Framingham Course

[Nate Spear]

Emails, emails, and more emails. Navigating the municipal aspects of building a course is not at all easy as anyone who's tried to get a course going well knows. I'm trying to spend at least a half hour every day and won't stop until it's done or somebody tells me there is no way a course will be allowed in town. I'm keeping positive but it is a lot of work for one person but a labor of love none the less. Thinking of driving an hour one way this afternoon to play at a course, this is my motivation!

[Eric Kevorkian]

Cut that drive in half and go to Medfield for league

It's similar to Oak Grove.

[Nate Spear]

Had a meeting last night with the 7 member Framingham conservation commission about the proposed location and essentially they said there's no way we'll approve a course so close to these water resource areas, "good idea, bad location." was what the commission chair told me.

I have looked at several other locations in town although none as pristine as this one with as much character. On the up side, I made a contact with a commissioner who works for the DCR and is involved with the installation of a course in Neponset (Dorchester) and there is DCR property in Framingham, Callahan State Park...

A reporter from the Metro West Daily News emailed me before I gave my presentation to the con com last night and asked to do a story about a course in metro west, I just gave him an interview, details to follow! A little publicity might be what's needed to get this thing rolling.

[Charles Edman]

Too bad about the conservation committee shooting down the location, but at least they are open to the idea. It would be AWESOME to have a course at Callahan. Gorgeous park with loads of unused land. Some of my friends and I have talked about how awesome it would be to have a course there, but we've only been playing for about a year and had 0 idea where to even start the process. Plus, now that I have a car that actually functions properly, I'll actually be able to make it out to help. Weekdays are bad, but if you need any help on weekends, let me know.

[Doug Callaghan]

Srry to hear about the conservation commission Nate. Stupid water resources. Nice job though. Callahan is a decent little park. Pretty busy dog-walking/hiking park so that would be the big obstacle.

[Mike Murphy]

Have you looked around the Nobscott area? LOTS of land over that way, and a good hunk of it is a Scout Reservation in which they may be open to this idea. Disc golf and Boy Scouts have been working together for a while now, Tully being the best example. Dacey is having a lot of help from Eagle Scout projects.

I'd gladly look over some maps with you and see if there is even room over there and if we think it looks good. If we do I can surely help connect with the proper people over at the Reservation or District Committee level to get talks going forward. We could even half the work for ourselves if another soon to be Eagle bites on the idea like they did in Franklin.

[Nate Spear]

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/ ... Framingham


Friday the 13th, front page news, let's get this thing done!

[Charles Edman]

So, I'm first to admit I was really bad at actually following through on getting out to check out the proposed layout on the now shot down course. Rather than turn this into another, "I'm totally in, just let me know where and when," I'll start a little differently...

What is the next step?

I know you mentioned a few other options at some of the state parks in Framingham (I'm personally pulling for Callahan as there is a LOADS of unused space, but I'm not picky). I live in Marlborough. 99% of my friends live in Framingham. I'd love to have a course in the area, but I have no idea what goes into building one in regards to the actual build up to the construction.

So Nate...How can I and my fellow Metro West disc golfers help? What do we need to do to make this happen? I would love to be more proactive, but I honestly have no idea what we need to do. My work schedule changes in the 2 weeks or so, which frees up my evenings significantly. The next few weekends are tight, but I can make something.

[Nate Spear]

Well Chuck, now that I have a little experience building a sweet layout in an area that would have been perfect, the next step is finding another perfect location, that's where you guys from the area come in.
I know Callahan has tons of land, I've just never seen most of it, I need a tour. I've heard the boyscout property is great and I may even have an inroad there. I don't mind pitching the idea to whomever needs to hear the schpeel, a good few walks through the woods should be enough, followed by a map and a ton of emails.
Let's walk some of these places sometime, even if just for a 20 minute hike on the side of the road to look at tree heights, elevations, water concerns (stay away from the water) I'm full tilt with school until August 2nd but in a few weeks we should do a few hikes, hit up your google maps and find a few spots that are state or town owned and take a hike. Walk a location, drive for an hour to Devens, B-land, Worcester, anywhere and play a round and talk about it.
We'll get it rolling again, it's always good to get a little publicity so the general public has some idea of what you're talking about, everyone who sees my bag or a basket is like "that looks like so much fun!" it is.

[Charles Edman]

That sounds like a reasonable start I'm one town over from you. For the next 2-3 weeks, I'm no good for evenings. After that I'll be out of work at 5:30. I work right in Framingham, so its an easy drive to meet up with you. I'll see if I can drag Cheef along with me.

[Mike Murphy]

That sounds like a reasonable start I'm one town over from you. For the next 2-3 weeks, I'm no good for evenings. After that I'll be out of work at 5:30. I work right in Framingham, so its an easy drive to meet up with you. I'll see if I can drag Cheef along with me.

I can do that. I also totally bailed on ever coming out so I'll definitely make it out this time around.

I should be able to get us on the Nobscott/BSA property fairly easily for a walk around.

[Eric Kevorkian]

No love for Dacey mike?!? Boooooo

Hope the Framingham thing works out for you Nate!

[Charles Edman]

That sounds like a reasonable start I'm one town over from you. For the next 2-3 weeks, I'm no good for evenings. After that I'll be out of work at 5:30. I work right in Framingham, so its an easy drive to meet up with you. I'll see if I can drag Cheef along with me.

I can do that. I also totally bailed on ever coming out so I'll definitely make it out this time around.

I should be able to get us on the Nobscott/BSA property fairly easily for a walk around.

I was looking on the website for the Nobscott reservation, as well as checking the landscape out on google maps. Seems to be quite a lot of land that isn't heavily used. I know that I've seen posts about Boy Scouts volunteering to help with a bunch of the other courses (Want to say the new Webster course and the Dacey course mentioned it..), plus I heard that the Scouts now offer a Disc Sports badge. I think those would be two awesome ways to help leverage it if we can talk to the folks in charge of the land. Plus, as far as I can tell, all the hiking trails are open to the public.

If that doesn't work out, Framingham, Marlborough, Ashland, Hopkinton, etc. and covered in state parks, town forrests, hiking trails, etc. There has GOT to be at least one place that would open to a course. Even if we had to start small with a 9 hole course just to get the ball rolling and show that there is a market for DG in the metro west area, 9 holes is better than no holes.

[Mike Murphy]

No love for Dacey mike?!? Boooooo

Hope the Framingham thing works out for you Nate!

I wanted to come down last weekend.

Dacey is another one I said I'd help with and never got down too. I'm getting quite excited for Dacey actually and wanna get down there one weekend I have free.

[Mike Murphy]

Disc Sports badge?! That woulda been nice 13 years ago!
I'd love to actually teach that badge, but I'm keeping an arms length with the BSA until their stupid asses smarten up.

The only thing with the land at Nobscott is that its VERY dense woods and VERY hilly. There are also lots of trails and established areas used for scout training, so I assume we would have to avoid those areas. But its very likely they know of areas that are completely unused, possibly toward the radio towers and those hills.