Request: Info from successful course developers

[apparition]

Today, I officially declare that getting a course built in my home city is my #1 disc golf goal. I would really appreciate if anyone on DGCR can send me some of the documents they used that actually lead to successfully raised funding to get a course established. This is ground up and I'd love all the advice you can give.

I'll be using the search function here on DGCR extensively, but I also welcome anyone prerubing me toward good posts

I also have the information from the PDGA http://www.pdga.com/course-development

So, where is this course going to be built?
Bay City, MI

[apparition]

The County Executive would like us to put on a presentation on how the course can benefit the community. Part of this presentation must be: completed course layout, references from communities where disc golf is present, and fundraising proposals.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Steve West]

Don't fall for the "we need a complete course layout to even think about it" ploy.

Instead, ask what concerns they have that would be addressed by seeing a layout. Explain that these can be alleviated by establishing proper constraints on the course.

Now, to put on my cynical hat: Do they have someone on staff who is qualified to evaluate a layout? If not, why are they asking for one?

Perhaps they have done their homework and found out that designers cost money so they are trying to trick you into giving them a free design.

Or, perhaps someone is laying a trap. Maybe they are hoping your layout will have some sort of flaw they can exploit to disapprove the course. As in: "Aha! Your layout has a tee right in the middle of the future tot lot we didn't tell you about. Obviously, there is no way we can ever approve a disc golf course!"

[jeverett]

Originally Posted by Steve West

Don't fall for the "we need a complete course layout to even think about it" ploy.

Instead, ask what concerns they have that would be addressed by seeing a layout. Explain that these can be alleviated by establishing proper constraints on the course.

In my experience, a lot of non-disc-golfers don't really have any idea of the scale of a disc golf course (and of course this is different depending on the intended skill level (and associated Par) of the course), so really what they're often asking when they want a layout is "how much space does the course need"? That's typically easier to provide than a finalized course layout, although doing some estimating/testing/checking on the ground is essential to be sure that you could really fit everything *safely* into the course area.

We recently got a 9-hole course approved locally (Springfield, OR), and the planners put a course area into their (draft) park master plan without actually verifying if a 9-hole white-level course would even fit (again, safely) in the space provided (I was able to confirm it did).

[apparition]

Great news!

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/i...rs_in_tal.html

This article shows the county's willingness to see a course built!

And thank you, guys, for your advice. I plan to heed all advice given to me.

[donnyv]

Glad to hear that there is still hope for a course in Bay City. The courses I helped put in where both funded by the county-wide millage for park improvements.
Keep us posted on your quest in putting dg course in a state park. There is state-owned land all over Mi that has potential areas for a dg course.

[harr0140]

I know the owner of a landscape company who also has a nursery and he used to be a professional frisbee (mostly guts) player back in the day. I took him out to play a course when I went over there to visit him this past summer and he had a good time.

I am a course designer (well I have designed 1 course and am working on getting it installed in the coming months). I also have 20 years of experience in lawn/landscape maintenance and installation as well as golf course maintenance.

I will offer my assistance via email if you need to ask any questions. I just want to make sure that courses going in are done well and correctly so that they will be sustainable courses.

Of course I would be open to offering my services for hire, but I am 7 hours away by car.

Let me know if you need anything.

Mike
The Disc Golf Experience LLC

[apparition]

We have a small plot of land we're working on approval for a 2-3 hole practice course, but finding a plot of land for a full course is one problem. This wouldn't be a problem if there were a standard way to drive basket anchors into the ground instead of digging and pouring concrete. The city is currently exploring the option of doing just that - driving a post deep into the ground that would support a basket with some kind of locking mechanism to prevent theft. Not likely. I've brought up the idea of above ground baskets, but they'd be more expensive and more permanent, which I'm not sure the city is ready to commit to.