New disc golf improvements coming soon to Hartselle + their inspiration

Disc golfers, get ready: The two courses at Hartselle’s Sparkman Park will soon get a major refresh, with improvements expected to raise the caliber of tournaments the park can attract while also making the sport more accessible to children.

The project is also one way a Hartselle family, the LeComptes, is carrying on the spirit of a child they lost 15 years ago.

After hearing from the family in February, State Sen. Arthur Orr presented Hartselle Mayor Missy Evans with a $19,100 grant toward the course improvements at a strategic plan community forum on Thursday, June 4.

Read more below to learn about what’s to come for the courses at Sparkman Park, the inspiration behind the project and how you can be part of it.

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Disc golf at Sparkman Park in Hartselle now

Sparkman Park in Hartselle is well known among disc golf enthusiasts for its two courses that draw thousands of visitors annually—the 18-hole Parkside Course, which opened in 2006, and the 18-hole Lakeside Course, which opened in 2017.

Visit UDisc.com to check out the Parkside Course layout and Lakeside Course layout.

Both courses hold great potential to draw more visitors and better serve local families, according to longtime course steward, pro player and resident Jason LeCompte, who has led the charge for the upgrades.

Disc golf course improvements at Sparkman Park

So, what’s to come for the courses this summer? LeCompte broke it down for us:

🥏 Replacing the 18 oldest baskets, which will qualify the courses for higher-tier tournaments
🤗 36 youth-friendly pin placements to make both courses more accessible for kids + beginners
🪧 New tee signs + concrete repairs to tee pads
🌿 Landscaping with permanent island borders

“These improvements will make the courses safer, more fun and accessible for kids, schools and churches. Our goal is to create leagues and tournaments for kids, giving them a unique place to stay active, compete and grow. With two courses on our property, we have a special opportunity to build something lasting for the next generation.”
_{Hartselle resident Jason LeCompte}

In addition, LeCompte is putting together a proposal for the school system to take the old baskets and install them on campuses. Since his full-time work involves maintaining the grounds for the schools, he already has some ideas about where they could go.

How the disc golf courses at Sparkman Park began + grew

The Parkside Course at Sparkman Park began as a 13-hole Eagle Scout project by Chris Wallace, who worked with local players to design the course. The city added five holes to expand it into a full course in 2008.

A few years later, LeCompte moved to Hartselle with his family and quickly discovered the courses and a local league. He and fellow players Daryn Raley and Larry Burge eventually redesigned the original Parkside Course and fully designed the Lakeside Course.

Those years were also a time of especially deep grief for LeCompte and his family, a loss that has evolved into a passion to serve local kids.

Disc golf, Bell’s Angels + a memory driving a mission

In 2011, LeCompte and his wife, Dannon, lost their 6-month-old, Bell Divine LeCompte, and her maternal great-grandmother in a tragic accident.

LeCompte’s disc golf club, Bell’s Angels, is named for her, and a huge driver of his passion for projects that benefit kids is keeping her name alive. Another source of great inspiration: the couple’s two daughters today, Scarlett and Lucy, who their father describes as “a Godsend and very special.”

The sisters joined him when he presented his vision for the project to Orr and shared their experiences growing up in Hartselle and special times at the park.

The disc golf course grant + sponsorship opportunities

While the recent grant will cover much of the project costs, LeCompte is offering hole sponsorships and other opportunities for community members and businesses to be part of the project. All donations are welcome and may be made through the project’s GoFundMe campaign.

Evans said LeCompte exemplifies the kind of community leadership the city wants and hopes it will inspire others.

“He took full ownership of seeking out sponsors, private business and other community members to help with this project, and he asked Sen. Orr to support this, which in turn, he did. He is just very ambitious and proactive to put all of this together himself, and we’re trying to support him the best we can.

So much of Sparkman Park was built by volunteer organizations and family donations, and I want to make sure that’s the legacy we continue.”
_{Hartselle Mayor Missy Evans}