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So after reading about stuff done out in SD at Goat Hill Park, I thought about what could be done here at one of the Indy muni golf courses.
This could be applied to most, if not all, @IndyParksandRec courses.
This could be applied to most, if not all, @IndyParksandRec courses.
1) Introduce a locals price. Memberships can still exist and be the cheapest, but if you have a valid Marion County ID, your fees are like $25 instead of $30. It's small, but something that would encourage those in the area to play the course more.
2) Consider re-routing some of the course. Not by much, but enough that it creates green space to create a children's 2-4 hole course. It gives younger ones a chance to learn the game in a significantly less intimidating/demoralizing way.
3) Open up/expand cart paths in a manner where pathways on the edge of the property can be combined with roadways to create a running/biking trail. Make the golf course run by the parks into more of a park as well.
4) Creation of a youth golf club. This would NEED to be off-set by corporate donations, but create a golf club where children can receive instruction, use donated clubs, & learn the game without the upstart costs. It gives lower-income parents an activity for their kids w/ 0 cost
Those in the youth golf club would be able to play the kids course for free and the larger course at a heavily discounted rate. There would be some issue of how that could be pragmatically done as to not slow play of adults, but would be an important venture to encourage growth
Additionally, golf taught me a lot of great lessons at a really young age. It impressed upon me the values of self-policing, honesty, courtesy to others, self-discipline, and determination. It is a great teacher of how to be a good person, but is disguised as just a simple game.
Somewhere along the line the game of golf was taught to you and this gives the golfing community a chance to give back through volunteer coaching. This, of course, also keeps the costs of the program down and allows more children to take part.
5) Create a caddie program that's tied into the youth golf club. It gives teens in the surrounding neighborhoods a job opportunity, but also one that gives some exercise. Caddies would get to play for free and would be paid for their services by the course, not reliant on tips.
However tipping caddies is the norm, so it would give young adults a solid first job wage with tips. Additionally, since it's tied into the youth golf club, it would open up the caddies to those resources. This would allow for the course to become more of a community for them.
Which brings me to:
6) No dress code. Golf doesn't care what you wear or where you came from. We're in the business of building communities, not country clubs. The course should be a communal place free from stigma.
6) No dress code. Golf doesn't care what you wear or where you came from. We're in the business of building communities, not country clubs. The course should be a communal place free from stigma.
Golf is a social game and golfers/courses need to work to break down walls that have been built.
Yes, I know most, if not all?, munis in Indy do not have a dress code, but the above concept needs to be at the heart of something like this.
Yes, I know most, if not all?, munis in Indy do not have a dress code, but the above concept needs to be at the heart of something like this.
7) More league play. Currently most have leagues for members who play competitively. However, courses should look at creating leagues for those who want to have fun consistently with friends or make new ones. A low pressure, high fun option. It'll bring people back consistently.
8) A movement towards environmental sustainability. It's been done in other places & I honestly don't know what Indy does with their courses in terms of maintenance. However, ending any overseeding practices that are occurring & letting the course be more natural is a plus.
Sure, some would bemoan a change like that. Claiming that it turns the course into a "goat ranch," but when you play a course it should represent the area it's in. It shouldn't be pristine. More Scotland, less Augusta.
9) Raise prices for a cart by a few bucks. I completely understand carts keep greens fees down by speeding play and getting more people out on the course. However, golfers will still pay that price if they want a cart. Meanwhile it encourages walking which I feel a park should.
10) As a noted cat-enthusiast this may come as a shock, but allow dogs on the course. Dogs are common on courses in Scotland either by people taking them on walks or dogs just along for the round. Again, muni courses are also parks. In-roads should be made them feel that way.
So that's my thoughts as I sit here wishing I was back on the course. I have no idea how many of these things could actually work as perfectly as I imagine them. However, I'm bored and I felt like sharing this. If you read all of it, thanks. Also, I'm sorry.
