Jenkins Creek Park - Covington, WA - New Courses

tallpat · #1 March 2nd, 2011, 03:54 PM

OK, so I was recently reading up on the City of Covington's Park, Recreation, and Open Spaces Plan (http://www.covingtonwa.gov/covington/CovingtonPROSFINALcomposite051710Web.pdf) and on page 69, it mentions some interest in installing at least a 9 hole disc golf course at the Jenkins Creek Park.

I did some rudimentary searches on this forum to see whether anyone here had any additional details, but found no results.

I, for one, would love to see a course installed here (as it is much closer to my house than my current "home course"- White River).

So, this question goes out to anyone who has ever been involved in course development and/or anyone who may have some insight into the subject: "How can I help MAKE THIS HAPPEN?"

Adam Schneider · #2 March 2nd, 2011, 04:32 PM

The first thing I would do is call or e-mail the city's Director of Parks & Recreation and find out whether they have serious ideas about a DG course as part of this plan, or if it's just one of many suggestions that were tossed around at a brainstorming session. If it's the latter (which I suspect), ask what you can do to help advocate for it.

If the Parks & Rec Director has no idea what you're talking about -- which is possible, given that he or she may be more focused on present issues than future ones -- ask whom you should talk to. They'll know.

tallpat · #3 March 2nd, 2011, 05:20 PM

Thanks Adam! I just sent an e-mail to the parks & rec director, and recreation manager for the city. Here's hoping for a "serious intent" reply (although I'm just about as skeptical as anyone else at this point).

tallpat · #4 March 2nd, 2011, 06:07 PM

Awesome! I received a reply rather quickly!

Hello Patrick – Good to hear from you. I’m impressed that you took the time to dig into the PROS Plan. While it is an extremely helpful tool for me, not many citizens take the time to read it. Regarding a disc golf course at Jenkins Creek Park, it is somewhere in between a “serious consideration” and an “idea”. At the moment I don’t have a budget and timeline to put a course there. However, I see disc golf as a need to be met, and it is a relatively affordable facility to add to a park, and we want to and need to activate more of our underutilized park properties, so I’m very interested in figuring out where and how to establish a course. I think if we knew exactly what we wanted to do, we could find the money and the manpower to make it happen. Are you available to work actively with me to sort through site investigation, course design, cost estimating, installation and maintenance issues? If so, let’s chat over email and set up a meeting. I’m pretty booked through Wednesday, March 16th but my calendar is fairly open after that. Please let me know what works for you. Thanks.

Scott Thomas
Director
Covington Parks and Recreation
(253) 638-1110 Ext. 3279

Adam Schneider · #5 March 2nd, 2011, 06:19 PM

Wow, jackpot! I don't think you could have hoped for a better response than that.

Hopefully some Puget Sound locals with course design/installation experience will volunteer to attend that meeting with you.

tallpat · #6 March 2nd, 2011, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Schneider

Wow, jackpot! I don't think you could have hoped for a better response than that.

Hopefully some Puget Sound locals with course design/installation experience will volunteer to attend that meeting with you.

I know, right!

Here's where I'm hoping that forums like this can network me with the right people to make this happen!

I didn't quite expect such a prompt response, so I'm still trying to formulate a reply. I am dedicated enough to actively work with the parks department, but I'm also relegated to a 40hr/wk work schedule. I will definitely set up a meeting, but I'm a little bit apprehensive about my own personal knowledge with the course design/development/maintenance issues...

I have spent some time perusing the pdga.com page on course development, but I have absolutely zero first hand knowledge.

sillybizz · #7 March 2nd, 2011, 06:58 PM

Awesome!!!

tallpat · #8 March 2nd, 2011, 07:51 PM

So, I guess in the mean time, I should try to determine whether Jenkins Creek would even be a viable place for a course... It's a 22-23 acre park...

I don't know at this point... So many ideas racing through my mind at the moment. I'd really like to see this happen, but I know I won't be able to do it all on my own.

Would anyone with course development/design be able to accommodate me (or, at least correspond with me), when I set up a meeting with the parks&rec department? I really don't want to walk into a meeting unprepared...

Adam Schneider · #9 March 2nd, 2011, 08:21 PM

When I get a chance, I'll set up a Google Map for you with the boundaries of the park mapped; you'll be able to use an interactive "ruler" to measure acreage.

tallpat · #10 March 2nd, 2011, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Schneider

When I get a chance, I'll set up a Google Map for you with the boundaries of the park mapped; you'll be able to use an interactive "ruler" to measure acreage.

I have the utmost respect for cartographers.

This link might provide a decent reference point:

http://wikimapia.org/8954684/Jenkins-Creek-Park

cefire · #11 March 2nd, 2011, 10:21 PM

Hey Scott,

This is some great news, I'd love to help out with whatever I can although it is a little bit of a drive for me. Keith Lionetti is another person who has tons of experience working with folks at various parks depts and I'm sure he'd be interested. Tom Bontempo is probably the most local of the course designers out there and might be interested himself.

I'll send a PM with my contact info

Adam Schneider · #12 March 3rd, 2011, 01:42 AM

http://www.oregondiscgolf.com/course_maps/Jenkins_Creek_Park.html

Mikk · #13 March 3rd, 2011, 01:46 PM

I'm always willing to give up some free time for work parties!!

tallpat · #14 March 3rd, 2011, 03:20 PM

Thanks Adam, that's a pretty sweet tool which I'm sure will come in handy.

Mikk, I'm considering surveying the park premises sometime this weekend (either before or after checking out the course at Shelton Springs). You, or anyone else for that matter, are welcome to accompany me for this initial site survey.

I've requested a few weeks preparation time from the Parks & Rec director, so we're tentatively scheduled for a meeting somewhere around April 1st.

olydiscgolf · #15 March 4th, 2011, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tallpat

Thanks Adam, that's a pretty sweet tool which I'm sure will come in handy.

Mikk, I'm considering surveying the park premises sometime this weekend (either before or after checking out the course at Shelton Springs). You, or anyone else for that matter, are welcome to accompany me for this initial site survey.

I've requested a few weeks preparation time from the Parks & Rec director, so we're tentatively scheduled for a meeting somewhere around April 1st.

Nice work Pat! I'm just reading the thread here for the first time, but this is fantastic news for your area. For help along the way, Andrew (CEFIRE) had some great suggestions (Tom B, Kieth L.). Another great voice of WA disc golf is 2x world Champion Paul Wright. He has designed and installed more courses than anybody else I know of, and he is a great person.

NBdiscgolfer · #16 March 10th, 2011, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikk

I'm always willing to give up some free time for work parties!!

I am too! Keep us updated on this!

tallpat · #17 March 15th, 2011, 02:33 PM

It's been a few days, but the recent developments on this are as follows:

I have engaged in an e-mail conversation with Keith at Chainbangerz, and he has expressed interest in assisting with the development of a course in Covington. I'm hoping to set up a meeting with Keith relatively soonish (perhaps this week).

Through my correspondence with the Parks and Recs director, I have received a few pointers/words of advise/caveats:

Covington Parks & Rec has a very small staff, and work plans are already full with other priorities, meaning that this project will be squeezed into whatever small bits of time are available. This project will likely proceed very slowly, but patience will be worth it in the end.

It is not obvious whether a 9 or 18 hole course would be appropriate for Jenkins Creek Park and/or Covington... The primary concern being potential for a conflict of uses. If a smaller number of holes would work, then the possibilities would increase.

Other potential parks with some fairly large spaces (other than Jenkins Creek Park) include the Covington Community Park, Cedar Creek Park, and the Pipeline Trial.

There is some concern about the budget for design, equipment, construction, and maintenance. Suggestions for these issues include, creating our own design, doing some fundraising for equipment, and deciding whether to have a no-maintenance course or a volunteer maintenance agreement.

Given the time and funding constraints, it is doubted that this course would be completed this summer, it would be better to shoot for sometime next summer.

That's about all I have for now.
Cheers!

Adam Schneider · #18 March 15th, 2011, 02:59 PM

I would not try to squeeze in 18 holes there, unless you're allowed to use the entire park. 9 no problem, maybe 12. And remember that it doesn't HAVE to be a multiple of three!

tallpat · #19 March 15th, 2011, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Schneider

I would not try to squeeze in 18 holes there, unless you're allowed to use the entire park. 9 no problem, maybe 12. And remember that it doesn't HAVE to be a multiple of three!

Definitely something to consider... I'm also into considering some of the other parks that the Parks & Rec director mentioned (although, I'm new to the area and not so familiar with the other ones)...

cefire · #20 March 15th, 2011, 05:27 PM

There is no magic number of holes - I'm always in favor of quality holes over achieving the mystical magical multiples of 3