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Post by Ron Pittman on Sept 22, 2008 21:43:44 GMT -5
OK, Here's the deal. Next week the tee pads go in. I want to fine tune the exact placement of the tagets before we set the sleeves. So, we are going to hold a Feedback Tournament. This is your one chance to come visit and play the course ----- LOOOONG before it is ready for regular play. While I really want you to come to this OneAfternoonDeal, it is important to remind you that we agreed with the city to keep people off of the site until it is ready. Other than the 4th, don't plan on visiting or playing this course. And pleeze don't go spreading the word that Liberty is open. We are moving our regular Monthly Mini from Crockett to Liberty for this event. WCDGC Monthly Mini Tournament Saturday October 4th - NOT at Crockett
- Tee off at 1pm
- Sign ups start at 12:30pm
- $5 Entry Fee
Where? Where? Where? Liberty Park, Franklin, TN - Temporary Targets
- 10 holes from the Reds; 10 Holes from the Whites
- This is a Feedback Tournament! Need some input before final pin placements are installed.
- This tournament is a one-time exception. Liberty Park is NOT OPEN for play. It isn't near ready. It is still under construction. Except for the 4th, DO NOT plan on playing (or even visiting) this course just yet.
On Tournament day, look for the "DG" sign by the gravel road on the SE corner of McEwen and Turning Wheel . Travel the gravel road to the asphalt circle. Go right. Makeshift parking lot at the top of hill. If you have a temporary target, let me know. Thanks, Ron |
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Post by Ron Pittman on Sept 23, 2008 17:24:49 GMT -5
My, oh, my!! This thing is happening all of a sudden. I meet with the contractor today. This thing might be mostly ready in just a few weeks. - The WCDGC graphic guru team is working on signs in the next couple of weeks.
- Next week I will mark locations for benches (a few), tee signs, bag poles, and navigational signs.
- Tee pads will get poured and backfilled next week.
- Sleeves will get set soon after our feedback tourny. Targets are on site. Innova Discatchers. They catch great BTW, if you can get used to the yellow chastity belt. ;D
Still some contractor work to do on the fairways, paths, parking lot, etc. Not sure of the timing just yet. Oh, and I need some volunteer help before the 4th to prune some overhead stuff. If you have some afternoons free, let me know. I got tools. 2-3 hours. I hope you can make it on the 4th, but if not --- the wait may not be too long. Whoodathunkit? Thanks, Ron |
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Post by jonstowe on Sept 23, 2008 22:54:24 GMT -5
Sorry, going to be out of town for the 4th.
Please be sure to leave lots of open space on the right side of some holes for the guy that just can't seem to let go of the disc at the right time.
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Post by boneman on Sept 25, 2008 10:14:48 GMT -5
Awesome! I'll be looking forward to playing this course during Christmas vacation!
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Post by Ron Pittman on Sept 25, 2008 15:32:29 GMT -5
Jon,
You are going to like this course. While it is much shorter than Crockett, it has some nice looks.
The fairways are fair, but I wouldn't call them generous. Lots of trees. Lots.
3 Uphill (2 rather steep), 3 downhill (2 with a lot of drop), 1 open hole (kinda'), 3 sorta' level. Is that 10? The red tees are shorter than the white, but most seem to be tighter. Sharpen your short game.
John, my CO connection!!
This course ALREADY has concrete tees (poured yesterday). Hmmm.... wonder if we should put up guardrails on the steep sided tees for my age-protected friends?? ;D
Looking forward to your annual visit. I will be in town this year. BTW, I am staying a week in May near Idaho Springs. Might need some course advice. The discs will get to go on vacation, too!
Ron
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Post by boneman on Sept 25, 2008 17:48:10 GMT -5
Jon, You are going to like this course. While it is much shorter than Crockett, it has some nice looks. The fairways are fair, but I wouldn't call them generous. Lots of trees. Lots. 3 Uphill (2 rather steep), 3 downhill (2 with a lot of drop), 1 open hole (kinda'), 3 sorta' level. Is that 10? The red tees are shorter than the white, but most seem to be tighter. Sharpen your short game. John, my CO connection!! This course ALREADY has concrete tees (poured yesterday). Hmmm.... wonder if we should put up guardrails on the steep sided tees for my age-protected friends?? ;D Looking forward to your annual visit. I will be in town this year. BTW, I am staying a week in May near Idaho Springs. Might need some course advice. The discs will get to go on vacation, too! Ron Sounds great. I love playing tight courses. Shot my best round ever in April (first tourney after breaking the leg), and shot a 996 my first round at Johnny Roberts Memorial DGC on it's tight fairways (too bad my second round sucked, lol). I've been getting by without guardrails OK this summer ... I definitely tread more carefully on wet or muddy tee boxes, concrete or natural now. CO states is coming up in about 2 weeks! It's going to be a blast. I haven't played a tourney for awhile, so I'll be going mostly for "fun". I'll probably get a chance to play with Peter Shive again ... man, that guy refuses to be old! It's always fun playing with him and getting schooled. If you're in Idaho Springs, the best courses are going to be on the Denver side. Birds Nest in Arvada, maybe Johnny Roberts. I'll come up with more by the time you get out here. Cheers! |
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Post by Ron Pittman on Oct 4, 2008 6:36:17 GMT -5
Bump.
If you decide to come at the last minute. Come on. Bring your traveler target. I may be one short.
Ron
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Post by Ron Pittman on Oct 14, 2008 16:32:06 GMT -5
I should probably give a report from the feedback day.
First, the course progress.
· All 20 tee pads are in. Most are 5x10, but the longer holes are 5x12. The backfill (crusher run stone) is in. 2’ on each side and 3’ on each end. Really safe for such a hillside. Still some grading work to do to hold the really steep stuff in and to create access to each pad. Maybe some ramps, maybe steps. Scott swept them for our outing. Yeah.
· Fairways are essentially clear. At least for air shots. Ground is pretty cluttered. Lots of chunks, limbs, etc. More grading and more chipping to come.
· Paths between holes are cleared thanks to Scott R. He made all of them passable, some of them presentable.
· Areas just off the fairway are nasty. LOTS of dead trees, fallen trees, undergrowth, etc. The city will clear this stuff this winter after the contractor leaves the area. I will say it again -- The city will clear this stuff this winter after the contractor leaves the area!!!!
· The contractor will install benches, tee signs posts, bag posts, and directional posts in the next few weeks.
· Signs are being designed, but we aren’t in a huge rush. Got time to get them correct.
· The road and parking lot will be one of the last things to do. We won’t open the course (or even install the targets) until this is done.
The temporary targets for our one-day event.
· For our little tourney, we placed the targets in their expected position. We then played one round (10 holes) from the white tees. Since we only had a handful of the old regulars, we didn’t collect $ for the event, but we did keep score on the cool feedback cards that Scott made.
· We then moved a few of the targets to an expected alternate position and played another round from the red tees.
The feedback
· I will let the other guys chime in about the like/not like stuff about the course. The general feeling I got was good, but I think mostly we all thought we would shoot better. More on that later.
· BTW, Kevin, asst. park director, joined us for the day. He was very positive about the course and the city’s commitment to it.
· All in all it appears we have enuff feedback for 2 rather nice placements for targets on each hole. Some were a bit hard to nail down because of all the undergrowth, but we are ok.
· OK, I will admit --- I am a little jaded about my opinions about the course. I never felt good about the shape of the land (a really goofy hillside), or the size of the land (without going UP the hillside for some BillyGoatGolf -- we used most all the land we had to fit in the then9/now10 holes), or about the type and size of trees in the woods (mostly scrubby, lumpy, short Osage orange trees)
· My greatest fear was that the course would be a boring pitchNputt --- drive, then putt – expect a 2 on every hole. Nope. Not the case. Bear in mind that the targets were temps, most of us are not great putters, the elevation change was different, and the junk around the targets were troublesome. That said, we had only a few birds from the white tees. Richard had 2, and I think the rest of us only had one or none. Bogeys seemed to be more available. You know me ---– I detest a wooded hole that is all luck. I think you will agree that while the fairways are fair, only a really clean shot will be rewarded with a drop-in 2.
· My second greatest fear was that the red tees were going to be perfect for the newbie, but a little weak for the experienced player. I say NOPE. Still only 2 or 3 birds each. Some really fun shots. I predict that most players will end up playing 10 red and 10 white for a round of 20. If you don’t know what BarberPoleGolf is, then let me know.
Bottom line for me. I have always felt good about the fun factor for this course, but now I am feeling a bit better about the challenge factor.
What about the rest of you that went?
Ron
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Post by Woodster on Oct 22, 2008 19:52:01 GMT -5
As usual, Ron did an eloquent description of the Feedback Tournament. I agree w most of his thoughts/opinions. I also was worried the course may end up too easy/boring but now am not so concerned. A few of the holes still had some room to stretch them longer. As for the hill; hey, flat is dull. Most folks (like me anyway) will play the whites then reds (or vice versa) for 20 holes of .... barber pole golf?? The hill provides a nice leg workout. I predict when the paths are in some folks will walk the course just for the hike in the woods. As for the trees; I love the big ones most & most some. My scores don't always though.... Since this course will be the closest to my house I am HAPPY it is being born. Cool stuff........
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Post by mattroley on Nov 20, 2008 14:15:08 GMT -5
Is Liberty Park open? I am originally from Franklin but currently live in Portland OR. I'll be home for Christmas and would love to play a course without having to drive to 7 Oaks or Henry Horton (although i'm sure i still will). Any info on whether or not it will be open for play by Christmas?
thanks,
-matt
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Post by Ron Pittman on Nov 20, 2008 22:06:44 GMT -5
Matt,
Easy answer. Nope. Not ready at all.
While a lot has been done, both the contractor and the city need more time.
The good news is that the city will be clearing out all of the dead bodocks (about 30) from the hillside and clearing out the nasty undergrowth. After that we can place the targets and add the paths between holes.
I am guessing March.
Be sure and post here when you hit town in Dec.
Have you played Crockett yet?
Ron
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Post by mattroley on Dec 14, 2008 18:54:29 GMT -5
Ron,
I played Crocket a few years ago. Like winter of '06. Is it still the same layout? Looking forward to throwing some middle TN courses. Oregon has hit the rainy season.
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Post by Ron Pittman on Dec 17, 2008 23:25:15 GMT -5
Matt,
Crockett is now 18. Red tees set currently at par 55, about 5200'. White tees set currently at par 55, about 7100'
Ron
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