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Wow! Like across the river?
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Michigan New Course Updates
- Thread starter DirtyMittenDG
- Start date
Wow! Like across the river?
Today's work day at Nash Park went well, mostly because it was organized. The person who headed up the project set up three teams with clear objectives in mind:
One team dedicated to clearing brush and limbs, and making sure fairways are clear.
A 2nd digging holes for baskets.
A 3rd for assembling, installing, and levelling the baskets.
Everyone understood what they needed to do.
At this point, the tees are just flags in the ground, to see if anything needs to be tweaked going forward, but all 9 baskets got installed today.
Terrain is flat, but I liked what I saw in terms of having several well-wooded, shot shaping holes, with a few holes that are relatively open with just a few trees to avoid. I don't think it'll be the most beginner friendly course, but I don't think it'll be too intimidating, either.
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Also played another new niner this morning: Veterans Park, in Warren, MI. Typical park style niner, with nothing out of the ordinary. Not sure why it's not showing up on DGCR yet, because I added it this morning. I think Tim still has to bless new listings, to make sure they're legit, or not already listed.
Veteran Memorial Park - Warren, MI
https://app.udisc.com/applink/course/36206
My focus at Nash was to give people a challenge that is not typically found at park style courses. There are several pitch and putts in the metro detroit area so I didn't want another.
Yep. West of Dead River (after hole 12 at PM we will have a hole or two throwing over the river for a transition). There is essentially 100 acres the landowner has which is almost untouched.
That's because they are leftover tracts, ha! We took what was given to us, tried to get creative, and used it to the fullest. It's what we have been proud of too...working with what we had, improving the land, using it without heavy clearing and modification, and opening up more areas for public recreation (and not kids starting fires in unused wooded areas).
Al Quaal is different though, and on a prime piece of property. The long term vision for Al Quaal involves three 18-hole courses. Right now most holes use the cross country trails for the "airway". We plan to use the surrounding woods much more, and much more of the miles of x-ski trails!
Al Quaal is different though, and on a prime piece of property. The long term vision for Al Quaal involves three 18-hole courses. Right now most holes use the cross country trails for the "airway". We plan to use the surrounding woods much more, and much more of the miles of x-ski trails!
I guess they got a few emails about Cold Brook:
Found on the "Kalamazoo Disc Golf" Facebook page. Thought a few folks here might find this of interest...
Found on the "Kalamazoo Disc Golf" Facebook page. Thought a few folks here might find this of interest...
oh wow i didnt know al quaal had those aspirations
your scenery up there and land is amazing im glad to hear it expanding and improving
thats exciting
Nick Pacific
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Kinda sounds like they've quantified the loss of revenue from the past 2 years since running everyone out and figured out just how much money the local disc golf community was bringing them and are in damage control at this point.
Before Spring Valley and VIRA and Meyer Broadway and Oshtemo and Robert Morris and Knollwood and Begg and TPC and Kimball Pines and Irving and the five or so school courses, Cold Brook was the only game in town for the area's mere quarter-million or so population. Every time I've been back to Cold Brook in the last ten years, it's a ghost town compared to the old days. There are so many better options closer to the population centers, most of which are for free or worth the fees. Cold Brook is going to have to step its game up significantly if they want that revenue back to what it was 20 years ago, and I don't see how that's going to happen when they're removing holes and there isn't room for more.
The county parks department is a couple of decades behind the ball. They have room for that championship caliber course they're talking about now at Prairie View Park (I'd LOVE that because I'm a couple of miles away), but it would compete with a free and awesome VIRA only a few miles away too, and the outstanding Meyer Broadway complex 15 minutes further south that's totally worth the cost, unlike Cold Brook. Their nose-in-the-air attitude toward the Disc Golf community has cost them and it's probably too late to ever recoup anything remotely close to the monopoly they had in 1998 with the fees they collected from the sport's diehards.
It's SO NICE having all these other options besides Cold Brook today. Really, the best it can do is be gussied back up and considered a museum course, kind of like how Honey Bear is in Peru, IN. Other than that, there's nothing special in comparison to the other closer, better and even cheaper to play options all over the place. I keep saying it but it's true; we live in a time of milk and honey. It's awesome. Sorry, Kalamazoo County Parks. You had your chance.
The county parks department is a couple of decades behind the ball. They have room for that championship caliber course they're talking about now at Prairie View Park (I'd LOVE that because I'm a couple of miles away), but it would compete with a free and awesome VIRA only a few miles away too, and the outstanding Meyer Broadway complex 15 minutes further south that's totally worth the cost, unlike Cold Brook. Their nose-in-the-air attitude toward the Disc Golf community has cost them and it's probably too late to ever recoup anything remotely close to the monopoly they had in 1998 with the fees they collected from the sport's diehards.
It's SO NICE having all these other options besides Cold Brook today. Really, the best it can do is be gussied back up and considered a museum course, kind of like how Honey Bear is in Peru, IN. Other than that, there's nothing special in comparison to the other closer, better and even cheaper to play options all over the place. I keep saying it but it's true; we live in a time of milk and honey. It's awesome. Sorry, Kalamazoo County Parks. You had your chance.
Nick Pacific
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Well that certainly didn't last long. Baskets will be pulled Wednesday. What a let down. Neighbors going NIMBY crazy is what I hear.
Sad. I actually spent about 10 minutes with one couple, the day we put the course in the ground. Sounded like there were several neighbors, whose backyards backed up to the park, were really protective. They had some concerns like....."we don't want a bunch of people coming using the park, all of a sudden"". By opening up the wooded areas, we will have kids partying all the time." We have been here for 17 years, now you want to change our park." "We like it nice and quiet here". "Nobody from the city or your group asked us about this".
It is a city owned park. Unfortunate. But the group spearheading the installation seem ok with it. They made some postive relationships with the city and hopefully will find a better fit for the course.
I heard today that the MetroParks is redesigning the Willow MetroPark course. Removing 6 holes, to make it 18. Opening up most of the holes, by cutting down trees. I am not sure who is the driving force behind the decisions or helping with the redesign. I am angry about it. Willow is a tough, wooded track. A nice compliment to the area, especially in light of the massive loss of Ash trees in the last decade or so. I will post more info, as I find out.
Sounds like a second-to-worst case scenario 
Sounds like a second-to-worst case scenario
Yeah....I had heard rumbling that they were just going to pull it. That did not make much sense. I mean that course is literally in an area, that is unusable for any other recreational activity.
It does not sound like the redesign is taking any steps to mitigate the flooding problems, that plague the course most of the spring. I just don't get a redesign. I don't believe people don't play Willow, because there are too many holes or it is too wooded. If that is the case, we are not hurting for options in that area. SMH. I am just not sure what happened there. With the land available, I just don't really see the result being much better of a course.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the flooding is mostly on the grassy holes toward the front 1/3 of the course? I could see maybe trying to route something to avoid those areas. Not sure how one would connect the remaining holes though...
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I don't play Willow often, but basically, the holes at the south end of the course hold more water, so the beginning and end of the round aren't too bad. It's the middle where it gets really wet.
I'd say the flooding is a problem on holes 8 - 14 or so. I think #15 (long hole out in the field) can get a bit swampy as well.
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Did a bit of asking around and came up with the proposed redesign of Willow. They are looking to move hole 1 to a new parking lot and picnic area. Solid idea. I don't think there is a pavillion there, but there are vault toilets, tables and a paved lot. It does not seem like flooding is mitigated with this redesign. It looks like the blue areas might be areas of flooding concern. I do appreciate the added amentiies that the new course will add, but I can assure you that Mrs. ru4por will not approve of toilets at the start, but not in the middle of the round. Mid course "pitstops" are very high on lher list, lol. Here is the map that I was forwarded.
Not sure that link will work. Let me know if it doesn't.
Not sure that link will work. Let me know if it doesn't.
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Did a bit of asking around and came up with the proposed redesign of Willow. They are looking to move hole 1 to a new parking lot and picnic area. Solid idea. I don't think there is a pavillion there, but there are vault toilets, tables and a paved lot. It does not seem like flooding is mitigated with this redesign. It looks like the blue areas might be areas of flooding concern. I do appreciate the added amentiies that the new course will add, but I can assure you that Mrs. ru4por will not approve of toilets at the start, but not in the middle of the round. Mid course "pitstops" are very high on lher list, lol. Here is the map that I was forwarded.
Not sure that link will work. Let me know if it doesn't.
It doesn't...
How about this?
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How about this?
Nothing...
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