Volunteers work to clear brush

By Ben Hoffman, Lebanon Express writer

Anyone entering Waterloo Park will notice campgrounds to the left and a forest thick with blackberry bushes to the right. Except for a small walking trail, the 40 acres of forest within the park's boundaries has had little use in the past.

With help from Linn County Parks, a small group of local disc golfers hopes to turn those 40 acres of trees, bushes and blackberries into a competitive 18-hole disc golf course.

If attempts are successful, Waterloo would offer the first ever public disc golf course in east Linn County. Though a course is located at Camp Tadmor south of Lebanon, it is privately owned and is closed to the public during most of the summer.

The idea to put a course in Waterloo was put forth earlier this year by Brownsville resident Paul Landgren. After playing the sport for a little more than a year, Landgren contacted Linn County Parks director Brian Carroll earlier this year and asked if it would be possible to build a course in Waterloo.

"Growing up there, I knew there was tons of room down there," Landgren said. "I sent an e-mail to the parks and to my surprise, within an hour they got back to me."

After Landgren met with Carroll at the park and explained his idea, Carroll quickly jumped on board and began working with Landgren to organize brush clearing and apply for a grant from Oregon Parks and Recreation.

"I think it is an excellent idea for the park," Carroll said. "We have a need in Waterloo to increase the number of activities available."

Carroll recently learned that the park did not receive the grant, which means that the success or failure of putting in a course lies solely on the shoulders of local volunteers.

Landgren has been joined in his efforts by local disc golfers Tim Geoghegan and Jim Dubay, both Lebanon residents and members of the Willamette Disc Golf Club in Corvallis.

Geoghegan is helping to design course layout and has designated which areas need to be cleared.

"Our main goal is to eradicate blackberries," Geoghegan said. "We will try not to take out native plants, just blackberries."

Clearing the brush is no small task, noted Jon Owens, a member of the Albany Disc Golf Club who is interested in helping with the construction of the course.

"When you clear something like this, it takes a lot of maintenance," Owens said. "It takes a cycle of years to get rid of blackberries."

Geoghegan acknowledged that clearing brush doesn't take a lot of money, it just takes volunteers. Carroll has helped jumpstart the process by putting a juvenile work crew on the project every Thursday in August.

The group is also looking for volunteers who have equipment that can be used to help clear the brush.

When enough space is cleared to begin putting in holes, money will be needed to construct tee pads and baskets, which cost about $300 each. Landgren estimated that it could take more than $1,500 to finish an 18-hole course.

"At first we might have only five holes," Geoghegan said. "We can get an area cleared and get people interested."

If money for baskets isn't available right away, tone poles made from PVC can be constructed temporarily, noted Dubay.

Dubay helped build a disc course at Adair Park north of Corvallis that was completed a year ago.

"It took several years," Dubay said. "The hardest thing is getting the bodies out there to get the work done. It will move pretty quick once we break ground and mow through the brush."

Ironically, the first nine holes will be the hardest to construct at Waterloo because they are planned for the area of the park with the most blackberry bushes. The second nine will be installed in an area with more trees and less underbrush.

Geoghegan said that the course will have both wide open, long shots and short, technical shots. Eventually, he hopes to build a small shelter near the center of the course.

Though the volunteers admit there is a lot of work to be done, they are confident that once a course is built, people will show up to play.

"I know there are people in Lebanon going over to Corvallis to play," said Dubay. "When we have a course nearby, a spew of golfers will come out of the woodwork."

"It would bring a lot to the Lebanon area," Landgren added. "It is a fun and easy sport."

Geoghegan added that the location is convenient.

"This park is more centralized than a lot of other parks," he said. "It is playable for Lebanon and Sweet Home and even Albany and Corvallis."

Before players begin flocking to the course, a lot of work needs to be done and the current group is looking for volunteers. Disc golf experience is not required.

Anyone interested in helping may call Landgren at 541-689-1011, ext. 301. Geoghegan has also started a website for the group and encourages anyone interested to visit the site at http://sports.groups. yahoo.com/group/SantiamDG/.