What's that shiny new thing in the distance?

[discdoh]

It's the new baskets at Jefferson Barracks, of course!

I thought I would give everyone some info on update plans that are happening at JB and Sioux Passage. Yesterday, Mark D. took delivery of the remaining 16 brand new Mach III baskets at his shop (2 new ones have already been installed). This Saturday, the plan is to get them all put together and permanently welded up. With any luck, the switch-out will happen that afternoon/evening. We might even be able to get an inaugural tag challenge or something in that evening. If you haven't had a chance to play the new baskets that are already in the ground, I can tell you that they make a beautiful ring when you can that solid putt! The center poles aren't crammed full of years worth of decomposing sticks, leaves and mud that deaden the sound. This also means they weigh about 20 lbs. less and don't drip the horrible nastiness we call "pole spooge" all over you as you move them around. As a JB regular that moves baskets around on a regular basis, I can't tell you how excited I am about this upgrade. All of the baskets will once again be standing straight and tall with the chains all firmly secured in the proper layout. Woo hoo!

The next step is to take the old JB baskets and do a complete rehab. 18 brand new center poles have been delivered already. The chain-stays and buckets are going to a metal shop to get straightened out as best possible. Once that is done, they will go to a powder coat facility to be sandblasted and powder coated. So far, the concensus is that they should be powder coated a nice shiny silver color that has some reflective metal flake mixed in. They should look REAL sharp! At the moment, the plan is to re-use the old chains for a bit of nostalgia (they are still in good shape - nice and broken in from countless years of constant use). They will be put back together, re-welded, and put in the ground at Sioux Passage. They should look brand new, if not better!

The final step is to take the old SP baskets and do the exact same thing. This will give us 18 rehabbed Mach III baskets to install at a new facility. St. Charles and Jefferson County have been placed high on the list of recipients at this point. Let's start looking for that killer new piece of park land that is begging for a DG course and get it approved. 18 baskets that are ready to go in is quite a bargaining chip!

[discdoh]

Also, I thought it might be a cool idea to design our own number plate design. If you want to display your artistic skills for years to come, please submit your design to the Board of Directors for consideration. Here is an example I came up with...

I think I could insert a new background photo for every hole fairly easily as well...

[REDARMY]

bridgeton?

forest park?

or are both of those plans dead?

[discdoh]

Bridgeton is on hold until they get a chance to clear out all of the tornado debris. There is no telling when that might happen. Good news is that we should have plenty of mulch to work with right out of the gate. We still need to get a course design together that suits Bridgeton. Both of the previous plans (27 and 18 hole layouts) were utilizing land that they were not giving us to use. This was the main dispute that Bridgeton had with us (in addition to the dissention among the ranks). The timeline on this course is completely up in the air and out of our hands for the moment.

Forest Park has been on a roller coaster ride for the past few months. Matt Augustin has been working his butt off getting the plan together and attending meetings on a regular basis. His feeling on everything has gone from extremely hopeful to completely discouraged. I talked to him last night for awhile, and it seems that we are back on board again! The FP big wigs have nixed the area near Steinberg, stating that the parking lot could not withstand a dual-usage scenario. They also do not want the DGers to use the street as the main source of parking. Hopefully they will be able to pinpoint an area of the park that we will be allowed to use that will suit their desires as well. That is the next step. Once that comes to fruition, there is still a boat load of red tape to go through, so this project is honestly still in its infancy. Keep your fingers crossed.

In the meantime, the club is focusing on upgrading and enhancing our existing courses. We are entertaining the idea of throwing in a bid for the Worlds in the near future, and this is a necessary step towards getting the thumbs up.

[jeffthrow6892]

This all sounds cool & everything, & I love JB, don't get me wrong, but.......how come JB gets the new baskets & Sioux gets the refurbished ones??? Sioux being one of my home courses, & OFTEN considered to be our best course in the STL area, I gotta ask, just to be a pain in the arse......

[discdoh]

That is a good question and a very good answer...because somebody that cares is on the BOD and has made something happen. Volunteer your efforts and you will be able to make a difference.

I truly believe that SP is much better off with the refurbs (10,000 rounds a year...maybe) than JB (100,000 rounds a year, conservative). Enjoy the change...

[jeffthrow6892]

That is a good question and a very good answer...because somebody that cares is on the BOD and has made something happen. Volunteer your efforts and you will be able to make a difference.

I truly believe that SP is much better off with the refurbs (10,000 rounds a year...maybe) than JB (100,000 rounds a year, conservative). Enjoy the change...

Aw, c'mon, discdoh........that sure was a pretty typical response. I knew the reason why is because there is a South county bias on the BOD. And if the amount of play at the courses is so important, then why not put the new baskets at White Birch or Quail Ridge?? Those two probably see the MOST play in the STL area......Okay, I'm done being a s*#t disturber, sorry.......

[HITMAN]

Why not use the unger baskets?

[discdoh]

This was discussed as well. In order to use the Unger Titan Pro baskets at any course that was originally a DGA basket course would require getting Dave to retro-fit all of the baskets with some kind of conversion for the center poles (they are a different diameter) or replacing all of the sleeves that are already in the ground. We would be the guinea pig for the retro-fit solution, so this just didn't seem like a worthwhile endeavor. Replacing all of the sleeves at JB would have been a HUGE project. There are more than 72 pin positions. At around $25/each, we would have been looking at around $1800 in additional costs as well. In addition, Dave has talked to us about using the Unger baskets at one of his other design projects (not sure where) and giving us a brand new set when we finally have a course installation ready to go. The club is comitted to using Titans at any new installation in the future, once this basket rehab program is all said and done.

[Stubborn Puppet]

I was just at JB and they look great!

Those number plates look pretty sharp too. I hope the glue and the rubber ring keep the dipsticks from ripping them off and whatnot.

Thanks!

P.S. If I were to put something on the wishlist for the baskets, it would be to have the top and the basket coated with neon pink or orange. It's so nice when you can just instantly spot the basket from the tee and through the trees.