VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— The Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department has announced two new disk golf courses coming to Terre Haute.
One of the courses is currently being built in Prairie Creek Park and is set to open this Spring. The other course set to be built is expected to be larger and will be located in Fowler Park. The course for Fowler Park is being designed to be the best in the state. The news release states that if proper construction on the course is done it could rank in the top 20 in the country.
The Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department has brought in world-renowned course designer John Houck. Houck has been working on the design since late 2024 and expects it to open in early 2026. The course is expected to bring not only pro level tournaments, but an expected 30,000 visitors a year.
“Indiana already gets a lot of tourism and about 81,000,000 tourists came from all over in 2023,” John Houck’s wife Dee Leekha-Houck, founder and CEO of Houck Design, said. “Out of those, if only 5% have played or tried disc golf, that’s a lot of disc golfers already coming to the state (approx. 4,000,000) and when they find out there is a world-class destination course here, they will want to extend their trip and play it. Disc golfers are like golfers. They take vacations for disc golf and go to new places to play on new courses. The expectation is the economic impact from daily and overnight weekend tourism will be one of the highest from this course in Vigo County. 20,000,000 people in the USA, as estimated by AI, either play disc golf regularly or have played it. These courses should bring in many players from all over the state, region, country, and even the world.”
When asked to comment on the course, John Houck stated that it’s the most dramatic property he’s ever worked on. Houck commented on what he calls the great trees, stunning water features, and unique topography. Houck states that his favorite part of the design was getting to innovate features to complement the existing beauty. Houck complimented the parks department for their help in creating a recipe for success.
Houck also said the course will be set up for players of all skill levels to enjoy. The courses are being supported by several entities such as the Terre Haute Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Duke Energy, Aaron Warner, and most importantly the Brett family who came up with the idea and donated to it.
The two courses will carry the names of the grandchildren of Bill and Judy Brett. The Vigo Parks Department has also applied for grant funding and is launching a fundraising effort to help make the courses a reality. For more information you can contact the Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department at 812-462-3392 or at www.vigocounty.in.gov.
