Barre Falls Dam 2014

[Jim Bobka]

April 1: Flooding has begun, per usual.

tons of OB out there...... no foolin'

[Rob Walker]

I always try to get a round in after the floods, but before the mayflies. Some years, that is a very small window.

[Jim Bobka]

I'm starting an Adopt-a-Hole program here, as myself and a few dedicated followers talked about last season.

Anyone who plays locally and wants to help out, please email here or at my work : jbobka@mackprototype.com


What the program entails: Pick your favorite hole (or a few) and do a general clean up (cans/bottles/trash), check on tees for any maintenance (flatness, re-grading stone dust, ripped pads, etc.), straightening pins, picking up brush, and in the wooded holes, weed whacking. Once a week, or at least two/three times a month would work here.

This program has been started in other courses and it works well. It just takes volunteers. That's me and you, btw.

Trash pickup is key, especially in this place. We installed extra trash barrels last year (one got vandalized) and I'm asking for a few more on select holes this year. I can get extra trash bags from the Rangers and they will leave the dumpster unlocked so the bag can be disposed of.

For the love of this sport, and the respect of others, let's get this done!!

Thanks in advance, jimbob

[Paul Schueller]

I will adopt hole 4.

[Jim Bobka]

Congrats Paul, you're the first contestant!!

much appreciated.

[Travis Reed]

Awesome idea, I haven't been a "regular" here for a few years now since I've mostly been living in Western Mass, but I moved to Gardner last year, so that will change. I'll take 5-7.

[Jim Bobka]

Nice. Thanks for stepping up Travis!

Stay tuned here, I'll post for a 2014 Volunteer meeting soon.

[Jim Bobka]

Discussing wants and needs with Ranger later today, will post results tomorrow.

Looking for funding for trash barrels, basket locks, a cement tee for 3, other miscellaneous stuff.....

[Jim Bobka]

We've got four extra barrels coming real soon, they will be located at tees accessible from the road.

Plans for a cement tee at 3 is underway, maybe 10 as well. Anything that gets too wet and erodes easily will be cemented in. We will mount a fly pad on top as well.

Locks are being ordered for any pins close enough to the road.

A set of wooden steps will be built across the stone wall inside 13's fairway. When the summer kid Rangers come back they will have some jobs to complete.

Plans are to leave hole 1 in the woods, probably push it more right and protected, and tweak tee 2 to the top of the ridge (she's underwater now).


Plans to tweak hole 8 and tee 9 are underway, clearing out the congested area between two pins and 11's tee.

Hopefully no more Mandos this year. Maybe some OB instead!???


I've got volunteer forms for my Adopted partners to sign. Come getcha some!!

I'm itching to get started soon. --jimbo

[Jim Bobka]

Anything else related to work here I'll be posting it on the Course Maintenance thread.

[Paul Schueller]

I've always thought 17s tee left something to be desired. I know there isn't a ton of room there, but any ideas on how it could be made bigger?

[Jim Bobka]

As far as the tee itself, or the gap to shoot through?

[Paul Schueller]

The tee itself, hopefully while keeping the gap.

[Jim Bobka]

haha it's all yours!!

Not much room to work with there, my friend, but if you've got a plan let's hear it!

( moving the rip rap rocks on right is all I can see; it would be work, we could build a retainer wall and widen it out )

[Trent Solomon]

haha it's all yours!!

Not much room to work with there, my friend, but if you've got a plan let's hear it!

( moving the rip rap rocks on right is all I can see; it would be work, we could build a retainer wall and widen it out )

the stairs need to be moved down and then you could fix the rocks in the back and fill out the back of the box with stone dust. maybe even change the angle of the pad?

[Jim Bobka]

Yes you're right about the stairs, I've noticed that just this year. Then it allows for a run up of sorts.

thanks boyz.

[Jim Bobka]

Workday this Saturday 4/26..... details on Courses/Maintenance thread. Probably 4-5 hrs worth, then 9 holes afterwards.

[Paul Schueller]

Wish I could help, but I can't make it happen this weekend.

[Travis Reed]

Anyone up for playing league tonight? Meet at 5:00 or so, try to tee off by 5:15/5:30?

[Jim Bobka]

There's no way a work day is happening tomorrow for me; I've got an intestinal virus that won't quit.

sorry guys, I'll reschedule something real soon

[Jim Bobka]

Rescheduled for this Saturday, 8 to noon.....


btw the Ranger says he "may have" located a stolen basket (?). I'll check it out; story at 11.

[Jim Bobka]

All pins are now in summer positions; a new righty hyzer lane has been cleared on tee 7! Thank you Matt Brown for your assistance. Five truckloads of brush came out of that mess!

[Trent Solomon]

All pins are now in summer positions; a new righty hyzer lane has been cleared on tee 7! Thank you Matt Brown for your assistance. Five truckloads of brush came out of that mess!

double mandos on that hole dood. Dont make it easier

[Paul Schueller]

Why mandos? You either hit the narrow gap or you hit early trees and only go 50 ft. I don't see how a mando makes the hole any better (or harder).

[Trent Solomon]

Why mandos? You either hit the narrow gap or you hit early trees and only go 50 ft. I don't see how a mando makes the hole any better (or harder).

opening the righty hyzer gap makes it easier

[Paul Schueller]

True, but I am assuming the new gap is still tight like the original one. No one is going to through into those trees on purpose, so why use a rule to make it illegal? I am not a fan of mandos unless necessary for safety sake, maybe that skews my opinion.

[Jim Bobka]

The hole is still tough Trent, not much will change that fact, imo. That brush corner was going to remain a mess until it decomposed, but it looked like crap, so I cleaned it out. You can hit the hyzer line, but it's not a simple task by any stretch. Especially when the wind is gusting.

It's just a straight gap; I never saw the need for a mando...? You couldn't throw outside the lines if you tried.

I've tossed the idea around of pushing the tee back a bit, even from the earlier stages of that hole. Time will tell....

As always, thanks for the input; some bigger things coming this Summer.


btw, I'm just a little jealous, I wish I had the room that Coggshall offers. In my opinion, push pin 14 back and left, across the walking bridge and into the center of the tall pines, well protected and it offers an uphill putt, and push pin 16 back and left (approx 60') to sit on the small rise. There's no drop off behind, it's just a shallow slope.

[Jim Bobka]

I threw the hyzer lane yesterday, definitely not a cakewalk. Releasing low doesn't work, unless you're 6'3" tall; I had to release higher up and my disc didn't go as far as planned. There was a head wind, slightly right to left as well, which increased difficulty.

I'm not a power hyzer guy anyway, so I'm sure someone will have better results than me.

I still prefer the straight gut shot.

[Travis Reed]

Unless it's a par 4 I don't see a ton of difference adding the hyzer route. You have to throw over 400 ft straight to even have a decent chance at getting a 2, and the wind on the hill and the sloping green will make sure plenty of people still take their 4s. If someone with the distance to reach it would rather throw a 500ft hyzer line, then by all means...

EDIT: I get what you're saying Trent, and I also don't like when holes get easier just for the sake of being easier. But in this case that isn't something that I'd be worried about. The score distribution as the hole stands is probably something like 2 - 2%, 3 - 40%, 4 - 40%, 5 or above - 18%. Rough guesstimates, but my point being there are probably as many bogeys as pars on the hole, and relatively very few birdies. Unless the tee and/or pin get pushed back to make it a par 4 then it's probably a good idea to make it more manageable for most players.

Similar to 5 at Coggshall in my mind. As it stood that was a pretty difficult par 3, open up another line and make the green just a little friendlier, and now it feels like a challenging 3, not a 3/4 tweener.

[Jim Bobka]

So what if pin 7 was elevated about 2-3'? Coupled with the wind that would be a killer hole.





wink wink