Messages

46

General Banter / Liberty work days at Stocksdale Park

« on: April 23, 2013, 01:35:28 PM »

First official work day will be this Sunday, April 28th at 10am at Stocksdale Park.  Bring your big bad self and if no tools, then that is fine.  I have plenty of things to use. 

I will also be heading up this Thursday, April 25th at 5:00 if the weather holds out.

contact me at jtheiss@bssd.net

47

Cliff Drive / Re: Shame-so many should feel it....

« on: April 23, 2013, 01:29:24 PM »

 I want folks to know that Liberty will be having work days every weekend  till we open this place up.I will start posting what time and what date under GENERAL BANTER- LIBERTY WORK DAYS.   If you are interested in helping with tee pa/pin locations and practice throwing the course, moving debris, cutting out roots with loppers  left from the brush hog, spraying ivy, etc please let me know.  i go out and work every TR because my wife has class and i get the free pass. i am also up there every wknd on Sat or Sun, sometimes both.   I have always tried to get other players involved in the design process.  Dickie P and Daniel Loomis have been out to walk the park with me. i also asked Jack.  Most of the route was laid out beforehand(but can change), but both guys have made tremendous recommendations that will make this park so much better.  Sometimes once the route is set, there are minor changes that can be made and sometimes major, but most routes do not get altered too much.  one person has to pick the best route out that offers greatest holes.  i appreciate feedback and would love get a group of players out to Liberty to throw the course.  We also need help out there working. some holes have only been rough cut and there is much debris that can be moved by hand.  just moving debris would be a huge help.  their park dept is pretty small and it would mean a great deal for us to go out and clean up some holes. when i am out cutting, it would be so nice to have extra hands pulling or for me to pull and someone else cut.  you do not need 15 chainsaws out there working.  One good mid-grade saw and one sharp chain will cut out a line in a few hours.  after you  drop a tree though it needs to be cut up, moved and pushed off to the side.  i also have a couple back pack sprayers and chemicals and would be glad to educate anyone on what ivy looks like.  Spraying for ivy is huge and saves the park guys tons of labor hours.  If you would like to help in anyone at Liberty, please email me at jtheiss@bssd.net. This course is really coming along and will please all levels of players.  I am pushing hard for multiple pads so all can enjoy.  Wind, woods, water, elevation-it has it all.

48

General Banter / Re: M.I.A.

« on: April 22, 2013, 12:55:08 PM »

that is so awesome.  almost unbelievable.  hitting on the second try was the best part.  But then again one could argue...

his stach was better
his shorts were better
his fist pumps were better
his sweet 360 jump at the end was better.

Tough call.  the whole video is so flipping cool and classic.

49

Tournaments / Re: Elk's Charity Disc Golf Tournament April 20th 2013

« on: April 20, 2013, 07:15:54 PM »

Super fun event.  thanks tom.

left an orange blizzard boss on hole 10.  no name on it but in the 130's.  threw over water and forgot to pick it up. 

50

Water Works / Re: Water Works League - 04/18/2013

« on: April 19, 2013, 05:14:43 PM »

I do not call folks out for not showing up to work days.  go back on my posts and look.  i called folks out on tearing up the turf.  I am being an advocate for the park.  so is jack.  I  do not get upset when folks do not come out to help and  that is not what this is all about.  i do it because i have had the free time to do it and i want to be proactive. It is my choice to do the work and i do not give folks a hard time for not working on courses.  I called out folks for stressing the turf.  It is tough to maintain these courses and i do what i can to help minimize the damage.   others can be cautious where they play and when they play.   i do not have the skills to work a computer and applaud the efforts of the board, tech team, and countless volunteers.   

 I am that random guy off the street that does the fixing.  that is fact.  throwing out seed and stomping it in is not too much to ask for someone.  that is easy to do.   if i do not do it, then who will?  that is not a call out.  When courses get abused i get frustrated with the work that i put into the course and then it seems to me that the hard work put into the course is just being discarded.  Three of my courses were completely over grown neglected woods  with run off trenches everywhere.  It takes a lot of man power, machinery, time, and money to make the ground look nice and pretty.  ANd most park departments do not consider us the main priority.  An inch of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Water is an amazingly powerful beast that takes the easiest path.

  i know that hilly courses drain better than flat ones.  that is common sense and you all made the common sense judgement  to play.  Young is playable often after storms, but that is because we have some turf established.  plus it is much younger of a course than WW and Cliff and does not get super heavy traffic.  We also have been very proactive in protecting areas.  We have bad erosion on hole 4 and 5 and it drives me crazy.  Getting turf reestablished on hills is problematic and i believe that we need to start roping off areas, heavily deep seeding, covering with hay and watching the fruits of our labor blossom in one measly month. That is my main point in this long winded rant.

  So..... WW  was not muddy, it drained off and everyone is happy.   

51

Water Works / Re: Water Works League - 04/18/2013

« on: April 19, 2013, 01:07:05 PM »

meh.. I guess. Well what about the golfers who throw rollers on dry days. they're leaving an evil little trail of erosion with every foot of roller distance. Plus I think the erosion around the tee pad and pin is the real issue here.

My point is, if the erosion is in such a danger situation that we cant have a league night because of saturated wetness, we need to find an actual long term solution. Fortifying pins and greens, moving holes, redesigning holes.. I don't know though, I'm not the pro here like a Jackie Blowe or Tracy Stalker 

Plus if Water Works washed away tomorrow, how would you feel knowing you never got to say goodbye to her one last time tonight?? eh?

Ya, i do have a plan.  I have roped off many fairways at Young last year and have spread a bunch of seed.  i personally raked in all the seed i put out last Fall.  Then i called in favors from my wife's family and got a ton of hay bales to throw over the seed.  Hay is very expensive and so is seed, especially right now after a super dry couple years.

  did it suck putting in all that work, uhhh.. yes.  it sucks to hand rake  seed in for an entire park.  Now this Spring i have continued to throw out more seed when the ground is just right mix of moisture where foot traffic stomps the seed in.  i will start roping off fairways  next week after the Elks event.   So, yes i do have a plan and have tried very hard to make that course look fantastic.  as Jack says, be part of the problem or be part of the solution.  Maybe you can do both.  there should be some balance.  Maybe when it is raining go play another course in town that has better established turf.  Once erosion starts, it is a losing battle and then more drastic measures have to occur.  And often the parks departments do not come out with their skid and regrade the runoff trench, or drop gravel, or hay and seed.  the parks departments can only fund so much to a non revenue generating  activity.  Pay to play?  these issues would be getting resolved. 

 I do not understand why players think that this is not an issue.  Look at Rosie, it looks like dog sh1t.  I do not even want to play there becuase i get so bothered by how run down it looks in spots and i love rosie.   That course continues to look worse and worse each year.  i agree, there needs to be a plan put into action.  I just do what i can on my local course.  What can you do?  With all these folks that need to get on here all the time and post , you obviously care about the sport.  Why not try give the course some TLC.  do whatever you can to show it some TLC.  Our courses need it, and with so many users, we need to have some sort of responsible action.  i applaud Jack when he cancelled.   I was actually smiling at my computer.  Waaaaa, waaa, waaa, the replies of folks complaining sounds like kindergartners at my school.  get over your self, your wants , your plans, your league night and go play some where else.

52

Tournaments / Re: Elk's Charity Disc Golf Tournament April 20th 2013

« on: April 18, 2013, 11:22:04 AM »

Appears to be a great day for golf on Saturday.  There have been some good Saturdays so far in KC weather wise and Sat is shaping up to be super nice.  Course looks really good despite all the rain and the grass is coming in nicely.   only a couple spots need some grass to grow in.  Nature is getting ready to pop and all the Red buds should be in full bloom.  Matt planted some flowers that are blossoming as well. 

53

General Banter / Re: Course Records

« on: April 10, 2013, 12:49:27 PM »

I took a "12" on #12 during Cliff Drive league once, through a combination of road OBs and going all the way down the hill to the right. IIRC, it was a drive OB, another OB from DZ, then a pissed-off lefty hyzer throw from DZ that went high and blew to the bottom of the hill, several attempts to get back up the hill that hit trees and rolled back down, then finally a successful throw to get up the hill that overshot the fairway and went back OB, then a missed OB putt, then finally a hole out. Yes, it was infuriating.

Player's Cup on hole 1. The strokes didn't count so I Tin Cupped the approach shot.

The hole was a huge drive to a lay up area. Then you could either play safe and go the long way around, or pump a huge hyzer shot over the OB and try to drop it on the well-protected green. I opted for the latter. My first drive (1) landed perfectly at the lay up area. Approach attempt 1 (2) missed. So did attempts 2 (4), 3 (6), 4 (, 5 (10), 6 (12), 7(14), but I made it on attempt 8 (16). I then missed my putt (17) and had a drop in for an 18. Mr. Williams, already pissed off took a 4 and won the hole. I never conceded the hole to him and that pissed him off more than the amount of time it took me to reach the green.

Hmm, should I not help staff the WO this year, and spend my time heckling that Williams dude instead? I could video it.

Mike, you have got some funny posts.    I can hear Mike now saying,  " Hey Williams, you suck Jackass" and "nice shooting soldier"  "just send it home, are you to good for your home, go home". 

54

General Banter / Re: Disc Golf IQ

« on: April 10, 2013, 11:15:42 AM »

I meant touring pros, so you've got me on that one. But who? It's a city of Masters and has-beens IMO. I never see anyone practicing. I've never been shared a training regiment by anyone. Its just round after round. I wonder if anyone really wants to get better around these parts --- or just sit back and have "fun" on par 54 courses.

i remember seeing Arturo practicing putting, up shots and drives at Rosie.  Having all summer off as a teacher, i was out there at all hours and i would run across him practicing and i would try to learn whatever i could  from watching his techniques. 

55

General Banter / Re: Disc Golf IQ

« on: April 09, 2013, 01:02:12 PM »

"perfect practice makes perfect" is a quote that a friend of mine uses all the time as he trains bball players .  not just going out and practicing any old thing.  truly practicing a regiment in any sport takes discipline, planning, and adjustments to fix what is incorrect. 

56

Summer Leagues / Re: Summer League Info

« on: April 04, 2013, 12:50:22 PM »

BOD, thanks for getting the sign together and organized.  We have needed something like that for a long time at our courses.  I hope that is larger than 8 1/2 by  11.  But having something is better than nothing.  I think that it would also be beneficial to have another page that explains the league process, division, payout, workdays, local tournaments, and what the club does etc.  that would not have to be super in depth, but something that the rec player at their local course could immediately read and then go to the website for more info.

57

General Banter / Re: Gauging Interest for Upcoming Cliff Drive Work Day

« on: April 01, 2013, 12:41:45 PM »

i am curious if you all have some Tordon to apply to the honeysuckle  stumps after removal?  We put in  hours of work removing that crazy invasive stuff to only  repeat the process again in 5 years. 

i will not be able to make it.  working on liberty course in my free time. 

58

General Banter / Re: New Players League

« on: March 28, 2013, 12:56:22 PM »

.  As an southeastsider, I'm extremely jealous that Olathe has two courses and there are no courses along I49 (US71) corridor. 

Harrisonville fell completely apart once Chris Cotton left for another position.  A   presentation was made to the park board  along with a design was proposed and several members of the board had expressed interest and were  seeking funding for a bridge.  If local residents of Harrisonville become more vocal and expressed their opinions, their is an amazing park (established trees) that is ready for a course.  And i mean baskets could go in with very little tree cutting/clearing, dirt work, brush hogging etc.  Chris Cotton and i worked on a design at Lord's park, right off the I 49 corridor.  The land is sweet and the site has everything from shelters to bathrooms and good parking.

59

Tournaments / Re: 2013 AM Worlds in Emporia!

« on: March 14, 2013, 01:01:51 PM »

i would bring earplugs regardless of what snoring reports you get from potential roomies.  it is funny how folks develop serious snoring problems once they bunk in your room.  or you can consume a few adult beverages to drown out the log sawing. 

60

Young Park - Blue Springs / baskets moved March 9

« on: March 09, 2013, 06:36:28 PM »

I moved some baskets today to locations  with the slope facing south except 9 to rt.  Moved 10 long and  6 rt.  Certain basket locations that get more sun/more open or that face south will remain there for awhile or will be be moved  for erosion reasons(mud) and in order to grow grass.  I know folks get tired of playing certain holes over and over, but it is more important to get the grass to take hold.  Last year we roped off parts of fairways and high trafficked areas, raked in seed, and put down straw.  There is no straw for this year to be donated from my sources so i am focusing on what i can fix with limited resources.  So please be patient with the layout.  Course was seeded by the parks last fall and will likely be seeded again in spring, but it only takes a couple knuckleheads stepping in the mud and all that seed gets disrupted.  Ponds are full and are ready to swallow your discs .