September
20,
2023
by
Charlie
Eisenhood
in
News
with
comments
fairway
at
WR
Jackson.
Photo:
DGPT
The
PDGA
announced
today
that
“a
large
portion”
of
the
International
Disc
Golf
Center’s
premier
disc
golf
courses
—
the
WR
Jackson
and
Jim
Warner
Memorial
—
will
be
lost
due
to
an
infestation
of
the
southern
pine
beetle
that
will
require
the
removal
of
hundreds
of
pine
trees.
129
acres
of
Wildwood
Park,
where
the
IDGC
is
located,
including
29
acres
of
the
disc
golf
property
will
be
affected
by
“cut-and-remove”
tree
clearing,
which
forestry
departments
around
the
country
suggest
as
the
best
approach
to
eliminating
the
southern
pine
buttle.
Due
to
the
extensive
changes
to
the
courses,
the
PDGA
is
planning
to
rebuild
“at
least
two
championship-level
courses
and
a
shorter,
beginner-friendly
track”
on
the
IDGC
property.
As
a
result
of
the
needed
changes,
the
PDGA
is
rescheduling
next
year’s
Champions
Cup
to
October
31
–
November
3,
2024,
months
after
its
typical
spring
calendar
spot
and
after
the
typical
end
of
the
season
in
mid-October.
“The
change
in
date
for
2024
is
to
ensure
that
there
is
ample
time
for
testing
the
new
layout,
including
input
from
key
stakeholders,
and
beautification
efforts
to
guarantee
that
the
standard
set
for
PDGA
Majors
is
met,”
wrote
the
PDGA.
The
loss
of
the
John
Houck-designed
WR
Jackson
—
one
of
the
most
popular
wooded
courses
on
tour
—
is
a
huge
blow
to
the
tour
and
the
IDGC.
The
PDGA
has
not
announced
plans
for
who
will
design
the
new
courses
following
the
tree
removal.
