Can we get some Chicago disc golf?

[simplepmart]

In defense of the OP, Chicago is HORRIBLE in comparison to almost any other major city I've been to when it comes to great disc golf courses. I lived in the Chicagoland area for 14 years and the ONLY good dg to be found is in the Joliet area (Highland) (Channy) and just a little north of that Oswego has a fun 18 hole course. Side note: Rockford (although a nice complex) is not Chicago, so I don't count those courses in the equation. I've played each of those (3 listed) courses at least 50 times and they outrank (by a LONG margin) any other courses in the entire Chicago metro area. Luckily I lived only 10 minutes from Oswego and 20 minutes from Joliet or I probably would have gave up disc golf. That's how bad the courses are around Chicago.

Now having lived in Kansas City the last year and a half, I am surrounded by some of the most amazing disc golf courses in the country. No matter what direction I drive from my house I can find incredible disc golf that blows Chicago courses out of the water, and it's not even close.

It's not wrong for the OP to state his opinion that Chicago disc golf (on the whole) is terribly lacking. It's true. He is not saying the 'clubs' are bad or the people/golfers are bad...just the courses. Kudos to him for stating his opinion, even if it ruffles the locals feathers. If these locals were smart they would stop being defensive and engage the OP in meaningful forward thinking conversations (even if it stings a little) and use his energy and desire to better their current courses and/or possibly bring in a new top notch 18 hole course(s) for the betterment of the greater disc golf community in that city.

 

[teetones]

Alright, aside from being a condescending troll, I really am most concerned with creating an experience of my favorite thing to do in the new city I live in. Sure, I may have been overly critical when saying the golf here was painful, but I am only trying to help.

Through the radical rejection from this community, which really is blowing my mind, I will still try. I find it hard to believe raising money for the sport will have anything but a positive reaction.

 

[mashnut]

Alright, aside from being a condescending troll, I really am most concerned with creating an experience of my favorite thing to do in the new city I live in. Sure, I may have been overly critical when saying the golf here was painful, but I am only trying to help.

Threw the radical rejection from this community, which really is blowing my mind, I will still try. I find it hard to believe raising money for the sport will have anything but a positive reaction.

My point wasn't that you were incorrect about the state of disc golf in Chicago. It's pretty abysmal. My point was that it doesn't seem like you've taken the time to figure out why it's that way. Some effort toward understanding all the effort that has gone into the few good courses and how many people have tried (and unfortunately failed) to have other good courses put in might help you not start from scratch in getting better courses and might also help you do it in a way that won't alienate the people who have been working hard on that for a long time.

 

[teetones]

My apologies to everyone. This was the complete opposite of how I wanted this to go. I respect the efforts of those involved with the Chicago Disc Golf community.

 

[looking4owls]

The courses in Chicago blow. Do your thing teetones. Who cares what people have tried in the past. Perhaps you'll face those same obstacles, perhaps what that area needs is a fresh perspective, perhaps some feathers need to be ruffled but you won't know that until you try. I wish you luck.

 

[notroman]

My apologies to everyone. This was the complete opposite of how I wanted this to go. I respect the efforts of those involved with the Chicago Disc Golf community.

No offense was taken. We're just trying to save you headaches. You're not the first to try to get something done in this area... But by all means, give it a shot if you really want to. I'm sure if you actually get somewhere you'll get plenty of support.

 

[Dave242]

There are some major obstacles to overcome if you want good courses close to the city. The forest preserves have been approached numerous times and just aren't interested in disc golf at all.

The only way that I could see it getting better would be to get courses put into the Cook County Park and Forest Preserve system. What a vast untapped source for Disc Golf courses that could put the Chicago area into a higher level of courses such as Michigan. But good luck with that!

but we have to get the forest preserves on board.

I agree with the sentiment that Chicago is a wasteland for DG (having moved here from Charlotte). The Joliet/Aurora area courses are Good (not great) and are on the outskirts of Chicagoland. They are a 45-60min drive for me as are Grey Fox and UW Parkside in WI. Lemon Lake (Red & Gold), Rogers Lakewood, Dretzka and Brown Deer are more like 75-90 minutes away....and are top shelf in my book. But whatever......

The issue as I understand it (from reading about it and speaking to them a little) and as I observe it is that the Nature Preserves are the main land holders in the Park hierarchy. The vast majority of them are only interested in passive recreation (walking/biking trails). They feel like if they open up to low impact recreation (like DG) then they need to open it up to everyone (soccer fields, etc).....and that would have a large impact on trying to preserve nature.

The majority of active recreation is found in smaller municipal parks without much unused land. Many of these have the goofy/boring/lame 9-ers which Chicagoland is known for. You can't really blame the parks as land is expensive and flat in these parts.....and the parks are filled with soccer and softball fields.

 

[Three Putt]

The courses in Chicago blow. Do your thing teetones. Who cares what people have tried in the past. Perhaps you'll face those same obstacles, perhaps what that area needs is a fresh perspective, perhaps some feathers need to be ruffled but you won't know that until you try. I wish you luck.

Big problem simplified: Recreational land is largely held by two entities; Park Districts and Forest Preserves. Park Districts love active recreation and want disc golf courses, but they have a bunch of 5-ish acre park sites that do not have the room for 18 hole championship disc golf courses. They are the hosts for the many flat, boring 9-hole Meh courses Chicago is known for.

Forest Preserves have huge expanses of land capable of hosting dozens of championship disc golf courses in the Chicagoland area. They also have a philosophy of preserving open space for passive use and every Tom, Dick and Harry in the Chicagoland area trying to get them to make an exception for whatever special interest use they want the land for. Since they can't accommodate all the requests AND meet their mission statement, and if they tried to accommodate some of the request sorting through them all would take all of their time, they blanket deny all requests. As special as we all seem to think disc golf is, to them it is just another special interest group that wants a crack at Forest Preserve land. Letting us in would open the door for everybody else, and they can't and won't let that happen.

That basically limits Chicagoland to what it has, which basically is a road trip to Joilet. Considering how much time you spend in the car to live in Chicagoland already, what's a drive to Joliet? It could be worse.

 

[notapro]

The price we pay for living in a REAL city.

(I kid I kid... )

 

[Jukeshoe]

The price we pay for living in a REAL city.

(I kid I kid... )

HEY YO!!!!

 

[Scared_Discless]

As special as we all seem to think disc golf is, to them it is just another special interest group that wants a crack at Forest Preserve land. Letting us in would open the door for everybody else, and they can't and won't let that happen.

Yep, disc golf is a gateway sport :|

 

[1eyedjack]

Anybody heard rumors of an 18 at Dellwood park in Lockport in 2014 ?
If true it has the potential to be the best course in the Joliet area.

 

[notapro]

My brother-in-law, who works for a large suburb's park district, openly mocks disc golf. Even when I'm present.

Government employees, lemme tell ya.

 

[thrembo]

Anybody heard rumors of an 18 at Dellwood park in Lockport in 2014 ?
If true it has the potential to be the best course in the Joliet area.

Me and my buddies used to hang out there sometimes when we were teenagers, circa late 1970's - mid 1980's. I always thought that it would make for an awesome course.

 

[jasonc]

Teetones, we are all looking forward to your new addition to the Chicago area disc golf scene. When will your new course be in the ground?
opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:


This will certainly be the first time we have seen anyone make an attempt to install a quality disc golf course so close to the downtown Chicago area.

 

[Dave242]

My brother-in-law, who works for a large suburb's park district, openly mocks disc golf. Even when I'm present.

Government employees, lemme tell ya.

Probably not as much as most disc golfers (well.....most people really) mock government "workers".

 

[notapro]

Park employees are supposed to be the good ones!!!

 

[DagG]

Cold calling land holders with development proposals is an extremely low odds proposition, more so if you aren't representative of a significant constituency (read local taxpayers who vote) or can't demonstrate proficiency in that which you propose through past successful projects. In some ways, it may actually have a minor negative effect on the efforts of the disc golf community as a whole by elevating the crackpot factor and creating confusion as to who, if anyone is truly representative of the community.

If you wish to advance the community, it would be a good idea to become a part of it first. Course maintenance and improvement projects in areas where the land holder permits such things are always in need of help. Get to know the various entities who have been promoting the same goals you seek to achieve and try working in conjunction with them, bringing your specific skills to the table.

 

[gvan]

Teetones, we are all looking forward to your new addition to the Chicago area disc golf scene. When will your new course be in the ground?
opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:


This will certainly be the first time we have seen anyone make an attempt to install a quality disc golf course so close to the downtown Chicago area.

Comments like these throughout this thread make it seem like the local disc golfers are so jaded that they are now port of the problem. Sometimes new enthusiasm is what makes the difference. Maybe this new guy happens to talk to someone in the forestry department that hasn't been involved before and says something that starts the ball moving.

But by all means. continue to slam and discourage anyone that wants to try.

And for those that have said "get involved with us first," Look how welcome you have made the new guy feel...

 

[jasonc]

Comments like these throughout this thread make it seem like the local disc golfers are so jaded that they are now port of the problem. Sometimes new enthusiasm is what makes the difference. Maybe this new guy happens to talk to someone in the forestry department that hasn't been involved before and says something that starts the ball moving.

But by all means. continue to slam and discourage anyone that wants to try.

And for those that have said "get involved with us first," Look how welcome you have made the new guy feel...

You can call me jaded...I call it living in reality.

The OP clearly has installed other quality disc golf courses in other communities. Just take a quick peek at his resume. He is obviously an expert in this field. I honestly can't wait to see what he has in store for us here in the greater Chicagoland area. :hfive: