superberry
Jan 03 2007, 03:02 PM
Here is what we have drafted up. We have been pushing and pushing to expand to 18 holes for 3 years. We believe it will happen for 2007, but no guarantee yet. We think it's a total double-edged sword that is in front of us. The county wants the course to "prove" its value, but at the same time, we pose that there is minimal risk (if not none), no cost to the county, and that an 18 hole course is much more likely and able to prove itself than the 11 hole course. It's simple "if you build it, they will come".
If any of you have fought the battle for expansion, could you provide some helpful hints, tricks, pointers, and whatever worked for you to finally get over the hump?
"Winter Park Disc Golf would greatly benefit from having an 18-hole layout.
Location
The park is unfortunately not located in or near the city. This is both a positive and a negative. Parks within cities are easily accessible, but the remote location offers a beautiful and unique setting. The park location must be driven too. Therefore, we must understand that players who use the course have traveled from somewhere, even the local community. The surrounding county communities of Kewaunee, Luxemburg, Casco, and Algoma account for a total population of roughly only 25,000. There are simply not the number of players in Kewaunee Co as the surrounding counties � whose populations are 2-5 times larger. It is more likely that players on the course will actually be from surrounding counties given the population and demographics. This is not to say that the park does not draw many local players (which it does, as I ask where players are from every time I see people on the course, and half of the responses are local), it�s just a statistical probability based on population. The local community is becoming more and more accustomed to the sport, and attendance and �talk around the town� continues to grow. We have to recognize that the draw for more players, from any and all areas, will continue to raise the level of awareness and peak interest. The addition of an 18-hole course will draw more players from all around based on three distinct things � the variety of shots greatly increases, it is a cultural mindset and much more �worthwhile� to play 18 holes of any type of golf, and the ability to accommodate more players on the course at one time. The full 18-hole course will prove to be a value to the players, local community, travelers, and county tourism industry.
An 18-hole course holds FAR MORE appeal and attraction to players that are traveling. Take any existing group of players from the nearest courses in Manitowoc, Green Bay, or Appleton. The average travel time for either of those groups is 30-60 minutes to Winter Park. However, a huge number of those players have made that trip because of the uniqueness of Winter Park. Offering more holes will appeal to many others who have just not yet made the commitment to come out and play. Having an appealing, wide variety, 18-hole course is something that will bring players, tourists, and families to the county. Winter Park is indeed a unique disc golf experience. Those that have played casual rounds, leagues in 2006, or the 2006 Ace Race have had nothing but positive comments about the beauty, location, use of terrain, and challenging nature of the course, and have been extremely excited about the possibility of an 18 hole course. Tournaments and leagues have utilized many of the proposed holes of the 18-hole layout in an effort to gauge interest, refine the layout, and receive comments. To offer everyone more holes, and extend their stay and enjoyment of the course and area is a bonus for everyone. A group can easily play through the 11-hole layout in under an hour. 18 holes will extend that time to almost 2 hours, making the trip more �worthwhile�, and also increase the chances of spending additional time in the community for the purchase of grocery, gasoline, personal items, lodging, etc.
Other use of the park is somewhat limited for expanding summer activities. The terrain does not lean favorably to development for other types of sports. The disc golf course will thrive on this unique and challenging nature. The mountain bike trails and disc golf have proven to cohabitate well together and will continue to do so (many players also bike and vice versa).
Variety
The hills provide a unique disc golf setting, but they are challenging. Installing a few loops of wooded holes will offer some shade from the sunny hills as well as rest from the steep slopes. Wooded holes are both feared and absolutely loved by others. The idea of floating a disc between a maze of trees, under the canopy of their leaves is definitely one that rides high in a disc golfer�s mind. It can be extremely frustrating to hit the trees, but builds accuracy and control in your game, and the reward of making that narrow throw is very worthwhile. The beauties of the wooded areas of Winter Park are just as stunning as the hills, and all players should be able to enjoy and experience them.
Level of Use
A course must have at least an 18-hole layout to host a tournament sanctioned by the PDGA, WI Disc Sports Association, or the Appleton Area Disc Golf Club. This allows a field of 5 players per hole, or 90 per event. Most events host 4 major divisions which include 25-35 players each. Also on any given day of play, more holes allow more people to be out enjoying the course as well. The more holes there are, the more groups can be playing and not waiting.
Also, as leagues grow, the ability to host 72 players on an 18-hole course is a great advantage. Consider the Appleton Area Disc Club (which will branch and utilize its established presence to increase disc golf awareness to the members of Kewaunee Co with enough interest) that shows 60-80 players that attend their leagues all nights of the week. This benefit to local players is immeasurable in building their skills by competing with other top players and taking advantage of the learning opportunity. The WPDGC helps players learn about the game and play better at every opportunity, have a larger presence on the course will contribute to increased knowledge.
A practice basket was installed in 2006 with one major purpose being to allow newcomers and curious spectators an opportunity to get up close and explore the aspects of the game without having to venture out onto the course. The WPDGC let a dozen free discs in the basket which have disappeared. We are hoping that they were indeed grabbed by interested parties who did not have the equipment to start playing immediately (in fact, we have found some lost ones in the woods).
Maintenance
The wooded holes provide absolutely no additional upkeep as related to the grass cutting on the hill. Brush, limbs, branches will all be cleaned and cleared by the WPDGC. Basket and sign removal will still be the responsibility of WPDGC. Soil erosion is not a concern at this time and may never become the same type of concern as other courses. Some of these course that express concern over erosion are HUGELY popular and have taken 10-15 years to reach that status. By removing the baskets in the winter and not reinstalling until the hill is dry, we can greatly reduce soil erosion. The WPDGC will also address problem areas with the use of seeding and sacrificial surfaces (stone, woodchips, rubber mats, etc).
Income
Being able to host leagues, tournaments, and other events provides an income opportunity to raise additional funds for course improvements, as well as investment into the growth and welfare of the local community through volunteer work, demonstrations, clinics, �free� days, etc. It also increases the number of holes which can be sponsored by local business, providing additional community presence and promotion.
In Summary
Expanding Winter Park Disc Golf to include an 18-hole layout is a no lose proposal, and should be considered sincere in its best interest for everyone. There will be no expense to the county. Baskets have been purchased and are awaiting installation. Tee signs and posts will also be purchased by WPDGC. WPDGC will purchase the crushed stone for the tee pads as well. No additional grass cutting is required of these wooded holes. The allure and draw of a course as unique as Winter Park will increase enormously with an 18-hole layout. This will bring more business and tourism to the area. All the players get the same amount of use of the park, enjoying the scenic beauty, and experiencing a complete mixed variety of disc golf holes with the additional of wooded, water hazard, and another monster throw off the hill. It is EXTREMELY RARE that a course can offer long holes, short holes, uphill, downhill, water hazard, open holes, tight wooded holes, all along with the absolutely gorgeous beauty of the river valley. Courses that have this special, balanced offering of most every type of hole a disc golfer could ask for will ALWAYS thrive and continue to grow as word of mouth inevitably spreads after enjoying the unique course. With the mix of traveling and local players, maybe the love and enjoyment of disc golf will grow as friendships are formed and disc golf stories are shared. More experienced players can help with newcomers (which is the idea of mixed double leagues). And the community will have the opportunity to see professional disc golf first hand as the top players in the state and nation compete in tournaments (PDGA Sanctioned Event is scheduled for Aug 19, 2007 at the park), and the course becomes more and more popular and receives all the attention it will very well develop with its unique scenery and challenging layout.
Please, seriously consider (and players express a desire to help with the expansion and support the course as it grows) expansion to a full 18-hole layout for spring 2007 � the fourth year of the course! The sooner the better, as we can start work and accomplish more given more time. The benefit is there and is real. Risk is virtually zero as volunteers will handle all of this expansion, and we�re sure any other concerns can be handled appropriately. Proving the course with 18 holes will show to be much easier than with 11 holes, and the already low risk is the same in either case. Proving comes with time and word of mouth. We are confident that word of mouth will increase exponentially with an 18-hole layout. Not utilizing Winter Park Disc Golf Course in an 18-hole capacity is greatly underestimating and underuse of its full and great potential.
Sincerely,
All Winter Park Disc Golf Club members and supporters
PS The WPDGC tries to maintain a positive presence by both promoting disc golf and providing a benefit to the local community. We are very interested and stay aware of what is going on at the course. Please do not hesitate to stop and talk to anyone if they ask you about disc golf. Feel free to share your opinions and spread the word about the sport. Although we see hundreds of players on the course throughout the season, we really do not have a good idea how many players are actually out there playing. If you are a local player, or know a local player, let us know. Contact the club and just share your experience, help us gauge how many players are using the course. Tell us what you think, offer suggestions, and offer up some of your time to volunteer just a little. Increased and demonstrated use of the course will help it continue to grow, expand, and improve. All we need is to spread the awareness."
If any of you have fought the battle for expansion, could you provide some helpful hints, tricks, pointers, and whatever worked for you to finally get over the hump?
"Winter Park Disc Golf would greatly benefit from having an 18-hole layout.
Location
The park is unfortunately not located in or near the city. This is both a positive and a negative. Parks within cities are easily accessible, but the remote location offers a beautiful and unique setting. The park location must be driven too. Therefore, we must understand that players who use the course have traveled from somewhere, even the local community. The surrounding county communities of Kewaunee, Luxemburg, Casco, and Algoma account for a total population of roughly only 25,000. There are simply not the number of players in Kewaunee Co as the surrounding counties � whose populations are 2-5 times larger. It is more likely that players on the course will actually be from surrounding counties given the population and demographics. This is not to say that the park does not draw many local players (which it does, as I ask where players are from every time I see people on the course, and half of the responses are local), it�s just a statistical probability based on population. The local community is becoming more and more accustomed to the sport, and attendance and �talk around the town� continues to grow. We have to recognize that the draw for more players, from any and all areas, will continue to raise the level of awareness and peak interest. The addition of an 18-hole course will draw more players from all around based on three distinct things � the variety of shots greatly increases, it is a cultural mindset and much more �worthwhile� to play 18 holes of any type of golf, and the ability to accommodate more players on the course at one time. The full 18-hole course will prove to be a value to the players, local community, travelers, and county tourism industry.
An 18-hole course holds FAR MORE appeal and attraction to players that are traveling. Take any existing group of players from the nearest courses in Manitowoc, Green Bay, or Appleton. The average travel time for either of those groups is 30-60 minutes to Winter Park. However, a huge number of those players have made that trip because of the uniqueness of Winter Park. Offering more holes will appeal to many others who have just not yet made the commitment to come out and play. Having an appealing, wide variety, 18-hole course is something that will bring players, tourists, and families to the county. Winter Park is indeed a unique disc golf experience. Those that have played casual rounds, leagues in 2006, or the 2006 Ace Race have had nothing but positive comments about the beauty, location, use of terrain, and challenging nature of the course, and have been extremely excited about the possibility of an 18 hole course. Tournaments and leagues have utilized many of the proposed holes of the 18-hole layout in an effort to gauge interest, refine the layout, and receive comments. To offer everyone more holes, and extend their stay and enjoyment of the course and area is a bonus for everyone. A group can easily play through the 11-hole layout in under an hour. 18 holes will extend that time to almost 2 hours, making the trip more �worthwhile�, and also increase the chances of spending additional time in the community for the purchase of grocery, gasoline, personal items, lodging, etc.
Other use of the park is somewhat limited for expanding summer activities. The terrain does not lean favorably to development for other types of sports. The disc golf course will thrive on this unique and challenging nature. The mountain bike trails and disc golf have proven to cohabitate well together and will continue to do so (many players also bike and vice versa).
Variety
The hills provide a unique disc golf setting, but they are challenging. Installing a few loops of wooded holes will offer some shade from the sunny hills as well as rest from the steep slopes. Wooded holes are both feared and absolutely loved by others. The idea of floating a disc between a maze of trees, under the canopy of their leaves is definitely one that rides high in a disc golfer�s mind. It can be extremely frustrating to hit the trees, but builds accuracy and control in your game, and the reward of making that narrow throw is very worthwhile. The beauties of the wooded areas of Winter Park are just as stunning as the hills, and all players should be able to enjoy and experience them.
Level of Use
A course must have at least an 18-hole layout to host a tournament sanctioned by the PDGA, WI Disc Sports Association, or the Appleton Area Disc Golf Club. This allows a field of 5 players per hole, or 90 per event. Most events host 4 major divisions which include 25-35 players each. Also on any given day of play, more holes allow more people to be out enjoying the course as well. The more holes there are, the more groups can be playing and not waiting.
Also, as leagues grow, the ability to host 72 players on an 18-hole course is a great advantage. Consider the Appleton Area Disc Club (which will branch and utilize its established presence to increase disc golf awareness to the members of Kewaunee Co with enough interest) that shows 60-80 players that attend their leagues all nights of the week. This benefit to local players is immeasurable in building their skills by competing with other top players and taking advantage of the learning opportunity. The WPDGC helps players learn about the game and play better at every opportunity, have a larger presence on the course will contribute to increased knowledge.
A practice basket was installed in 2006 with one major purpose being to allow newcomers and curious spectators an opportunity to get up close and explore the aspects of the game without having to venture out onto the course. The WPDGC let a dozen free discs in the basket which have disappeared. We are hoping that they were indeed grabbed by interested parties who did not have the equipment to start playing immediately (in fact, we have found some lost ones in the woods).
Maintenance
The wooded holes provide absolutely no additional upkeep as related to the grass cutting on the hill. Brush, limbs, branches will all be cleaned and cleared by the WPDGC. Basket and sign removal will still be the responsibility of WPDGC. Soil erosion is not a concern at this time and may never become the same type of concern as other courses. Some of these course that express concern over erosion are HUGELY popular and have taken 10-15 years to reach that status. By removing the baskets in the winter and not reinstalling until the hill is dry, we can greatly reduce soil erosion. The WPDGC will also address problem areas with the use of seeding and sacrificial surfaces (stone, woodchips, rubber mats, etc).
Income
Being able to host leagues, tournaments, and other events provides an income opportunity to raise additional funds for course improvements, as well as investment into the growth and welfare of the local community through volunteer work, demonstrations, clinics, �free� days, etc. It also increases the number of holes which can be sponsored by local business, providing additional community presence and promotion.
In Summary
Expanding Winter Park Disc Golf to include an 18-hole layout is a no lose proposal, and should be considered sincere in its best interest for everyone. There will be no expense to the county. Baskets have been purchased and are awaiting installation. Tee signs and posts will also be purchased by WPDGC. WPDGC will purchase the crushed stone for the tee pads as well. No additional grass cutting is required of these wooded holes. The allure and draw of a course as unique as Winter Park will increase enormously with an 18-hole layout. This will bring more business and tourism to the area. All the players get the same amount of use of the park, enjoying the scenic beauty, and experiencing a complete mixed variety of disc golf holes with the additional of wooded, water hazard, and another monster throw off the hill. It is EXTREMELY RARE that a course can offer long holes, short holes, uphill, downhill, water hazard, open holes, tight wooded holes, all along with the absolutely gorgeous beauty of the river valley. Courses that have this special, balanced offering of most every type of hole a disc golfer could ask for will ALWAYS thrive and continue to grow as word of mouth inevitably spreads after enjoying the unique course. With the mix of traveling and local players, maybe the love and enjoyment of disc golf will grow as friendships are formed and disc golf stories are shared. More experienced players can help with newcomers (which is the idea of mixed double leagues). And the community will have the opportunity to see professional disc golf first hand as the top players in the state and nation compete in tournaments (PDGA Sanctioned Event is scheduled for Aug 19, 2007 at the park), and the course becomes more and more popular and receives all the attention it will very well develop with its unique scenery and challenging layout.
Please, seriously consider (and players express a desire to help with the expansion and support the course as it grows) expansion to a full 18-hole layout for spring 2007 � the fourth year of the course! The sooner the better, as we can start work and accomplish more given more time. The benefit is there and is real. Risk is virtually zero as volunteers will handle all of this expansion, and we�re sure any other concerns can be handled appropriately. Proving the course with 18 holes will show to be much easier than with 11 holes, and the already low risk is the same in either case. Proving comes with time and word of mouth. We are confident that word of mouth will increase exponentially with an 18-hole layout. Not utilizing Winter Park Disc Golf Course in an 18-hole capacity is greatly underestimating and underuse of its full and great potential.
Sincerely,
All Winter Park Disc Golf Club members and supporters
PS The WPDGC tries to maintain a positive presence by both promoting disc golf and providing a benefit to the local community. We are very interested and stay aware of what is going on at the course. Please do not hesitate to stop and talk to anyone if they ask you about disc golf. Feel free to share your opinions and spread the word about the sport. Although we see hundreds of players on the course throughout the season, we really do not have a good idea how many players are actually out there playing. If you are a local player, or know a local player, let us know. Contact the club and just share your experience, help us gauge how many players are using the course. Tell us what you think, offer suggestions, and offer up some of your time to volunteer just a little. Increased and demonstrated use of the course will help it continue to grow, expand, and improve. All we need is to spread the awareness."