New Tee Signs at StL Courses

[irwinje]

One of the things that I wanted to accomplish with my tenure with the club was to provide new, more descriptive tee signs for our local courses (JB, Endi, CC & SP) since we have an agreement with StL County Parks for those 4 courses. This is still something that I want to accomplish and will undertake with the permission and financial backing of the club.
I will need a little help with this project, as I do not have GPS systems to measure distance from tee pad to pin placement. Once I have all the (correct) measurements, I will proceed with making tee signs for each hole. I've attached a sample here, and I'm open to other ideas to making these signs the best they can be.
Obviously, this upgrade would provide multiple benefits.
1) Updated distances, checked by technology
2) Ability to add additional holes/placements that have been added since the current signs were manufactured
3) Full color, geographic signage to help locals & out-of-towners find their way around unfamiliar territory
4) Making the courses in StL more elite when stacked up to other mid-western courses/cities
5) The capital expenditure (cost of the signs) will count against the amount the RCF is contracted to put back into the courses each year. In fact, if this is timed correctly (at the end of the year) it could be used to satisfy what we owe the Parks for 2010 and 2011
6) Potential bid for USDGC or World's
7) They look nicer and are more descriptive
Like benefits, negatives should also be addressed
1) Upfront cost (this is yet to be determined, but 72 signs are not going to be cheap)
2) Once the new signs are made the placements should stay the same for (at least) a few years
Well, here is the sample image I've put together for the RCF. Please reply to this thread if you like the idea/want to help and to let the RCF board know that this is something we, the general membership, wants!

UPDATE: New Draft w/ sponsorship, web address and logos

[irwinje]

Ok, so I've been giving this idea a little more thought and came up with a way for the club to subsidize the cost of this improvement. There were quite a few people that bought hole sponsorships for the Open, and those were only up for a couple months.
If the club could sell hole sponsorships for the new tee signs for $100 then the signs would essentially be paid for and all the club would have to do is include a corporate logo in the artwork, a very easy addition. This would give the club new tee signs and local business long term advertising opportunities within the disc golf community.
I know I would pay $100 if I could say that Blair Witch or Hole 13 at Sioux was "my" hole!
Thoughts?

[clane]

Jeff, I like it!
I don't have a lot more to say at this point, but I like the sample you have up, and I like the sponsorship idea.

There are a lot of ways that we can grow the club. We just need to get things rolling.

[fairweather_fan]

i think new and more descriptive, etc. tee signs are a great idea and would be willing to help in any way possible. i think the sponsorship plan would be an effective way to get it done, and it has apparently been done successfully in other parts of the country.

it'd be a nice addition to the courses in the "off" season, perhaps.

ted spies

[irwinje]

The thing that I'll need the most help with is getting all the accurate distances documented with some sort of GPS system. I'm not sure what was used for the numbers that are already there, but I know a lot of pins have been moved due to storms and many other holes have added placements.
More to come,

[Chris K]

I like what you have, Jeff. Will the signs be made of tin or aluminum? How much of this is in house and/or jobbed out? Now that you have the ball, I'm willing to help you make it happen. Can you submit a bid for this work? The Board will have to review and compare before final approval. I am more inclined to go with someone who shows initiative like you have and I know you will complete the task.
Dan Doke was working on distances for the golf courses with his range finder type tool. I don't believe he completed all the courses, however, he probably wants to. Give him a call and find out what he has done already.
BTW, Are you thinking of joining Greg's team? He has expressed interest and it would make his day.

[irwinje]

Chris,
I will go through the process of getting quotes from reputable suppliers and let you know what I come up with. I am looking into both metal and tin as well as hard plastic (if that is a viable material). I'm offering to create all artwork, so I think we're looking for a printer, more or less.
I know Dan D was working on that project, but I'm not sure if he got any further than JB. I would like/need help getting the rest fo the courses measured and recorded with a GPS system. If I have the club's permission to move forward with teh sponsorship idea then cost should not be an issue at all.
As far as Greg's team, I've volunteered to create tourney flyers, tourney plaques, full color disc art, custom stamps and tee signs. Basicvally be the club's graphic designer.
We'll talk soon,
Jeff

[discdoh]

That is REALLY good looking! I have been waiting for someone to step up and take this task on. Count me in for hole sponsorship on JB Hole 9.

Greg D'OH

[discdoh]

Just late night spit-balling here...

With the range finder that Dan has, we also get the vertical deviation. Can we add this info too? That would be a new feature unique to STL signs.

[irwinje]

As a player, I personally don't care much about elevation change. I think it is a variable that will just further complicate my decision making process before throwing my drive. I would, however, like to measure the distance of obstacles, like hole 16 at Sioux- how far to clear the prairie grass on the left?
The theory works better when you have an obstacle that runs through a fairway, like a creek or road, but you get the idea.
* If others want the elevation change information, I can include it in the design, as long as we can record that data. Of course, data like that is pertinent at Sioux and parts of JB, but basically not relevant at Endicott and Creve in my opinion.