The Levee, a new disc golf course on the banks of the Savannah River, is open and ready for play.
The nine-hole course, located at 328 Riverfront Drive, just down from the Marina, spans over seven acres and is a joint venture by the Savannah Riverkeeper organization and Destination Augusta.
Jennifer Bowen, vice president of destinations, development and community engagement for Destination Augusta, says her organization helped secure a $25,000 tourism and product grant and that Savannah Riverkeeper was responsible for raising 25% of that amount in matching funds.
“They (Riverkeeper) are very passionate about the land, and they have done a wonderful job with the first nine holes, and the course really has great potential,” Bowen said.
According to Tanya Bonitatibus, director of Savannah Riverkeeper, the course, which was heavily forested, has been years in the making. It was born out of a problem. When the Riverkeeper organization leased the 12-acre property from the city of Augusta, it had been used as a dumping ground for decades.
“It was mainly car parts, tires and scrap metal, but there was a lot of stuff just dumped all over the place,” Bonitatibus said.
Volunteers spent thousands of hours of labor removing an estimated 60 tons of material from the area. However, Bonitatibus says that the organized cleanups did not immediately stop the illegal dumping.
“Because the area is so secluded, it’s an easy target for dumping. We would clean an entire area only to show up the next day and find fresh piles,” Bonitatibus said.
Part of the funding from Destination Augusta supplied solar powered lights and game cameras, so, in the future, anyone using the area as a dump can expect a call from the Marshal’s Department.
Bonitatibus says that course is unique because of the trees. It is tailored for people to practice their short games. Also, because the course is lit up at night, it can be played in the evening.
“Each hole is named after a well-known female disc golfer, and they all gave us input on how they would design their perfect hole,” Bonitatibus said. “It also doesn’t take that long to play, so people can literally come down during their lunch hour.”
The Levee course is just one part of an overall expansion of activities available on the river. The Fifth Street pedestrian bridge is set to open soon, and Bonitatibus says she hopes that having more foot traffic along the Marina area of the river will spur more private investment on land that is above the floodplain.
“There are some great spots for outdoor-related retail, and having a restaurant down on the river would be great,” Bonitatibus said.
Disc golf, in one form or another, has been played since the early 20th century, and it was the invention of the disc golf pole hole, patented by “Steady” Ed Headrick in 1975 that brought the sport to prominence.
The Professional Disc Golf Association is headquartered in Columbia County.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com.
