Chico's Bidwell Park course redevelopment

[jimbosprint]

How does this site usually deal with courses that are completely removed and redesigned. What happens to the reviews and ratings?

In September, they are taking out the two tone-pole Bidwell Park courses and replacing them with one new course. The good news: finally we will have Mach5 baskets, concrete tee pads, and signage! :clap:

The Short Course is going away completely, which is a bit sad to me because it's still fun and it was where I learned to play.

The Long Course is also being removed, but according to the plans (Project 32 (http://www.chico-outsiders.com/Outsiders/Project32.html)) the new course will be mostly in the same location with some layout changes.

I hope it remains challenging and fun, while not too affected by the demands of the environmentalists that resisted the course development.

[Disc Golf Live]

The battle over DG in Chico has been epic. Glad things are working out.

[elevated plastic]

thats good news, another course to hit in the winter. Please keep us posted and let us know when it's playable. Thanks

[jimbosprint]

Got this update from the Outsider's newsletter a couple days ago:

"Yesterday the Outsiders received final approval from the city to begin construction of the disc golf course at highway 32 (begins 9-1-10). September is going to be busy. Any volunteers out there?"

I imagine the first thing they plan on doing is removing the old courses. Not sure if that means we only have a couple days left, but I'm going up to play again before Sept 1st.

[Three Putt]

What is going to happen is that the two tone courses are going to go RIP. They won't pop up on the map, and they won't come up on a search unless you click the "extinct courses" box. When you pull up the pages on those courses, they will be gray and you will not be able to add content or vote on the reviews.

If you have played them or written a review of one of those courses, it will stay on your record and any review votes still count toward your TR status, but there will be a headstone next to the park name.

A completely new page will be added for the new course, so reviews of it will start from scratch. Send timg a PM with the details and he will take care of it for you.

[JHern]

Wow, good to see this course plan moving forward. However, I'm not sure what the plan is, based on the web page. From the documents they have posted, it looks like they plan to install groups of 3 baskets in a number of different city parks around Chico, to make 18 total. Is that correct?

[jimbosprint]

The Outsiders website doesn't do a great job at explaining the plan. The baskets at city parks are already installed. They are listed on this site under practice areas (you have to check the box for practice areas for them to show on the map). I reviewed one of them, 20th St Community Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/reviews.php?id=4039&page=1&mode=rev#24251). There are 6 baskets at two parks and 3 baskets at four other parks.

These practice areas are a compromise for the Short Course being removed permanently at Upper Bidwell Park. The Long Course is being replaced with a new course scheduled to be finished in November.

[jimbosprint]

Just got a phone call that the tone poles are being taken down right now. The end of an era - the Bidwell Park disc golf courses are officially gone. :(

Glad I played there this morning.

[jimbosprint]

Concrete tee pads are installed! Target bases getting installed this weekend! At this rate, it will be back open to play long before November. :thmbup:
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7333&stc=1&d=1284821269

(Note: Disc Golf is not open currently. Picture taken before it closed)

[gcr_russell]

I will be there sometime in November. I am giddy with excitement. When I know the dates Ill be out there ill let you know and well play a few rounds.

[jimbosprint]

Here is a shot I took today of the new hole number 2 tee (old hole number 1 in a slightly different spot).
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7338&stc=1&d=1284843576

[jimbosprint]

We are getting close. Last I heard we will have the course open by the end of the month. This was just posted on the Outsiders facebook page. Looks like the new course will be named "Peregrine Point Disc Golf Course". This will be the stamp for the discs (sadly in pro plastic which will quickly turn to garbage in Bidwell Park).

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7637&stc=1&d=1286379894

[tallpaul]

Bidwell HAS to be one of the most disc eating courses in the WHOLE WORLD. :) Nice stamp.

[snappyfingers]

Awesome job Chico!
I never played Bidwell, and I'm sure the locals will be sad.... but won't a new permanent 18 hole make up for it?
Can't wait to play!!!

[snappyfingers]

Very cool stamp by the way! Is the Peregrine Falcon all over the place in that park? Falcons are cool and it's nice to see it incorporated into the stamp. :hfive:

[jimbosprint]

I had nothing to do with the name or stamp. Just passing along info.

I am a little frustrated with the way the Outsiders redesigned the course, and I will continue to call it Bidwell Park. The flow of the course is really messed up to avoid areas that environmental extremists deemed "protected", and there are also some new out of bounds areas fenced off. Course signage was handled very poorly - no tee signs, just a hole number and arrow in concrete. The concrete tees and new baskets will be nice, but I feel like the opportunity to make this a great course was completely wasted.

[tallpaul]

Isn't this the turkey vulture course?

[Friction]

[QUOTE

I am a little frustrated with the way the Outsiders redesigned the course, and I will continue to call it Bidwell Park. The flow of the course is really messed up to avoid areas that environmental extremists deemed "protected", and there are also some new out of bounds areas fenced off. Course signage was handled very poorly - no tee signs, just a hole number and arrow in concrete. The concrete tees and new baskets will be nice, but I feel like the opportunity to make this a great course was completely wasted.[/QUOTE]

sorry to hear this. To bad the signage won't be better,:( however I'm still looking forward to getting up there to check it out when it's done.

[jimbosprint]

Isn't this the turkey vulture course?

Yes! :hfive:

[jimbosprint]

The City has said they will not open the site until they can complete some sort of monitoring plan (not sure what that is). Earliest opening late December, more likely not until next year. :thmbdown:

Also, many locals have decided we hate the name Peregrine Point :gross:, so from here on I think we should refer to it as Bidwell Cliffs disc golf course.

[Peterb]

Why hate on the name? I rather like the name peregrine point. It emphasizes that disc golfers are active participants in environmental awareness, education, and are good stewards.

[elevated plastic]

Why hate on the name? I rather like the name peregrine point. It emphasizes that disc golfers are active participants in environmental awareness, education, and are good stewards.

I agree. Regardless of the name i'm looking forward to playing it soon considering it just started dumping today for 4 days. No more Tahoe golf till april-june:wall:

[jimbosprint]

Nobody I know has ever seen a peregrine falcon out there. It just has nothing to do with the course or the location. I guess it seems misleading to me.

Unfortunately, I don't expect it to open soon. The Chico City Council has been against this course the whole way. Even though the course construction is complete, politics still seems to be preventing us from playing.

[Friction]

So, is the course construction complete, and all you're waiting on is a political approval? Man, that would just suck:thmbdown: And if the course is in fact installed(baskets in place), short of armed security what's keeping people from going to the park and playing?:doh:

[jimbosprint]

The baskets aren't actually on the course. They just need to be dropped into the bases and locked up.

[jimbosprint]

This was on the local news:
http://www.krcrtv.com/news/26610614/detail.html

The baskets are in, but the course is still closed until the city can give final approval. :wall:
Might be open in February? It has already been 5 months! :wall:

[JR Stengele]

Got this update from the Outsider's newsletter a couple days ago:

"Yesterday the Outsiders received final approval from the city to begin construction of the disc golf course at highway 32 (begins 9-1-10). September is going to be busy. Any volunteers out there?"

I imagine the first thing they plan on doing is removing the old courses. Not sure if that means we only have a couple days left, but I'm going up to play again before Sept 1st.

Congrats. I have played both courses and know that with baskets that long course will be fantastic! I would assume that since there will be a different layout in some areas that it will be a new course to add. I just hope you all keep the original holes on #3 and #4 I believe. Especially #3, that hole is amazing!!!!

[gcr_russell]

Especially #3, that hole is amazing!!!!

Yeah that hole is stunning. I cant wait to play Peregrine Point. This year I may or may not be able to visit, But from here on out Ill be visiting Chico once or twice a year every year, if not ending up moving closer. Itll be fantastic to play golf at the same time.

[jimbosprint]

How in the world could they spend $10,000 each year for course maintenance? All new baskets twice a year? Has anyone heard of any other public park courses out there with costs this high? Seems absurd to me.

From the Chico Outsiders website:
"The expected cost to maintain Peregrine Point $10,000 annually. So we need outstanding community members to join the Outsiders, make donations, and/or purchase fundraising items. Click the "donate now" or "become a member" buttons to learn more about helping out."

[jimbosprint]

From the Peregrine point facebook page: Unofficial opening day is Saturday, February 12th!

[AdamH]

Get Aaron Rodgers out there to play a round after football season. He's from Chico, but I don't know if he still has ties there. Maybe he'll get addicted to the sport and become a contributor. Stranger things have happened.

[scarpfish]

How in the world could they spend $10,000 each year for course maintenance? All new baskets twice a year? Has anyone heard of any other public park courses out there with costs this high? Seems absurd to me.

The whole saga that has surrounded that park seems absurd to me, but needless cost and bureaucracy is what happens when folks put extremist enviro-wackos in power. I can probably assure you a good chunk of that $10K is going into a bureaucrat's pocket and not the course. Its also precisely why despite being the birthplace of disc golf, California doesn't have anything near the amount of courses that its history, population and terrain suggests that it should have.

Crap like what has been going on at Bidwell is why I'm glad I live here in BFE where people for the most part have the notion that a park is meant to be used.

[jimbosprint]

http://www.chico-outsiders.com/Outsiders/Implementation%20Plan/openingday_800x600.jpg