Campus disc golf course pays tribute to alumnus’ love for the game and college

Bylers disc golf

Open to both the Hesston College community and the wider community, a newly installed disc golf course on the Hesston College campus honors the memory of an alumnus, his lighthearted personality and his appreciation for his alma mater.

The family of Doug Unruh ’74, used memorial funds to establish the nine-hole course as a tribute to their husband, father and grandfather who passed away March 27, 2014.

“Doug totally embraced the Hesston Experience,” said his wife, Patsy (King) ’75 Unruh of Perryton, Texas. “He really grew there as a person. He came from Lakewood (Colo.) High School – a big high school in a Denver suburb – and he loved the smallness of Hesston. He was big on relationships and having fun.”

As the family discussed plans for memorial funds following his death, they settled on three places they thought would please him, including Hesston College. A love for the game of disc golf grew from years of competitive tournaments at summer family reunions, so the ideas meshed to bring disc golf to the Hesston campus.

“Doug is still the overall family reunion champion,” noted Patsy. “He was competitive and loved games – we even had a disc golf course at our home.”

Doug’s fond memories from his time at Hesston College spilled over to his family as his children grew, and all three attended Hesston – a son Monte Unruh ’01, and daughters Lisa (Unruh) ’04 Beun and CJ (Unruh) ’07 Byler.

The course spans the north end of Hesston College’s campus, stretching behind the Keim Center for Performing Arts Education and to the northeast corner of the Main Street parking lot and campus entry. Details like tee pads and hole markers remain to be installed, with plans to do so over the next month or two, but with all the baskets in place, the course is ready for play, and Hesston College students have been more than happy to help break it in.

“We’re grateful to the Unruh family for giving this gift in memory of Doug to Hesston College and the wider community,” said Mike Zucconi, Hesston College Director of Development. “Students are already enjoying it and excited to have it on campus, and we anticipate that it will provide a fun source of recreation to others in the community as well.”

Along with the college’s Campus Facilities staff and a member of the Hesston College class of 2017 who was excited by the prospect of an on-campus course, the Unruh family helped plan the layout during a 2016 family reunion in Hesston where they played what would become the official course using trees and other bits of nature as makeshift holes.

Several of Doug’s family members who live locally to Hesston, including daughter CJ, her husband, Billy, and infant daughter, Hazel, (pictured) have also played the course in its first week as they remember their loved one, and Patsy looks forward to soon seeing it completed and providing fun. The course will be dedicated during Homecoming Weekend, Sept. 28-30.

“Jim Mason [Director of Campus Facilities] sent me pictures of the first students through the course on the first day it was in,” said Patsy. “It was so exciting to see. Doug would be pleased that something in his memory is bringing joy and fun to people.”