The Zoning Board of Adjustment voted 4-1 to approve the proposed disc golf course at Roby Park. Courtesy photo

NASHUA – The Zoning Board of Adjustment recently voted 4-1 to approve the construction of an 18-hole disc golf course at Roby Park.

During the June 25 meeting, Lisa Fauteux, director of the Division of Public Works, said that in 2020, she was presented with a petition signed by 600 residents requesting a disc golf course at Roby Park.

While conducting further research, Fauteux learned about the popularity of the sport and that there are 71 disc golf courses in New Hampshire alone.

“Disc golf courses are built in harmony with their surroundings,” she said, adding that in 2021, the Board of Public Works voted unanimously to support the project.

However, Attorney Andrew Prolman, counsel for the city, acknowledged that course construction began too early.

“The city did indeed get ahead of itself,” he said, adding that the necessary permits had not been pulled when the construction started. “We have no excuse for that.”

As a result, in December 2023, the Conservation Commission ordered that the construction be halted.

Looking ahead, Prolman still views the course, which would occupy 25 acres of the 57-acre park, as a tremendous benefit.

“We see it as an overall positive for the city,” he said.

The course was designed by professional disc golfer Avery Jenkins, whose expertise has been compared to that of professional golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, Jenkins became a professional disc golfer in 1993 and has won 64 tournaments including the Professional Disc Golf World Championship in 2009.

Jenkins said all of his course designs are done with meticulous attention to detail.

“We are not clearing big areas of land,” he said. “It’s not a golf course, it’s a disc golf course.”

Jenkins said he expects hundreds if not thousands of players to use the course each month.

“It’s going to be a huge draw throughout the Northeast, not just New Hampshire,” he said, adding that the Hollows North in Manchester has become an extremely popular disc golf venue since it opened in 2018.

He also said Greeley Greens at Greeley Park is more of a practice facility for disc golf.

“It’s not considered a course by any means,” said Jenkins.

In addition, he said a nine-hole course is not suitable for hosting tournaments as he anticipates two tournaments a year at Roby Park as well as league nights.

“Many players are looking for the best overall experience and that’s what 18 holes does,” said Jenkins.

Karen Bill of Parnell Place said many times, the lack of finances prevents residents from participating in a particular sport. That is not the case with disc golf.

“It’s a free sport, this is for all of us,” she said.

Sean Kennedy of Virginia Drive said he has considered moving out of the city to lessen his 70-mile commute to and from work in Woburn, Mass.

“To me, this is a reason to stay in Nashua,” he said of the Roby Park course. “I want to stay here.”

The ZBA ultimately determined that a disc golf course is permitted under Sec. 190-15 of the city’s Land Use Code and that the use “will not impair the integrity, will not be out of character with the neighborhood, and will not be detrimental to the health, morals, or welfare of the residents.”

The proposal will now go before the Planning Board.