When the disc golf course at Gargoyle Park opened in July 2021, it was seen as a promising addition to the community. Nearly five years later, it has become something much bigger - a regional destination, a competitive hub and a medium for outdoor recreation across the area.

By nearly every measure, the course is thriving.

Since its installation, Gargoyle Park has recorded more than 17,000 rounds played - data tracked through the UDisc mobile app - along with over 30,000 hours of outdoor recreation. Each season, the course draws more than 2,400 unique players, with visitors traveling from 48 states and 19 countries – a remarkable reach for a community of Olean’s size.

The now retired Gargoyle Park Public Disc Golf Course Fund at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation allowed the public to support the course, with course sponsors being recognized on tee signs and Gargoyle’s kiosk welcome center. Additional funding came from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo with a total contribution of $31,000.

What started as a local amenity has quickly grown into a competitive centerpiece. Gargoyle now hosts three to four large tournaments annually, including the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Championship, a national-level event that brings more than a dozen universities to compete for Division I and Division II bids to the Collegiate Disc Golf National Championship. The course also hosts the Tri-State Club Championship, drawing top clubs from New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

On a weekly basis, engagement remains just as strong. The course’s league nights routinely attract between 30 to 60 players. The first league night of 2026 brought in 51 participants – a number that, according to organizers, rivals peak attendance in much larger metropolitan areas.

“That kind of turnout is something you’d expect in cities like Minneapolis, Austin or Buffalo,” said Twin Tiers Disc Golf Club Vice President Joe Henton. “To see it happening in a community of 13,000 people – and to see it grow – is pretty incredible.”

Henton noted that participation continues to rise, even beyond expectations.

“Last year, those numbers represented our peak,” he said. “This year, we’re starting at that peak.”

Perhaps most notable is that this level of engagement didn’t build on an existing disc golf culture – it created one.

“Almost none of these residents played disc golf prior to Gargoyle being installed,” Henton said. “This is a brand-new community of people that likely never would have found each other without it.”

The course’s success has also sparked broader regional growth. In the past five years, several nearby communities have followed Gargoyle’s lead, developing new courses at Franchot Park in Olean, Callahan Park in Bradford, Falconer Park in Falconer, Creekside Park in Busti, Highbanks Park in Steamburg and Riley Allen’s in Bolivar. Gargoyle has served as both a model and a motivator for that expansion.

Recognition has followed. In July 2024, Sports Illustrated ranked Gargoyle Park fourth out of 226 courses on its list of the “5 Best State and Town Park Disc Golf Courses in New York.” The course was also featured in PDGA Magazine in both 2021 and 2022, further cementing its reputation within the sport.

Beyond the numbers and accolades, the course has played a key role in revitalizing Gargoyle Park itself – transforming it into an active, welcoming space used daily by residents and visitors alike.

Five years in, Gargoyle Park Disc Golf Course has exceeded expectations at every turn. What began as a single investment in recreation has grown into a defining community asset – one that continues to bring people together, draw visitors from afar and shape the future of disc golf in the region.

The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is the area’s supportive, responsive and trusted community foundation. Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email [email protected], or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).