Disc golf course commemorates 25 years of community roots
(From left) Professional disc golfer Nate Sexton, “Disc Golf Greg” Johnson, and Willamette Disc Golf Club member Billy Gaskill ceremoniously install the final new Innova disc golf basket at Adair County Park in July 2021.
ADAIR VILLAGE, Ore. — For 25 years, the disc golf course at Adair County Park has been shaped by a close partnership between Benton County and the Willamette Disc Golf Club, reflecting decades of volunteer effort, community stewardship and a shared love of the sport.
Disc golf’s compatibility with natural areas has made it a strong fit for public parks like Adair County Park, said Jay Sexton, a longtime Benton County disc golfer involved in the local course’s development.
“Most courses are free to play, equipment is inexpensive, and entry-level skills are easily learned by people of all ages,” Sexton said. “Additionally, disc golf courses are compatible with native landscapes, not requiring daily mowing, irrigation or chemical treatments, necessary for traditional golf courses.”
At its core, the game remains accessible and community-driven, a quality that has defined its growth in Benton County.
“I always feel like our disc course is one of our most utilized assets, and none of that would have been possible without the leadership from the club,” said Jesse Ott, Benton County’s Natural Areas, Parks and Events director. “The club is collaborative, resourceful and just a great group.”
“Disc Golf Greg,” or Greg Johnson of Blodgett, for those who haven’t had the right introduction, has been involved since those early days and now helps coordinate Festivus. Along with a small group of friends, Johnson helped advocate for local disc golf opportunities before a formal club existed.
“At the time, five of us were kind of the self-named ‘board of directors,’ since the club didn’t exist yet,” Johnson said. “We were just people who loved the game and wanted a place to play.”
This 1999 photo shows the self-named “Board of Directors” for the Willamette Disc Golf Club. Left to right: Kenny Faase, Greg Alpert, Greg Johnson, Eric Smith, and Pat Farrell—builders, organizers, and early champions of disc golf in Corvallis.
Johnson said local disc golfers Jay Sexton and Toni Hoyman played key roles in advocating for the sport in Corvallis, including efforts to gain City Council approval for the Willamette Park course. Those early conversations helped establish trust with public agencies and laid the groundwork for future courses, including Adair.
“None of this happened overnight,” said Sexton. “It took a lot of conversations, patience and people willing to stick with it.”
Johnson said other early contributors included Kenny Faase, Greg Alpert, Eric Smith and Pat Farrell, who helped clear fairways, install early targets— known as “tone poles”— and organize community tournaments using portable equipment to introduce new players to the sport.
Disc golf at Adair began taking shape in 2001, when members of the Willamette Disc Golf Club started laying out fairways and installing those tone poles. Tone Poles are rudimentary disc golf targets made of a fence post and a section of 4-inch pipe of plastic or metal, which makes a sound when struck by a disc, used when laying out a new course.
When the Club was ready to get more community engagement, they put on their first Festivus event in January of 2002, using portable baskets to test the waters. The Festivus tournament blended competitive play with a lighthearted, community-focused atmosphere, and despite the typical gray skies and soggy ground that come with a January event, the community has embraced the annual event ever since. In fact, community engagement goes beyond Festivus, with year-round use of the course
The Adair County Park disc golf course was designed collectively by the Willamette Disc Golf Club and evolved over time through collaboration, experimentation and volunteer stewardship. No single individual is credited with the course design, Johnson said.
Greg Johnson poses with new disc golf baskets in the summer of 2021 after their delivery to his home, part of a Willamette Disc Golf Club project to replace the baskets at Adair County Park. The effort included assistance from professional disc golfer Nate Sexton, who helped the club secure a reduced price through his primary sponsor, Innova.
Sexton played a significant role in the initial layout and overall direction of the course, while many club members contributed to hole placement, pin locations and ongoing refinements as the park developed.
Jay’s son, Nate Sexton, grew up playing disc golf at Adair and later assisted with some additional pin placements as the course evolved. He went on to become one of the sport’s most accomplished professional players, competing at the highest levels and representing the Corvallis-area disc golf community on the national and international stage.
The area has also produced other high-level players, including Scott Withers, a multiple-time professional champion known for his consistency, longevity in the sport and contributions to course design and competitive play.
“Scott, Nate and so many others from this community have helped grow the sport not just here, but nationally and internationally,” Jay Sexton said. “They’ve been great ambassadors for disc golf and have carried the values of this community with them.”
Growing up on the course he, his father and others helped build, Nate Sexton said the disc golf course near Adair Village played a central role in shaping both his game and his connection to the community.
“As a high school student, I really enjoyed getting the chance to work to improve the disc golf course. It was fun seeing how regular people could come together to build something for the community in a public space,” Nate Sexton said. “It also always meant a round of 18 afterwards with a big group of players and a chance to test my skills”
As participation grew, the course continued to improve through volunteer labor and partnerships with Benton County Parks. In 2013, original rubber mat tees were replaced with concrete tees with support from volunteers and Chadwick’s Concrete of Salem. The following year, Jay Sexton built a storage shed, with help from his son Nate and his brother Colin, among others, using materials funded by the club.
In 2021, nearly 20-year-old baskets were replaced with 22 new Innova Pro-28 baskets, improving playability. Many of the original baskets were refurbished and redeployed as alternate pin placements. In 2023, weathered tee signs were replaced using existing support structures, with graphic design work donated by Benton County residents Dayna Reed and installation supported by Bryce Downey.
Club members have also worked closely with Benton County staff to test seasonal layouts, including temporary holes introduced during Festivus tournaments. Several of those concepts later informed permanent winter configurations designed to reduce environmental impact while maintaining playability.
Today, the Willamette Disc Golf Club continues to volunteer alongside Benton County staff to maintain the course, host events and welcome new players.
“The work the club and its members have done here really reflects the values we care about as a community,” Ott said. “It’s people taking pride in a public space and working together to make something better for everyone.”
The course remains home to the annual Festivus Tournament each January, which draws players from across Oregon and beyond and highlights the blend of competition, tradition and community that has defined disc golf at Adair County Park. Festivus 2026 Presented by Innova will be held Saturday, Jan. 31, starting at 9:30 a.m. at Adair County Park. The tournament quickly sold out, but spectators are welcome to attend and watch play throughout the course. Interest in the event highlights the growing popularity of disc golf and the Adair County Park course.
“After 25 years, the course is still in great shape because people care about it,” said Dakota Trufant, the Benton County employee who maintains the course. “It brings people into the park, and that matters.”
A quarter of a century after its inception, the Adair County Park disc golf course remains a reflection of the community that built it shaped by volunteers, friendships and a shared commitment to stewardship.
“This course exists because people cared enough to build it and keep it going,” Johnson said. “That partnership is why it’s lasted, and why it will continue.”
Historical photos documenting the early days and evolution of the Adair County Park disc golf course are available online. View the Flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/196115871@N03/albums/72177720330951871
Greg Johnson (left) and Jay Sexton (right) hold discs beside an Innova basket at the disc golf course at Adair County Park in Benton County, Ore., Dec. 17, 2025.