Estimating the Value of a Disc Golf Course with Revealed and Stated Preferences

This paper uses a travel cost model to quantify the recreational value of a disc golf course near New York City, where such facilities were limited at the time of this study. Using intercept survey data from FDR and Heckscher State Parks, we estimate individual consumer surplus per trip by applying a fixed-effects Poisson regression. The survey captures travel costs along with contingent behavior responses, where respondents indicated how their trip frequency would change with reduced travel time. By combining stated and revealed preferences, we control for individual-specific characteristics that influence demand. Supplementary data from the UDisc scorekeeping app provides an estimate of the annual number of disc golf trips to the course, allowing us to calculate a total annual consumer surplus for the facility. The estimated individual surplus per trip is approximately $69, with an estimated total annual surplus of $6.4 million. Together, these estimates can help policymakers evaluate the best use of public land.