up and running
the first phase- 12 holes- is up and running. the first weekend has gone smoothly and the public response has been extremely good. i will be posting this course on the website sometime this week. i am going to try and get some picture uploaded, too. in the meantime, here are a couple of items of interest:
this is totally different and unrelated to the Capaha course. I have offered, volunteered, contacted, and pleaded with the city to change some things about that course. i have been flat out told that it is the university's responsibility and the city is done with it- even though it is on city property. the course could be fixed to address the safety issues, and it could be done for free. i know because i have offered. i think they took such a beating on the review boards that they have just quit. i DO appreciate the effort they put forth. they got the disc rolling in cape and this new course probably wouldn't have happened if not for their efforts. despite the reviews the course has gotten, the Capaha Park course has still been played very heavily and usually quite busy. until today.
there have been no Rush sightings. yet. i doubt there ever will be. it is a fair amount of walking up and down slopes and hills. doesn't seem like his thing....
we are working on the poison ivy. it is an issue in some areas along the wood lines. in the meantime, i suggest that after you finish playing, give yourself a wash with some technu or zanfel. i have been in and out of the poison ivy all throughout the development of the course, and have found that using the washes DOES work. when i use it, i don't get any rashes.
it southeast missouri. in the summer. with woods. get some bug spray. mosquitoes have not been an issue, but there are ticks in the area. bug spray helps.
between holes 12 and 13, use the mulched path. we cut it in and installed a drainage culvert so people wouldn't have to back track around to hole 13.
hole 15 will have trees planted on it. this has been a dry and hot year so far. there just hasn't been a good time to plant trees we want on that hole. rather than throwing money down the drain, we are waiting until fall or a rare midwest monsoon to get them in.
there has been some talk of putting in a crosswalk between holes 14 and 15. the county parks people are basically waiting to see what the natural walking path people take will be before setting one up.
there are a few minor issues with the tee pads. a few people would like to see them a bit longer- although they are quite large already. i cannot promise anything, but i hope to be able to address these issues in the near future.
because of the lay of the land, the course is pretty RHBH friendly for now, with a couple of holes - 3, 7 and 14 being harder shots for LHBH throwers. if you are a lefty, forehand throws will be important on these if you cannot throw anhyzer shots.
the final 6 holes will be back in the woods: 2 holes right after hole 3 (which is currently in a temporary position, but who knows? people have really seemed to like this basket placement) and 4 holes between holes 7 and 12. these will be shorter, technical, wooded shots. i intend to make these a bit more favorable to LHBH tossers. these holes are already mapped out. the parks and rec people do not have the time needed to go into the woods and clear the flight paths, so it will be up to volunteer work to get these done. the parks people will be taking care of the tee pads and basket installation. basically, the faster the community works on getting these in, the sooner we will have a full 18.
trash cans and benches are forthcoming. we know, we know, we know. they are needed, but they cost money. as we acquire more sponsors and after we have a few small tourneys, we will get those in. maybe the park will take the initiative on this and get them in first.
if you have any questions or concerns about it, post them here for the time being. i will address them to the best of my ability. i designed it; the buck stops here. anyone who will be in the area and wants to play it can feel free to post something here and i will do my best to try and make it out to meet with you and walk the course through with you. suggestions are welcome and i would appreciate any input offered. the six holes in the woods are mapped and planned, but I am open to suggestions. We do want the best course possible.
Special thanks to Sam Davis. He definitely hasn't gotten the credit he deserves for all his help on this. He has been out there nearly every time i have been there: throwing the holes, clearing trees and brush, coming up with ideas, and playing devils advocate. He was out there more than any other volunteer and this wouldn't be the course it is without him. so if you are out there and you see a big black dude with a kickass handlebar mustache- thank him.
