Controversy engulfs new course in Douglas county Georgia

[HelloPoodles]

Clinton Farm Nature Preserve disc golf project on hold. I think you'll need to click on the video at the end of the first paragraph for the full story.

I knew when watching TV last night and a news teaser came on involving disc golf, things were about to get ugly. Sounds like this one has some real issues (though it's hard to know what's really going on in light of the typical local news hysteria).

Maybe we can get friendlier coverage if we raise funds for that reporter to get a tripod so she doesn't need to do a selfie for her lead. :doh:

 

[MrFixIt]

Just reading the article, it appears to me that no user group interactions were attempted.

 

[threej21]

I am local in GA. Though I don't know many details about this project, I can say the Douglas County Club has done great things of recent, installing 2 new courses in the county; Hobbs Farm Park and Boundary Waters Park. Both which were of course handled through all the proper channels and have been received very well.

 

[Lewis]

This is in the article.

"Even people who play disc golf were left scratching their heads about the plan.

'There should be little to no interaction with the trail systems, and the fact that the cutting here is reaching up to these trails, it just doesn't make any sense," said disc golfer Martin Young. "It looks bad for disc golf. It looks bad for Mountain Bikers, it looks bad for the county.'"

Perhaps it's a good idea for the county to stop the project and consult a disc golf course designer worth his salt before installing it. If the fairways are crossing biking, riding, and walking trails, that's a big problem that needs to be fixed.

 

[threej21]

It also says the cutting of trees near the trail was due to storm damage, and had nothing to do with the course.
"Guider also wanted to clarify that, contrary to what some against the project said, no clear cutting of trees was ever conducted by the county. Instead, the trees that were cut were removed as part of clean-up from storm damage. Guider said the county also took responsibility for a trail that was accidentally damaged, but steps were taken to correct the error. Finally, the Parks department said it is redrawing the layout for the course to make it less intrusive to require as little clearing as possible."

Again, I don't know the details, or even if the club is involved with this project. But if they are involved, they are doing things the right way and would never design a course that endangered other park users. If they aren't involved, then I don't know who the heck is!

 

[threej21]

Just spoke to one of the main guys with the Douglas County Club....

The county is actually the ones that wanted the course. The Douglas County Club got with them in November, walked the property and proprosed a design with it all marked with flags.
It was then crickets and the club was never again contacted by the county. The county did its own tweaks to the course which brought fairways closer to the bike paths, and never told the club or anyone else that they were going to begin the project.

There is also supposedly a little bit of 'turf war' type mind state going on from the bike guys. They just don't want disc golf there, so are making lots of false statements/exaggerations to the news outlets and really anyone that will listen.

The club has reached out to the county and has setup a meeting for this Saturday to go over the course and get the design back to one that will not endanger other park users.

 

[Ender175]

Ugh, this sounds like the same NIMBYism thats dragging out the final phase of my future home course in Pawtucket, RI. You can count on the local news to take an ignorant and alarmist angle in their coverage of the new course.

 

[BigBarry]

I walk my dogs there every weekend. I'm not a biker. Personally, I find them dangerous on some of the trails. They should wear a bell. Anyway, the amount of clearing being done is horrible. The erosion that has been created is appalling. There is no plan, no EPA study. They are cutting old growth trees. Once we find out who is responsible we will move to have them fired or voted out. Unfortunately, the trees that were cut will not grow back in our lifetime.

 

[BrotherDave]

I saw more the effects of winter storm damage than clear cutting for a disc golf course in that video. That being said, I've seen what happens when a course criss-crosses with mountain biking trails and horse trails (*Russell Schwarz*cough*cough*NE Park*cough) and it is no bueno. It's just way too easy to screw up the design of a disc golf course, even from guys that should supposedly know how. Just too many overzealous disc golfers that lack critical thinking skills and planning.

A well designed disc golf course should be easier on the environment than a bike or horse trail and much better maintained if there is a good club in the area to do it (and it sounds like there might be). Old growth trees are nice but they shouldn't be considered untouchable, they are after all dying trees which use significantly less carbon than growing trees.

 

[tbird888]

It doesn't even look like the clearing is part of the course. It sounds like it was done as part of storm cleanup. Why are disc golfers being involved in this?

Guider also wanted to clarify that, contrary to what some against the project said, no clear cutting of trees was ever conducted by the county. Instead, the trees that were cut were removed as part of clean-up from storm damage.

With 200 acres, there should be plenty of room for a course to be installed without interfering with any other activities and without having to clear cut a part of the park. Disc golf isn't golf...it needs trees in its fairways.

 

[roggenb3]

I walk my dogs there every weekend. I'm not a biker. Personally, I find them dangerous on some of the trails. They should wear a bell. Anyway, the amount of clearing being done is horrible. The erosion that has been created is appalling. There is no plan, no EPA study. They are cutting old growth trees. Once we find out who is responsible we will move to have them fired or voted out. Unfortunately, the trees that were cut will not grow back in our lifetime.

When your first post starts with claiming you are not a biker, I am going to assume you are a biker.

 

[BigBarry]

The preserve is 200 acres and I'm told the Disc course will take up 60 acres. I don't for sure that's just what They are saying.

 

[tbird888]

Is the course going up where all the park activities usually happen? Courses are so appealing in parks because they usually utilize land that is otherwise undesirable for more traditional activities.

Again, it sounds like the issue with trees being cleared is the result of cleanup from a storm, not a course being installed. What am I missing? Why are disc golfers being blamed for storm damage?

 

[BigBarry]

When your first post starts with claiming you are not a biker, I am going to assume you are a biker.

Actually, not a biker. I just walk the trails. Don't want to be hit by a bike or a Frisbee. The areas that were bulldozed over lap general use areas. The area overlooks a small pond. This is where the Boy Scouts usually camp out. Much of the preserve is very hilly. They seem to be concentrating the clearing on the more flat area which is in the more popular general use areas.

 

[bballr4567]

Actually, not a biker. I just walk the trails. Don't want to be hit by a bike or a Frisbee. The areas that were bulldozed over lap general use areas. The area overlooks a small pond. This is where the Boy Scouts usually camp out. Much of the preserve is very hilly. They seem to be concentrating the clearing on the more flat area which is in the more popular general use areas.

That is always a problem with multiuse trails although it can be fixed by proper trail design (I used to help build trails here) but even in the event that they wear bells, the bikes are loud enough to hear.

Seems like there is a lot of misunderstanding going on about what is actually going on. No surprise there.

 

[BigBarry]

That is always a problem with multiuse trails although it can be fixed by proper trail design (I used to help build trails here) but even in the event that they wear bells, the bikes are loud enough to hear.

Seems like there is a lot of misunderstanding going on about what is actually going on. No surprise there.

Which is why I came here to learn about Disc Golf courses and design. My suspicion is that whoever began the project has no idea what they are doing. It doesn't seem like you guys are interested in spoiling anything or cutting down trees for no reason. I would hope that everyone who uses this Preserve can enjoy it. My fear is that politics is at play. I just want to walk my dogs without dodging bikes or walking through a disc course.

 

[threej21]

Head of the Douglas Club went to the courthouse today to talk with the officials. I haven't heard all the details, but he said the outcome was good for disc golf.

 

[Eternal_Noob]

"like Frisbee golf, with a heavier disc."

 

[HelloPoodles]

As somebody who enjoys both mountain biking and disc golf, I do find it ironic that the riders are raising safety concerns when such concerns are always the first thing cited by the NIMBY crowd when a new mountain bike trail is proposed on any park property.

 

[jeffmonty]

The preserve is 200 acres and I'm told the Disc course will take up 60 acres. I don't for sure that's just what They are saying.

60 acres sounds like one of the exaggerations someone mentioned earlier.