3 to keep the course after a marathon night of speakers.

At the city council meeting on November 18, 2008 the council voted 4-3 to adopt a "friendly resolution" to no longer allow disc golf as a accepted form of recreation at the site. Methods of policing and closure of the site however are still in the air. In a letter that appeared in the Chico ER on November 29, Councilman Tom Nickell expressed concern over the lack of action on this issue despite the money that has been involved. He wrote that on November 19th he requested all information on alternative disc golf sites. Mr. Nickell expressed optimism that he will come up with a plan for a new disc golf course location that is more accessible and safe. He wrote, "I am now working on a plan, location, and solution to be implemented for spring 2009. I am not going to wait two years. We need locations that people can walk to, ride their bikes to and protect our environment and that are safe for kids."

There was a signature drive for a referendum headed by Lon Glazner. They had three planned petition signing events. One occurred on the 4th of December at the Madison Bear Garden from 11:30am to 5:30pm. The second was on the 5th of December at The Banshee at 4pm during happy hour. Finally, the third event was held at Cal Java on East Avenue from 5pm to 8pm on the 5th. 4800 signatures were required by the 18th — and these signatures must be voters registered in the city of Chico. See the Restore Disc Golf Petition (The Outsiders) website for the latest information.

The referendum reportedly got more than 6000 signatures, which were submitted. The disc golf supporters were dealt a blow when the city's attorney announced that the referendum was inappropriately filed, lacking a copy of the master plan attached to each page of signatures. Despite this, the City Council agreed to reconsider disc golf in Upper Park. After a meeting on January 6, 2009, they unanimously decided to reinstate disc golf in the area for the time being. The long course will remain in its current location with measures taken to reduce environmental damages, while the short course will remain open until a new location can be found and built. The location for a new short course has not yet been determined. Near Five Mile is one of the most often cited possible locations. Other locations include:

• An area by Monkey Face Rock
  

• An area on Comanche Creek
  

• And around Westside Little League Fields

• Steve Bertagna

• Scott Gruendl
  

• Larry Wahl

• Mary Flynn
  

• Mayor Andy Holcombe
  

• Tom Nickell
  

• Vice Mayor Ann Schwab

An ace on hole 8?The tees and holes on the course can be a little difficult to find the first time out. Some tees are well marked with spray painted numbers and an arrow pointing in the direction of the hole. Others simply have a clearing, perhaps with some rocks, that looks like it is most likely the starting point. A few of the holes are located close together (such as #4 and #14), so be careful to not just aim for the nearest one because you might just find that you've hit the wrong one. All of the holes have a set of eyes on them, as well as the hole number. Many have other markings on them, such as stickers or a written declaration of a hole-in-one that occurred and the date.

Anyone looking to play a round at this course should be advised that there is an abundance of poison oak. The entire course is quite rugged terrain, much like the majority of Upper Park. There are spectacular views of the canyon during the first half of the course. In addition to long pants (to avoid the Poison Oak), sturdy shoes and water are recommended, as the course is large and can be quite time consuming.

To find the Upper Bidwell Park Disc Golf Course, drive up Highway 32 toward Forest Ranch. The entrance to the park is unmarked, but can be easily found on the left side of the roadway when looking for it. The turn is immediately after the intersection with Humboldt Road, right at the Adopt a Highway sign from Sierra Nevada Brewery.

A fun map of the course layout from The Outsiders can be found here

A sweeping view of Big Chico Creek CanyonFrisbee in flight.Hole 2, looking from the "tee"

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