Detroit Palmer Park DGC

Detroit Palmer Park DGC began with casual field work between long-time friends Chad Fraquelli and Chris McTaggart, both long time Detroit residents and disc golf enthusiasts. Chad and Chris began using the abandoned former Palmer Park Golf Course grounds for field work during the 2020 pandemic when course play was discouraged. One day, a local resident took note of Chad and Chris lugging around a temporary basket to set up theoretical holes, and recommended they pitch the idea to her mother, the President of the People for Palmer Park (PfPP) nonprofit community organization that advocates for the park. Chris connected with PfPP and gave an online presentation using Google Earth for a hypothetical layout, as well as an intro to the sport. Chad and Chris were then requested to layout a couple of demonstration holes, where Chris convinced a friend to loan him his residential riding lawnmower which he comically loaded into the back of his pickup in order to cut the shoulder deep grass. In July 2021, PfPP requested a full-scale demo of the course, which Chris and Chad organized as the Detroit Palmer Park Disc Golf Field Day. With assistance from two local disc golf enthusiasts, 18 portable baskets were obtained for the day. The event was a huge success with over 60 disc golfers coming to support the concept. Shortly thereafter, the PfPP Board of Directors voted to support the creation of the disc golf course. At that point Chris solicited donations from local players to purchase the initial baskets. Dozens of local players responded, contributing thousands of dollars to purchase 10 used ChainStar baskets, meanwhile Michigan Disc Golf Hall of Famer Terry Calhoun donated 9 ChainStar Pros on behalf of The Throw Shop. With the baskets in hand, PfPP completed the donation authorization form to the City of Detroit, which was accepted in December 2021, at which point the baskets were installed. The next step was another round of fundraising for the first set of concrete teepads, where again local players contributed thousands of dollars, and with that the initial set of tees were installed July 2021. In 2022, local course designer Sean Dietrich approached Chris about submitting a grant proposal to the Paul McBeth Foundation, which was accepted in September 2022, and formally accepted by the City of Detroit in July 2023. The grant helped pay for the installation of a 9-hole putter course, the Palmer Park Junior Disc Golf Course, as well as to finish the main course with complete tees, matching ChainStar Pro baskets, and professional course signage. The Junior Course and remaining main tees were installed in August 2023. Formal signage was completely installed May 2025. The original layout of the course was forced in change in summer 2024 due to the installation of the Palmer Park Band Shell. 3 replacement holes were roughed in through thick invasive trees in May 2024. Future improvements may include adding two complete 18 hole courses within the grounds