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Another alternative ballpark use during a pandemic: Fore!

Blue Wahoos Stadium disc golf

With no baseball on the field, we’re seeing ballparks used for other forms of entertainment. In Florida, the home of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Class AA; Southern League) is now home to Bubba Watson’s Diamond Disc Golf Challenge.

The course covers the entirety of the playing surface at Blue Wahoos Stadium and is open to the public from noon-8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $5 per player per round.

It’s a natural move for the Blue Wahoos and Blue Wahoos Stadium: Watson is an owner of the team and adds a personal touch to the proceedings by laying out the nine-hole disc-golf course.

“We have done a lot of cool things at Blue Wahoos Stadium before, but creating a disc golf course may be one of our most creative ideas,” Watson, a two-time Masters Tournament champ, said. “I don’t think any other baseball team has ever done this. For anyone who has not played disc golf, it’s a great way to spend some time outdoors and an easy game to learn, so anyone can come out and play. I’ve been playing it with my friends for years when I’m not on the golf course or at a Blue Wahoos game!”

Blue Wahoos Stadium disc golf

There are some limitations. To ensure the safety of participants and in adherence with COVID-19 guidelines, new groups will be allowed to begin playing the course every fifteen minutes. Players are encouraged to bring their own discs or to purchase a three-disk starter pack from the Blue Wahoos for $25. Disc rental is not available in accordance with safety and sanitation recommendations.

We’re guessing this will play out well for the Blue Wahoos: folks bored and confined at home will have a safe and cool way to get out of the house. It’s certainly a unique experience, as teams work on non-baseball promotions to attract fans. Last Friday we wrote about how the Texas Rangers, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Daytona Tortugas and Madison Mallards are presenting different forms of entertainment instead of hardball.

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