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History of the
Willamette Disc Golf Club
In the late 1990's a small group of rabble-rousers and misfits got together and decided to build a disc golf course. Memories are hazy at this late date, but the following seems to be a rough picture, pieced together from differing memories and opinions.
Greg Alpert had the idea to put in a disc golf course at Willamette Park in Corvallis, Oregon. He, Greg Johnson, Kenny Faase, Pat Farrell and Eric Smith started building it. The original baskets were installed in May 1999 with $2000 in funding from Full Sail Brewing matched by $2000 from the city. The founding fathers rounded up $300 each in either personal donations or donations from local businesses including Peak Sports to cover the remaining cost of the baskets. Green & White donated concrete for teepad #1 and installation of the first set of pin placements. An expanded list of contributors provided funding for Pat Farrell's concept of framed teeboxes of pavers still in use on the remaining holes prior to the Grand Opening Tournament also sponsored by Full Sail who provided funding for Player's Pack discs.
The Five Founding Fathers were too busy building the course to put much energy into any kind of organization, so along came Teresa and Cris Bellinger who, with great energy and enthusiasm organized a meeting and invited a bunch of people to join. Some of them had never heard of disc golf before, and some were never heard from again, but the club was started. Pat Farrell wanted to call the club the Corvallis Disc Sports Association (CDSA), and even carved that into the #1 tee pad at Willamette Park. Eric Smith suggested they call the club the Willamette Disc Golf Club, not because the first course was at Willamette Park, but so that it would be inclusive of people all up and down the Willamette Valley.
Kenny Faase, Greg
Alpert, Greg Johnson, Eric Smith, Pat Farrell
The first tournament was the Willamette Park Grand Opening Tournament, run by Greg Johnson on October 23, 1999. The picture above was run in the Corvallis Gazette-Times a few days prior to the tournament, and below is the disc design for the tournament discs.
Disc Design for the Willamette Grand Opening Tournament by Kenny Faase
The next year (2000), the tournament name was changed to Kenny Faase's suggestion: The Willamette Open II, and was run by ???Kenny Faase???.
The Willamette Open III was run by ??? ??? in ?, 2002?
The Willamette Open IV was run by Cris & Teresa Bellinger in 2002, bringing the event into the Oregon Series.
The Willamette Open V was run by Kenny "The Ent" Fasse in October 2003.
The Willamette Open VI was run by Jim Dubay on October 2nd and 3rd, 2004.
The Willamette Open VII was run October 8th and 9th, 2005 by Mike Storrs, who then went on to run the tournament for the rest of eternity.
Adair
The Adair Course was started not long after the 'completion' of the Willamette Course. In the original layout, the first holes, in order, were the current holes 1, 18, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 2, 3, 4, 5. The layout was changed as the rest of the holes were put in.The first tournament at Adair Park, the Adair Open, was held January 26, 2002, largely using portable baskets, and was run by Jay Sexton. Weather was heavy snow showers, constant rain and ankle deep standing water. There were at least four total white-out snow showers, and most of the rain and snow fell at a 30 degree angle. Fun was had by all. 49 people attended.
Pat Farrell ran 1 or 2 tournaments at Adair including a May Day tournament with temporary baskets and island holes used in later Festivus events. Greg Johnson took over the club's January event at Adair and started calling it Festivus, counting the original event in January 2002 as Festivus I, and he has the event every year since. It has become an annual winter party, a one day tournament often in nasty weather that is intended to stay much like it has been, unsanctioned and hopefully fun for all participants. Since Festivus III, this event had been held on the last Saturday in January.
The first 10 holes at Adair were constructed and installed from about November 2002 to February 2003. Pine trees were planted between holes 18 and 13 (today's numbering) during the winter of 2003.
The Adair course was 'completed' with 18 tees and 18 baskets on December 13, 2004.
Here are some pictures of the early days of building the course, including a VERY brief movie of the brush cutter in action. Hole numbers are the CURRENT hole numbers.
From #3 tee area, looking toward #3 baskets, clearing the fairway.
Clearing the #3 basket area, the big oak fell in the late November 2009
Clearing the stairway area up to the #4 tee
QuikTime moving of clearing #5's berm (between long and short positions)
(You may have to double-click on image to play it)
According to Jay Sexton:
Parks
had a contract with the guy with the Bobcat/brushwhacker for a price of
something like $70 per hour with a $40 travel fee. I think the WDGC
bought two hours and it was great. I directed him and he was very
efficient and skillful. Cleared the blackberries along the berm, and
the thickets on holes 3,4,6, and 10, as well as "bites" into the
right-hand shrubbery along the fairway of 11. His company is called
"Cutaway" something, and he usually has signs up at the Lewisburg store.
From #6 tee, looking "into the woods"
Kelly Christiansen in the ditch below #8-short
Three ideas for a proposed club logo from 2002 by Bagger Kelly C.
Club Flyer from 2001