Alberton Folf course officially installed in park

ALBERTON - The Frisbee golf course that was six months in the making, reached its point of completion April 30.

Senior Samantha Bennett along with teachers Erik Johnson, Kent Haab, mentor Glen Teeters and many community volunteers, installed the Folf course in as little as five hours. Holes were dug, and cement was on hand to permanently affix the baskets in the community.  

The course is located in the Alberton Park behind the senior center and Haab said there are already people out playing.

Frisbee golf, or Folf, combines Frisbees with the basics of golf. Each player throws his or her frisbee into a chained-like basket, and the amount of times it takes for the frisbee to enter the basket, equals the amount of strokes in golf. 

“There are a few things that still need to be done,” Bennett said. “The sponsor plaques still need to be installed, and each hole has to be numbered.” 

Bennett, who spent her senior year planning out the project with Teeters, had to win approval from the Alberton Town Council, the Alberton School Board and Mayor Joe Hanson. She raised $2,200 with some money left over for the installation process. 

“As a student, she had to pitch herself to get approval for the project and secure her own funds,” Haab said. 

Some of the motivation for Bennett to complete the project was the lack of things to do for entertainment in the community. 

“We have limited activities for kids in the community,” Haab said. “Sam had some desires to leave something behind after graduation.”

The course features five baskets, which is equal to a nine-hole course, and is a typical sized Folf course, Bennett said. But, there are no plans to expand to a bigger course in the future. 

“The course is pretty much taking up every square inch of the park,” Haab said.

The project had its challenges, as the course had to be redesigned three times before a final plan was implemented.

“This project was a huge undertaking for Sam,” Haab said. “Teeters did a great job mentoring.”

Even though the plan had to be altered three times, the course faced little to no opposition from the community. 

“Everyone here was pretty much behind the idea and happy about the idea of a Folf course in Alberton,” Bennett said. 

Haab also felt taking on a major project such as this was an important stepping-stone to adulthood. 

“It’s quite a change going from a shy girl to a confident young woman,” Haab said. “As a student, you’re used to the teacher telling you what to do, but with this there was no correct answer. This was a big deal for us.”

As a student, Bennett will leave Alberton High School in just a few weeks, but the experience of working on a community project to inflict change will last a lifetime. As far as leaving a mark on her community, Bennett’s footprint will always mark Alberton for what she wanted to leave behind.

She chose this as a senior project for that reason, as the course will stand in the park for years to come.