Veteran-led club aims to grow Jacksonville's disc golf scene

A Jacksonville Navy veteran is trying to turn Chains of Command into more than a club. He wants disc golf to become a more visible part of Jacksonville’s recreation scene, where a low-cost round can mean exercise, friendship and another reason to spend time outdoors.

That pitch fits a sport that asks little to get started. Disc golf is relatively inexpensive, easy for beginners to try and welcoming to people of different ages and physical abilities. In a city and county that often lean on parks, trails and neighborhood recreation for affordable things to do, that accessibility is part of the appeal. For the veteran leading the effort, the game is as much about building connections as it is about competition.

Jacksonville is not starting from scratch. The city already has two disc golf courses on the books: a nine-hole course at Foreman Grove and an 18-hole course at Nichols Park. Foreman Grove is also listed with a children’s playground, while Nichols Park gives players a longer layout to test their game. UDisc lists Jacksonville with two courses, one league and one store that sells disc golf gear, suggesting there is already a small but established base of local players.

Nichols Park is the more demanding of the two courses. UDisc describes it as an 18-hole course on an old ball-golf course, with trees and ponds adding difficulty. UDisc also said the course was still under construction when it last crawled the listing, with turf tee pads planned for 2024. That mix of challenge and continued development shows how the local scene has room to grow without needing to be built from the ground up.

Chains of Command also fits into a larger veteran network. The Veterans Disc Golf Club says its mission is to reduce isolation and strengthen connection for veterans and active-duty service members through disc golf. That matters in Jacksonville, where a club can offer a casual social outlet for people who may not want a formal program but still want structure, routine and company.

Morgan and Scott counties already have a reputation for outdoor recreation, with Lake Jacksonville, hiking trails and parks among the area’s assets. Jacksonville’s parks system says it is committed to welcoming outdoor spaces that bring people together and support healthy lifestyles. Local play already exists, too: the city events calendar lists a standing Saturday 18-hole round at Nichols Park hosted by the Jacksonville Disc Golf Club.

That gives Chains of Command a clear opening. The veteran-led club is stepping into a community where the courses are already there, the players already show up and the next step is getting more residents to take the first throw.