Pittsboro Disc Golf Course Underway

The design of a tournament quality 18 hole disc golf course is now underway at Rock Ridge Park.  The course will wind its way through the mature hardwoods and rolling terrain and will reveal vast sections of park previously unvisited by most.  We’re extremely fortunate to be working with one of the finest master designers in the nation, John Houck of Austin Texas. 

Designer John Houck at the new Rock Ridge Park course in Pittsboro, NC

This project hit the gate with strong support from our business community.  The Chatham Chamber of Commerce, the Pittsboro Business Association, the Economic Development Corporation, the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as several prominent restaurants, bars and B&Bs offered strong endorsements for the course.  The business community likes the project because of the increased recreational tourism; the course will attract players from around the state as well as day-trippers from the triangle area.  Tournament goers will fill beds, restaurants and bars, bringing a welcome influx to the local economy. 

Local disc golf players are excited because of the quality associated with Houck designed courses.  John is excited about the opportunities the park terrain offers and has high expectations for the course; he stated in DG Course Review:   “North Carolina has always been a leading state in our sport, and we're honored to have the opportunity to add another piece to its rich disc golf experience. We really hope that people in the area will enjoy it, and that players who visit from around the country will appreciate it as well.”

Triangle area disc golf clubs have already offered to help with clearing, construction and fundraising.  The North Carolina Professional Disc Golf Association (NCPDGA) president Robert Leonard has visited the park and is enthusiastic about the course; he’ll be happy to see some long elegant fairways. 

When I first started researching disc golf, I was surprised by the size of the Chatham disc golf community.  We actually have a top ranked professional player here in Pittsboro as well as a lot of recreational players who have had to either hone their skills on private courses tucked away in the county or have had to travel out of town to play.  Now they’ll have a top-notch course in their backyard. 

Since disc golf is accessible to people of all ages, with senior clubs around the country as well as disc golf PE curricula in some school systems, the course should have a broad appeal.  There will be tees for mere mortals as well as tees placed farther back for more experienced players.  I’ve never actually played disc golf myself, but it looks like a lot of fun and I’ve met some exemplary people associated with the sport.

Not all of the funding for construction is in place, but the plan is to have the course completed within a year provided that planned fundraising efforts are successful, and that there’s ample volunteer support to help out.  If you're interested in assisting with clearing or construction, reserving advertising on one of the tees, or becoming a founding sponsor just send me an email.  I’ll be organizing volunteer workdays in short order.  

Juice Fast and Heart Attack Cafe

OK, this is slightly different fare for the Parks Blog, but since many folks who're interested in parks are also interested in a healthy lifestyle I'll share my recent experience with juice fasting.  First I watched this amazing movie on Netflix called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  Don't worry, I haven't become the obesity coordinator, just bear with me. Here's the trailer:



After watching, I committed to juice fast for 9 days (OK, there was some "gentle" prodding from my better half).  That is, I've consumed only fresh fruit and vegetable juice or water, nothing else.  I'm on my last day and have lost 11 pounds.  The first few days were not particularly fun.  I was hankering for a steak or some of that homemade corned beef hash at Verlie's that I've heard so many good things about.  But after about the 3rd day, it was actually really easy.  I still have plenty of energy, (more than before in truth) and don't feel hungry or have cravings for food.  I haven't yet decided whether to continue beyond the 9 days or not.  The guy in the movie above went for a full 60 days.  I'm still a committed foodie and do miss eating, so I'll probably start transitioning back pretty soon. The experience was definitely worthwhile.

So now, I'm following this up with an audio book, Eat to Live, by Dr. Joel Furman.  His research and plan make sense to me.  He created the following food pyramid which gives you the general idea.  

I reserve the right to have a burger and a pint at the Brewery so don't come harass me if you see me doing just that at some point.  I'm definitely going to try some of that corned beef hash, and don't get me started about Allen and Son's, or Pig in the Pen, which are both awesome, but I'll mix it up with a lot more salads, fresh fruits and veggies purchased at local farmers markets.

I'm not a nutritionist, not giving advice, not selling anything or trying to convince anyone to take any particular course of action, just sharing info and my experience.  I don't want to end up like this poor blogger, who faces getting shut down, or this poor guy, the second to have a heart attack at the Heart Attack Cafe.

To be objective, fair and balanced; maybe we need a Pittsboro Heart Attack Cafe franchise:

 

Independence Day 2012

The Town of Chapel Hill is hosting fireworks - will start around 9:30.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."