A Story of Passion and Partnership Behind Elysian Park’s Chavez Ridge Disc Golf Course

Cliff Towne, one of the founders of the DiscSports in Southern California group, plays at the Chavez Ridge course.

Experienced disc golfers and newbies alike should know about Elysian Park’s very own Chavez Ridge Disc Golf Course. Established in 2006, it’s a challenging, 27-hole course studded with eucalyptus trees, steep hills, and (of course!) beautiful views of Dodger Stadium and the downtown Los Angeles skyline. It’s among Elysian Park’s best recreational attractions—and it comes with its own fascinating story. 

Meet Cliff Towne, L.A.’s Biggest Disc Golf Advocate

Cliff Towne is a talented disc player, having played Ultimate Frisbee on the Santa Barbara Condors and the Berkeley Flying Circus during the ‘70s and ‘80s, two of the best teams of their time. He moved to L.A. in 1981 and continued to be very involved in disc sports, playing, coaching and helping design disc golf courses. He’s a founding member of the Discsports in Southern California (DISC) group. 

In the early ‘90s, Cliff and crew decided it was about time L.A. got its own course. After all, neighboring Pasadena was home to the first-ever disc golf course and why shouldn’t L.A. have one, too? He and fellow LA disc golf players like Northeast L.A. native Tita Ugalde got together to begin investigating potential locations for a course for the city, even establishing a new motto: “We are not going to move away to play.” 

A Partnership with CCSEP Emerges

After exploring both Ernest Debbs and Griffith Park as locations with no luck, they turned to Elysian Park as a viable possibility. Cliff  knew it was a huge park, with entire swaths of land that were mostly unused. Could a disc golf course draw attention to the historic (yet underutilized) park? Cliff thought so, but he knew he would need support. That’s when they approached our organization, the Citizens Committee to Save Elysian Park, about building the course. Thanks to Cliff’s compelling argument and tireless passion for the sport, most of our members agreed to support the project. 

As with any project in Elysian Park, successfully securing the land and building the course took time. However, thanks to a partnership with our friends over at Recreation and Parks, the Chavez Ridge Disc Golf Course opened in 2006. 

Cliff remembers: 

“Fast forward a few years and I attended a community public safety meeting that LAPD held at the Adaptive Recreation Center there in the park. I briefly introduced myself as a representative of the group that put the disc golf course in before asking my question. It is difficult to describe the intensity of the surprise I had when the roomful of neighbors erupted in applause and a CCSEP member there (who had initially opposed the project) made a point to congratulate me on the fine addition to the park.” 

Years later, CCSEP promoted an expansion of the course. Our advocacy and collaboration with Cliff Towne paid off, with the addition of nine more holes. 

Today: A Regional Destination for Disc Golfers 

Disc golf has only become more popular over the years—and there was an explosion of interest during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were seeking outdoor activities that included social distancing. According to UDisc, a widely used scoring app, there was a 33% increase in disc golf playing between 2019 and 2020. It’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. 

Beyond that, disc golf is free and has a low barrier of entry. You don’t need fancy equipment or a ton of training to learn how to play. It’s all about getting outside with your friends and enjoying nature. Plus, it’s a sustainable sport. Unlike the wasteful putting greens and fairways of ball golf courses, disc golf courses require neither water nor fertilizer. 

DISC, the group that Cliff helped to found, has run the annual Fling event at the park every fall  for the past 25 years (excluding 2020, for obvious reasons).The Fling is a wonderful opportunity to see 80 talented players in their element, vying for prizes and awards for professional and amateur divisions. In the winter, they host their annual Ice Bowl event in concert with disc golf courses around the world. The event raises money for charitable causes and Cliff says they have donated more than $20,000 to OxFam and local food charities over the past almost-two decades. 

Interested in playing? Connecting with the local disc golf club is a good place to start.