[Mark_Fine]

Wonderful ideas everyone!  Thank you.  I'm working through all of them.  I don't have an aerial of the land yet (wouldn't know how to post it if I did), but I will check out that site that Slag mentioned.  Yes the 18 hole course we will be next to does have a range.  

Busy few days here but I will post more when I get some time.  Again, thanks for all the great ideas.  I hope this all comes together as it will be great for these kids.  
Mark

[RJ_Daley]

Mark,in that case of already having access to a driving range, and assuming you will be able to generate enough revenue to maintain the facility, you really ought to check out Shackelford's "Sinaloa LInks".   It is a sort of tribute course on a par 3 scale.  Very cute and mimics the authentic holes well, obviously at and surrounding greens.  Perhaps you already have seen it... Bunkerhill did some clever work there.

[Slag Bandoon]

Mark, Once you've found and have on screen the aerial picture you like, copy the full web page address and post here as a link.  That'll be the easiest way.  Maybe give a boundary and landmark (clubhouse) description so we know what we're looking at.  This is fun.

[ed_getka]

I think the most important thing for kids is developing their short game/putting. Have a green with some movement to help kids learn how to judge speed and breaks. Have another green for practicing the short game with a greenside bunker is ideal. As a kid with limited resources (no $$$) I would have putting contests with my friends for hours on end and I could sink putts from anywhere. I didn't learn the short game until years later (and I'm still only so-so), but most golfers can drop their handicap 3-8 strokes by developing a short game in my opinion.

When you think about it, most golfers can get relatively close to the green in a few shots, but then take twice as many to get into the hole with weak chipping and putting.

Good luck with the kids.

[A_Clay_Man]

Rich- I am so honored to disagree with the brain. I believe I understand what your position is and think that that is probably how we both learned the game, on some less than stellar venue where we had the time to learn from the ground floor what this game is all about. However, I do have some experience with First Tee and their emphasis on educating begins on the range and in a classroom type setting. I don't think weeding out those who get bored is a bad thing mostly because they areprobably the one's who later in life didn't rake the bunker your in after them. Another reason I chose the out of the box course is that 60 acres seems a little tight for 9 holes which implies an unneccasary close proximity to death defying. One other benefit of the three or four hole loop is the potential for the passive golfer who feels five hours is too much time to spend on golf, could pay to use the facility for the hour it may take, and therefore won't be on the venue of my choosing and slowing me down.

Building a minimalist 9 hole course just seems to forever doom it to dog track status, while this practice and educational facility can be used by all new golfers not just kids.

It's been a pleasure to attempt to justify my idea for Mark, to the brain. OTHER THAN PETE'S SON CONNOR do you think you could get a crew to wake up early and go sandpro or change flags or mow the back forty?

[archie s.]

Mark,


Great that you are helping the kids. God Bless!


We have a good nine hole golf course on 67 ares here at the shore. Nothing fancy but very efficient. It is possible to build it on the sixty acres with some imagination, especially if you have some trees to buffer the holes. Sorry Bill V.

If you are down to play Twisted soon, bring the super,  I would gladly give you a tour of Hamilton Trails, which is a good start for ideas, not NGLA, but not bad.

[Mark_Fine]

Thanks aArchie.  Hope to get down there soon and I'd love to see the nine hole course.  I'll let you know.

[wsmorrison]

Mark,

Sounds like you're getting plenty of good advice, so I don't have anything to add in that regard.  However, I would like to volunteer to do some work on a weekend along with my two boys and give you a hand with the grunt work, leaving the brainiac stuff to others.  Let me know by email  wsmorrison@hotmail.com  I would be happy to help such a worthy project.

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

Mark,

Shivas put down my thoughts before I could do so, but to take it a step further.  Does the existing range possibly logistically fit such that the kids area could be built at the other end of the range thus utilizing that range area.  Obviously this could do away with the need for anykind of range on the other property.

I dont know if that logistically would work, or if you have the kind of arrangement with the other course to allow that, but it certainly could be something to think about.

I like the ideas of the tribute flavor/historical plaques I think also it could really generate identification with the game when they see it on TV.  I can just picture a excited young kid telling his dad as they watched the Masters together that he has played a hole very similar to "Azelea" and telling him about his exploits.

Good Luck Mark

[golfarc]

You should consult a professional architect first.  You might try Lester George in Richmond.  He has designed 6 or 7 First Tee courses that have been nicely received.  I believe he is also working in PA so he should be able to help.

[George Pazin]

Anything new on this, Mark?

[Mike_Cirba]

Sorry I missed this thread during a self-imposed sabbatical...

Mark,

As well intentioned as the "practice area guys" are, there is NO SUBSTITUTE for playing golf.

I had never picked up a club in my life the first time I played a short (maybe 2100 yards, par 34) nine-holer nine days before my 13th birthday.  My first go-round, I fired a solid 81 for nine, with probably a little shading of score.  

Still, I was ENCHANTED and captivated, and haven't looked back since.  

Within the summer, my friends and I were shooting in the 40s for nine and playing dawn til dusk when we could get there.

The course had no bunkers, but it was on some interesting land which was well conceived and had rolling, firm greens.  Two ponds came into play, as well as some wooded areas.  

I'd love to look at the site with you, and I'm a whiz with a shovel if you need help.  As a minimalist, I might just bring a teaspoon instead, though.  

I'm with George...give us an update!

[Mark_Fine]

Thanks again for the interest guys and offers of support.  
Just to update you, we had a meeting with Glenn Reibman, the County Executive for Northampton County yesterday.  Northampton County is the location of the proposed land we need for our First Tee facility.  Glen was thoroughly impressed with our presentation and our plans for helping underserved kids!  Our next step is to have Glen, along with the County Executive for Lehigh County, meet with the LVIA Airport Board and convince them to lease us the land that they currently are just holding as a buffer area.  A golf course would be perfect there as it would butt up against an existing golf course owned by one of our other EYD Board members.  A lot of resources could be shared to further reduce our costs!
 
Fingers crossed all goes as planned!  
Mark

[Mike Hendren]

There is precedent for the range/hole(s) combo.  I recall during my college days that we had to skip the first hole at Cherokee CC (Ross) in Knoxville because it doubled as the driving range since no other land was available.  BTW, any update from the orange-blooded on renovations/restorations there?

[Mark_Fine]

Here is the latest on our First Tee project!

Article from The Morning Call Newspaper

From the Fringe
"Full-size Willow Brook looking for a dreamy neighbor!"

By Larry O'Rourke
Of The Morning Call

May 8, 2002


It wasn't that long ago that the Fuller family had dreams of adding a second nine holes to its Willow Brook Golf Course in Catasauqua. That dream fulfilled, the Fullers now hope a new neighbor will pop up on an adjoining parcel of land.

Willow Brook hosted 56 Lehigh Valley golfers Monday in a tournament to benefit a proposed First Tee program that, if all goes as planned, would operate next to Willow Brook. The local First Tee program would be run by Embrace Your Dreams, a non-profit organization that administers a tennis program at Allentown's Adams International Tennis Academy.
 
EYD would work with area high schools to recruit youths ages 11-18 who otherwise would not have a chance to play golf, EYD program committee member Gail Clewell said.

''Golf is a sport that builds life skills,'' Peter Fuller said. ''The sport could be the vehicle that helps enhance kids' lives for the long-term.''

Youths would learn about golf from accomplished local amateurs and professionals. The youths would help with maintenance work at the First Tee facility because it will be their golf club and a part of their summer activities as many as five days per week.

''We're looking to build a small facility where we could teach golf skills, mentor kids and have a three- to nine-hole course where they could actually play,'' said Mark Fine, an EYD board member.

The goal would be to have as many as 500 children participating in the program within five years.

''We wouldn't be looking for a kid whose parents belong to Lehigh Country Club,'' said Fine, an LCC member. ''In tennis, we have a seven-session program that we charge them $20 [total] to participate in.''

In addition to seeking donations to buy the property for a First Tee facility, organizers eventually would need funds to buy clubs and bags and provide transportation to and from the facility.

First Tee was started in 1997 and last year had 60,000 youths involved around the nation, but not one in the Lehigh Valley.

''I think golf is a great in for us to get involved with helping kids,'' EYD program committee member Bob Bryan said. ''There's an inner-city awareness of golf because of Tiger Woods. … I'd love for one of the kids we have who goes through this program to become a state champion. But we're looking at it more as a way to have a positive influence on a lot of kids.''

Corporations or individuals interested in helping the local First Tee program can write to Embrace Your Dreams, 1166 N. Sherman St., Allentown, PA 18103, or call EYD at 610-740-1690.

[Steve Wilson]

Browsing the archives and found this.  What's happening with it?

[Mark_Fine]

Land approvals as most of you know take time!  We are close to securing a lease on the property we need to build the golf course.  

Our summer golf program with the kids was very successful!  It's was a pretty moving experience for me to watch the kids hitting balls on the range then come up to me afterwards and say, "Thanks for giving me the opportunity to play golf".  

Hopefully we'll be ready to go by next spring!
Mark

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