[ScottW]

Post #1 by JackW

I received a call from Monte at CdA Parks Dept. to see if we could provide someone to meet with their arborist (tree expert) at Cherry Hill as they plan some "fire smart" pruning and clearing. They want input from disc golfers to let them know what would be helpful to the disc golf course. I will be meeting them there Friday morning at 8:00 a.m. If anyone else wants to join us, feel free to show up. I will also solicit input at league tomorrow night, to get some ideas to pass on to the City. The Parks Dept. is also working on renewing the tee sponsorships for Cherry Hill for another 3 year period. Monte said that some of the money they raise could be used to improve more teepads at Cherry Hill. I will also run the idea by him of altering the course to improve safety and flow of play. We need to alleviate the congestion at holes #2, 4 and 8.

Post #2 by JackW

Ben Squires and I met with the City of CdA folks at Cherry Hill Friday morning and walked the hillside with them. Monte from the Parks Dept. was there, along with Karen who is the Arborist (tree expert) with the City, and Steve who is in charge of the Fire Smart programs in the area. Not sure what agency he works for. Their plan is to open up the main forested areas by 1) removing brush that is over 1' tall, 2) thinning trees that are less than 6" in diameter, to a spacing of about 5' between trees, and 3) limb the larger trees of branches within 10' of the ground. All cut wood will be immediately chipped on location and evenly spread for a nice ground cover. The overall purpose is to protect against wildfire that can spread quickly along the ground in heavy brush, and then up into the tree canopy through low lying branches. What we will end up with is a very open look to the park, with sight lines through the trees where now you have dense woods. It sounds to me to be similar to what I heard was done at the Timberbeast course in Troy, Montana.

It seems to me that it will actually be an oportunity for great improvements to the Disc golf course: 1) It will open up existing fairways by removing a lot of small clutter while leaving all the larger trees as obstacles – more like Corbin. 2) It will eliminate the dense thickets of small trees that put a disc golfer "in jail" with no options but to hack their way out. 3) It will open up the middle-upper section of the Park that is now unusable and reveal opportunities for new pin placements for some existing holes, and very likely provide space for some totally new holes. This could be the key to replacing holes #4 and #8 without going outside the park boundaries.

The City is very willing to work with the disc golf community to improve the course. They gave us some blue flagging ribbon so we can mark any trees that we think should not be removed (ones protecting teepads from errantly thrown discs, etc). The Fire Smart project does not incorporate the entire park, but the City is more than willing to have Parks staff do some limbing for us in other areas on request – such as to remove some low branches on hole #3 fairway, etc. Monte is very open to a redesign of the course after the Fire Smart work is done, and he himself suggested that maybe he should hold off on having any new tee signs made for the new sponsors until we complete plans for any changes to the course. I did throw out an offer that the Club could help with a new overlay for the main sign board if we drastically alter the course. Another thought that Monte mentioned is that they would like to do some improvements to teepads (levelling) and pathways with some of the funds they will receive from course sponsors this time around. Overall I think it will be a big plus for the disc golf course.

Now would be a good time to provide feedback to the NIDGC so we can work with the city to make some positive changes to a mediocre disc golf course.