Boy Scout designed courses

[Sadjo]

I have been asked twice in one day (last Friday) to work with a Boy Scout on a Disc Golf course project. In both cases I know the scout's dad through my work and both of the dads were helping their sons find something for their Eagle Scout project.

I agreed to help and in both cases even offered to sponsor one of the holes being that fund raising is a big part for these type projects.

So here's the question...how envolved should I get? My biggest worry is a design that isn't very good but I also don't want to over step or discourage the scout.

 

[zenbot]

Eagle Scout projects are more about the kid organizing something. It's OK if he doesn't do all the work. In fact, he shouldn't be. It's about delegation and involving the community. Help as much as he needs help. Run things past him so he's still involved in the decision making process but in the end it would be a disservice if he made a course nobody will use because the design 5ux0r3d.

 

[S.Cann]

I would definitely be involved. Especially if he's not a disc golfer. A poor design on great space made available would be a shame.

On another note, where will these courses be?

 

[DSCJNKY]

What Zenbot said... most of the project is about the kid organizing the community to help do something. He is supposed to help, but is not supposed to be the expert. He's supposed to learn how to do it right.

I had an eagle scout build a kiosk for one of my hiking trails. The kiosk design called for a lot of rock work. He had a local mason come out and do the brick laying. The eagle scout just brought him the bricks and mixed the mortar.

DSCJNKY

 

[Sadjo]

@ Sam...one will be in the upstate while the other will be in Northeast GA. The land for the course in GA is secure. The land for the one in the upstate isn't but that land the scout will ask for was discussed for a potential course a year or so ago.

Sorry I can't be more specific...I try to keep things close to the chest until agreements are in writting.

I'm also working on a deal for an 18 pay to play in western NC...but won't let anything on that be known beyond me working on it because I don't want to take any chances.

 

[Sean Johnson]

Eagle Scout projects are more about the kid organizing something. It's OK if he doesn't do all the work. In fact, he shouldn't be. It's about delegation and involving the community. Help as much as he needs help. Run things past him so he's still involved in the decision making process but in the end it would be a disservice if he made a course nobody will use because the design 5ux0r3d.

This /\. And FWIW, I was a cub/boy scout for many years.

 

[bcr123psu]

Another vote for what zenny said. Chimney Rock DGC in Bridgewater, NJ is a Boy Scout project. I'm not going to say it's a crappy course because it definitely has some interesting aspects, but it could have benefited from stronger guidance.

 

[Mongo97]

Another Boy Scout course - Avery Preserve.

The course will be around long after the Boy Scouts come and go, help where you can to make a good one.

 

[BrotherDave]

Yes, in my experience anything boy scouts do is horrible. Please, make sure this course doesn't bomb.

 

[Steve West]

Disc Golf in Support of Scouting Training Module

In short, even if you do the whole design, it's OK. The scout's job is to find/motivate/organize people to do all the things that need to be done, not to DO all the things that need to be done.

 

[KniceZ]

Some Councils can get a little too exteme with requiring the scout to be in charge but generally they don't expect the youth to plan everything. I've seen Eagle projects that built large picnic shelter, or a pretty extensive hiking bridge over a river, or several other structures that any city/county government would expect a Prof Eng certification before granting a building permit.

As an Eagle Scout and Scoutmaster, my recommendation would be to help a lot with the design so it turns out to be a good course, but don't push the youth aside and hand him a design. Eagle projects are supposed to be about the youth learning leadership and coordination.

Besides, let's not give BroD another reason to slam one of the best youth organizations this country has ever seen. :thmbup:

 

[KniceZ]

Just to follow-up, in the link the Steve provided it specifically says that it's okay that "an expert provide the design for the course related aspects of the project. The Scout is not supposed to do all the work, but instead to provide leadership." It also goes on to say that even if the Scout wants to do the design, that it should be reviewed by a disc golf course designer to make sure that it complies with all the PDGA design standards.

 

[drickanderson]

I'm just going to agree with what others have said here. If you're being asked to aid in the design of the course, then in that context, you are the expert and you should treat the request as such. Go over your plan with the scout, and explain the decisions that you've made so that he understands what is being done and why. If he plays disc golf, he may have some input and you should listen to it. Maybe agree to incorporate one or two of his ideas (or more if they're good), and explain to him why you disagree with the others.

This is a learning process for the scout, and his role is to delegate, manage and oversee the project through completion.

 

[Dadio]

Please provide all guidance necessary for a playable course! Local Boy Scout designs range from really unimpressive to unplayable. Too bad, can tell some effort went into them but didn't know disc golf.

 

[Sadjo]

I've played a few scout designed/installed courses. The one in Estherville IA is the one I played most since I used to live there. Each hole is fairly nice but over all the design has issues with several shared fairways and having one tee box in the middle of a different holes fairway.

There is a scout course in Clemson not too far from where I live. Its a real short heavily wooded course that looks as if there was no to little thought on what a fairway is or should be.

Being that both these scouts are sons of clients, I think its a great opportunity.

 

[koogs]

I've played a few scout designed/installed courses. The one in Estherville IA is the one I played most since I used to live there. Each hole is fairly nice but over all the design has issues with several shared fairways and having one tee box in the middle of a different holes fairway.

Wow, yeah, some experienced guidance would have been really helpful there.:doh:

 

[puttlikeablowfly]

The new 9-holer in Jackson, WI is an Eagle Scout project. It's not a bad little course, but there were definitely a few relatively minor design modifications that, in my mind, would have made the course much better. I can't claim to know what restrictions the parks dept had, but there seemed to be some lost opportunities and a couple of safety concerns.

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=4592

 

[Skin5482]

Another Eagle Scout disc golf course

Mayfair Park Westchester, IL

 

[bcr123psu]

Youch.

 

[New013]

this is what i took from this thread...

we need to go out and recruit boyscouts to approach their leaders and local governments to build courses...

we also need to make sure that the boyscouts do very little of the course design and more of the manual labor...