Wear and tear on the turf of Lismore Park, Wanaka, caused by disc or Frisbee golf players is concerning park user Graham Dickson.
Mr Dickson, a former member of the Wanaka Community Board, told the board at its meeting this week he supported the Wanaka Disc Golf Club being granted a new five-year licence to use the park, but wanted parts of the park left "Frisbee free''.
He had noticed targets and tees had been shifted into areas previously free of Frisbees.
"The new location of target 16 is, in my opinion, into an area of a dry exposed ridge which will be particularly prone to turf degradation.''
Mr Dickson said the grass on the park was mown too often and kept too low, which had encouraged the spread of the weed hieraceum.
The grass on the unirrigated park took a long time to recover from overuse, he said, and he noted areas damaged during a festival 10 to 12 years ago had not fully recovered.
The board decided to recommend to the Queenstown Lakes District Council the disc golf club be granted a new licence to use the park, with a list of conditions.
Queenstown Lakes District Council staff told the board, in keeping with other similar parks in Wanaka, the only maintenance carried out was mowing.
Fertiliser to combat weeds would be an additional cost.
Board member Lyal Cocks suggested staff could look at developing a maintenance plan for the park and he encouraged more discussion about its management.
He moved the licence be granted.
Club chairman Martin Galley told the meeting about 200 people daily played disc golf on Lismore Park, with peaks in midsummer and midwinter.
Explaining the numbers after the meeting, Mr Galley told the Otago Daily Times overseas visitors to Wanaka kept the course busy in winter.
"It's very big in the United States. There are thousands and thousands of courses in America and there is a professional circuit over there.
"It's going to be on ESPN this year, so they are very familiar with it, and quite often they bring their disc with them.''
Mr Galley said it was free to play at Lismore Park, but the club charged $5 to take part in a tournament each Sunday and that income had funded the $15,000 of course facilities.
Asked about damage to the park's turf, Mr Galley said it would be "great to try and manage that'' but he felt it was better for people to be playing than sitting at home watching television.
"Parks are for use by the people in my opinion and it's just the nature of that particular park that it's very susceptible to erosion.''
Mr Galley said there was hardly anybody using the park before disc golf.
"There was just the odd dog-walker really.
"Now its getting lots of use, so it's becoming more of an issue.''
He said the club was also looking at the possibility of setting up other courses, but declined to say where.
"There's one specific area in Wanaka we are very excited about the potential of.''
