Clement Farm Disc Golf Course Last Updated: 03/16/2016

CLEMENT FARM DISC GOLF COURSE PROJECT DESCRIPTION

We, The Haverhill Disc Golf Association, are applying to install an 18-hole disc (read Frisbee) golf course on the Clement Farm Conservation Area in Haverhill. What follows is a detailed description of the work to be done. We hope Haverhill Conservation Committee members can also use this description as a guide to the property, and tour the proposed layout: All tee areas are marked with stakes and yellow ribbons, all basket areas marked with stakes and pink ribbons, and the few trees to be cut are marked with orange ribbons. We would also be happy to arrange guided tours between the submission of this application (3/17) and the meeting date (3/31). Please contact our president, Andrew Fonseca (haverhilldiscgolf@gmail.com), for that or any questions.

HDGA has successfully raised approximately $18,500 in private donations in less than a year. Our plan is to install the course over the next 18-months in two phases as described on the next several pages.

Phase 1: Spring/Summer 2016

With Conservation Commission approval, HDGA will begin the project with volunteer work days where we will install the disc golf baskets, and clear the tees, greens and fairways. HDGA anticipates being able to get 20+ volunteers for these work days, and hopefully get it done over 4-8 gatherings depending on how fast we work.

Installing Baskets: Please refer to Figure 1 for a description of a disc golf basket. As you can see, the “building” impact is a cement-filled hole approximately 2’ deep and 1’ in diameter. A good “green” area has at least 30’ of relatively clear space around a basket—a few well-spaced trees are fine, but dense saplings are not.

Clearing the tees: In phase 1, we are looking to simply stake out the tee areas, so that players and HDGA members can play the holes for the remainder of the year, and note any minor adjustments before actually building tee boxes in 2017. A tee area is typically 5’x12’ depending on the length of the hole—longer holes require larger tee areas.

Clearing the fairways: After meeting with Rob Moore on our initial walk-through, we discovered the unique status of Clement Farm Conservation Area: although clearly a park where the ballfields are, the 53-acre wooded area is still considered a conservation area. Thus, we understand the Commission isn’t interested in a wholesale cleaning of the forest understory—our plan tries to minimize the clearing efforts, and every area proposed to be cleared is outlined in our hole-by-hole description of the course. “Clearing” refers to: removing the prickers, brush and thorns; removing branches, deadwood, small (<1/2”) saplings, removing the logs that may be buried under grass, removing old stumps and fallen trees on top of the ground. We will use heavy-duty trimmers and “brush hog” or DR mowers where the ground is more flat. We intend to use a wood chipper to chip all of this debris (anything under 6” diameter) and cover areas of the fairways to keep future weed growth down. We will also move logs larger than 6” to the edges of the fairways to line them. Lastly, we will use any large logs to construct benches for Phase 2.

Phase 2: Spring/Summer 2017

Once we have played the course over the summer/fall of 2016, we will finalize the plans for exact tee box placement. Having done this before, we realize we will find minor improvements to tee locations, and in some cases, basket locations. Waiting a year to install the tee boxes gives us design flexibility. Along with tee boxes, we will also install benches and permanent tee signs.

Tee Boxes: As mentioned above, a tee box is typically 5-6’ x 10-12’ and its’ purpose is to create a uniform, flat area for golfers to tee off the hole. We can use either A) wood frame & rubber mats (like Pye Brook Park in Topsfield), or B) wood frame and patio pavers (like Amesbury) or concrete. Access to tee areas and budget will determine which choice we make.

The tee areas will all have benches (purchased or constructed) and high-quality signs that describe the hole, warn players to yield to other park users, and provide a sponsor area as an annual revenue opportunity.

Maintenance

Haverhill Trails Committee

We have certainly seen all the work put in by HTC at Clement Farm. Some holes have no interaction with the trails, some have minimal, and some holes share the same area as the trails. We intend to work with HTC and the Conservation Commission to co-operate in these shared spaces. In the proposal, every time a fairway or green (basket) crosses the trail, we will have warning signs in both directions.

Bridge over the creek. The course basically plays a 9-hole loop on the south side of the creek and a 9-hole loop on the north side of the creek. Hole 10 tees over the creek to the North side, and we use the existing footbridge to cross. We would like to replace the current 10’ bridge with a 14’ bridge, as the bank has eroded since it was installed. We would keep the exact same design, just get longer timbers to extend it. We could also consider using the old bridge to cross the much smaller stream on Hole 1.

Bog Bridge. Figure 2 is of a “bog-bridge” that currently crosses the wetland area on the south end of the trail system. We would like to build another identical bog bridge where the same wetlands starts to narrow to a small creek. It’s technically on our 8th fairway, but it will also be used as part of a footpath to get from Hole 7’s basket to Hole 8’s tee.

Long-term maintenance. HDGA will continue to maintain and be the public contact for all things related to the course. Keeping it clean, picking up branches, dealing with downed timber are all part of ongoing responsibilities. Maintaining the equipment is minimal, but also a responsibility. We intend to co-operate with the Parks and Recreation Department in managing Clement Farm Disc Golf Course.

Exhibits

Figure 1: Disc Golf Basket installation

Figure 2: Existing “Bog Bridge” built by Trails Committee

Proposed Clement Farm Disc Golf Course

• Field tee, 486’ over hill and across creek to elevated green

• Clear area 50’ wide after creek including removing large fallen tree

• Install 10’ footbridge across creek

• No trees to cut

Hole #1

• Downhill tee, 302’ turns left and uphill to open green; fairway follows portion of walking path

• Clear area 10’ wide down to path, 30’ wide from path to bottom of hill, 60’ wide to ridge, 30’ wide to basket

• 2 warning signs on walking path: 1 near tee and 1 near basket

• No trees to cut

Hole #2

• Uphill tee, 292’ toward 1st basket

• Clear 10’ wide to path, 30’ wide path to skidder road. 60’ wide to pin

• 2 warning signs on walking path near tee

• 4 small (<4”) trees to be cut near basket

• Path from basket to skidder road above and #4 tee

Hole #3

• Slightly downhill hole follows existing logging road/path.

• Slight downhill tee, 305’ along skidder road to basket

• Clear 10’ wide to skidder road, 40’ wide to basket

• 2 walking path warning signs near basket

• No trees to cut

Hole #4

• Downhill tee turns right to basket, 271’ before top of hill

• Clear 20’ wide for 75 feet, then 40’ wide to basket

• 1 warning sign near walking path at top of hill

• 1 3” tree to cut on right side of fairway approximately 125’ down the fairway

Hole #5

• Steep downhill tee, 232’ to basket

• Clear 10’ wide for 100 feet, 40’ wide to basket

• 2 warning signs on walking path near basket

• Approximately 20 small (1-2”) saplings to clear near basket

Hole #6

HOLE #7

• Uphill left turn to basket between 275’ and 363’

• Clear 40’ wide to top of hill, 60’ wide to basket

• 2 warning signs on walking path near tee

• Cut 2 saplings near tee

• Delineate a footpath to the right that crosses stream near skidder road (8 fairway) and is location for 20’ bog bridge

HOLE #8

• Downhill tee across wetland (uses same bog bridge) doglegs right at 225’ to basket 361’

• Clear 10’ wide to wetland edge, 40’ wide on other side of wetland to turn, 60’ wide turn to basket

• 2 walking path warning signs near the turn

• 2 3” saplings to be cut near basket

• Slight downhill tee, 292’ to basket

• Clear 30’ to stump (75’), 40’ to trail/skidder road, 60’ wide to basket

• 2 warning signs on walking path

• Cut 2 3” trees near basket

• Delineate a footpath that crosses walking path, cuts behind #5 tee and goes to #10 tee area

Hole #9

• Downhill tee to the creek, 308’ uphill to basket on right

• Clear 20’ wide to creek, 40’ wide creek to road, 75’ wide road to basket

• 2 warning signs on walking path

• No trees to cut

• Replace HTC bridge over the creek with 14-16’ bridge of similar design

Hole #10

• Downhill tee, 396’ to basket

• Clear 40’ wide for 100’, 60’ wide to bottom of hill, 100’ wide from bottom hill to basket

• 2 warning signs on walking path

• No trees to cut, a number of < ½” saplings to be cleared with underbrush

Hole #11

• Flat tee doglegs right at 190’ to basket across road 301’

• Clear 40’ wide to 125’, 60’ wide to turn, 40’ wide from turn to basket

• 15-20 ½” saplings will be cut along with thick brush between the turn and the basket

• 2 warning signs on walking path near basket—covers 13 tee area as well

• No trees to cut

Hole #12

• Flat tee, 320’ to slight uphill basket

• Clear 20’ wide from tee to path, 40’ wide after path to 100’, 75’ wide to basket

• 10 1” saplings to be cut near tee, 10 1-3” saplings to be cut in fairway

• 2 warning signs on walking path near fairway

Hole #13

• Uphill tee, 207’ diagonally across to basket

• Clear 20’ wide for 50’, 40’ wide to path (175’), 60’ wide to basket

• 5-10 small (<2”) saplings to be cut in fairway

• 2 warning signs on walking path

Hole #14

• Uphill tee, 269’ that crosses a gully to basket

• Clear 60’ wide to 150’, 100’ wide to 200’, 60’ wide to basket

• To cut: 6 trees (3-4”), some 1-2” saplings, and some <1” saplings

• 2 warning signs on walking path

Hole #15

• Flat tee, 420’ to basket

• Clear 40’ wide to 1st gully, 60’ wide to path, 75’ wide to 2nd gully, 100’ wide to basket

• 2 warning signs on walking path

• No trees to cut

Hole #16

• Flat tee, 319’ to basket

• Clear 40’ wide to 100’, 100’ wide to 250’, 75’ wide to basket

• No trees to cut, no signs to post

Hole #17

• Downhill tee to landing area next to Legion Hall brush pile, 486’ to basket

• Clear 20’ wide to 50’, 100’ wide to clearing

• Maple tree with large granite curbstones under it @ 250’: will need to limb the bottom 4 branches from this standalone tree

• Minor clearing of 50’ radius near basket

• Warning sign near basket

Hole #18