I'd like to add a little more background info to this discussion now that my emotions have cooled a bit.
First, a little about me. I graduated from UNC-CH in 1998 and have been a Landscape Designer for the better part of the last ten years. I spent three years in the early 2000s working for who I consider to be the premier Landscape Architect in NC, Caroline Siverson. For the last three years I've been the lead designer and installer for Bricktop Development and Ethan Homes out of Charlotte, NC. I've been playing DG since the summer of '08.
Anderson Park DGC was installed in May '09, funded entirely by private donations and, outside of the initial tree-cutting, done entirely by volunteer labor. I started the Anderson renovation in conjunction with Brendan Moore who, at the time, was the Facilities Manager for Town of Carrboro. He and I walked the course a handful of times over the course of Nov '10 and planned, then, a rather large renovation. He promised Public Works would handle any large trees that we would need dropped and that they had at least enough in the budget to add 18 new tee boxes this Spring. In December Brendan got a new job with Durham County and my DGing liaison to the town was gone.
Cut to today where I can't even get his replacement, who also did a walk-through with Brendan and I in December, to return a phone call or answer an email. My assumption is that the DG course isn't a revenue builder for them, so they just don't care.
Tee pads - We tried the honeycomb/gravel-in-a-box method that Russell Schwarz is trying to push now. But like I said earlier, our Public Works guys installed the test pad (Red #10) incorrectly (and w/o my knowledge fwiw) so now it sits about half full of gravel and looks pretty unsafe, whether it is or isn't.
Tournaments - Anyone wanting to try to organize a tournament or something of that ilk, please feel free to do so. I don't have the time, nor inclination, at this point to organize something on that level. I *do* have all the TOC info anyone would need though and I can get you in touch with the right Town people pretty easily. Fyi, there have been at least three tourneys that I know of held there in the last two years, one PDGA-sanctioned and two not, that were designated as fundraisers for the course and park. I think a total of ~50 people showed up to all three combined, and I know for a fact (from Brendan) that the actual donations from those three tournaments totaled ~$100 after expenses. If someone has experience in running and promoting these kinds of things, go for it.
Workdays - First of all, let me say "Thank You" to the handful of folks who have PM'd me the last few days offering to help. This may be the point where someone else wants to take the reins and organize something. B/w traveling for one job and working odd hours part-time at a recording studio my schedule doesn't usually match up with everyone else's. If I'm in town most of my free time is in the mornings on weekdays, which is when everyone else is at work. We tried two workdays on Saturdays earlier in this process and I was the only person to show for either, including the TOC people who helped organize them. So at this point I have no idea when to schedule something like that or, obviously, how to promote it. Anyone who wants to take charge of this aspect of things out there, *please* do. I'll be more than happy to help with the actual workday, but trying to put it all together and dealing with the frustration and disappointment when no one shows isn't in the cards for me anymore.
Club - If anyone is interested in heading up an effort to start a Carrboro DG Club or something similar that held regular events and regularly gave $ back to the course and P&R, we may be able to get more support from the town. (Brendan's idea)
My goal was always to make Anderson the best course it could be. It was never intended to be championship-caliber, there's not enough available land or enough variety in the landscape for that to happen. It can, however, be the perfect compliment to UNC and Leigh Farms. Anderson is the only course of the three in a public park with ballfields, playgrounds and other amenities for the entire fam'. So to me, this is the *perfect* spot for multiple shorter tees that are fun to play and progressively more difficult.
Thanks for reading...
