the state park thing will happen some day. right now i am trying to get John Houck to design the course (this would draw disc golfer from all over the country). he wants 8,000-10,000 to design it. pretty expensive, but the state park might be able to pay for everything. just giving everyone an update on the course's progress. if anyone wants to go check out the area or has some ideas let me know. i have also debated on letting the community design it through a series of mini's. the only problem is that the more people involved the more drama.
Just my opinion, and don't get me wrong, he is a good designer. But to pay John Houck the kind of money he wants is just crazy. I think we could come up with a design that would be as good as he could do. I have played 6 or so courses of his designs. We just need to get to doing it while the temps are low, and there is no snakes out.
I would love to help design it, just let me know(a couple of days in advance) when you want to get started. I am ready!!! And willing.....
This is the course that would probably most benfit from tee signs also. Being that it will be pretty rough terrian, and not well known...and will probably have natural teeboxes, unless we're going to do a TON of wheelbarrowing.
Just give me a call Jamie, I really want to help anyway I can with this to get it going.
good to see everyone leaving comments. we are kind of waiting on the guys at the state park. once they make things a little clearer on what they can do, we can then move on. the design process is still a ways off. however, if anyone wants to walk the area...i can take you out there after the first of the year. or if someone wants to park on the highway and walk, it is at armadillo ridge (entrance right after potts creek.)just let the people at the front gate know, or they might tow your vehicle. a bunch of the warlocks(and other cvdga members) went out there while helping out with the free day at the state park, so there are a few people familiar with the area.
Houck's price is real high, but when dealing with state, it might be a drop in the bucket for them. plus we have like 6-7 miles of land to put in multiple disc golf courses. so we might use him or might not, just depends on what the state guys say. however, if we are wasting valuable resources that could be spent on something else, i will try to discourage it. a lot of times the state requires certain credentials to build things on there land. so we will see.
Got a question about that fee. Is that him just designing it, or is that him installing it and designing it? Menaing we would not be involved in the install process?
If it's design and install that's one thing. But if it's just design, I personally would rather design it ourself's, and get them(the state) to buy us enough baskets(mach V's please) for 3 courses rather than write a check to Mr. Houck for that amount. There is enough room. I think rather than trying to go after the "Houck designed this one" so people would "come from all over to play it". We should go for the BIGGEST course in Texas, that would be more of a reason to come play it, to me, than the other.
Don't know what the hole count is on the biggest course but I know Live Oak has 38 holes. So go for 54 holes. That would bring some people in, and would allow us to have HUGE tourneys all in one location.
i agree. but i dont know if things are that simple. i do know that each hole dug has to have a gps location that is sent to the state for approval. even removing trees has some kind of paper work process.
the biggest course and/or longest hole are things that are wanted. im sure our input we will be taking under consideration. we will be playing the course the most.
we are going to have to show how many people we think will show up to play the course. does anyone know what kind of attendance other west texas course have per day? or other community club numbers? or possibly the overall number of disc golfer in this region? i think the biggest comps have around 100 people. we might need to get people/clubs (out of town) to start sending letters to the state park.
I had a few people send either the State Park or me a letter saying they would come in to San Angelo if we did a course out there. Of course this was over a year ago when we started working on this deal....So I am not sure if I still have them, or the State Park will remember getting them. Had one from Abilene, Lubbock, and Austin.
Big Springs has just under 100 players last year The Crush had just under 100 players. We should go over 100 this year. Abilene Wild Hair had mid 80s Lubbock had 90 or so Amirillo had 60
We are averaging anywhere from 12-20 players at minis. Right now with the winter months we are staying around 12-15. I think the lake skins are getting 6-12.
Brentwood during the spring will have anywhere form 10-20 players per day. I am sure Picnic Bend will also have that kind of turnout this spring.
I personally plan on buying a season pass once this happens and will be going out there probably at least 30 or more times a year. I know Carl has said he is going to buy a season pass, and I am sure others will as well.
I can count the membership forms to get a number of our club totals. Or we can just wait till after the Feb.'s Membership drive to have a current number of members.
I'll ask around about that and see what I can come up with.
Sure would like to help out with this project!!! This has been dragging on way to long.......Anything I can help with please let me know. I know the club feels kind of in the dark with this deal.
I emailed Jerry from up in Abilene, but never heard back fromm him. I am not actually sure they have a true club with member dues or anything. Abilene has a club(West Texas Disc Twisters), just not sure if have members....Brad do you know? Other areas are Sweetwater, Big Spring and Ft. Stockton... none have actual due paying club members either that I know of.
Pete, yes it will cost $2 per person to play the course. They do sell season passes, last time I checked it was around $60 for the year.
Alright I heard back from Jerry. He says they do not actually have "due paying club members". Said they use to, but it has kind of fell apart on them. There are a few of the "regulars" that are entrusted with the bank account, but that's about all there is. He is trying to get it back going, but hasn't yet got it figured out. So looks like we maybe the only "true" club in West Texas. Now I know they have a club up in Lubbock, that I am pretty sure pays dues and all that. But not sure....JC, do you remeber anything like that when you were up there? If not, I can email Patrick about that.
Here is another option that we have discovered in trying to get our new course in the ground. Most of you know by now that we are working on putting a new course in to the west of Cal Young (across the creek). The rotary club got 2 bids for the deal: One from John Houck that included the design, the baskets, and the tee signs for around 19k (baskets at around 6.5k, teesigns at aorund 4k, design for 8-9k) and one bid from Gateway Disc Golf owner Dave McCormick. His bid was about the same, but his deal was turn-key. That is, he would include the design, baskets, tee-signs, tee-pads, installation, and all the clearing (with the locals help). No desician has been made, but my feeling is we will go with Gateway. Dave has designed most of the courses in and around St. Louis and is a member of the DG Course Design Group. He would be able to design a great quality course.
I'm not saying you guys wouldnt be capable of designing your own course, just mentioning a possible alternative.
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