Indy Parks needs to hear about the tall grass at Northwestway

I've talked about it for a couple months now, but I finally did something about it. I emailed the Indy Parks Director about the large amounts of unkempt grass and trees.

There are a number of holes that a good shot can still be lost in the grass. Except for the ditch at the end of hole #3 and a small part of the often wet area of #4, there is no excuse for allowing the grass to grow three feet tall.
In addition, there are holes on the backside of the course (#9, 10, 12, 13) that are in desperate need of pruning.

The city has invested over $10,000 in baskets, tee signs, and tee pads (by the way, Nww is the only course in the Indy area except for Dillon that has pro and am tee pads). And given that the course was only installed 8 years ago, its hard to understand why Indy Parks is not maintaining the course. I know parks budgets are being cut, but that hasn't caused any other park in the Indy area to allow 3-foot-tall grass and weeds on a course!

Whether you hope to play a maintained Northwestway or you just want to be an advocate for the sport, please take the time to email or call the director and express your concern. When sending a note, please keep it positive and let them know we love the course and hope for it to be playable again soon.

Vince



FYI, in my message, I also Cc'd a number of other people from this page: http://www.indygov.org/eGov/City/DPR/Admin/Pages/staff.aspx

I'm posting the director's info below to make it easier for you to drop them a line.

Stuart Lowry
Director, Indy Parks and Recreation

Indy Parks and Recreation
Administration
200 E. Washington Street, Suite 2301
Indianapolis, IN 46204

smlowry@indygov.org
(317) 327-7020

FYI, below is the response I received from Nww park manager Rich Irish. I'm encouraged that Nww may now stay maintained.



Mr. Brooks,

Thank you for addressing the condition of the NWW disc golf course and I
apologize that the course has been allowed to deteriorate. As the
Manager of Northwestway Park I am working with our forestry and
maintenance sections to correct the condition of the NWW disc golf
course.

I am not a disc golf player and therefore would like to have your
assistance in identifying more specifically the areas of the park and
course that need attention. Would you be willing to help identify those
locations that need to be trimmed/cut so that I can give specific
guidance to our maintenance crews?

I believe if we work together we can restore the disc golf course to a
more playable condition.

Rich Irish
Sr Park Manager

I have been playing on this course pretty regularly so far this summer, and am happy to report a *vast* improvement to the mowing situation.

I've gone twice this week and it is definitely improved!
I also received a new message today from the park manager:


The following is a synopsis of the onsite meeting held today at Northwestway Park regarding the current condition of the course. All present agreed that vegetation has encroached onto the course. This includes trees, invasive-exotic shrubs, and non-woody vegetation such as grasses and forbs. We agreed to the following course of action:

* Paul Pinco will work with contractors to remove all offending woody vegetation that is adversely affecting the course. This includes dead and dying hazard trees near the paved trail/disc golf course.
* District 1 maintenance will mow several areas with a bat wing mower to make them more playable. This work will begin next week.
* The disc golf community will organize a work day this fall to complete any other vegetation maintenance along the course. Eagle Creek maintenance and Forestry will assist.

We played again this morning, and things were looking pretty nice.

As we were leaving, I noticed a truck full of guys pull down the path on hole #8. They all got out with string trimmers and walked down the path. I am looking forward to seeing how much motivation the parks dept has about cleaning up some of the grass and brush.

-Ben

Its like having a new course!

The park has been drastically updated again.

Starting on Hole 3, every spot that has tall grass has been mowed back 6-20 feet. This opens up a lot of space in the following places:
1,2: no change
3: Right side is 15+feet open, and the swell in front of the basket is mowed down.
4: there is no more tall grass
5: some of the most dramatic change... completely open now to the basket.
6: from the basket, right has been mowed completely down.
7: no change
8: no change
9: no change (still needs some tree pruning)
10: no change (still needs some tree pruning)
11: the entire hole has been opened up, with 15+ feet of grass/trees removed on both sides.
12: 10+ feet on the right has been mowed down, no change to the left side.
13: no change
14: 10+ feet on the right has been mowed down, no change to the left side.
15: 10+ feet on the right has been mowed down, no change to the left side.
16-18: no change.


Looks great in some places, terrible in others (just all the dead-wood laying around). I'm sure that some people will complain that some holes like 5 and 11 are now too easy, but I think it is a great step in the right direction.
-Ben

Talk about a change...

The trees on hole #9 are GONE. Yes, that's right... changes the hole completely.

Also, trimming done on 7 that takes the tree line out (clears vision to the walking path), and 10 has been pruned back nicely.

This course is really shaping up this summer with some interesting changes!
-Ben

I appreciate your efforts in cleaning up this course but at the same time i think you really took the challenge out of some of the holes. I used to love playing 9 but now there is no challenge. I kept getting closer to tomahawking over the tree for a duce and hoped to one day get it but now that hole just sux. I also had a couple shots that would break just in time to head into the path through the tree and always made me smile. I believe this is the worst and best thing to happen to this course. What's the point of playing if every shot is just a straight shot to the hole.

What was asked for was to have some grass cut - two-three foot high grass covering two holes was a bit much.
What the park department did was rather extreme and drastically reduced the challenge of some of the holes.

It is similar at NWW as at the Avon course, those in charge of the course (the park) only listened to part of what was said.
That's why places like Mohawk and Pinehurts in Indy, and Pierdise in Peru are developed - only by having private ownership can one maintain the course to maximize the game.

Still looking for that 20 acres in Hendricks County . . .