Norman, Oklahoma

[GT Chris]

Sparky here.... The above posts have been somewhat correct... I have been dealing with what my dr's have referred to pancreatic cancer in early stages.... I have confirmed pancreatitis with several tumors in my abdomen... I had a heat stroke and mild heart attack while pouring the pads on 11 of these holes... My shop being closed is directly related to my health and the fact that I have been working on finishing the course.... I am sorry to those that have been wanting in the shop and I hope you understand.... As to the comment from GT Chris... I can only assume that you were one of the 2 golfers from Georgia Tech that stopped to play after the Texas tournament... I understand you walking off the course as there were no maps yet and only 11 holes were in.... The front 9 is a little more open, but this is designed to be a tight course.... This is not an old ball golf course that was taken over and it is not a wide open park either.... This is an extremely tight and technical course that doesn't always benefit the play that wants to step up with a boss, destroyer or nuke and grip it and rip it.... This is also a brand new course and will be continued to be groomed... I'm sorry you thought the course was unsafe... I also have not heard a single negative comment about the course except this one... And I have enough haters here that would gladly tell me if they thought it wasn't up to par, but the funny thing is they keep coming back to play it... I can only hope you come back and play it when it's 100% finished... But as far as a lawsuit waiting to happen? It's posted to play at your own risk and that you are entering a disc golf course so watch out for flying discs... Can't think of any disc golfers being sued over hitting someone with a disc... Not saying it hasn't happened, but I have never heard of it.... Don't think Will sued the cat that split his head open earlier this year...

To all my supporters... Thank you for your patience and I hope to be well enough to get back into the shop soon... We will continue to work on Little River improving those tight lines that everyone loves... So excited to be bringing hole #7 to you guys ASAP.... Oklahoma city's own island shot.... Way overdue folks.... Thanks again and keep flinging those discs...

Yep, I was the guy in the Tech shirt. To be clear, I walked off because I did not want to continue playing a round at a course I deemed that unsafe. I did not walk off because I couldn't find my way around, or thought the holes were too short or technical.

My complaints are the holes playing in the Northwest corner of the park with the ravine on the left, particular the first of those holes which force a shot over it. It is a cool shot, but at the time I played there was no way to get down into the ravine safely if necessary. I would contend that a ladder or at least a rope to repel down should have been put in before the basket.

I also thought a couple of the open holes played too close to some walking paths which were very well trafficked while I was there. After waiting on one of the tees, I eventually threw a roller as that let me play the hole with the least chance of hitting someone. I think these were holes 18 and 1 (in the South end of the park). The short distances and mandatories really made them seem crammed in there where maybe one good hole could have been designed in that space instead.

I didn't mean to offend anybody, though I am genuinely surprised I am the first person to voice any criticism of the course. There is a difference between haters hating on a course or designer, and a visiting player offering up some constructive criticism on a new course. Once some ropes get put in near the ravine and the local non-dg park users get adjusted this could become a nice little neighborhood course. Best of luck!

 

[wake_rider]

N.E. Lions was my 200th played course. Oldest in OK I can believe. Built in 1972 is simply wrong, considering the oldest course in the world didn't come along until 1975.

Yeah, my knowledge of the history of DG is something that I'm still working to grow. So far, it's somewhat limited to what I've been told by a lot of the old dudes around the course, but I guess that they're probably not the most accurate source. Too many years in the sun, chunking plastic...

Either way, I've been told by plenty of the the guys who were around to see Lions get built that it is definitely the oldest course in OK. Pretty cool wheter it is, or is not.

 

[wake_rider]

I'd be down to throw a round anytime you need a warm body. I'm an after-work round guy that lives and works on the south side of OKC/Moore. Haven't played the new course in Moore and likely won't ever play the course in Noble (severe poison ivy allergy) but I'm willing to get humiliated at Griffin or enjoy Lyons. Hell, you can probably catch me practicing upshots and putts at Hillsdale a couple of times a week most of the year!

If you're not a long thrower, you might like Griffin more now that it has a red on almost every hole. Pretty fun and tech tossing from the reds.

Also, I'm horrifically allergic to Poison Ivy as well, but I've just learned to wear long sleeves and high socks if I'm wearing shorts and want to hit up the Noble course. That, and I've become a freaking eagle-eye searching out for that stuff and I stay a good 2 steps away from it. So far, I've only had one run in with it, and wouldn't you know, it was at Noble. :doh: Still, too fun of a course for me to avoid it completely.

Any afternoon you're wanting to head to Norman or to meet up in Noble, or if you're down for a course in OKC during the weekend, just shout at me. I'll pm you my contact info.

 

[SparkyOKC]

@ GT Chris... No offense taken at all... The ravine hole that you refer to is hole #11 and we have discussed some concrete stairs with the city which is not going to happen anytime soon... In the mean time if a disc goes into the creek you can safely enter the creek bed just past the basket on hole #12's pad... Easy walk into the creek... And yes holes #1 and #18 are the ones in the loop on the south end... In the loop path and over is OB and yes if you cook one out with a nasty hyzer skip you can potentially hit someone walking... Honestly on #18 a well placed drive up the right side of the tunnel with a big skip will land on shorts fairly consistently at roughly 306'... (hint, hint) it looks like the trees are a block but it's just an optical illusion... And again I throw a buzzz on #1 for an easy birdie... Most of the back 9 is more of a mid range and a chip... I agree about hole #12's basket being moved... It's sitting at 110 feet right now... The front 9 will be an entertaining mixture... Hole #3 will play out of a long tunnel into the wide open about 550-650' on an elevated basket... #4 plays back into a shielded green at around 380-410, #5 is an interesting hole... We are working on it right now... It is a right to left fade playing into a basket located ontop of a 5' wall built ontop of a 12' elevation change... Come up just short and your looking at a 16' straight up shot to reach the green... #6 plays out to the pond and #7 is the island shot... 185' from shorts on the island or well over 600 playing from the south pad throwing at least 300 to carry the water... #8 is long and skinny preparing you for the back 9... Again I would love to have you guys come back and play it when it's 100% complete and I would be more than happy to show you around... Again here is another hint to those following this thread... Some holes may reward you more for a good midrange shot than a beefy drive... Keep flinging those discs everyone and again sorry to those that have been trying to get into the shop... I hope to be back there soon... Not gonna let this health stuff get me...

 

[Dan H.]

To bring this back to topic.... We have a Central Oklahoma Disc Golf Club on this site now. Join us for meetups/info.

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/group.php?groupid=452