Disc Golf, Lt. Col. Earl Rynerson, and "The People's Park"
Recently I read an article by a Lt. Col. Earl Rynerson about the now defunct American Golf Course. As Disc Golfers we should stand at the ready to support measures like these that can help make Fort Lauderdale a “smart city”. This particular piece of land is being looked at as a possible place for development. As you all know, the word DEVELOPMENT inspires images of poured concrete and pavement – which is all to often the case in Fort Lauderdale.
Lt. Col. Rynerson, or Earl, as he likes to be called, states “I feel that our leaders in Broward County and in the City of Fort Lauderdale should approach the developers/investors and offer to purchase the property from them, and turn it into a “People’s Park” for us, the residents of Fort Lauderdale.”, and I could not agree more. This park would benefit the local businesses as well. A destination like this would bring tourists from around the world. Heck, even New York City has its Central Park. The impact to the surrounding neighborhood would be minimal, but the obvious benefits would be great.
Yes, I would like to see Disc Golf here (after all, I am biased), but as a resident I want to see this wonderful and safe place for residents to enjoy jogging, cycling, picnicking, walking, rollerblading, Disc Golfing, etc., preserved. ESPN might like to make The American Golf Course the location for the Pro Beach Volleyball semifinals, with the finals held at the South Beach in Fort Lauderdale. Such an event would draw visitors from all over. Lets do all we can to help concerned citizens like Lt. Col. Earl Rynerson. I suggest a fund raiser for our favorite charities in the form of a Disc Golf tournament to make the people aware of this wonderful future public park.
Why would Disc Golf be such a good addition to the amenities of this park? For starters, Disc Golf provides a LOW COST way to add recreational and healthy lifestyle outlets for the local community and provides a setting that will attract Disc Golfers from the surrounding communities and from around the world for tournament play. A Disc Golf course can be added for less than the cost of a concrete basketball court – which only a handful of people can play on – and 100 people can play Disc Golf at once without interfering with each other or other park activities. Mom, dad, brother and sister can (and do) play the same game competitively. Disc Golf is the ultimate family sport and can be installed right alongside all of the other park amenities. This is why Disc Golf has more bang for the buck than any other family oriented park activity.
Earl’s proposal can be seen here.: A “People’s Park” for Fort Lauderdale?
Earl’s website can be seen here: A Better Ft Lauderdale
I drove by the park today and thought what a nice environment for mixed activity, including disc golf. I’m just getting into the sport and this course is ideal!
Thank you for your efforts, Lt. Col. Earl Rynerson.
(Incidentally, I am proud to say I voted for Earl in the mayoral election. Will vote again if running in next one.)