ANDERSON, Ind. — In 2007, Ron Box Jr. weighed 365 pounds.

He underwent gastric bypass surgery and his doctor recommended he walk at least half an hour every day to stay healthy and lose weight.

He got bored with just walking and finally took his son up on his offer to try out playing disc golf with him.

Four years later he is devoted to the game — which is similar to golf, except with flying discs — weighs 215 pounds and has worked with the city to bring a course to Anderson.

The city approved the course last year, and it will open between April and June at Pulaski Park. It will be available to the public for free.

Disc golf started on the West Coast in the 1970s, and has grown to more than 4,000 courses in at least 40 countries, said Box, who started the Anderson Disc Golf Association.  

Games are played on 18-hole courses, but instead of using a golf club to hit a ball into a hole, people throw flying discs into baskets. The goal is to do so in as few strokes as possible.

The Anderson course will have nine baskets with 18 tee pads so that there are two different paths for each basket. Doing it that way cuts back on the costs and uses a smaller portion of the park grounds.

The course will cost about $9,000, which will cover equipment and groundwork, said Tom Tacket, the maintenance superintendent for the city’s parks department. The cost will be covered through corporate fundraising performed by the Anderson Disc Golf Club Association. And maintenance will be minimal — mostly mowing, which is part of the park’s routine care.

Box, who has played at courses in Muncie, Elwood, Cicero, Fishers, Lapel and others, has been working with the city for more than a year to develop a local course.

”This is a great way to shape up and be active without being strenuous,” Box said. “We want kids and adults to play and keep the activity level up. We want people to have a healthy lifestyle in Anderson.”

Dennis Byrne, who owns the Disc Golf Company, is designing the Anderson course so it can be fun, have obstacles and be safe. He has designed 40 courses all over the country since 1990, and also runs the course at Dillon Park in Noblesville.

“It will be a great course for new to intermediate players,” Byrne said. “Even a pro who wants to work on their putting or short strokes will enjoy it. It has trees, hills, woods and a pond. For a small course it offers quite a bit.”

A game on a tough course can last for about two hours if players are beginners, Box said. More experienced players could likely do it in an hour, but the timing all depends on the course.

Box knows there is an interest in Anderson, but he and Byrne hope having a local course draws more people to the game. The Indiana State High School Disc Golf Championship is held every year, and Byrne would love for teams from Anderson to join. There are also tournaments all over the state and country, and it is hoped one can also be held locally, they said.

The city has agreed to lease the concession stand to Box for $35 a month from April through October. The contract lasts for two years, and then will be re-evaluated. Box will run the stand and sell drinks, snacks and game discs. He will also offer free lessons.

People can bring their own discs or use Box’s loaner discs to start out. If they want to purchase authentic game discs, they can do so at the concession stand for $9 to $16 each.

Box hasn’t set hours for the stand yet but the course will be open and free to people whenever they want to play.

The popularity of the game continues to grow, and Indiana is catching up to other states that have many more courses, Byrne said.

“It’s a perfect confluence of a lot of forces,” Byrne said. “People are looking for new forms of recreation and they are trying to reduce the obesity epidemic and exercise. This game gets you walking and keeps your upper body and mind engaged.”

Contact Melanie Hayes: 648-4250 or melanie.hayes@heraldbulletin.com.

For more information

• For more information on disc golf, the future course in Anderson or to join a team, search for the Anderson Disc Golf Association on Facebook. People can also call the Anderson Parks Department at 648-6858.