Brahan Spring disc golf course named for legendary ambassador Tom Monroe

Published on February 23, 2024

The City of Huntsville is paying tribute to Tom Monroe, a legend in the world of disc golf, by naming the disc golf course he designed at Brahan Spring Park in his honor.

Monroe, who passed away Feb. 10 at the age of 77, was a Huntsville native who achieved worldwide acclaim in disc golf. He won 19 world championships and more than 90 titles on the Profession Disc Golf Association Tour.

The PDGA described Monroe as the “Johnny Appleseed of disc golf” as an ambassador for the sport. He was inducted to the World Disc Golf Hall of Fame in its inaugural class in 1993. His 2018 induction into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame marked the first time a disc golfer had been selected to a mainstream sports hall of fame.

“I think it’s a great thing to do,” Council Member Bill Kling said of naming the park disc golf course for Monroe. “Here’s a great enthusiast who had a big following.”

Friends of Monroe are also working to raise money to erect a monument in his honor at the Brahan Spring course that hosted the PDGA World Championships in 1983 and 1993.

“Tom is the single most influential person in the history and development and progression of our sport,” said Lavone Wolfe, a Huntsville native and close friend of Monroe who was inducted into the World Disc Golf Hall of Fame in 1994.

Wolfe said that Monroe brought an outgoing personality to disc golf that perhaps resonated more than his talent at the game. Visiting with Monroe not long before he died, Wolfe said he asked his friend what he wanted to be known for.

“He said, ‘Lavone, every person I met, I wanted to leave them with a smile. I wanted to get a smile out of them,’” Wolfe said. “On the course, even in the heat of battle and world championship competition, he would play to the crowd, trying to make people laugh or smile. He would take risky shots just because. And that that meant more to him than actually winning.”