Fairfield Park

[CEValkyrie]

I like Fairfield right now but man there is huge potential to make it a great course. Currently it has great variety of long, short, wooded, wide open, blind, & slight elevation shots. The wind can play a huge factor as well. You better bring a big arm for 9 holes 300+ feet. The biggest negative I have are the tee areas. I've seen some ravines that aren't that deep. With as much play that Fairfield gets, I can't believe they don't have cement tees. Fairfield has a ton of area. You could really alter several holes & put in 2 sets of cement tees to make it a top notch course. Another negative is all the trash laying around. That comes down to being a responsible disc golfer.

[mirth]

I agree that the dirt pits - er, tees :) - do suck, especially the faded-paint hole markers.

To make matters worse, they changed the course around last summer and all we had to go by for tee placements were little blaze orange flags like the ones the gas/electric company uses.



Cement tees would definately be a needed improvement to the course, not to mention garbage cans, signposts, etc.

[mirth]

Hmm.... this is an interesting concept. So, your thoughts are to make Fairfield the second 'home' course for Discontinuum? I kinda like the idea of being able to take an existing course that has potential to be much better and make it that better course. I can think of a bunch of things we could do out there, can't you? Other than the obvious teepads/signage, what about adding some vegetation to the huge wide open that comprises over half the course?



I think there is a ton of stuff that could be done by us at little to no expense to the parks... It'd be nice if they would spring for items such as 'crete pads & teesigns, but all in due time... all in due time.

[mirth]

Interesting that on www.rlapd.org - the Round Lake Area Park Department's website - the only mention of disc golf is in the park department's history, and that is buried in a very general sentance about what kinds of ammenities are offered at the parks... 'even disc golf!'



I had to use the site's Search feature to find it.



I sent Mr. Alexoff an email letting him know that I am a Discontinuum member and that I look forward to the possbility that the park dept. will enter a relationship with the club concerning the continued maintenance and improvement of the course.



Hope they do. That would be phat.

[mirth]

HAYELL YEEUH!!!!!



Seriously though, you can count on me to donate some time to the improvement of this course. I certainly would be willing to assist in doing brush trimming or weed whacking (have weed whacker, will travel! :)) or trash cleanup.... you name it, I'll help! Just give me a day/time and I'll be there.

[mirth]

I had the same idea about leagues... Why not rotate around to some area courses? Don't know about the collective 'you' but I sure enjoyed the periodic best shot up at Parkside last fall. Why did we discontinue that anyhow?



But I digress from the topic here....

[mirth]

I unfortunately will not be able to attend the cleanup day @ Fairfield. :(



I sincerely do want to, however I have family things that were already planned for that day and were unknown to me at the time.

I'll try to get out there sometime this saturday or the weekend after this coming one & play a round with garbage bag in hand.



As far as #7 being pulled out of the ground.... Wow, that's impressive that someone was able to get the pin and cement pulled up. It must've been loose or someone went at it with a shovel. Suggestions on what to do if the parks dept. doesn't feel like getting out to re-bury it properly?

My suggestion is to go out and do it ourselves. a couple shovels, some jugs of water, and the pin should be good as new.

[mirth]

Moreso than hoping they picked the basket up is that I hope they put it back in! It sucks enough already that an 18 hole course has been turned into a 17, but to go from that to 16? Its almost like they want to pull it and are doing it one hole/week.

[mirth]

Okay, okay.... it really hasn't been at the rate of one per week, but still.... I hope they put the pin back in, or give it to us and we'll do it.

[mirth]

The course directory has to be wrong... Wasn't the course established around 92 by the "old" adler crowd? I thought I remember hearing that recently, but its not in this thread.



Jim, I think I may have heard this from you...

[mirth]

Yay! Its 18 holes again!!!

[mirth]

Holy crap was it busy out tonite! I saw singles thru a sevensome while out this evening.



Brett & Jon & everyone else thats been doing work out there - it looks sweet! That rough is a little thick in spots but thats a story better left to a different board...

[jim]

Brett, if you want to, myself and whomever can join you for a face-to-face with Round Lake guy.  I'm going to redo the club page on the website to update our "resume".  When you look at a list of things, you (he) can see reall accomplishments!

Good work!

[jim]

I think helping to beautify Fairfield can be nothing but good.  Since our name implies that we cover Northeastern Illinois, working on courses other than Bevier seems natural. That was my orignal intent. Sure, Bevier will probably remain my personal most-frequently played course because it is so close to my house, but I'd love to travel 30 minutes to Fairfield especially if it becomes as good as we hope it can.

My question is: How many members are willing to devote some time and sweat into Fairfield or another course?  We will need definite committment. It will take more than one afternoon of work if we upgrade or install a course. I am willing to bust my ass to get our area up to speed (in terms of courses). I know a few others are as passionate about it and will come through.  Let me hear a big HELL YEAH!

[jim]

BTW, I am so STOKED about simply having these discussions.  We have done a lot of work in the past year and a half. Now we're digging deeper.

Regardless of what happens with RL or Gurnee, I am truly happy to have friends such as yourselves pushing our club along.

[jim]

We didn't really discontinue it, those away dates where just kinda thrown in to break up the regularity.

BTW, thanks for the scans! They'll be up by Friday.

[jim]

I just got an email tonight (Sunday, 10:30pm) from Phil Clark who requested that I contact him ASAP because "discussion was needed" about Fairfield.  I'll call him tomorrow.

Phil is a guy who has been playing for 20 years. He either started Adler or was close to that action and had a hand in installing both Fairfield and Bevier. I played with him back in 92 or 93. Definitely a pro. He moved to Arizona and started Groovy Flight disc sales, but has since relocated to Milwaukee, 1/2 mile away from Dretzka. We ran into him at Standing Rocks too.

I'm unsure what his angle/position is, but we'll find out tomorrow. Hopefully he wants to help upgrade Fairfield......

[jim]

While at KEnosha leagues, I spoke to Phil Clark, formerly of Adler and Round Lake, now a Dretzka player. He gave me the name and number of the original contact - Dave Brown "Brownie", a guy I've played with many times at Adler.  Phil did not have the phone number of the other guy, Rob Schoenhoft, whom I also know.  Phil really urged me to call them since they did the original work at Fairfield.  I'll call today and see what's up.  Has anyone heard from George at Round Lake Area Parks Department?  Brett, would you do a follow-up email or call this week and let him know about our clean-up plans this Sunday?  THANKS!  Hopefully we can get some good work done out there, either with other folks or not. It doesn't matter to me who helps or why, as long as we can all come together and make Fairfield a little more than just "kinda playable".

[jim]

Yes to the tape measurer on Thursday.

I believe he wants us to contact the old Adler crowd primarily for courtesy. He also said these guys are "interested in sprucing up" Fairfield.  I asked him why they has let it go so long he told me to ask them.

I really don't see a problem as long as they are willing to work. If they just want so skim some cash or take the credit without working, they can forget it. I do NOT think we should wait for them after first contact is made. We should also see if any of them show up for cleanup day this Sunday (Brett, is this posted at the course? - If not, can you please?!).

But it isn't really our call; George at RLAPD is (supposedly) going to be da man, so he needs to give us an initial OK to do anything.  Have you heard from him?

[jim]

I tried calling Dave Brown Brownie" last night. No answer, no machine. I'll try him a few times today.  I'd really like to be able have some comeraderie with the Adler/Round Lake guys - to be able to band together and do a good job together so we can all enjoy it.  But I'm not going to bust a nut trying to coddle their hurt feelings if they never return a call.