Riverside Nine debuts in Tunkhannock, adding new disc golf venue

Randi Nichols and Randiscgolf.com drove Riverside Nine over the finish line, turning a years-long proposal at Riverside Park in Tunkhannock into a new public disc golf stop that officially opened with a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 31. Players gathered at the park to dedicate the course, which Nichols said he had proposed a few years earlier before getting it going after being told to proceed.

The new layout was built as a 9-hole course meant to be less intimidating for kids and beginner players, making it a clear entry point rather than a tournament showcase. Nichols and his wife said they will maintain the course, giving the project a hands-on local backbone instead of leaving upkeep to outside operators. That matters in a sport where easy access often determines whether a first throw turns into a lasting habit.

For Tunkhannock, the opening adds another piece to an already growing disc golf scene. UDisc ranks the borough 28th in Pennsylvania and 925th in the United States for disc golf, and lists two courses, two leagues and one store selling disc golf gear. The new course arrives in a place where the sport already has momentum, but Riverside Nine broadens the options for players who want something close to home.

Keaghan Burrows said he was excited to have a course nearby, noting the new option is only about 20 minutes away and adds to the local disc golf scene. Liam Cooley also welcomed the addition, saying he liked that the park was adding more diverse sports. That kind of reaction underscores the role disc golf can play as a low-cost, walk-up recreation option for families, youth and casual players who may not be ready for a longer or more demanding layout.

The course also fits neatly into a larger growth story. UDisc’s 2026 Growth Report says more than 17,000 disc golf courses now exist worldwide, and 21.2 million rounds were played in 2025. UDisc says 89% of courses are free to play, which helps explain why a public park installation in Wyoming County can matter so much. In Pennsylvania, several state parks already offer permanent disc golf courses, showing how the sport has moved deeper into the state’s recreation landscape.

Disc Golf Course Review lists Riverside Park as established in 2025 and says plans call for nine more holes on the other side of the river. That points to Riverside Nine as more than a simple ribbon-cutting. It is a casual starting point today, and possibly the first stage of a larger local disc golf footprint tomorrow.