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Green Lake DiscGolfPark

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The North Woods Disc Chuckers are looking for help to raise funds to create an 18-hole, championship caliber DiscGolfPark at Green Lake Township Memorial Park in Interlochen, MI.  We have received approval of this project from Green Lake Township Parks & Recreation. This course will be designed by Avery Jenkins, the 2009 Disc Golf World Champion. Green Lake Township will match up to $10,000 towards this project once we have raised $10,000 on our own.

Design by Avery Jenkins & all DiscGolf Park related materials will cost $20,000. It will be the first of it's kind in Michigan, and join less than a dozen DiscGolfParks in the United States.

We are raising an additional $10,000 to cover other costs such as tree removal, mulching, gravel, wood, concrete, and other course construction expenses.

Any remaining funds after completion of this project will be donated to Green Lake Township to help with any maintenance costs at the park.

No grand opening date is set as of yet, as the timeline of this project will be dependent on funds.

To assist in obtaining funds necessary for the construction of this project, the North Woods Disc Chuckers (NWDC) created this GoFundMe initiative. We are also offering lifetime hole & course sponsorships.

Once construction & installation are complete, the course will be open to the public during normal park hours. 

Why Disc Golf?
There are now more than 2000 Disc Golf courses in the United States and Canada, nearly all installed by city and county parks departments. They have found that there are few recreational activities that offer the high benefit-to-cost ratio of disc golf. Disc golf has relatively low capital and maintenance costs compared with other recreational installations, is environmentally sound, is played year-round in all climates and is enjoyed immediately even by beginners of all ages.

What Is Disc Golf?
Disc Golf is played much like traditional golf. Instead of hitting a ball into a hole, you throw a more streamlined looking Frisbee® disc into a supported metal basket. The goal is the same: to complete the course in the fewest number of shots. A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to each basket, which is the "hole." As players progress down the fairway, they must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw has landed. The trees, shrubs and terrain changes in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer. Finally, the "putt" lands in the basket and the hole is completed.

Who Can Play?
The simple answer is that everyone can. In studies measuring participation in recreational activities, "throwing a Frisbee" has consistently been a top-ten activity. A disc golf course serves a broader portion of the community than many narrower interest activities with higher cost, skill or fitness levels required to even begin to play. Men and women, young and old, families with small children -- all can play disc golf. Because disc golf is so easy to understand and enjoy, no one is excluded. Players merely match their pace to their capabilities and proceed from there.

How Much Does It Cost To Play?
Many courses are located in city or regional parks where citizens play free. The equipment itself is quite inexpensive – discs designed for golf sell for $8-$15 each and only one is needed to get started.

Course Construction
The installation of a 18-hole disc golf course at Memorial Park would include the construction of tees and the installation of signs and baskets. Foliage would need to be removed. Branches will need to be trimmed or removed near tees and baskets, especially near eye level range. One of the unique things about disc golf is that the foliage plays an important role in the character of the course providing a unique challenge on each hole. The construction of the course would take place in 3 stages.
- Design
- Clearing/Cutting
- Tee Pads/Baskets/Signage

For more info on DiscGolfPark, please visit: https://www.discgolfpark.com/

Community Benefits
The installation of a disc golf course at Memorial Park would benefit the surrounding community by increasing and enhancing recreational opportunities, park safety and conservation goals.

Recreational Needs: A disc golf course would provide an inexpensive form of recreation for people of all age and skill levels. A disc golf course would give youth in the neighborhood a healthy and challenging outlet for their energies. For the growing number of disc golfers in Northern Michigan, the presence of a new disc golf course in Interlochen would obviate the need to travel to play and would give them a base from which to further promote the sport. To further grow the sport, the North Woods Disc Chuckers would run leagues, clinics and tournaments and secure any necessary permits for these activities. These activities would be self-funding and so would require no new park funds.
Safety: A disc golf course at the Memorial Park would increase foot traffic in the park throughout the day and steadily during evenings and weekends. The influx of purposeful visitors would discourage the presence of individuals who are only in the park to cause mischief and perhaps engage in crime. The installation of a disc golf course generally leads to significant decreases in vandalism and litter, as users have a stake in keeping the course and surrounding area clean and well-kept.
Conservation: Disc golf can be an environment-friendly sport. Unlike traditional golf, a disc golf course may not require many trees to be removed, grass mowed and watered daily, plants uprooted or non-native species planted. The impact of a disc golf course on the surrounding area is minimal. Disc golfers overall tend to take great pride in where they play, helping reduce potential litter on the course. In the long-term, a disc golf course would also help in the preservation of the park by giving young people in the neighborhood a stake in its preservation and protection.
Economic Impact: With the unique layout and multiple courses, disc golfers from outside of the area will travel to play the course. In addition to recreational players, the course will host larger sanctioned tournaments for amateur and professional level players.

SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES

$500
"Hole Sponsor - Basket"
Receive your name/logo on your own basket on a hole.

$1,000 or more
"Course Sponsor"
Receive your name/logo on main InfoBoard at the entrance/parking lot, AND on your own basket on a hole.

If you have questions, please contact us at [email redacted]. Also, visit our Facebook page for current events  http://www.facebook.com/northwoodsdiscchuckers/

Organizer

Greg Argyle
Organizer
Traverse City, MI

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