Greetings ACT Disc Golfers,
Before delving into the latest updates, I’d like to share some quick and vital information regarding the final club day of the 2023 season.
As promised for the Weston Park club day rotation, we’ll be offering players both Weston White & Gold, on Saturday, December 16th. However, the event’s timing will deviate from the norm to allow for end-of-season celebrations for the club day and season winners. A BBQ near hole 27 will be hosted by the club, and all, including families, are encouraged to join. Registration links will be shared on Facebook in the coming days. Please sign up to the event well in advance so we have an idea of numbers.
For this special occasion, Gold players are scheduled to tee off at 8:30 am, while White players will tee off at 10:30 am, with both groups concluding around 12:30 pm.
Now, let’s return to our regular programming. I’m pleased to provide an update following our last report in October, highlighting recent club activities and outlining our future plans.
In this update, I’ll revisit some previously covered items that are still in progress and introduce some important new topics for 2024:
- Operation basket installation
- Athllon Park, Tuggeranong
- School course collaborations
- 2024 club day schedule and gradings
- Club memberships & shirts
Operation basket installation
The installation of new baskets at Weston Park began in October but has been on hold in November as we awaited a government response regarding the Athllon Drive duplication, which could impact the proposed layout. We wanted a commitment to future development before investing time and resources in basket movement and installation.
The club is planning to have a working bee on Sunday, the 17th, to replace nine more baskets at Weston Park, specifically holes 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13 & 27. If you can contribute by carrying concrete, tools, or boosting morale with small talk, please contact board members to make your availability known.
Athllon Park
The Athllon Park reds have been in place for a few months, and the wear on tee pads indicates enjoyment by many disc golfers. Plans include updating the layout to incorporate a combination of red & blue (Spring Sling) tee pads, creating an 18-hole loop, while the southern part of the course is installed. The last 9 baskets on the southern side are set to be installed before Christmas.
School course collaborations
Regarding new courses, Alfred Deakin High School will install 5 baskets with 10 tees before Christmas, with tee signs following in early 2024. The course, funded by the school and similar in difficulty to John Knight, aims to grow the sport through engagement and interschool competitions. When installation is complete, the club has been invited to map the layout on uDisc, so keep an eye on socials for a casual round with the President. Another school course at Gold Creek is scheduled to start in term 1, 2024.
2024 club day schedule and gradings
Club day grading bands for the first season in 2024 will change to:
- A Grade: 900+ (women 800+)
- B Grade: 800 to 899 / (women 700 to 799)
- C Grade: under 800 / (women under 700)
The 2024 season will start on January 13th at Eddison Park. The full year schedule is available at https://www.actdiscgolfclub.com/2024-club-days/
Memberships and club shirts
Lastly, we are introducing a tiered membership system, providing members with flexibility in engaging with the club. A quick summary:
- We’ve introduced a junior tier.
- We’ve introduced lower cost tiers (Bronze and Silver) for members who mainly engage with us through the club shop, or members who mainly focus on club days.
- The existing $25 per year membership remains, but is now called Gold.
- Platinum memberships will be offered until the end of January 2024. Platinum includes the Gold membership benefits, as well as a club shirt at a reduced price (built into the membership price).
- Diamond memberships will allow members to commit to the club long term with a 10 year membership. This includes a club shirt at a reduced price (built into the membership price) & special recognition.
After the January priority period for Platinum and Diamond members passes, the shirts will be available to Gold, Silver and Bronze members for $66.60 (or less with club discounts) from February, and to the general public when Sizzler 2024 arrives (late February).
Sincerely
Adam Stewart
ACT Disc Golf President