Death of Otter Creek Park

[kyflash]

A sad day in the disc golf world. Otter Creek Park will be closing on Dec 14th.
OCP is the oldest disc golf course in Kentucky and the 5th oldest in the world.

Here is a link:
http://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroParks/parks/ottercreek/FAQ_closure.htm

It is my hope that everyone who reads this will e-mail metro parks of Louisville and let them know what a huge loss this would be.

http://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroParks/aboutus/contactforms/emailmetroparks.htm

[john campbell]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Goddammit.
"On December 14, 2008, Otter Creek Park will close to the public as part of a larger cost-saving effort on the part of Louisville Metro Government."
They are closing the entire park, too. No camping, no hiking, no mountain biking, no nature center, no school field trips, and no disc golf. bastards.

[john campbell]

BTW Thanks for the post.

[MulliganStew]

That can not be permanent their are too many summer camps for kids out there. That has to be until spring? That would be a tremendous loss for the community.

[Hamilton]

i'm going to try to get out there this weekend, but might have to be next weekend...

[ZMan44]

That is a sad proposal...we played OC this past summer and while it was shorter than most we play, it definitely had the historic feel. I would do my best to ensure that those baskets get placed in another park somewhere.

[Amorybulldog]

I hate to hear of any course being pulled or closed. Bad thing always, sounds like the park is really great all the way around not just dg.

If the baskets don't have a home and have to be pulled. My club will take them. We are short of getting our course completed and can't squeeze a dime more out of the city. I will even drive up to get them.

[Aaron D'Angelo]

Man it's been there since the 70's and still don't have any hole and par info on it.. heh

Hopefully the park is just going to be revitalized and the course will remain. We can hope at least :(

[MulliganStew]

I would not freak out too much, the city has a 20 million dollar short fall for it's budget. My money is on it will be opened agian in the spring.

[kyflash]

I think the baskets will stay, either in ground, or with the Metro Parks.

I encourage all to write an e-mail to the Louisville Metro Parks to ask them to reconsider. I know Otter Creek is not near most of those who read this board, but if it could happen to a park as historic to our sport as Otter Creek is, it could happend to course near you.

Here is the e-mail link again.

http://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroParks/aboutus/contactforms/emailmetroparks.htm

If you are from out of the local area and have played the course please let them know that you have visited the park and would like to do so again.

[Three Putt]

I would not freak out too much, the city has a 20 million dollar short fall for it's budget. My money is on it will be opened agian in the spring.From the sounds of it, they are abandoning the park altogether to save money. They will save the money by not mowing, picking up litter, and all the other overhead costs associated with maintaining a park. Since it is not maintained, they cannot leave it open to the public. The liability is too great. If somebody gets hurt in an unmaintained park, the City will loose it's shirt in a lawsuit (which would defeat the whole cost savings idea.)

My guess is that this cannot be a permanent decision, that the hope will be that once the economy turns around and the budget crisis is over that the park would reopen. At that point the disc golf course would probably still be part of the park. This is not your usual "They took out the disc golf course because we were drinking and smoking pot" issue. Disc golf does not seem to figure in the decision at all, there just happens to be a course in a park they felt they had to close to save money. It actually looks like they took the fact that there are still disc golf courses in the area into consideration. I'm sure nobody involved in the decision is happy about it, it is something they feel they have to do in order to keep the City budget in line.

Before we all start firing off e-mails, I'd like to know the whole story. If the park is for sale and they never plan to reopen it, that is one thing. If they just closed it as a stop gap and hope to re-open when the budget allows, I don't think a bunch of e-mails will matter. It's not like a bunch of e-mails about a disc golf course is going to make 20 million dollars appear in the City bank account.

[john campbell]

I would not freak out too much, the city has a 20 million dollar short fall for it's budget. My money is on it will be opened agian in the spring.

Wishful thinking, but I doubt the Parks Dept. would release such a statement if reopening in spring was an option. Wouldn't they have simply stated "closed until further notice" or "until spring/summer '09"?

To speculate, my guess is this:
It is too far out to be cost effectively maintained by the city of Louisville. They are probably hoping the state will pick it up or one of the neighboring cities: Brandenberg, Radcliff, Muldraugh, maybe? just speculating... and hoping for the best, too.

Bring those baskets back to Louisville! Seneca Park needs a DG course!

[john campbell]

From the sounds of it, they are abandoning the park altogether to save money. They will save the money by not mowing, picking up litter, and all the other overhead costs associated with maintaining a park. Since it is not maintained, they cannot leave it open to the public. The liability is too great. If somebody gets hurt in an unmaintained park, the City will loose it's shirt in a lawsuit (which would defeat the whole cost savings idea.)

My guess is that this cannot be a permanent decision, that the hope will be that once the economy turns around and the budget crisis is over that the park would reopen. At that point the disc golf course would probably still be part of the park. This is not your usual "They took out the disc golf course because we were drinking and smoking pot" issue. Disc golf does not seem to figure in the decision at all, there just happens to be a course in a park they felt they had to close to save money. It actually looks like they took the fact that there are still disc golf courses in the area into consideration. I'm sure nobody involved in the decision is happy about it, it is something they feel they have to do in order to keep the City budget in line.

Before we all start firing off e-mails, I'd like to know the whole story. If the park is for sale and they never plan to reopen it, that is one thing. If they just closed it as a stop gap and hope to re-open when the budget allows, I don't think a bunch of e-mails will matter. It's not like a bunch of e-mails about a disc golf course is going to make 20 million dollars appear in the City bank account.

I don't know the whole story, but I just spoke with Eddie at Rivertown Spirits in nearby Brandenberg, KY. - the best (and just about the only) place to buy discs in the Louisville area! And, yep, it's a liquor store, too!
He said Otter Creek is closing on the 14th "indefinitely" due to the maintenance expenses. He also felt that it might have to do with being so far away from the City of Louisville. However, he thinks "indefinitely" leaves open the chance of reopening in the spring/summer if/when the economy improves. So, you might be right MulliganStew! and much more optimistic than I.

Who knows? :confused:

I do know this: Eddie is getting in new shipments of discs late next week for Chistmas! If you haven't been there, check it out next time you're in the area. He always has an awesome selection of DG discs and gear: Innova, Discraft, Gateway, Millenium, bags, straps, hats, etc. Way cool. Sorry, no website.

Rivertown Spirits
155 By-Pass Road
Brandenberg, KY 40108

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Brandenburg&state=KY&address=155+By-Pass+Road&zipcode=40108

[leathercash]

THIS BLOWS! THIS IS JUST ONE OF MANY :( I just got word Freeport Illinois may be closing Krape park....blows...drunk..

[john campbell]

Here's what I got back from Louisville Metro Parks:

Dear Mr. Campbell -

The decision to close Otter Creek was a difficult one and came after
weeks of discussion and soul-searching. We've received numerous e-mails
and phone calls from people expressing their disappointment. Sadly, the
park was simply losing too much money to keep it open in this tough
economy.

I'm not sure what will be done with the disk golf items at this time.
However, I will send your thoughts regarding the relocation of baskets
on to the persons that make those decisions.

Thank you for writing us, and we understand your disappointment.


Erika Nelson
Marketing Officer, Metro Parks
www.metro-parks.org

[tenWatts]

I don't understand...if they loose $500,000 dollars per year maintaining the park and they have over 500,000 visitors per year why don't they just charge $2 per visit to the park and make a $500,000 profit!?

I live five minutes from OCP. I learned this game there. I think this was a miserable, knee-jerk, reaction and have been told by my friends in the parks department that we NEED to be voicing our disgust at this decision. E-mail away! Save this park! We can volunteer maintenance, pay to play, whatever it takes. When I talked to Jack West (park director) yesterday he said there was a "ray of hope due to the public reaction".

[Aaron D'Angelo]

Is the course a pay to play? It wouldn't help all people coming into the park but donations by the citizens and a small pay to play fee for the course by locals and what not, $2-3, wouldn't hurt.

[tenWatts]

We can volunteer maintenance, pay to play, whatever it takes.
No, it isn't currently. This is a suggestion I've made to the powers that be.

[Adam Schneider]

The PARK gets 500,000 visitors a year, not the disc golf course. To raise enough money, you'd have to charge everyone... and a lot of people will just think, "rather than spend $10 for my spouse and 3 kids to go to the park, we'll just go to the free one closer to town."

[kyflash]

Most of the visitors to the park are there for the isolation of the park. If you are a DG'er or a biker, or hiker, or camper, or fisherman, or rock climber, or just like to watch the Ohio River lazily pass by, or whatever the reason, I doubt many people would be turned off by the notion of paying a token fee of $5.00 or so for a car load.

[john campbell]

I agree and would be happy to pay $5 a car. I don't mind paying $5 a car at Buffalo Trace (Palmyra, IN, which by the way is free right now - the camp office is borded up for the winter) or $5 a person at the Fun Farm in Corydon, IN. We are so lucky that this sport is free (for the most part). Contributing $5 a car to keep Otter Creek open would be fine by me. I wonder if the officials even thought of that before shutting it down?

[Hamilton]

I agree and would be happy to pay $5 a car. I don't mind paying $5 a car at Buffalo Trace (Palmyra, IN, which by the way is free right now - the camp office is borded up for the winter) or $5 a person at the Fun Farm in Corydon, IN. We are so lucky that this sport is free (for the most part). Contributing $5 a car to keep Otter Creek open would be fine by me. I wonder if the officials even thought of that before shutting it down?

i was just going to comment on Buffalo Trace...they charge, and people still go there...

[Fore]

I would gladly pay an entrance fee as well if it meant keeping OCP open!

[Hamilton]

just saw on courier-journal.com that they have postponed the closing until january 1, 2009...gives us a couple more weeks to play it at least...

[john campbell]

I just received this e-mail from a friend:

"Wooo Hoooo freakin awsome....While Louisville is trying to kill a disc golf
course the counties around us are looking to add them."

Check out this link:
http://www.lcni5.com/cgi-bin/c2.cgi?028+article+News+20081203093246028004

[AdamH]

That's great news, Taylorsville isn't too far away at all. Also they've been working on a course at Lake Shelby in Shelbyville for a while now, but I'm not sure when it will be complete.

And here's more good news, it looks like the state might take Otter Creek and make it a state park.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20081203/NEWS01/812030695

[tick]

The park marketing (truth spinning) lady's statement that the park is losing so much money sounds bogus to me. Since when do city parks make money? They are for the recreational benefit of the citizenry! Never been there, but it sounds like a wonderful park and a great loss. Good luck to y'all in the area on getting it back, or a good replacement course at least.
Resurrection? Just two weeks ago the Eau Claire WI city council approved plans for a new park to be called Otter Creek Park with an 18 hole tournament level disc golf course to be developed there.

[kyflash]

Yesterday the park started removing baskets. They will finish today.
I got one last round in this past Saturday.

[MulliganStew]

WHAT, I thought they would be in until Jan???

[Fore]

WHAT, I thought they would be in until Jan???

Thats what we all thought. :mad:

[solomon.trenton]

thats a shame. i dont think that they should ever get rid of a course.

[tenWatts]

Thats what we all thought. :mad:
They packed them up so they wouldn't get stolen. As much as I hate to see it happen I think it's a good idea.

[Fore]

They packed them up so they wouldn't get stolen. As much as I hate to see it happen I think it's a good idea.


I agree!

[timg]

Thanks to the people that came up with the good idea to make extinct course info available, Otter Creek will live on online here on DGCR. Although it always sucks when a course goes gray (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=892) :(

[tenWatts]

Thanks to the people that came up with the good idea to make extinct course info available, Otter Creek will live on online here on DGCR. Although it always sucks when a course goes gray (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=892) :(
Great idea and it looks great! Hopefully we'll bring it back to life in the future. It nearly brought a tear to my eye to see it like that though. :(

[Fore]

If things get worked out and the dg course is revived do we have to re-enter the info since it has been tagged as extinct?

[tenWatts]

I wouldn't think so...the admin would just change the page style.

[Fore]

Thats what I was thinking also just wanted to verify.

[aceman]

sad day,history going out the window and they probably dont even know or care.OC is certainly a DG landmark and will be missed.

[aceman]

On a little brighter note I live in Paducah and we have had 6 courses built in the last 2 years within an hour of here.you guys need to come ck out what the western part of the state has to offer,you wont be disappointed.