CATHY INGALLS ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD | Posted: Sunday, January 2, 2005 10:00 pm
The first nine holes of a new disc golf course at Simpson Park in Albany are about ready to open.
After hundreds of hours of volunteer cleanup work over the past two years, all that is left to do is put up the signs that indicate where the tees and baskets are, said Jeromie Fields, who is one of prime movers in getting the site ready.
"We've gone from walking around and doing many hole configurations to being almost ready," he said. "One of the reasons it took so long was none of us had ever tried to put in a golf course before."
After designing the course, lots of clearing that had to be done.
"There were a lot of blackberry vines out there and enough garbage to start a landfill," Fields said.
During the cleanup, workers found tires, clothing, needles, brick work, and couches - primarily things people did not want. One couch was in good enough shape that one of the volunteers took it home, Fields said.
Fields, 33, said he and a friend were walking in Simpson Park when it came to them that the park would be a good place for disc golf.
"There was open area and lots of woods, and we saw that it wasn't a heavily used place," he said.
Originally, Albany's disc golf enthusiasts asked representatives from the old Simpson Lumber Co. if they could use the vacant property. Lumber officials said they did not care but permission would have to come from the city, which operates Simpson Park, Fields said.
Fields said disc golf is played much like regular golf. Strokes are counted, and instead of striking a ball with a club, players throw discs that average about 8 inches in diameter. The object is to strike a pole or sink a disc in a metal basket.
"I carry about 10 discs," Fields said. "Some are for drives, some for approach shots, and some are for putting."
Eventually, Fields and his fellow disc golfers hope to add another nine holes to the Simpson course. Each hole consists of from one to two acres.
Anyone can play at the new Simpson Park course. There is no cost and there are no starting times.
To get to Simpson Park from Salem Avenue, turn north onto Davidson Street, then take a right onto Waverly Drive and continue to the parking lot for the park.
At the parking lot, walk in the direction to where the base of a downed tree points about 200 feet. The location is near First Lake.
Disc golfers wishing less of a challenge can play on the existing course at Timber-Linn Park.