Beaver Ranch Issues

[roggenb3]

This does need it's own thread, so it doesn't clog the Movement in Top 10 or Colorado Courses Update Threads.

And I was bored, so....

FWIW-

Here is what the Beaver Ranch Facebook page posted on Sunday:

Beaver Ranch Disc Golf Course's mission is to provide the public with the most enjoyable mountain Disc Golf that the United States has to offer. Most of you are unfamiliar with the backend work that goes into keeping this incredible course operational, as well as the financial obligations that must be met in order for the course to exist. Fall of 2016, the Beaver Ranch Disc Golf Course was on the razors edge of being shut down due to insufficient gross income and the lack of stewardship with the land. Current management has worked hard to create a sustainable business model and a responsible land stewardship approach. A small number of you have expressed your concern for the changes, in truth these changes are what was necessary to keep the course operational for many years to come. The reality of any healthy business is that there are financial responsibilities that need to take priority in order for any sort of longevity to exist. Although we are grateful for the volunteer work provided to establish the course roughly 10 years ago, we simply can not take a substantial financial loss in what is one of the busiest weekends of the year in our seasonal business. A small few have represented themselves and their respectable club in a very poor light by posting violent and hateful comments. We do appreciate constructive criticism, however any comments deemed hateful or nonconstructive will be deleted. We are committed to our stated mission, and are excited more than ever to offer up the best course experience possible. Thank you for all of the fantastic support through the years.

-B.R.D.G.C.

Review 1:

Pros: Great course layout, multiple tees and pin positions, well maintained, great amenities. Of course, all of this was made possible by the local club, The Foothill Flyers, who selflessly gave time, money and baskets to make this course possible.

Cons: New owner, unwillingness to be a part of the local dg community, inability to cooperate and compromise with those who made the course possible, the owner's lack of respect and willingness to lie.

Other Thoughts: I can't say enough good things about the course itself, though I won't, because every other review had enumerated these qualities. This review concerns the new owners, of a course on Public Land, and their total abandonment of the local club and community that made BR possible. They have not only decided to turn their backs on us, deciding to not support our biggest tournament, The Bloom, but have chosen to lie about the reasons why. This person would not have control of such a beautiful course without the hundreds upon hundreds of volunteer hours, donated money and baskets, and goodwill of an amazing local club. And yet, when tasked with continuing to support the club, they have ignored us and chosen to disseminate false information as to why. Be sure, they care only about how much money they can extract from their patrons ($12/day?? Haha!) And not at all about being good stewards of a beautiful course, nor about being a contributing member of the community.
I urge everyone and anyone thinking of playing here to drive a little further to the Bailey DGC to play a better, more challenging, cheaper course, supported by good people who support the local community and Foothill Flyers. On top of that, rather than spend your money at BR, consider attending a Foothill Flyers tag match that will likely take place at one of many private courses in the area, owned by people who also care about your experience more than they do about trading your money.
It's a sad state of affairs that this great course has fallen into the hands of greedy, lying, untrustworthy owners, but that's the reality. Please vote with your wallets and go elsewhere. New ownership is needed, and stat.

Review 2:

Pros: Beaver Ranch was once an amazing course, run by people who actually had disc golfers' best interests in mind.

Cons: However, new management has made it clear that they have no respect for disc golfers, and that their only interest is to line their pockets as much as possible. Too much money is being withheld from the course as a result of their greed, and course renovation and upkeep is at a loss.

Other Thoughts: I will longer play Beaver Ranch, or support anyone with such little disregard for our wonderful disc golf community. If I'm ever in the area now, I will be driving 10 minutes up the road to play Bailey DGC

Discussion from "Movement in Top 10 Thread":

This story needs it's own thread. It certainly looks like it could carry one, on its own.

Sounds like they didn't want to host a tourney on Memorial Day weekend...

There seems to be an increase in entitlement among disc golfers when pay to play is involved, that in my opinion is unhealthy. Disc golfers have no clue what it takes to install and maintain a course, year in and year out. If you volunteer, great, but that does not buy carte blanche access forever. At some point, a course needs to pay for itself.
So, go ahead and slam HighBridge, Maple Hill,Black Falls,Paw Paw, Bucksnort,Sugaree... Private course owners can only take so much, before they throw in the towel.

Well put Mando. We had to change our policy this past fall . In late October the course was severely damaged by 100mph winds. The estimated cost of cleanup has been in the 10's of thousands of dollars. We now require a tee time and $10 fee to play the course. Kids under 10 play for free. The other day someone stole our sign and destroyed our information sign. This was at the top of the driveway, course enterance where there is a locked gate.

We have had many unsavory people in the past visit the course. Baskets have been stolen and other damages to my property have been caused by disc golfers. We are hoping that the new policy will help weed out some of the bad.

Wow. I "niced" your post, in appreciation of it, but realized that "nice" wasn't exactly appropriate.

The respect for private course, or in some cases lack of it, certainly has a bearing on the Top 10---with so many of the top 10 or 25 courses being private. This is not the first time we've seen a highly-rated course bashed over a personal matter.

Almost happened to Browns Farm in Western New York, the state was claiming the land was to be used for Agriculture only when the guy who bought it from the original owners was trying to update the baskets for a proper not homemade disc golf baskets. Enough of the Disc Golf community helped save the course, however the guy is trying to keep the course exactly how it was when he bought it to the exact detail besides getting new disc golf baskets. Sad as it needed a bit of trimming when bought from the Original Owners. My uncle tried fixing Browns Farm to what it was a few years before the Original Owners stopped taking care of it, while trying to sell the Property. Now there are 2 courses On New York State Park land closer to where my relatives live then that 35 minute drive. Better courses too.

I think there is a misunderstanding here. From what I hear, the local club put in the thousands of hours of course work over a decade. Someone new takes over and doesn't allow said local club to hold annual tourney there. This and charging more and making other administrative changes, etc. That may be why the locals are pissed.
This is hearsay from 1,000 miles away, so take it however you want.

This topic really needs its own thread.

 

[F. Howl]

Do those reviewers post on here? I'd like to hear their side of the story.

The course my friend and I run our weekly safari on is about to change management, and I'm expecting some conflict. Ours is a dinky little par 3 golf course in Burbank, though, not a beautiful piece of land like Conifer. If that was "my" home course I'd be a little more defensive.

 

[wellsbranch250]

IMO the second negative review on Beaver Ranch should be removed.

Cons: However, new management has made it clear that they have no respect for disc golfers, and that their only interest is to line their pockets as much as possible. Too much money is being withheld from the course as a result of their greed, and course renovation and upkeep is at a loss.

it does not uphold the review rules and every one of the listed cons on that review could be considered slander.

##Do not give an artificially low/high rating to try to influence the overall rating. Please give an honest rating.##

 

[Doofenshmirtz]

People who are unwilling to pay $12/day (or, really any amount of money) to play a top-rated course are included in the number one problem in disc golf. By contrast, I used to pay about $5 to play a little, 9-hole municipal golf course in the 1980s (a roughly equivalent amount when inflation is factored in). No one complained about the price, not even my similarly poor student friends. But, one thing's for certain, the quality of player is certain to go up at Beaver Ranch.

 

[TimSyl]

Yet another example of why it's going to be awhile until someone can run a profitable disc golf course. Too many folks want quality courses, but don't want to pay, or if they do pay, they want it be be the equivalent of a Mickey Ds happy meal.

 

[InnocentCrook]

$12 for a day pass at that course is a steal. What was the price prior to the "ownership" change?

I can't remember what I paid when I played there a few years back, probably 5 or 10 bucks. All I remember is a beautiful disc golf course in an amazing setting.

 

[DavidSauls]

Starting to look like an organized hit---look at all the "likes" those attack-reviews are getting.

 

[mrclc]

I'm pretty sure it was $10 when I played in March of 2015. Why are the locals upset? Surely it can't just be a $2 price increase?

 

[Future_Primitive]

Man Colorado would take quite the hit with Bucksnort (possibly) closing down and now the locals doing their best to shut down Beaver Ranch. Glad I got to play Beaver back in 2014/2015 and had zero regrets paying to play such a beautiful course. Surely there is more to the story than a $2.00 increase and moving a tournament right? Geez.

 

[InnocentCrook]

Starting to look like an organized hit---look at all the "likes" those attack-reviews are getting.

I jumped on the Foothills Flyer FB page to see what was up and there's definitely a guy telling people to review the course on FB, Google, etc. to voice their opinion.

Heading that way in a couple weeks with my bro in law but we'll be bypassing the courses on rt. 285 to play others we haven't hit before.

 

[markmcc]

Starting to look like an organized hit---look at all the "likes" those attack-reviews are getting.

I agree. Neither of those are reviews of the course. They are complaints about changes in administration.

 

[DavidSauls]

I'm sure all that's going to patch up relations with the management.

 

[Noill]

This seems petty... The reviews are for courses not relationship issues. Sure, throw in a few comments about it in the cons or other thoughts section...after that, it's all course baby.

 

[khyland]

People seem to be mostly upset that the course will not allow them to use it for a local tournament called the Bloom, which has traditionally used this course and another to hold the tournament. Now it is being held on the one other course since this new management thinks that making money that weekend is more important, which is what this line seems to be referring to, "we simply can not take a substantial financial loss in what is one of the busiest weekends of the year in our seasonal business."

 

[Stardoggy]

It sounds like a bunch of unwashed disc golfers that have zero idea of what is needed to keep a great private course up and running...especially in a place with a short-ish season. Disc golfers are the worst.

 

[pearlybakerbest]

Their club put countless man hours of volunteer work to make this course what it is. The new management is nearsighted to start a feud with the club over the bloom because 1. the concessions that can be sold on a tournament weekend 2. the power of discgolf clubs within certain regions. Whatever loss they might incur from transients not being able to play one weekend out of the summer doesn't seem worth it. Locals are what make a good course, their not the ones to piss off.

 

[Noill]

So, the dude who bought the course now owes something to the club? Nah man...the guy who sold it profitted directly from the improvements made by the club. He should have thrown some appreciation money back to the club. New owner owes this club nothing at all.

 

[roggenb3]

Their club put countless man hours of volunteer work to make this course what it is. The new management is nearsighted to start a feud with the club over the bloom because 1. the concessions that can be sold on a tournament weekend 2. the power of discgolf clubs within certain regions. Whatever loss they might incur from transients not being able to play one weekend out of the summer doesn't seem worth it. Locals are what make a good course, their not the ones to piss off.

Eh, I definitely side with BR on this one. DGers are crazy cheap; they will make way more on day passes than they will selling concessions to the cheapest sports demographic in existence. Not to mention the fact that the day pass buying people will also be buying concessions, and they aren't losing more money in the form of time and effort running the event.

I get that you don't want to anger the locals that made you, but the FB post quoted here sounds, to me, like a completely reasonable adult explaining their decision making.

And then rather than accept that, or try to work with the owners to keep a good relationship, the locals get all butt hurt and spam one of their best and probably most well known course all over here, and FB, and everywhere else.

Talk about petulant.

 

[biscoe]

I am still confused as to whether or not the property is publicly owned.

 

[ODRB]

Disc golfers are the worst.

Quoted for truth.

I look forward to playing there, with you, later this summer.