Executing The Dream

[JeremyKShort]

We're getting along on our course. I never imagined how much stuff there is out there to trim back. We keep trimming back and keep finding more and more to trim. Mainly overgrown thorny stuff. We try to leave the trees there, just trim down where you can walk around them if you throw into the crap.

On the plus side, we haven't had any baskets disappear, so maybe the neighbors are going to leave us alone. We also had a crazy idea about a hanging basket. We were going to mount the basket under the tree, but a friend recommended we hang it. I'd seen pics of all the hanging baskets on DGCR and never thought to try it.

I really like how it turned out. Right now it's a fair bit higher than a typical basket, but we've got a lot of leftover cable so we can adjust the height after playing it a bit.

 

[Menacewarf]

This was one of the cool dreams that is coming alive. When I designed the course I wanted to put an elevated island in. Maybe 6 inches up and surround by rocks. Somethig simple but different. I got an email saying they were tweaking my design. It is now 28 inches high in front 40 inches in the back. It's 45 feet round. It is so much cooler then I had imagined. It's great to see someone take your idea and make it so much sweeter

Looks great. You should recommend a little landscape plan to set it off even more.

 

[Menacewarf]

We're getting along on our course. I never imagined how much stuff there is out there to trim back. We keep trimming back and keep finding more and more to trim. Mainly overgrown thorny stuff. We try to leave the trees there, just trim down where you can walk around them if you throw into the crap.

On the plus side, we haven't had any baskets disappear, so maybe the neighbors are going to leave us alone. We also had a crazy idea about a hanging basket. We were going to mount the basket under the tree, but a friend recommended we hang it. I'd seen pics of all the hanging baskets on DGCR and never thought to try it.

I really like how it turned out. Right now it's a fair bit higher than a typical basket, but we've got a lot of leftover cable so we can adjust the height after playing it a bit.

Cool. I have one raised on a wood box 6 inches, another on the edge of a 50 foot ravine, and one up on a mound of dirt about 24".

 

[Menacewarf]

A nice sunset from the property recently. Although it's been frigid the golf has been great lately with the snow limited to a thin crust. Shot a -4 on 10 yesterday and a -2 today. New video coming soon.

 

[Rockiesfan4ever]

I enjoy reading this, hope the course works out well for you. I can't wait till I can design my own course on my land

 

[hempies]

We're getting along on our course. I never imagined how much stuff there is out there to trim back. We keep trimming back and keep finding more and more to trim. Mainly overgrown thorny stuff. We try to leave the trees there, just trim down where you can walk around them if you throw into the crap.

On the plus side, we haven't had any baskets disappear, so maybe the neighbors are going to leave us alone. We also had a crazy idea about a hanging basket. We were going to mount the basket under the tree, but a friend recommended we hang it. I'd seen pics of all the hanging baskets on DGCR and never thought to try it.

I really like how it turned out. Right now it's a fair bit higher than a typical basket, but we've got a lot of leftover cable so we can adjust the height after playing it a bit.

If you cut 2x4's into 6" lengths and slip them under the chain/cable it wont dig into the tree. If the tree is a softer wood it'll help protect the branch from the rubbing and swinging of the basket.

 

[mashnut]

If you cut 2x4's into 6" lengths and slip them under the chain/cable it wont dig into the tree. If the tree is a softer wood it'll help protect the branch from the rubbing and swinging of the basket.

I've seen rubber conduit used in a similar way and it's a little less noticeable from an aesthetic point of view. Either way it's probably a good idea to do something to keep it from damaging the tree enough that you expose it to disease and other things that it can normally protect itself against.

 

[JeremyKShort]

I've seen rubber conduit used in a similar way and it's a little less noticeable from an aesthetic point of view. Either way it's probably a good idea to do something to keep it from damaging the tree enough that you expose it to disease and other things that it can normally protect itself against.

That may be what we go with. I'm going to have to take that one down soon so I can add the inner layer of chains, so I'll probably put it on there then. Fortunately the InStep baskets are pretty light, so it's not going to as much damage as a Discatcher.

 

[Menacewarf]

That may be what we go with. I'm going to have to take that one down soon so I can add the inner layer of chains, so I'll probably put it on there then. Fortunately the InStep baskets are pretty light, so it's not going to as much damage as a Discatcher.

Anything hung like that will tend to choke off the cambium (living undifferentiated cells) and phloem (passage for sucrose down the tree) which certainly isn't helpful, although some trees are strong enough to overcome this. I'm not really sure the weight would matter as much as the thickness of whatever is slung over the branch in terms of the trees ability to grow around it and re-establish those connections but I'm sure weight factors in somewhat.

 

[DanPhillips]

This thread is a good read. I bought my house and land this past November and I am planning the same thing. I put 9 holes on the existing cleared land already (I had to clear 2 holes to connect things) I am in the process of designing the rest of the course.

I have 95 acres In eastern Ontario so clearing is easy right now but will be tough in a month or so.

My land is flat and somewhat featureless very heavily wooded so it will be a big undertaking to clear the back 9. The previous owner made x country ski trails through out the land so I have the start of some nice fairways. Its nice to see others doing the same thing. I am jealous of your elevation but I will be happy when I can come home from work and play 18 in my back yard with my dogs.

 

[Menacewarf]

The elevation is a blessing and a curse. I look at more moderate train when I drive around and droole but we have to play the hand we are dealt. My goal is to try to take as much positives from the elevation while minimizing the negatives.

Plus side

-intreast to greens
-Potential for amazing downhill shots
-possibility for uniquely angled holes going up

negatives to mitigate

-make uphill hiking as easy as possible
Dig nice cotoured hiking trails
Eliminate any extra uphill walking ( don't go up the same elevation twice)
-Designing around bottomless pits (nobody likes to have to climb way down while everyone else watches)
-Making a series of uphill holes fun enough to mitigate the "upward slog" feeling of going up for a sustained time (which is kind of inevitable on my land)

That last point is a big one and is what I have thought about a lot this winter for the upper section of the property.

 

[Menacewarf]

This thread is a good read. I bought my house and land this past November and I am planning the same thing. I put 9 holes on the existing cleared land already (I had to clear 2 holes to connect things) I am in the process of designing the rest of the course.

I have 95 acres In eastern Ontario so clearing is easy right now but will be tough in a month or so.

My land is flat and somewhat featureless very heavily wooded so it will be a big undertaking to clear the back 9. The previous owner made x country ski trails through out the land so I have the start of some nice fairways. Its nice to see others doing the same thing. I am jealous of your elevation but I will be happy when I can come home from work and play 18 in my back yard with my dogs.

You have the opposite problem of needing to create intreast without the third dimension as an aide, which means you will have to utilize the other design elements to their fullest.

 

[DanPhillips]

I agree this website has been a great help for identifying what those elements are. I have not been playing long and haven't played a lot of courses so it is hard to visualize. The sport is not very popular up here. My local club serves an area of around 1.3 million people and has 40-50 active members. We only have 1 public course and it is a 9 hole pitch and put. There are a couple of good private courses within an hours drive though.

 

[JeremyKShort]

I just added inner chains to one of the InStep baskets. It's amazing how much it changes the basket. It grabs shots to the sides much better, and putts with a lot of speed on them stay in easier. I'm going to add inner chains to our hanging baskets, as well as add a rubber hose around the wire like many of you suggested. It hasn't cut much into the bark much at all at this point, so I think it'll be fine.

 

[Menacewarf]

Yah after the growth period when the trees are putting on new woody growth would be when you might start to e damage but I think it would take a season or two to see damage to the tree. Nice to hear about your extra chains. That's on my list this year. It amazes me how if I stand 5 feet away and put full speed on an Instep, I get maybe 10% to stick. Likely less. Like 0% with ice on the chains. It don't bug me too much as it is because I just have to spend the money but It will be great to have double chains.

How much a basket is it?
I had in my head it would be 100-200 for 9 baskets worth of chain but I could be off.

 

[JeremyKShort]

It takes about 13 - 14 feet of chain to do a basket, plus 14 s-hooks and and a 4" ring at the bottom. Best chain I could find in town was about .79 a foot, and s-hooks ran me about .30 each. I know I can get them in bulk online cheaper. It cost me about $45 to upgrade 2 baskets, and I had a little bit left over. $100 for nine is not an unreasonable estimate. The chain I got is not an exact match for the InStep chain, it actually looks nearly identical to what I see on the Discatchers. It doesn't bother me that the chain is a bit different, but if you're OCD it may drive you loopy.

The wire had left just a small mark on the bark. It's an oak, so the bark is pretty thick stuff. I went ahead and put the wire through a rubber fuel line. It's pretty stout, so it should be good for several years. I wanted to make one of the baskets on the ground my prototype, since lowering the hanging one takes a bit of time. After seing how well that one did, I worked on our hanging one.

 

[JeremyKShort]

Here's a pic of the hanging basket after the chain upgrade. In the bit of practice I've done it catches as well as our other upgraded basket.

 

[Menacewarf]

Open Season

I've been working on this 350'+ downhill hyzer. It will be the only down hill power hyzer on the course so im pretty excited about it. You can see the line where the teepad points in this pic.

Unfortunately I have my first decent size tree hung up in the process. It's actually the maple with a split top in line with the left side of the teepad in the pic above. I felled it uphill because of the wind and lean but made the face cut slightly too big and offline, ended up brushing branches, slowing down, and the resting on the too big face cut.

I'll figure something out soon. The rest of the fairway is 70. % done!

 

[Menacewarf]

Great weather today. Snow melting weather! Gonna try to make a video.

 

[Menacewarf]

Got a video shot. Now to edit it.