Disc golf course proposed for Fisher Farm Park
Posted By David Boraks On December 1, 2009 @ 2:30 pm In charlotte,Sports,Town Hall | Comments Disabled
Disc golf uses a Frisbee or other flying disk and metal baskets for holes. (SOURCE: Oct. 6 presentation to Davidson Parks & Rec Advisory Board)
A group of local disc golf aficionados is proposing to construct a disc golf course at the town-owned Fisher Farm Park, off Shearer Road.
The Town Board was scheduled hear a presentation about the idea at its monthly Town Board work session tonight (Tuesday, Dec. 1). The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at Town Hall, 216 S. Main St. Also on the agenda, a report on the town’s agreement with a local caterer for management of Beaver Dam Park, off Davidson-Concord Road, and a closed session to discuss a legal matter.
DISC GOLF PROPOSAL
Invented in 1970, disc golf is similar to golf, except players use discs (Frisbees) instead of balls. The object is to float your disc into a specially designed basket, instead of a hole.
Disc golf courses are being constructed nationwide as the sport grows in popularity, and now number more than 2,700 in the U.S., according to statistics provided to the town’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Board.
The master plan for the 200-acre Fisher Farm calls for a disc golf course. Until now, the town has not had a plan for making it a reality, said Steve Fraher, Davidson Parks & Recreation director.
Local disc golfers Will Keible, John Kennedy, Stan McDaniel and Brunson Russum will be at the work session to present their plans for constructing a course at no cost to the town. Although a private disc golf course already exists at Davidson College, the organizers note that the nearest public course to is at Hornet’s Nest Park in Charlotte, off Beatties Ford Road. (UPDATE DEC. 3: A reader points out there is also a disc golf course at Bailey Road Park, in Cornelius.)
Mr. McDaniel, a member of the Charlotte Disc Golf Club, has already drawn a design for the course. He is a longtime disc golfer and member of the Disc Golf Hall of Fame who previously designed courses at Charlotte’s Hornet’s Nest and Renaissance parks.
Proposed design for the course. (SOURCE: Oct. 6 presentation to Davidson Parks & Rec Advisory Board)
Altogether, a disc golf course could cost about $35,000, Mr. Fraher said. Mr. McDaniel is donating his design, which is valued at $10,000. (“That’s like having a Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods come in and put their signature on the design of a golf course,” Mr. Fraher said.)
The remaining costs would be paid through volunteer work, donations and sponsorships, Mr. Fraher said.
The work would consist of laying out fairways and greens and installing signage and metal baskets for the holes. The plans would be subject to an environmental review to make sure they don’t disrupt any natural features at Fisher Farm, Mr. Fraher said. It would be maintained by volunteers in much the same way that volunteers are building and maintaining the park’s mountain bike trails, he said.
The proposal has already been endorsed by the town’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, Mr. Fraher said.
The ultimate goal would be to construct the course in time for the 2012 world disc golf championships, which will be staged in the Charlotte area. A dozen courses are needed for that event.
BEAVER DAM CONTRACT
Mr. Fraher also will make a presentation to the board Tuesday night about the town’s recent agreement to turn over management of Beaver Dam Park to Armin’s Catering.
Armin’s Catering held a ribbon cutting Nov. 13 to celebrate the arrangement and begin promoting the site and its services to potential customers. Armin’s will now handle all bookings for special events at the historic site off Davidson-Concord Road, once home to the Davidson family.
Mr. Fraher said the town for months has been discussing the idea of hiring an independent operator at Beaver Dam because it was having difficulty meeting the operating costs. He had told the town’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Board last March that revenues from the site have been falling $1,500 to $2,000 short of the $10,000 cost of the annual lease with Davidson College, which owns the site.
The town had been studying its options, including returning the site to college control. This summer it interviewed a number of potential operators, including Armin’s, which also operates a lakeside venue called Armin’s on the Lake.
The town has signed a 3-year lease with Armin’s beginning Jan. 1, though it allowed Armin’s to occupy the site Nov. 1.
The deal with Armin’s will bring the town $10,000 annual payment, covering the cost of its lease with the college. Armin’s also will pay the town a percentage of its catering revenues from events at the site.
The town expects the outsourcing deal to save about $18,000 a year in landscaping and other maintenance costs, plus the cost of staff time it had been spending managing and marketing the site. Armin’s also is to provide decorations and furnishings, Mr. Fraher said.
RELATED LINKS
Armin’s Catering, www.arminscatering.com
Nov. 17, 2009, “Around Davidson: Beaver Dam Park event”
Nov. 13, 2009, “BizNotes” with an item about the ribbon-cutting by Armin’s Catering at Beaver Dam.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Parks & Rec disc golf page
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#1 Comment By Rodney Graham On December 1, 2009 @ 10:03 pm
We all need a quiet place in our lives. In his movie “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore spoke eloquently about a creek on the family farm that provided peace and sanctuary. Growing up in Arizona, I found quiet in the mountains surrounding Tucson, where at 9,000 feet the scenery was more Canadian than southwestern, and at night the stars were so plentiful and bright that they cast a shadow.
As Davidson has grown, our quiet places have become fewer. When the Town of Davidson wisely decided to purchase Fisher Farm park, it created a natural environment that everyone can enjoy.
When you own something, it is hard to resist the temptation to tinker with it and try to make it better. But, Fisher Farm park was built if you will by Mother Nature. It’s hard to improve upon that.
When I ran for Town Board in 2007, one of the questions at a candidate forum was “what facilities would you propose for Fisher Farm park?” My answer then was simple: “None.” The answer today remains the same.
Fisher Farm park is one of our last, accessible natural spaces in Davidson. Once we start adding non-natural facilities, its uniqueness is gone. I would hope that the Town of Davidson recognizes that Fisher Farm park is a special place and endeavors to keep it that way.