Fairway clearing?

[Tfire25]

Im trying to help with a new park going in here in Texas. Half the holes are in some pretty thick forest. I've seen quite a few fairway designs but the two main designs are either A). Just mow down a straight path through or B). Just clear the underbrush and leave the majority of the trees with one or two advantageous lines. Examples for A) is bill Allen, z-boaz, Arcadia B) gateway, north park, or weatherford. Lester lorch is maybe the in between.

 

[Okie-J]

Get in there and do whatcha gotta do.

Dang sure don't just do plan A.

 

[Oklahyzer]

Each hole should be addressed individually, but most likely a combination of A and B will be necessary on each. Option A might be fastest and easiest up front, but it will result in endless maintenance in the future just to keep nature from creeping back into the open space, and in the meantime any errant discs will be a pain to play or retrieve. Option B is a whole lot more work, might change the feel of the course, but stands to offer the best playability overall, and if done correctly might limit maintenance somewhat...for awhile at least...and shaping/grooming the rough can be done judiciously in the future.

Sucks either way because it's a ton of work and there's no way around it short of torching the area. lol. Most of Oklahoma's courses are similar, just hacked and carved out of the greenbriar and crosstimbers. Once it's done, though, it can be manageable. Just be sure that everyone involved is looking to the future and not just the immediate needs of carving fairways.

 

[New013]

I'd start by trying to identify lines already carved within the natural landscape. Once you get an idea of where a hole might be go ahead and get out all of the underbrush so you can see the fairway more clearly. from there you can decide what trees should be taken out and which ones should be left.

 

[Steve West]

Try not to have a clearly defined edge to the fairway (at least not at ground level). If there is no edge, players will take a direct line to their errant discs. This keeps the undergrowth down around the fairway.

When there is an edge, and discs go off the fairway, players will travel up and down the clean fairway to the spot closest to their disc. Then, they'll reach out and grab it, or take as few steps as possible into the rough. The rough remains overgrown. The only way out is to toss it back out onto the fairway, with no hope of making a recovery throw.

You'll find that most people who are asked to clear a fairway envision a fairway as a road. Or, like a ball golf fairway. Almost straight, no trees in the middle, with clean edges, maybe even logs lining the sides. Dissuade them of that notion.

They'll also want to drag the cut trees just far enough to get "off" the fairway - thus creating an even more impenetrable edge to the fairway than was there before. Don't let them do that.

Actually, the places where a disc will land make a shape that is wider than it is long, for one-drive holes. Think of the area before you think of the lines.

Ask them to remove all the dead or unhealthy trees and branches, trash trees, vines, thorn bushes and invasive species. Only take enough of the healthy trees to get the equipment in there. (You might want to mark some special trees to make sure they save them.) Then take a look and see where the holes should be.

 

[grodney]

Im trying to help with a new park going in here in Texas. Half the holes are in some pretty thick forest.

Please take a step back and hire John Houck. I'm certain it will be worth your money.

http://www.houckdesign.com/


Edit: I have no financial stake in Houck Design.

 

[Lewis]

I like the trend of the advice above, that you should shoot for a happy medium rather than either extreme of option A or B. As suggested above, I would start by clearing the underbrush and unhealthy trees, and then if you feel you need to remove more trees to create a "fair" or "legit" fairway, take out the smallest ones first, and save the mature and the more valuable trees. It's a lot harder to replace a large, healthy oak tree than it is to replace a bunch of skinny little pines.

 

[DavidSauls]

Or perhaps both. Some cleared fairways, some tight gaps through the woods. Variety, you know.

"A" doesn't have to be straight, either. A curving fairway cut out of the woods, clearly defined on either side, can be good too.

 

[Tfire25]

I would love to hire John houck. But alas the city is only planning on spending about ten grand. That's with the local college fabricating the baskets. I know your thinking "crap, home built baskets" but the same college has built baskets for another course on campus in cleburne. They did very well with those.

I like the idea of a mixture where you take out shrubs, dead trees, and small trees and then see where it's at. I don't like choice a) either but I've seen it done and didn't know if people liked it better. Thanx for the input guys it seems like more of a mixture is best. I guess that's why Lester lorch is so highly rated. If your down towards Hillsboro message me and we can go walk it and see what you think.

 

[412Disc]

plan b

 

[Royal Hill]

You'll find that most people who are asked to clear a fairway envision a fairway as a road. Or, like a ball golf fairway. Almost straight, no trees in the middle, with clean edges, maybe even logs lining the sides. Dissuade them of that notion.

They'll also want to drag the cut trees just far enough to get "off" the fairway - thus creating an even more impenetrable edge to the fairway than was there before. Don't let them do that.

Steve is right on with these observations. There is a disc golf design ailment that Steve has referred to that is sometimes called in the foot trail building world as "logs lining the way to grandmas house" It's generally discouraged there too.

 

[Royal Hill]

And I don't know if this is an ok place to put it, but I've never been a big fan of "road holes" in course design.

There's something that just doesn't feel right. I had that feeling when I had a chance to play Pinto Lake on a travel trip not long after last years worlds. The layout there has quite a few holes where you are using a road as the fairway. There's just something about it that doesn't seem to jive with either my esthetic sensibilities or some subconscious apprehension over a vehicle coming... I don't know. It's silly but having a double track of tire wear down the middle of a fairway just seems like such a downer to me.

 

[pchitti]

I say use some goats from the a schools AG program. Will take care of the crap in the way leaving the trees.

That's my plan for my personal course clean up.

 

[Tfire25]

You know hill college has definitely got an ag program with goats! Lol. You might be out of luck with Baylor, TSTC or mcc down there. Try asking Baylor kids about goats and you might get some funny looks.

 

[Tfire25]

By the way pchitti, do you think Hillsboro would draw any players up from Waco?

 

[denny ritner]

I'll consult for $250 per day (a real 10 hour working day) plus mileage.

 

[Tfire25]

Denny, I layed out the course for free and I'm not even sure it's gonna be approved by the city council in October. And if it does get approved I may not bid on it or even win the bid if I do bid. I'm pretty sure it's gonna be put in but I wouldn't count my chickens before they hatch. If I do get it though I'll see if there is enough money in it to hit you up. Nothing like a second opinion.