To the editor:

An 18-hole disc golf course overlaying all of Battle Point Park? Yep, and the Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Park & Recreation board is likely to take action on this proposal at its June 15 regular meeting.

At a brief public meeting on June 1, disc golf proponents laid out their design — a complex network of nine holes in the north half of the park, nine in the south half, stretching from east to west park boundaries, making particular use of “underused areas” and buffers — areas currently popular with young and old strollers, dog walkers, bird watchers, horseback riders, and through which the busy cross-island trail passes.

Though an enjoyable sport, disc golf is unsuitable and inappropriate for an already very active park. Eighteen concrete tee pads and mounted basket “holes” would be constructed. Hardened plastic discs with dense, narrow edges (don’t think “Frisbee”) are flung long distances — not a pleasant prospect for other park users who would never casually walk across an active regular golf course or ball field.

A number of park districts across the country have turned down similar proposals, citing safety and user compatibility problems as well as environmental concerns — such as disc-damaged trees and undergrowth torn up by players searching for lost discs (internet search on “disc golf issues”). And that is what the BI park board should do as well.

DAVID STALLINGS

Bainbridge Island