Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park New Course

[thanxmikey]

This Saturday Loudoun County Parks and Rec will be breaking ground on a new park that will contain an 18 hole wooded course.

I am extremely proud of this as it took me attending more than 7 meetings to get disc golf on the park com plan. This will be a great addition to Loudoun County Disc Golf to compliment the wide open expanse of Franklin Park.

Looking forward to working with the PRCS on the design and implementation of this course.


Loudoun County invites members of the public to attend the groundbreaking for the Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park on Saturday, June 29, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony will take place at the park site on Evergreen Mills Road in Arcola. Signs will be posted on Evergreen Mills Road between Founders Drive and Fleetwood Drive to direct guests to the event entrance.

Features of the 257-acre park will include 17 lighted athletic fields, including two artificial turf fields and one cricket field; five ponds; the historic Lee-Hanson House; an event lodge and nature center; a skate plaza and disc golf course; a splash pad and playground with inclusive features and over 75 acres of passive recreational space. The park will be operated by the Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services.

The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2022.

 

[Monocacy]

Nice work Matt! That's about an hour's drive for me, but only 30 minutes from Clark's Run so I can see playing there pretty often.

Any ideas on the course design at this point? Aimed at regional pros, intermediate level, weekend hackers?

Looks like Solace Brewing Company is just down the road. Always good planning to combine beer and disc golf.

 

[vadisc]

The following site says 'Layout of the tee boxes for the disc golf course has begun', anyone have more info on the course?

https://www.theburn.com/2020/11/20/skate-park-taking-shape-at-loudouns-new-hanson-regional-park/

 

[biscoe]

The following site says 'Layout of the tee boxes for the disc golf course has begun', anyone have more info on the course?

https://www.theburn.com/2020/11/20/skate-park-taking-shape-at-loudouns-new-hanson-regional-park/

Word on the street is that the company developing the whole place has handled design... map appears a bit... cluttered. :\

 

[Dcinmd]

When we bought our house at the end of 2013 it was under consideration that this park would be built and we would have a disc golf course within 5 miles.

Of course the politicians drugged out funding for a few years, so here we are 8 year later and close to wrapping it up.

I have heard comments from others that Biscoe mentioned above. And I certainly know less about the project than he does.

The one neat thing that I have been keeping track of is drone footage that the general contractor has been posting to youtube. Here is the link. Not much content on the course but still equally amusing.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC43lf2oG6mGeO5cuLc8xTZg/videos

 

[biscoe]

I have heard comments from others that Biscoe mentioned above. And I certainly know less about the project than he does.

I would guess you have exactly the same info as I do on this one. I used the term "cluttered" when I have heard the term "f-ing dangerous."

 

[Dcinmd]

I would guess you have exactly the same info as I do on this one. I used the term "cluttered" when I have heard the term "f-ing dangerous."

This is what the board member told me at the Roost. There is a lot going on in this park, it is unfortunate.

 

[Monocacy]

I would guess you have exactly the same info as I do on this one. I used the term "cluttered" when I have heard the term "f-ing dangerous."

A dangerous, newly-designed course would be unfortunate, to put it mildly. And surprising, given prevalent concerns about liability.

 

[biscoe]

A dangerous, newly-designed course would be unfortunate, to put it mildly. And surprising, given prevalent concerns about liability.

Unfortunate? Yes.

Surprising? Not at all. Many parks departments and park development companies don't know enough about disc golf to fill a thimble yet do the designing for themselves with predictable outcomes.

 

[Three Putt]

Unfortunate? Yes.

Surprising? Not at all. Many parks departments and park development companies don't know enough about disc golf to fill a thimble yet do the designing for themselves with predictable outcomes.

My favorite story was a course that went in while I was still working in parks and recreation. It was two towns over so I called, told them I had a lot of disc golf experience and asked if they needed help. They said they had it covered; they had a staff appreciation party and during the party they gave each staff member a Frisbee (the cheapo giveaway variety) and let everybody walk around and design a course. Then they picked their course design from those staff submissions. I'm dyin' if I'm lyin'.

 

[biscoe]

My favorite story was a course that went in while I was still working in parks and recreation. It was two towns over so I called, told them I had a lot of disc golf experience and asked if they needed help. They said they had it covered; they had a staff appreciation party and during the party they gave each staff member a Frisbee (the cheapo giveaway variety) and let everybody walk around and design a course. Then they picked their course design from those staff submissions. I'm dyin' if I'm lyin'.

I have had a similar experience locally fairly recently although your tale is way funnier. I try to do design work close to home for free if I can. A parks department nearby was installing a course and I offered to lay it out for them. I know that at first they thought I was trying to sell them something but I assured them multiple times that although this is what I do for a living I was volunteering to help them out gratis. A parks employee with no dg experience laid out the predictably bad course. Now they want me to help them fix it- ugh.

The parks departments who don't know any better are nowhere near as aggravating as the companies getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) to design entire parks who toss in a disc golf course designed while sitting at a computer by someone who has never played disc golf instead of taking the effort to either hire a pro or at the least have a dg person on staff.

 

[Three Putt]

I have had a similar experience locally fairly recently although your tale is way funnier. I try to do design work close to home for free if I can. A parks department nearby was installing a course and I offered to lay it out for them. I know that at first they thought I was trying to sell them something but I assured them multiple times that although this is what I do for a living I was volunteering to help them out gratis. A parks employee with no dg experience laid out the predictably bad course. Now they want me to help them fix it- ugh.

The parks departments who don't know any better are nowhere near as aggravating as the companies getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) to design entire parks who toss in a disc golf course designed while sitting at a computer by someone who has never played disc golf instead of taking the effort to either hire a pro or at the least have a dg person on staff.

The Master Plan consultants used to irritate the bejesus out of me. "And over here you have room for some soccer fields." "Uh, did you not check the topography there, or do you not know what soccer is?" :|

 

[Monocacy]

The Master Plan consultants used to irritate the bejesus out of me. "And over here you have room for some soccer fields." "Uh, did you not check the topography there, or do you not know what soccer is?" :|

At my old job we (safety) often served as intermediaries between the engineers/project managers and facilities maintenance staff. Even though they were in the same department.

On one renovation, one of the facilities folks told me (with great glee) that an engineer needed to visit the job site but couldn't find it. To the engineer, the job was just lines in a CAD program. He had never actually laid eyes on the building.

So I have no trouble believing that a Master Plan consultant had never visited the site to make sure the proposed soccer fields did not include cliffs, gullies, and maybe a stream or two.

 

[Dcinmd]

The Master Plan consultants used to irritate the bejesus out of me. "And over here you have room for some soccer fields." "Uh, did you not check the topography there, or do you not know what soccer is?" :|

This makes it very important which direction you wish to go in the first half.

 

[Dcinmd]

On one renovation, one of the facilities folks told me (with great glee) that an engineer needed to visit the job site but couldn't find it. To the engineer, the job was just lines in a CAD program. He had never actually laid eyes on the building.

Too much engineering has effected my disc golf game. But you are not wrong.

 

[vadisc]

Word on the street is that the company developing the whole place has handled design... map appears a bit... cluttered. :\

That's unfortunate. I live across the street from the park and we have a course in the neighborhood which was designed by the developer, it's obvious they hadn't played any/much disc golf before.

 

[Dcinmd]

4/13/22 drone flyover. A good look at the disc golf course at about the 5 second mark till 45 second mark.

I see the tee pads and not much else.



Here is a new video, no shots of the disc golf course but amazing how much the leaves have spouted in 2 weeks and how much the athletic fields have grown.

 

[vadisc]

They've started to install the baskets (cement tees and signs are in), looks like they are DD Veterans.

 

[vadisc]

I've seen just about all the tee signs, below are the lengths for each hole (A/B pins in feet). Pretty mild elevation changes, 100% wooded, large cement tees, white DD Veteran baskets. My guess it'll be open sometime this month.

1- 257/176
2- 279/192
3- 359/234
4- 285/215
5-
6- 294/207
7- 290/215
8- 336/189
9- 252/201
10-
11- 430/289
12- 245/185
13- 215/211
14- 423/301
15- 302/205
16- 345/236
17-
18- 297/220

A pins - 4,609' (for the 15 holes above), should be close to 5,500' for 18.
B pins - 3,276'

 

[vadisc]

They've posted a course map with hole distances at the kiosk near hole 1. Most recent update from the county says they are doing more light testing in August so looks like it will be August or September before it's open.

1- 257/176
2- 279/192
3- 359/234
4- 285/215
5- 310/235
6- 294/207
7- 290/215
8- 336/189
9- 252/201
10- 467/345
11- 430/289
12- 245/185
13- 215/211
14- 423/301
15- 302/205
16- 345/236
17- 280/227
18- 297/220

A pins - 5,666'
B pins - 4,083'