Mt. Emily Disc Golf Course

[Butter Lazer]

La Grande and Union County have purchased land from a local timber entity and designated most to a recreational area. A group of disc golfers have put forth a proposal for an 18 hole course in the area(see pic).

Our proposal includes 18 baskets with alternate positions and concrete pads. The area is a forested with meadows and has little underbrush. Some concerns for the area is the pressence of horses and mountian bikers using trails that cross the proposed course area. The first proposal is this tuesday, the 18th, in the Joseph building in La Grande. We are going to try and fill the room with local disc golfers to show our presence to the commitee. We will include all of the pledge forms that are turned in by then and continue to show the commitee all the support form other disc golfers that are interested in a new course.

Because this is still in the proposal stages, we are gathering pledges to show community support and a general idea of usage. I have attached a pledge form that shows any support that would be donate. The fundraiser events will most likely be disc golf tournaments, with the first in the planning stages(perhaps a disc marathon...). This form has a comment section that I would like to see filled with any good stories about disc golf and the benifits to the community and users. As of now with the pledge forms we have unoffically(because we're getting permission for land use at the meeting tuesday) been donated five baskets and had support for some pads and signs.

A article will be posted at http://lagrandelife.com. and a short video of Union county golfers gettin' down can be found at http://lagrandedisc.blogspot.com

Thanks for all your support,

MERA(Mt. Emily Recreation Area) Disc Golfers

[Uhlman]

I live in Pendleton and am willing to help with the construction of this course. I helped put in the course in Pendleton. I am currently working on getting approval to put a course in Cove at the Ascension School Camp & Conference Center. I will not be able to be at the meeting but I can send you a pledge form if you want it (PM me with Details). It’s wonderful to see disc golf Eastern Oregon finally taking flight.

[Butter Lazer]

The best thing to do is fill out that form and email it to me: Dowdyjw@eou.edu

Thanks,
MERA disc golfers

[Uhlman]

How did the meeting go?

[Butter Lazer]

The meeting was good. We had 35 of the 39 people representing disc golfers, so we had a lot of local support. I would like to thank everyone that filled out a pledge form as it helped to argue our case. However, we were back-burnered until July. So if you still want to show support, fill out the form and email me. I will try to keep everyone updated with our efforts and any new information about the proposal.

New information: We have been offered a tour of the area that will be less impacted by the other groups. This means that we have a potential to expand the proposal to more holes.

Thanks,

MERA Disc Golfers

[Uhlman]

Ahh… the back burner of bureaucracy. Make sure that you are not set to low.

[Butter Lazer]

Yeah we have been told that we will be the "first concern" at the July meeting. But we are powering ahead with our plans and have formulated our first fundraiser!
DANGER! POST WITH AGENDA(kinda)
We will be doing an event similar to the ones I did back in elementary school, where we gather pledges for a lap around our track and then took a day and tried to do as many as we could. This one is called THE OLD 99 and will take place on June 20th at EOU(day before solstice. We will be playing 99 holes of golf near the summer soltice. This was done several years ago and it raised over $3000 from local sponsers. This year it would be great to break the $5000 mark. If you want to be a part of this, everyone is more than welcome to come play. It will be a non-competitive event, as our main goal is to show the links of disc golf and the community, and to raise some funds for baskets, teepads, ect. So if you want to be a part of this, fill out the attached form(can't get it to attach!! so PM me if interested) with as many sponsors as you can then truck it over to La Grande on the second longest day of the year and play 99 with some great locals. I am taking part in this event and if you want to help, but cannot make the drive out here to take in some awsome sights of Eastern Oregon, I am taking pledges. So PM me and we can work out the details.
A blanket pledge is fun (like $5 for the day), but I enjoy the idea of a per hole pledge. Something could happen and I might not make all 99 holes, but I'm going to try for all 99. So a dime per hole is 9.90 for the day. Anything that can be donated will help greatly.
For a little more fun, and to make myself play better, I want to set up an incentive program. I think that birdies could be .25 cents in addition to the inital pledge, Aces worth 5 bucks. Then as a twist, IF I throw a bogey, I will take 1/4 the pledge per hole outta my own pocket, double; 1/3, Triple; 50%, and four over or worse I will take the entire expense of the hole.
Let me know what ya'll think about that idea and prices for the bonuses.

Thanks,

Josh Dowdy
MERA Disc Golfer

[JK_Aviar]

Dude, this sounds awesome and is a very impressive fundraising drive!! I'm bringing a pledge with me in a few weeks!

[Uhlman]

any word or updates on this course?

[Butter Lazer]

MERA is close to becoming. One more meeting with an OK at the end will approve the course. HERE is an article the the local paper put out today. If we build it, will you come?

[Butter Lazer]

As of March 16th, "our goal is to have this course installed by this year." However, a cultural study was invoked by a user group that involved "glass that pre-dates 1950". So the project as a whole is on pause, but we have the green light to begin layout. Also, what is a good season of use (month-month)? I would be out there in snowshoes playing just as much as shorts, but they are concerned with degredation, erosion, ect. which is cool because an elk wintering range is close to the course. So, keep the eyes open for work party dates and first tourney dates

Thanks for the input and we hope to see you this summer,

MERA Disc Golfers

[Deuce2223]

I just moved to LaGrande this month, from Spokane WA, where I was lucky enough to have severa courses to play as well as courses in Post Falls and CDA Idaho as well as 3-18 hole courses out at Farragut State park.

I am very excited for the day I can start throwing here. I have made a few trips over the pass to Pendleton to play and a trip out to EOU as well. I even started my own little project at home making homemade baskets and putting them up in my father inlaws horse pasture. So far I have 3 baskets done and I am using a fence post and a 5 gallon bucket for targets for the rest. My hope is to 1 day have a 18 hole course built on his property.


Please let me know if I can be any help when it comes to work party's. I would also love to know of any local tourneys put together.

You can reach me on my cell
208-739-2315 (Deuce)