January 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 67

with all holes between 90 and 185
yards. A reasonable $9 fee appealed
to even the most frugal individuals.
Hack Golf, with 15-inch holes and
relaxed rules, was installed seamlessly and at little expense. Fling
golf, a combination of lacrosse and
golf, created a uniquely athletic
experience on the golf course. Finally, to boost participation among
young professionals, " Nine after
5 " was also developed, with advertising containing a bit of " swag. "
" If you don't know the first thing
about golf, if you're not that good,
or you haven't played in years, " the
commercial says, " come hang out
at Scovill on Thursday nights...and
play just a little bit of golf. " For just
$20, participants golfed nine holes
with cart and enjoyed appetizers,
tips from the pros and a coupon for
an adult beverage. Weekly drawings
were held for rounds of golf, pro
shop goodies and full beginner sets
of clubs. Over the six-week promotion, DPD secured the interest of
125 new golfers, some of whom
had never set foot on a golf course.
Another unique addition at Scovill was the Veterans and Friends
League for veterans and their volunteer partners/helpers. An average of 24 participants each week
enjoyed fresh air, golf and camaraderie. Devised by Dale Jones, an
avid golfer whose brother suffered
a stroke some years ago but recovered physically and emotionally by
returning to the golf course, the
Veterans and Friends League allowed players with and without disabilities to stay active. Doug Reed,
an Army veteran, looked forward
to the weekly trip to the course. " It
meant a lot to me to have one day
a week to get out with the guys, "
he said. " And there are so many

Due to popular demand, the Veterans and Friends
League for veterans and their volunteer partners/
helpers will continue in the wintertime at the Decatur Park District Indoor Golf Center on the Millikin
University campus.

other veterans who could benefit.
We're not Tiger Woods, of course.
We're just out to have fun, learn
new things and set new goals for
ourselves. " Several participants
play with just one arm or are still
recovering from open heart surgery
or back surgery. Clubs and a SoloRider adaptive golf cart are available
if needed. Due to popular demand,
the league will continue this winter
at DPD's Indoor Golf Center on
the campus of Millikin University.
To gauge the community's interest in FootGolf, a free nine-hole
course was added on the junior
golf course at Hickory Point in
late 2014. DPD's MidState Soccer
Club members, in particular, made
the most of this exciting new sport
that merges golf and soccer into
one. The following spring, the U.S.
FootGolf Association (USFGA)
designed and certified an 18-hole
course at Hickory Point, with par
three, par four and par five holes,
along with recreational and competition tees. A tournament including
soccer players from across central
Illinois will be scheduled in 2016.
Initiatives designed to attract
non-golfers to the courses included
jazz concerts and a karaoke night
at the Hickory Point Golf Club pavilion, IHSA Cross Country Sec-

tionals at Hickory Point and holiday runs in collaboration with the
Decatur Running Club. A casual,
3- or 6-mile Thanksgiving run at
Red Tail Run Golf Club by Raymond Floyd attracted more than 50
individuals, who enjoyed the winding cart path and beautiful scenery
prior to their holiday celebrations.
These initiatives have helped boost
existing efforts, such as online tee
times, a golf app and golf specials
shared as " Turtle's Tweets " during
non-peak hours.
So far, DPD is attracting seniors
to the short course, recreational
golfers to hack golf, youth to FootGolf and young professionals to
Nine after 5. We know that times
change, people change and preferred sports and activities change.
However, the Decatur Park District is leaving no stone unturned
in its quest to find a formula that
brings newcomers to the courses,
generates excitement and translates into a revitalization of golf in
our community.
Bill Clevenger is the Executive Director of
Decatur Park District (bill@decparks.com).
Kurt " Turtle " Rogers is the Golf Manager
for Decatur Park District (krogers@decparks.
com). Lisa Gillen is the Director of Marketing
at Decatur Park District (lgillen@decparks.
com).

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January 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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