Local course controversy

[Martin Dewgarita]

Oak Island Disc Golf Course is nearing completion in Albert Lea, MN. It is currently playable. I posted these clips in the "courses in development" section, curious to your thoughts.

This is a pretty common phase for a new course to go through right? Course construction angers a neighbor and they complain about destroying natural habitat. Does it make the evening news?

Check them out:

Mon:
The Dispute

Tues:
Still a Controversy

 

[Osmo]

"wide open meadows and piles of brush"

Oh give me a fricken break. Wide open meadows? What a bunch of sensationalizing bs.

 

[the_pwnerator]

The links are broken for me. Takes me to a local news site.

 

[Fishy]

it's a news article on the news site

 

[Johnny_Crunch]

Damn tree huggers

 

[cmchavis]

Per first article - It's a sport that has "taken" off in the past few years.

Maybe they meant "taken off" - not sure what's been 'taken' but seems an incorrect use of emphasis quotes.

In either case - I cannot imagine that the city would allow any modifications to a park, especially if there is a body of water involved, without some kind of impact study. If they didn't require a project plan or require an impact study, then they deserve the controversy.

 

[brewcrewdominates]

After watching that, they said that the trees are an invasive species anyways. So disc golf is actually helping nature!

 

[mashnut]

If I lived next to a property filled with buckthorn, I would be thrilled that someone was clearing out an ugly invasive species.

 

[New013]

Looked like a video advertisement for disc golf to me... hell yeah.

 

[Scared_Discless]

AJ must be the course architect and designer

 

[birdman101]

It would depend on how many trees they took out. It may have been excessive, but if they were all invasive species than by all means get them out. If they did take out too many go plant some new ones

 

[Johnny Depth]

Johnny Crunch! We should be friends.

Anyway, news site for me too.

 

[elevated plastic]

Deb Blowers blows! There's always one Deb Blowers to ruin everyones fun.

 

[GT Chris]

It sounds like the those responsible for the course went through the proper channels with the city, and have the support of the parks department as well as local businesses. With that kind of support I don't think they have too much to worry about. This is a great example of why it is so important to do these things properly when trying to put in a new course.

My guess is that it's been a slow week at the station, and they've got to find something to report about.

 

[brettricewku]

Not meaning to thread jack but, why to people say 'disc golf' like they are foreign words?

 

[UnitedPuppySlayer]

I play with the course designer, Ross Brandt, every once in a while up here in the cities. He's wanted us to come down and play the course soon. From what I've heard from him is that what people are bringing up is just a bunch of non-issues.

 

[yearofrolling]

That concerned citizen is totally right.
Those disc golfers are going to destroy that lake,
and MN only has 11,841 other lakes, so look out.
It should be hard to argue against a little low impact land use, like disc golf, but I guess some people just think it should all be wilderness.

 

[dashiellx]

eh.....she's just using environmental issues as a cover for the real reason she doesn't want the course there. More people coming into her neighborhood.

 

[stan_84]

someone should tell her some piles of brush can be cleared out pretty easy also they are around there for using as woodchips around the pins and walking paths that are heavily traveled to help the enviroment also played there before and after the expansion and "wide open medows" ummmm.... no, there is grass in the middle of the park, has been there for events for decades the only thing they did was mow some poison ivy and other weeds for their "medows" also didnt see too many big stumps removed as far as i could tell, lots of little stuff, assuming that is the buckthorn ross is talking about. Here is a weblink to buckthorn if anyone wants to read it. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/woody/buckthorn/index.html

btw clearing the buckthorn actually helps the island and native species out by giving the undergrowth more sunlight and the oak trees there have more nutrients now that the buckthorn is being cleared out

 

[IHearChains]

This is a pretty common phase for a new course to go through right? Course construction angers a neighbor and they complain about destroying natural habitat. Does it make the evening news?

The uproar a few whackos made in Burlington VT resulted in cancellation of a disc golf course plan. Debate recapped in video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYvgbO3FgeY