New DG Course Proposal

[chevis]

had a little time, so without knowing the property or distances, i mocked up a 15hole course with that screenshot. i would try to get an easement where i drew the red circle, so you then could walk from the water tower back to the rest of the course (still kinda far walk); if you don't get that, it would be really hard to connect the water tower piece because you would have to walk back that whole stretch (only room for 1 way there); i guess you could reverse one of those in the pinch point to lessen that walk.

 

[elmexdela]

That's the same conclusion I drew as well. There's not really a way to use that skinny chunk in a safe manner. Do the best you can with that larger piece. Stays away from the residential parts, too.

agreed

 

[txmxer]

This is a fun PAR 3 I played in Wilmington NC last year--I was curious how much acreage it used and roughly, this is 21 acres, 18 holes, longest is about 250'. I only played it once, but my recollection is that it was fairly compact, but not a lot of concern with throwing in to the fairway of another hole or hitting people on other parts of the course.

That implies to me that a comparable 9 hole course would likely fit neatly in to the area you have available and maintain a buffer from the residential areas.

Arrowhead Park

 

[Steve West]

...
A handful of neighbors use it to dump yard waste.

Uh-oh! You might as well circle that area and rule it out. Seriously.

 

[roblee]

Yeah, I'm thinking a family-friendly/beginner's course (i.e., 150' holes), just in the wide part of the parcel and well away from the houses, is the best use of that property.

This seems like a good approach rather than trying to squeeze in a max # of holes. Experiment with maybe 6 holes & rubber tee mats in the NW section as a true beginner/pitch n putt. It can be expanded or removed if warranted.

 

[roblee]

What about the parking lot & the building there. Public or private?

 

[Puckstopper]

Family friendly 9 holer seems like the only way to go after seeing the land. Prior to the screenshot I was going to suggest using the resources of an 18 hole course to create a really top notch 9 hole course that could play like 18 (2 tees, 2 pins, etc...) but I just don't see a way to do that in a fashion that would excite disc golfers and be considerate of the community.

Things that are worth considering:

Make sure there's a trash can at every hole. Will it eliminate dirtbags pitching stuff on the ground? Of course not, but it will help.

Use something like MVP's chain silencing sleeve at any hole location near homes.

Sometimes a courteous reminder that people live nearby goes a long way. A course I play frequently has a house within 150' of a particularly difficult tee position. There is a LARGE sign asking players to play quietly and respect the neighbors (Hole 11 at Deerfield Original in Mt. Pleasant, Mi). If you look at the pic, you can understand that there might be a little profanity even with the sign, but there would be a LOT more without it.

Engage with the community. Demonstrate/or discuss any nuisance mitigation efforts you're making to them (those chain silencers make for a great demo and would show you're being proactive about concerns) and be open minded about suggestions they may have.

Best of luck with this! It seems like you're taking a reasonable and thoughtful approach, and even if this parcel doesn't work out, hopefully the knowledge you're accumulating helps you succeed elsewhere.

 

[ChrisWoj]

Those folks will NOT want to have people retrieving discs from their yards. They won't want to hear music or yelling. They won't even want to hear chains clanging. -Now, don't get me wrong; they don't own this land and the Park's Commission can just approve and build it, but we want to work with residents as much as possible. Or, if needed, vote down the proposal.
What are your thoughts? Are there ways to abate noise and appease the neighbors? Do you have any successes in your areas? What concerns would you think might come up at a P&R meeting and how could they be addressed?
I'm hoping there are some design elements that can eliminate the trespasses, but you know, I hate to approve a park that results in phone calls for park staff as well...

1. Abate noise? Maintain shrubs/bushes. Do not do any clearing within say 75-100 ft of the homes. Let those bushes grow. MAYBE include a single path in from each side of the park, so neighbors have the option of easily getting to the course if they want to play, but make sure that sign is clearly labeled at the opening that they are walking into a flying disc area and that the path will only proceed to a certain hole's tee, after which point it becomes a disc golf course not a walking area.

2. To enable the above - keep it small. Do something fun like a very beginner friendly 9 holer with a broad variety of very short par 3s with unique shapes, maybe even a par 4 and a par 5 that are both very short and enabled by choke points or sharp bends through the woods - keeping the holes around 150' to 200' for par 3s, and even the par 5 should be around 450' max. Just think small with wide and inviting friendly fairways and maximize the variety of the shot shapes in lieu of distance.

3. If you have not already get a surveyor out there to do an updated map of the property boundaries. My area had a short course locally where they trusted the township's parks to know the boundaries of their park and our community got screwed 9 months after install when 2 holes had to be completely removed and 2 had to have a tee or basket moved - which in turn impacted everything else because those holes had to be fit entirely into a space where we'd already felt like we were maxing out the usage. About 1/3 of the course had to be redesigned, which meant losing dozens and dozens of man hours of work on those original fairways, and new ones being cut out - criss-crossing former fairways that time had to reclaim.

 

[roblee]

keeping holes short, not cramming too many in, & throwing away from property lines may make a perimeter walking path a compatible option. Useful for maintenance access.

having trash barrels requires a solid plan to empty them. Consider a LNT/pack it in pack it out option with a commitment from the club to monitor. I'm tired of enabling and encouraging lazy inconsiderate jerks to simply leave their trash on the course.

What happens when it rains? Flood zone? Storm water pooling? Mud?

 

[ChrisWoj]

What happens when it rains? Flood zone? Storm water pooling? Mud?

Oh yeah this is seriously great advice for any new course. Make sure you take an entire springtime season to monitor the property and identify the areas where water will sit. Design the layout accordingly to miss the low areas, if at all possible and especially if you won't be able to get fill in there.

 

[Awf Hand]

Lots of good info here! I'm glad to hear from folks that don't have a vested interest in this site as far as design considerations. That's incredibly helpful!! THANK YOU so much!
I look forward to hearing from our local club to see how design can maybe help this be compatible with nearby neighbors. The chain silencers will help. A layout that has long and mid-range drives towards the inside will help. I'd guess the trash cans are a non-starter as staff doesn't need the additional workload. We'll need to see what our local club can offer for that type of maintenance. Drainage won't be an issue. This area is well above the water table and is very sandy. Apocalypse level rains would go away in no time.
We'll have an understanding of the property lines before the proposals are accepted.
Now we wait and see what proposal comes forward and see how or if they fit this parcel.

-Many folks haven't ever been part of a city or civic board or commission or committee. We've got a lot of considerations to examine on every proposal. I don't get paid for my role. It's just fun to be involved. If you get a chance in your communities, try it.

Thanks again for all the input!!

 

[biscoe]

-Many folks haven't ever been part of a city or civic board or commission or committee. We've got a lot of considerations to examine on every proposal. I don't get paid for my role. It's just fun to be involved. If you get a chance in your communities, try it.

I have been and I am pretty sure your definition of "fun" and mine differ pretty radically.

I do encourage everyone to take part in bettering their local community though.