Panther's Lair @ Potomac Middle School - Dumfries, VA

[gottafixit]

Got to play this on Saturday, can't wait for it to post so I can add it as played. It's a simple course but still has a good bit of challenge and really uses the land to its fullest. Hands down the nicest Grade School Course I've played. Great Job on this.

 

[G Bud]

Finally, Targets to be installed next week!

Yes, finally after a lot of :wall: and :doh: we have a date for the installation of our targets. They will be installed by B. Rushing Landscaping on Tuesday, 1/25. Before you know it, our little project will be complete.
Keep an eye out for this course to come on line in the next few weeks. :clap:

 

[swatso]

Status as of 2/28/11?

So, what baskets and/or tees are in and ready for play?

 

[G Bud]

Delayed due to temporary lack of funds

Sorry Swatso, I posted this on the local forum but I guess I dropped the ball here. I'm still trying to get beyond the situation as it knocked me down for a minute. Literally the day before the install, I mean Miss Utility had just left campus, the principal tells me she has to put the project on the back burner until Spring due to shortfalls on the financial front. I guess I understand, it's a common theme now a days, but it didn't do much to ease the blow. :wall:

So we are still just a bunch of tees without targets for the moment. But I am holding a disc golf club interest meeting on Thursday. We have enough portable targets that we can start getting the kids in involved. :thmbup:

 

[G Bud]

Our Pin Placements are Finally In the Ground!!

I actually can't believe I am finally posting this.

Friday morning (12/16) at 10:30, a four man crew from B. Rushing Landscaping headed by Everett, pulled up to Potomac Middle with one purpose: Install 9 DiscCatcher Pro installation tubes and finally make the Panther's Lair for real.

To my surprise, no auger. But the crew got to work digging the holes, took lunch and returned at 1:30 for the install. Without an auger, they quickly found out their holes were too wide. They dug them the width of the valve covers, which were nice and big but way more hole than they needed. So there's probably about 120+ lbs of concrete holding on to Hole 1. The rest of the holes would be back filled first before concrete and with every hole the crew's work improved. The last four or five holes were perfectly done. We finished at about 4:30 and I've been pinching myself ever since.

10 keyed alike, 3" shank locks have been ordered directly from Masterlock. I will start putting baskets together this week and as soon as the locks arrive get those puppies in the ground. It may not happen until after the first of the year as school closes for winter break on Thursday afternoon.

In passing, the Principal and I chatted briefly. I am finding it hard to explain the benefits of leaving the course open to the public to someone who has never seen the game played and wouldn't know a pole hole if it fell on her. Eventually she will see that she doesn't have the room to store 9 DisCatcher Pros and disc golfers will be just like other public who run on our track and play on our fields during non-school hours.

So our biggest hurdle is finally behind us and we should see smooth sailing on this project from here. (Famous last words.) Soon we'll be bundling up kids and hitting the course once a week after school. And I'll be able to leave work and step directly onto a course, which has been my real motivation the entire time.

Looking towards the future, keep an eye out for events at the Lair this spring & summer. Because we are a learner's course, our events will be geared towards Ams & Jrs. We will likely start the install of our 4th set of tees, the blues, this summer making the Lair a tasty destination for all levels of play.

http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g450/yobass251/Pomischdgc05242010.jpg

 

[Timber]

Way to go Bud!

 

[prerube]

very cool let us know when it is ready to play.
I just got a grant for my school and $875 is earmarked for disc golf baskets and $100 for signage. It won't be as nice as your nine, but we are getting DG into the schools. :thmbup:

 

[G Bud]

We've got to be like days away

As I expected, the locks did not get ordered until after our Winter Break and apparently they were not in stock at Masterlock so it will take a bit longer since they have to be made. :wall:

But we are ever vigilant. I'm pretty sure I talked the Principal off the ledge about having public play the course. She doesn't have problems with small groups of a few people on the course but she is really worried about large groups. She related this to the running track as, "We let people use our track but we don't want to come down and find a track meet going on." She absolutely forbade me from posting the course on any websites. She said let them come find us. :| of course, in a free country, I have no control over what other people do.

I'm sure once she see and learns the game she will become more relaxed with the situation. But until those locks arrive, here's where we stand.

Thanks for your patience. More soon.

 

[aPfaff]

She doesn't have problems with small groups of a few people on the course but she is really worried about large groups. She related this to the running track as, "We let people use our track but we don't want to come down and find a track meet going on.

It's not like we are going to randomly going to show up in a mass group flaunting signs that say we found this on DGCR.

 

[G Bud]

It's not like we are going to randomly going to show up in a mass group flaunting signs that say we found this on DGCR.

Yes, but she is 100% clueless about the game. So she is just being tippy toe cautious. you might be surprised how many organizations would grab a soccer field, a football field, a track or even an open space if given the opportunity not to go through proper channels. Goofy thing about Prince Wm County, the P&R folks can come in and take over a school facility no questions asked. We have to calendar everything because of it. It's a pain.

Something else is that every PWCS has a security resident that lives at the school. They also are required to walk the building and grounds every few non-school hours. So there is a good chance you will spot someone spotting you when on property.

There will be a big learning curve for the Principal once this puppy is in the ground and activity begins. Which hopefully should be any day as we are still waiting on these silly locks. :wall:

Just last week she asked me to work with the bookkeeper to order 10 discs she can give away as part of her spring test rewards. She also spoke about getting something together for the faculty to get involved and play. We hope to build a great DG community in our little corner of the county. :thmbup:

 

[G Bud]

Locks Have Finally Arrived!

:clap: YES! We have security and baskets are going in the ground! :clap:

So, I can only take 2 baskets at a time in my Explorer so #1 & 2 are up. #3 & 4 are currently in the back of my truck. Hope to make 2 trips on Friday. (No Glohick again!) Then take the last one over on Saturday and spend the rest of the day flagging and cleaning up the tees and cleaning up the greens and playing, of course. :thmbup:
Folks are welcome to come out and check the joint out. I'll post a more formal hours of play next week.

The insanity at the Lair is just beginning! opcorn:

 

[swatso]

Ready for play Saturday 1/28/12

Might be in the area the afternoon of the Sat-28th - will the course be ready and available for play? Thanks.

 

[swatso]

Is the course ready for play Saturday 1/28/12?

Meant to put a question mark in the title of the previous post! :gross:

 

[G Bud]

Yes!

You betcha Swatso! So we currently have 1,2 6 & 8 in the ground. I'm dropping 4 baskets today and will drop the final basket tomorrow (Sat. 1/28) morning. I haven't done squat on the course in over a year so I'll spend the rest of the day flagging and cleaning up the tees and cleaning up the greens and playing, of course.
Folks are welcome to come out and check the joint out. I plan to be out there most of the day like from 8 - 2 or so. Maybe a good chance of a meet up. That would be cool! :thmbup:


I also dropped an email to our security resident today letting her know what was going on. She's been in on the project since the beginning and has been outstandingly supportive. She was glad to see Hole #1 standing not far from her door. So there should be no problems playing the course, provided your not tearing up the place. Don't be surprised if she gives you a wave or says hello if she sees you out there.

The one thing you should know if you do come out and play is how to get in. As you make the 1st right on the campus, there are two schools on property, Potomac MS on the left & Mary Williams ES on the right.
Once you make the right onto campus, make the very first left into the parking lot. DO NOT CONTINUE GOING FORWARD AFTER TURNING ONTO THE PROPERTY. If you do, You will be in the bus lane between the two schools and end up right back where you started to try again.
Make the 1st left into the parking lot and go to the back of the building to park. Walk behind the building and down the sidewalk to hole #1. The toe boards are at ground level so I will flag them on Saturday for easier locating. Once they get played and wear in the will be easier to find.

Here is a map you can print out if you like: http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g450/yobass251/Panthers%20Lair%20DGC%20at%20Potomac%20Middle%20School/Pomischdgc05242010.jpg

So we should be open for business upon the marrow. I will post more formal hours of play but mainly no play during school hours 8 - 3 or school activities which may run 3 - 6 depending on the sport. Weekends should be wide open unless the space is being used by an organization which does not happen often.

Hope to see you at the Lair!

 

[G Bud]

Opening Was Great!

The last and lucky #7 Basket went in around 8:30 AM this morning and our first real day at the Panther's Lair was great! :clap: It was super nice of the DGCR Marylanders: Swatso, DWill and Fascinated Flyer for taking time from their visit to Giles to come play on opening day.

Point of clarification, park in the parking lot between the two schools, towards the back of the lot. Do Not go around and park in the back of the school. Most of the spaces in the back are reserved though it was not a problem today.

Before meeting up with the DGCR guys, I cleared and flagged all the toe boards, finished numbering the baskets, picked up a bunch of trash and ran the weedeater around the 8th green. I also did a little design work while I had the chance. Come the last day of school, PWCS is expanding our building across the 1st fairway, so we need to start looking at alternatives. With that mind, As you come off the 9th hole, you would have to walk back up towards the school to go to the 1st hole. I have flag a possible alternative hole in preparation for the coming construction. You can go ahead and walk up to #1 or you can play your way up there giving a 10th hole option. Here's how it plays:

As you come off #9, if you look up the hill toward the first basket, you will see some pink flagging tied to the top of the fence. The basket is about 60 feet back, directly in line with the flagging.
the tees are flagged by color and marked with red paint. (In case someone pulls my flags.)
The green tee is flagged at the base of the hill it is approx. 150+ up the hill to the basket.
The red tee is just behind and to the right of the storage building by the edge of the drop off towards 9. Maybe 250+ to the basket.
The white tee is inside the track near the long jump box. Maybe 375 to the basket.
There is a blue tee but is it not marked, It would be on the lower level on the other side of the road from #7. An easy 450 from the lowest level. :gross:
Did I mention the OB, I have the hill up to the fence corner flagged with green flags making anything on the right side of the line or the connecting fence OB from the road up to the fence corner and beyond. It's mainly to protect the green on #3 and did come into play today. A little added design bonus in a way we didn't use the property, going up hill. I dig it and think it will improve the flow. Please let me know if there is any feed back on this possible future hole.

Otherwise we're in and open for business. Please come out and play, enjoy the course and let me know what you think. Thanks for your patience. I'm bursting that we finally have this joint up and going.

 

[G Bud]

So I had plans to meet up with my old DG friend Scottbird at the Lair after school today. Of course, I brought a change of clothes cause Wednesdays are tie day for me. (Don't ask) On my first planning period I jumped out to my car to grab my change of clothes, DG bag, etc.. when I notice the PE teacher from Mary Williams ES riding his bike toward our property with kids in tow. He often does this cause our schools share the facilities. We use the baseball & softball fields behind their school. They use the tennis courts and track at our school. I wish we could have used some of the space over near the ball fields but there was just no flow. Again, he has 6 kids in tow and I see each kid has a disc in hand! :thmbup: I was like get the Freak out! So I make my way down to that end of the building, kicking myself in the @$$ cause I don't have my phone on me for any pics. :doh: I get to the gate and sure enough, he's got the kids standing on the track throwing plastic at #4. It was flippin' awesome! :clap:
Mr. Carroll has also been in on this project from the beginning. The little PVC netty things were targets we borrowed from him.
http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums...t Potomac Middle School/Malcolmmissesputt.jpg
He said he saw the baskets were up and though he give them a try. So soon we'll have our ES feeder tossing plastic before they even get to me. :hfive: And so it begins....... beware of the Lair!