Portage Lakes State Park — Akron, OH

[gcoghill]

Saw this news article about a disc golf course being planned (http://www.akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=5115) at Portage Lakes State Park (http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=Portage+Lakes+State+Park&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&ei=OGzfSZm6MImANpXE3NkD&cd=2&hl=en&sll=40.963048,-81.539911&sspn=0.046305,0.050852&sig2=K7YmnVWnCBrdTmhdLNqLFg&cid=40939895,-81522925,17585480378579231160&li=lmd&ll=40.939452,-81.522675&spn=0.841313,1.572418&z=10&iwloc=A) in Akron, Ohio (which I never heard of):

"The Friends of Portage Lakes State Park Association have turned its focus on creating the tournament-worthy 18-hole disc golf course on about 39 acres in the park."

The full article (http://www.akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=5115) has more info and contact info for any locals looking to help.

Map shows it being west of the Akron-Canton airport, and North of the Massilon & Canton courses. Would be a nice course right in the midst of the Hudson, Medina, Canton & Massilon courses.

[danhyzer]

Portage Lake State Park is a great hidden gem just south/ south west of Akron, Ohio. It's not part of the Metro park system as it's a state park, duh.. This area hasbeen a tough market to get a course in over the years and I think that it will be well recieved within the Portage Lake community as well as the surrounding area.

Bill Griffith and I and a few others help shape this section of the park into a neat disc golf course. The terrain is flat at places and hilly in others with plenty of water (aka.. the lake) coming into play on almost half of the holes. There's plenty of parking, there's also a swimming beach so you can bring the family and they can swim, while you play the course (nice feature). They're are various eateries on the lakes for all tastes.

Ya know one thing great about DISC GOLF is it's cost....FREE, yeah it's usually free to play. and it will be free to play at this park too. But we need your help. We are currently seeking potential sponsers for a hole at $475 per hole. I know, I know.. that's a lot of jack. But think about it this way------------------------------------------------------- - + How many times have you played disc golf and left the park full of good vibes?? Probally just about every time. That's why I feel that is time for YOU to pony up and colaborate with potential friends and businesses and buy a hole at this park for you and other to enjoy for many many years.

$475 includes sponsor name at tee sign, DGA mach 5 basket, and a concrete tee. That's not that much, if you ask me. in fact......

if they raise enough money for the full 18 holes, my money will be in there for one hole.

Ya know some of you people out there will probally be giving up smokes because of the new tax hikes. Wouldn't it be cool if the money your saving from not smoking went into a fund for a new basket at Portage Lakes State Park. Shouldn't we all sacrifice something for this great cause?? It doesn't take much... round up 5 friends and @ $ 95 per person you could donate $475 for a new hole, get 10 people together and donate $47.50 for a new hole.

come on people now. help this become a reality. :)

for more information please contact Steve Godar sdg638@gmail.com

[ERicJ]

Portage Lakes State Park (http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=Portage+Lakes+State+Park&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&ei=OGzfSZm6MImANpXE3NkD&cd=2&hl=en&sll=40.963048,-81.539911&sspn=0.046305,0.050852&sig2=K7YmnVWnCBrdTmhdLNqLFg&cid=40939895,-81522925,17585480378579231160&li=lmd&ll=40.939452,-81.522675&spn=0.841313,1.572418&z=10&iwloc=A) in Akron, Ohio (which I never heard of)
I spent many happy summer days at "State Park" as we called it when I was growing up. :)

[Reality Hurts]

Terrible idea. 1 giant swamp, and once a few people clunk some cars with discs people are going to be mad. What moron came up with this idiotic idea, keep them things out of my yard or my dog will rip them to shreds.

[gcoghill]

Terrible idea. 1 giant swamp, and once a few people clunk some cars with discs people are going to be mad. What moron came up with this idiotic idea, keep them things out of my yard or my dog will rip them to shreds.

When I saw the email notice and this reply, I thought "how much you wanna bet this is the first and only post from this person"? Sure enough…

[Texconsinite]

Amazing that such an avid non-DGer even found this site

[DeafDiscGolfer]

Must be from the Google search...

Wow, this guy is doing anything to stop it...he needs to be educated some more...

If his dog attacks me or any of my discs as he stated, then this dog will not be returning to his master because he's already being taken away by the animal control and the master will be fully responsible due to "training" the dog to do this violence acts.

[gcoghill]

I don't think stooping to the level of veiled threats is a good way to promote DG, especially for a new upcoming course looking to get built.

I think a lot of people who have land bordering on a park think of it as a buffer of their own property, or even an extension. I remember back when I used to mow lawns for a landscaping company, we had a customer who lived next to a golf course and they were so annoyed by all the golf balls landing in their yard. Hmmm… maybe you shouldn't have purchased a house next to a golf course?

Parks evolve, and it would be a shame to see this course stonewalled just because the neighbors want to keep the status quo just for their personal benefit.

[mobster]

We had trouble right after our course was built by neighbors who felt "threatened" by disc golfers getting discs in their yards. Instead of them asking to move the one hole where it was happening, they demanded that the disc golf course be removed. People who don't understand the sport and automatically threaten everything attached to it are the biggest headaches.

[Reality Hurts]

Listen here morons, first of all I'm a better Disc Golfer than any of you pencil neck balding 45 year olds who think they are hot stuff after they go to Dicks Sporting Goods and buy a starter set.

Secondly, this proposed course is RIGHT NEXT to a DOG PARK. It's going to be hillarious when Cujo snatches an errant throw. Or when you hit Leroy's car in the parking lots right next to the course.

It's elitist morons like you that give Disc Golf a bad name and why it will be a total failure at the PLSP.

[mobster]

Oh no! Disc golfers have never had to throw in close proximity to dog parks or roads or playgrounds or park pavilions or baseball fields or parking lots or houses or walking paths. Whatever shall we do if a disc gets snagged by a dog because we all throw errant shots and have no control? I guess since we all play with Innova starter sets that we should just quit. I guess this must be the first course designed by the course designers and they have no idea what they are doing and will not change any of it. I'm going to take my 150g Leopard now and go throw it into traffic because I don't know any better.

[Reality Hurts]

You prove my point exactly, elitist scum. Enjoy getting arrested.

[gcoghill]

Wow, this negative person really needs a hobby instead of coming here to bash people. Sorry you bought land next to a public park and it didn't turn out as you planned.

Can't wait to throw some discs at this course!

[Reality Hurts]

I made constructive comments and it was you who bashed. Now I'm going to make certain this Disc Golf Course will never happen, or if it does it will be total crap! Good day and good bye!

[mobster]

I didn't realize calling people "elitist morons" and "balding pencil necks" were constructive comments. I'm pretty sure comments about dogs getting discs and discs hitting cars would have been more constructive if they were made to the park and the designers of the course. Commenting about them on a message board full of disc golf nuts who want to see the sport spread in any way has not and will not get anybody anywhere. I really hope that you don't play disc golf and that you're just an angry woman who likes her dogs and yard a lot.

[gcoghill]

Constructive comments? In your first post you called the people involved in this project "idiots" and "morons" and threatened to have your dog destroy people's discs. Hardly "constructive"; destructive is more like it. Regardless, it's pretty obvious by now to anyone following this thread that you are here merely to troll, rather than engage in a discussion.

And please spare us your "I was only trying to help" sob story, you signed up on a pro-disc golf message board just to insult members and threaten to stonewall a new course, and you are surprised by the lack of a warm welcome?

I think the attitude shown here exemplifies the type of person and attitude people encounter when trying to get new courses built. I hope your "good bye" means we no longer have to hear from you on the message boards here. Somehow rather, I think we'll be getting further trolling.

[Reality Hurts]

Haha, actions are being taken behind the scenes to make sure this course never happens!

You ran your fat mouths too much!

[gcoghill]

Haha, actions are being taken behind the scenes to make sure this course never happens!

You ran your fat mouths too much!

So you sign up on this board just to taunt people, call them idiots and threaten to have your dog destroy discs, and we're the ones with the fat mouths?

And nice to know you can't rely on a fair process, if indeed you have any secret powers at all to block this course's development. Interesting that you need to resort to underhanded techniques to get your way, rather than let the process be decided on fairly. Sounds like there must be some strong momentum in favor if you need to pull strings to shoot this down.

The trolling continues…

[Reality Hurts]

Over 100 signatures collected, more coming...

[ERicJ]

So who is "Reality"? Just another keyboard commando hiding behind the anonymity of the internet.

[thadon]

any new news on the when the course is gonna be completed

[gcoghill]

I wasn't able to make it, but they just had a meeting on this course (I am on the email list with the group organizing it). Just got an email update, here is the meat of it:

I'd like to thank everyone that came to the meeting Thursday. Its a great start to the PLDGA.

I appreciate everyones efforts and I am confident we will be seeing baskets in the ground this season. A special thank you to Jerry Davis for the $20 contribution. For those of you who do not know Jerry, he is a park regular who does not disc golf. He knows the park better than anyone and we are delighted to have him on our team. Jerry has also indicated that he could help with construction of the tee signs with the 4x4s. Too cool.

Another big thank you to Dan Kilgore, who has stepped up to entirely sponsor hole #10 after we get the first nine committed.

And a special big thank you to Mark Kratzer, owner of the Quanset Hut, who has not only stepped up to sponsor 2 holes, but also has indicated getting us over the hump with another one if necessary. But, we here on the PLDGA are going to fill up the sponsor slots so fast that Mark won't have to do so. Right on? Right on!

Thanks to Lynn and Lew Stamp for attending, and for pointing us in the right directions.

And certainly a huge thank you to Mike Gamble and Derek House from mikonmedia.com for doing the portagelakesdiscgolf.com / www.pldga.com web site. This is huge for PLDGA and making us successful. THANK YOU! This site will be up and running sometime soon.

Make sure and indicate to potential sponsors that we have a website, their name/link will be on it.


No indication of the next meeting, but the more people we can get to help and to sponsor holes, the better. I plan on attending the next meeting if possible and will see if I can find out more details then.

[Reality Hurts]

Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock. Gosh, wonder why the course isn't completed yet.

[A.Mutt]

I think you are mistaken ... that clock you are hearing is the one counting down how long before you get banned again.

[Reality Hurts]

Banned for what? Telling the truth? I've already been proven correct.

Where's the course. Not a blade of grass has been moved. At this rate you should have a nice new disc golf course by about 2035.

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

[A.Mutt]

No ... for only being on here to taunt.

Unless you're twelve you really should have something better to do with your time.

[ERicJ]

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q193/ejubin/troll3.jpg

[DGtourist]

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q193/ejubin/troll3.jpg

He's pretty funny though.

[Technohic]

I have an old friend I used to go fishing with up on Portage Lake all the time and he lives nearby. he is the one that got me into disc golf but I havent talked to him for quite a while.

I'll have to give him a call. He would probably jump at the chance to help get this thing off the ground.

[Reality Hurts]

http://www.ohio.com/lifestyle/51457967.html woot competition is healthy!

[gcoghill]

More info on the course project via this Akron Beacon Journal article on Ohio.com (http://www.ohio.com/news/53535337.html).

[InsaneGoonRules]

Maybe next year..

[gcoghill]

I got an email update from the guy organizing the new course, and sounded like they were starting the cleanup of the park area this past weekend (9/19/2009). Had to wait for OK from the park director. I wasn't able to make it, but assume they are underway now.

Not sure what will be done by this year, but I think they have 9 holes ready to go at least.

[ERicJ]

They've got a website up now: http://pldga.com/

[gcoghill]

I just got this email from the guy organizing the Portage Lakes course:

Bill Griffith headed up a small meeting at the course. We can now proceed with clearing on holes #1 and #2. I have attached a map of the course. The numbers that are circled in black are now the correct holes. You can clear with pruners, rakes, axes, etc. No chain saws. Anything smaller than 2" can come down. There is strength in numbers, so lets enlist everyone we can to help. You can do this at your convenience.

Any questions you can call or email me [PM me for phone/email info]. As we proceed, the fairways will become more evident.

Bill also put up a map next to the parking lot near hole #1 along with instructions.

Also, we now have 18 holes sponsored. Gardner Pie came on board today. Go there, buy a pie and tell them who you represent.

We need one more for a practice basket.

Thanks to everyone.

Sounds like you can head out there and lend a hand whenever you have time. Going to try and head out this weekend with a few friends if I can.

http://georgecoghill.com/images/art/_temp/portage-lakes-disc-golf-course-02.jpg

[InsaneGoonRules]

Nice course, played 9 holes today, hahahaha.

[InsaneGoonRules]

Wow this course is Pristine! Can't believe they got it done in the Fall just as promised! Immaculate!

[DutchViking]

Call yourself "insane goon rules" or "reality hurts" or whatever cutesy other name you want, but the fact remains you are ignorant. Disc Golf is a great sport for anyone; cheap, relaxing and fun, Why do people get SO WORKED UP about a new disc golf course? :confused: If you don't like it, then don't play it.

This person is just trying to make people mad, or maybe his father used to punish him by chucking discs at him, making him predisposed to hate flying discs.;)

[gcoghill]

Baskets are in hand and cleanup is already underway. I haven't been out to help due to conflicting schedules, but I am on the mailing list. Probably not going to be ready this season, but it's a reality now :)

[danhyzer]

I hear a lot of good discussion but as usual not to many volenteers. I know because my friend Fleetwood and I spent 4 <beautiful Sundays, when I could of been playing or doing house work> weeks with a toal of 38 man hours cleaning up and shaping hole # 9. not all nine holes but just hole # 9. there is still plenty to do on just hole # 9. but Fleetwood and I have moved on to the next hole. If you want this course to be up and playable by springtime you live in a fantasy land. I don't see it happening with the amount of volenteers that we're getting each week. I DO thank the people that are helping, but I know there's a lot more DGer's out there that live close by that could be helping out. I wasn't there last Sunday as my friend had other plans, but I would bet that all the downed debris in the middle of the 700 foot fairway on # 9 could be picked up and distributed to the far edges of the fairway. If your unsure of what to cut down, don't cut it down. As once it's down it's down for good, thus the reason why all the big trees left on # 9. once the debris is cleared away we can take the next step. But we need more than a couple people out there. The Browns aren't that good to waste a day of watching, come on out an pitch in a little. It would be a big help.

[Matthew boals]

I've been keeping an eye on this thread. I just read that you guys got the course in! Congrats!!.....and EAT IT "insanegoonrules"/"reality hurts"! Go enjoy the hard work of REAL DG'ers.

[Matthew boals]

I've been keeping an eye on this thread. I just read that you guys got the course in! Congrats!!.....and EAT IT "insanegoonrules"/"reality hurts"! Go enjoy the hard work of REAL DG'ers.

[danhyzer]

To incourage more volenteers and to recognize the tireless volenteers that have already sacrificed so much to get this DGc to these playable conditions. I came up with a bag tag that will only be given to the people who have donated 50 man hours or more on this beautiful DGC at Portage Lakes. Now granted this bag tag isn't much, but it what it represents will make it special for thoose who will sport it on their bag.

I wish I had enough $$ to pay people to work at this DGc and to get it in the playable manner in which we invisioned from the get go. BUT WE DON'T. It's all volenteering. And with the warmer weather here I realize that we'll get fewer volenteers as most everyone is busy with they're own lives. But IMHO, if your a serious DGer (meaning you play a couple times a week and have more than a couple discs) you should be giving back some of the love that you recieve from playing DG. yes I realize that most everyone pays taxes and this is a state park. But DISC GOLF and it's courses are only as good as what the area's disc golfers choose to volenteer and do. With that said we need more people volenteering in ALL the area DGc's so others will enjoy and spread the great word of this game that we all love to play. But they're are others that just reap the benifits of the few that should be ashamed of what they haven't given back to this great game.
We're so close, but so far away in getting this DGC going. We just need some more man/ or woman hours.

ANY VOLENTEERS??

PS. for those who do give back to your local DGc's, Thanks. it's better to give than to recieve. And i'm sure your all proud of all your efforts as I am of my peers that do give back.