The ElevateUT Disc Golf Podcast

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In this episode of the Elevate Utah Disc Golf Podcast, host Nick Jennings is joined by Dustin, Sean, and Scott, as they welcome a special guest, Dan Langford, the president of the Daybreak Disc Golf Club. Dan shares his journey of advocating for the Bingham Creek Disc Golf Course, detailing the challenges and triumphs he faced over thirteen years to bring disc golf to his community. The discussion highlights the importance of community involvement in developing public spaces and the impact of dedicated individuals in shaping local disc golf scenes.

The episode also delves into the upcoming "Chains of the Chupacabra" league at Bingham Creek, exploring the unique challenges and features of the course. The hosts and Dan discuss the intricacies of course design, the role of community feedback, and the potential for future tournaments. They emphasize the need for more voices in the disc golf community to advocate for new courses and improvements, encouraging listeners to engage with local authorities to expand the sport. The conversation is a testament to the passion and perseverance required to grow disc golf at the grassroots level.

[00:00:26] Nick Jennings:

Welcome into the disc wow. Hold up.  

[00:00:29] Scott Belchak:

This the Disc Golf Network?   I'm your host, Mary Tiller.   Trey Taylor.  

[00:00:36] Nick Jennings:

Take two.   Welcome into the Elevate Utah Disc Golf Golf Podcast. I'm your host Nick Jennings joined by Dustin.   Sean. And I'm Scott. Awesome. And today, we have a very special guest with us. We have Dan Langford. Dan, do you wanna go ahead and introduce yourself? Hey. I'm Dan Langford.  

[00:00:52] Dan Langford:

The president of the Daybreak Disc Golf Club is the title I'll give myself this week. Nice.  

[00:00:59] Nick Jennings:

Very, very nice. Cool. And Dan, we have a little surprise for you. Oh. We're gonna we're gonna play a quick little trailer   of what's to come   and what we're going to be hunting   at at at the course that we're gonna be talking about today. Yeah.   Okay. So just one second. Wonder if they meow.  

[00:01:20] Flippy:

Elevate Utah leagues.  

[00:01:25] Unknown:

In a world where disc golf and ancient horrors collide, the Bingham Creek Jungle hides many secrets.  

[00:01:33] Scott Belchak:

I've never seen a jungle without trees before.  

[00:01:36] Unknown:

And   night shift.   Welcome   to the chains of the chupacabra,   a league where champions   battle not just for glory,   but for   survival.   From the shadows,   Xibalba,   an ancient legend turned cult leader, narrates a chilling saga of blood and darkness. A trooper cover just bites your knuckles, man. And it just, like, gets double bogeys all the time. At the heart of the mystery lies the chupacabra,   a cunning beast   empowered by forbidden Aztec magic.   Beware,   the jungle secrets.   Beware   the labyrinth of shadows  

[00:02:20] Flippy:

and the lost altar of bones. Please, I won't sacrifice one of my knocker belongs.  

[00:02:27] Unknown:

Beware   the beast   challenge. Jupey,   where are you? The chains of the chupacabra   coming soon.  

[00:02:54] Flippy:

Every Tuesday, from March 4 through April 22, Bingham Creek transforms into our very own   ancient hunting grounds.   Choose your flex start time between 7AM and 6PM because apparently chupacabras   are very accommodating with their schedules.  

[00:03:11] Sean Kelley:

What am I doing with that lady? Dude, they are awesome.  

[00:03:14] Scott Belchak:

That is awesome.  

[00:03:15] Nick Jennings:

That is fantastic. Shout out to your buddy in Minnesota again. Yeah. Jason. Jason. Jason. Great words. Jason. Yeah. Yeah. He's yeah. When you hear Joopy.  

[00:03:24] Scott Belchak:

You know? Yeah. Joopy Joopy. And he's Carl in the first one. A bunch of knuckles, man. Bunch of knuckles with a double bogey. I don't wanna sacrifice my knuckle bone.   No. These are fantastic. I I really wanna figure out how   how to get them made for every single one of them, but they're not cheap to make. But they're not too expensive. You know? It's the buddy discount. Hey, man.   But   they're really cool. And I think in the future, the the way I'm thinking about doing it is if I can take this thing national, I think what I'll do is I'll I'll put a league out there for people to play in and get a highly produced video that goes along with that. Yeah. And   the world can just join in on this one specific league that's playing, and they can all have their individual   chupacabra chases happening. Yeah. But they'll they'll have the one focus of you   know I I think it'd be kind of fun. I think it's fun, though. I think it's amazing. I think it's a great idea.  

So, Dan, was that your first time hearing that, I assume? I I I did listen to it. Yeah. He had a sneak peek. Okay. Okay. I got a sneak peek. I mean, with It's a good list. You know, with with him being the the Bingham Creek guy, I felt like   when I get these things, they're so hard to keep to myself because they're so funny. You are. You know? Like, I wanna share them with you guys, but I know that it's better if if if you just, you know, hear it here first. But No. I like it.  

[00:04:42] Sean Kelley:

Jupy.  

[00:04:44] Scott Belchak:

So Dan is the Bigum Creek guy? Yes.  

[00:04:47] Dan Langford:

Because?   So,   I I live just a couple doors down from the disc golf course.   I usually don't drive over, I usually just walk over or ride my bike over.   And that was always my dream, is to   be really close to a disc golf course.   Like thirteen years ago,   when me and my wife were looking to build our first house, we were looking in the Daybreak area,   and   we saw on a map,   there was gonna be a park installed. This isn't Beam Creek, it's another smaller park inside Daybreak.   But we saw a little iconography on the Brookside Park for   disc golf. And I turned to my wife and said, we're just getting in this house. Because I can walk across the street and play disc golf.  

And that ended up not happening, but ever since then, I've been trying to get disc golf   in in the neighborhood,  

[00:05:46] Scott Belchak:

and and I've weaseled my way into into to helping get get stuff in in being a freak. Weasel is a is a good way of getting things done. Yeah. It is. Yeah. Yeah. If you can weasel your way into some things  

[00:05:59] Sean Kelley:

Just become an ear moth in some ways.  

[00:06:01] Scott Belchak:

They always say this creaky wheel gets the grease. Yep. It's just what they say. That's what they say. That is. It is what they say. So so you've so you've been, we've we're familiar with each other, Dan. And, so I'm familiar with with how long you've been been trying to do this. It's been a long time.  

[00:06:21] Dan Langford:

Yeah. Yeah. It really has been.   It it started, like I said, with that that smaller Brookside   Park, and then   that ended up not happening. And and we we were working with the Daybreak HOA to try to get baskets installed somewhere else, and they did a really, really, really crappy, like, pitch and putt,   there somewhere. And, man, I remember going to, like, these HOA,   meetings,   and I would, like, bring my portable basket and my discs and stuff to, like, show them and, like, to other residents and stuff, like, like, what this was, man.   And and there were there were people there, like, crying, like like literal tears, like, I know what this is in my back. It's like, do you? Right? And so they had to, like, I I I was, like, going canvassing the neighborhood, going door to door, getting people to, like, send emails to the HOA board members. And then they come back and say, oh, we got so many positive emails. And then then the next week, I hear, like, we're still not gonna do it. You know?  

A couple people cried, so we got to do it. Yeah. So,   like, and and in the middle of all that, like,   Herriman got was it Rosecrest?  

[00:07:27] Scott Belchak:

Yeah. Uh-huh. I think it was Rosecrest.   Rosecrest. Yeah. I played it a few times. And then they that got torn down because of some some grumpy neighbors. Well, it was poorly designed.   It was. It was poorly designed and, did you guys ever play that course in Harriman? Uh-uh. Yeah. So it was in it it it played in some void space in a neighborhood because that's that's where all we get all of our parks essentially is is is where drainage is essentially. Yeah. And so it played in this drainage area where they just couldn't put houses between homes and some of the some of the the holes like, there was two or three houses specifically   that would just get four or five discs in their backyard every day   and   that's not gonna last very long so it was it was poorly designed   and   Herriman God bless them for putting it in and and trusting that they were getting it done this is why we we we ask people to hire hire professionals when they design these courses because   you're creating something for public space   and public use, and you shouldn't just let the guy who has the idea design it, you know?  

No. I mean, I we   we did that down in the river bottoms. Yeah. But I think the river bottoms probably would have been better if we would have had a professional come and design it. We would unlock different different things that we could can't even think of. So because he doesn't think of it. Been this tall, though. The Manda probably would have been appropriately sized.   Yes. Yes. I think it is appropriately sized. I think it's ad hoc down there. Well, now that we've got our long position for that, it's great.   So so you so you really   you really advocated for disc golf   in in daybreak.  

And,   and getting getting I don't think a lot of people realize what a gift the Bingham Creek Disc Golf Course is to the community. It's just a gift that showed up unwrapped   and Yeah. A little early and you you Yeah. And it's something that you it's not exactly what you wanted. You know? Like, you wanted a race car, but you got a you got an old you got an old You got a souped up Hyundai? Chevy truck.   You know? So  

[00:09:30] Dan Langford:

Yeah. It's,   it   it it real and it really showed up, like,   as a surprise. Like,   no one really knew it was coming. Every step along the way,   communication was was really, really difficult. It used to be called Welby Park. They had some public comments. We went over to the school,   told them we wanna disc golf. Like, okay. Okay. Okay. Cool.   And then we don't hear anything for a couple years. Yeah. And then we we stumble across, like, an image on a city website of, like, a rendering, and you zoom in and you can, like, see disc golf disc golf. I'm like, woah. I I guess it made it in. And so Yeah. Just sleuthing. Right. And Being being the little weasel. Yeah. And and so so I'm I'm calling   just Salt Lake County Parks. Just look them up on Google and call their number and be like, who do I talk to about this? And they sent me around 2,000,000 people, and I finally found,   someone named John who sent me some, like, better plans and and started to involve me a little bit.  

But even then,   like a couple years later,   nothing. And come to find out, John doesn't even work there anymore. Mhmm. And I got to start the process all over again, calling around to try to find,   Andrea this time, and and and like rebuild that relationship try   to  

[00:10:48] Scott Belchak:

weasel myself in again. Yeah. Yeah. It's been it's been it's been interesting to to watch that because a lot of this stuff was getting   done at the same time that the   the renovations at Creekside were happening. Like, they were putting kind of, you know, like, it it happened very very quickly after.  

[00:11:04] Sean Kelley:

Yeah.  

[00:11:05] Scott Belchak:

Yeah. I let's talk about COVID for a little bit. Our favorite topic Yes. Right on the podcast. We love to talk about COVID. If this is your first time listening,   all the other episodes are about COVID.   No. But but to me, watching that thing because I because I moved here in 2020,   and I was watching   it incognito from Minnesota this whole time, you know, when I was living there because I went to Welby Elementary School, you know. So Yeah. So I forgot you're from that neighborhood. Yeah. I I went to Welby, and it was just Welby Park. I grew up like, my dad owned property on the seventeenth hole of Glenmore right there, which is which is now   some houses that are there, but I grew up in that neighborhood. Like, I literally grew up watching that park be a gravel pit or a quarry or whatever it was.  

And so to me to me, it was very interesting to watch from Minnesota,   because there was this course that was getting built in my backyard.   There was some initial renderings that that that came out where someone put them through a three d  

[00:12:06] Dan Langford:

That was me? That was you. Yeah. You did that? Yeah. I went and I I overlaid,   some of these maps that we found onto Google Earth, and then I put pins everywhere You nerd. And then dropped it into, like,   there's a a way on Google Earth to, like, do a little tour That's amazing. With the waypoints. And and it it it was pretty crappy, but at the same time, it, like, it helped you start to see the vision of, like, like, this this could really be pretty could be pretty cool out here. Yeah. Yeah. So so I kinda watched all of this happen because that that that must have been 2018.  

[00:12:37] Scott Belchak:

Yeah. 2018, 2019, I think. Yep. And then I moved here in 2020 thinking, okay. This is great because they're gonna be building this park. And I got here and COVID hit.   And COVID kind of killed that park or it slowed it down significantly.  

[00:12:52] Dan Langford:

It did. Yeah.   There was a lot of things that happened.   There was   so   just with   with COVID,   try to think try to gather my thoughts on that a little bit. Because there's quite a few there's a there's a couple of things. There was,   initially just   it being really difficult, I think, for them to get contractors out because,   I I don't know. I guess there was just a big uptick in in in work   that   was getting done. Now that people weren't out using spaces, I think it was easier to, like, get work done and stuff. And so so a little slow on contractors. I also think,   it was either 2020 or 2021   was   a big drought year.  

And so a lot of the seeding that they had done in the park all all died and it really set them back a year or two in, like, in getting the vegetation ready to go. And then once you start hitting 2021,   2022,   and how difficult it was to get,   materials and shipping and stuff like that, the whole the whole world kinda stopped being able to move stuff.   That really slowed down getting   the park and,   like the playground and stuff like that installed. And so I think they were initially   planning for like a twenty twenty, twenty twenty one,   ribbon cutting. The ribbon cutting didn't have till June 2023. Mhmm. Right.  



[00:14:17] Scott Belchak:

Yeah. And it was kind of a surprise when the baskets went in. You know?  

[00:14:21] Dan Langford:

Yeah. Yeah. So, like,   one day, me me and my wife were just walking through the park, and and   it was then so this is, like, 2022 is is then that we noticed, like, wait.   Wait a second. There's just random cement out here.   Woah, I wonder if these are tee pads. And you go and stand on them and look around, oh, this one's facing this way. Let's say we run out there and we found   a big pink stick in a sleeve. Like, oh, there's sleeves out here. What?  

[00:14:49] Scott Belchak:

Let's drop baskets in. Let's put the baskets in.   Like, that's that's all you have to do is go get the baskets,   put them in.   So  

[00:15:00] Dan Langford:

yeah. No. Years. Even that. Years. You you think you think it's that easy? You know,  

[00:15:06] Scott Belchak:

Teton is just down the road. Teton is just Right there. Just just down the river, the the river.   The air the air quotes. You guys can't see me air quote. But yeah.  

[00:15:15] Dan Langford:

So help in, like, early twenty twenty three. Right? No. That was 2022.  

[00:15:19] Scott Belchak:

Or late twenty twenty two? No. I think it was early twenty twenty two. Early   twenty twenty two?  

[00:15:24] Nick Jennings:

It was coming up. It was Listen to episode two. This is episode   three. Yeah.  

[00:15:29] Scott Belchak:

Yeah. Listeners, if you know what year   the Tetons was installed, let us know in the comments. Comment below.  

[00:15:35] Dan Langford:

Your year. Like and subscribe. No. No. Okay. Well, that actually Teton played a pivotal role. I don't know if I've ever explained, expressed this to you. But a pivotal role in me being able to weasel   myself into this. So   I had this Facebook page, we used to call it Brookside Disc Golf Club, and then I renamed it Daybreak Disc Golf Club. And for years and years and years I've had people liking it and stuff like that. And but but once it was like real that there was going to be this golf,   course installed in the neighborhood, I realized I've I've got to   find a way to convince   somebody, anybody,   that that I can help with this course. And   I needed some,   I don't know, street creds, some some repute, because because I'm just a guy who actually   am a dumpster fire when it comes to disc golf.  

I'm I'm not very good, but I love I love the game.   And and I'm afraid I was afraid that that's all they were gonna see me as is just, like, some dude in the neighborhood,   like like like, why should we listen to him? So,   I started running weekly flex leagues   at Tetons.   And   with the udisk   league feature, which was which was new at the time, I had to like get into a beta, get approved into a beta or something like that to   anybody who plays in it   automatically kinda gets put as a member of your league, right?   And so I did weekly flex leagues, and I had to span like three or four days, so it was super easy for anybody to play. And as a result, I ended up getting like 50 or 60   unique   players.  

And then I so I was able to kinda be like, look how big my club is. Right. It's just someone randomly went there and went, oh, you just can push the button. Right. Now they're in my club. Right?   Yeah.   And and so then I go to to Daybreak, and I wanna make like an official club, so my club name is on a web page somewhere, right? So I gotta fill out this paperwork, and I need like six residents of Daybreak who are gonna be the founding members. So I just call my friends, I'm like, guys, I know you don't wanna disc golf this. Can I just put your name on this floor? I'm like, yeah, sure. And so I get that approved at Daybreak. And so now,   when I finally go to my first park authority board meeting for the Bingham Creek Park, I'm like, I'm the president of the Daybreak Disc Golf. I just made this all up. But like,   I had a little bit of,   I don't know, authority or something like that because my club's got 60 members, I'm the president, look, it's listed here on this website.  

And,   we very quickly,   developed a relationship with the   authority board where they started,   listening and and,   asking   for our feedback on stuff. And and that's I think when it when it really started. So  

[00:18:28] Scott Belchak:

super grateful for Tetons there, because that really helped us a lot. That's awesome. Yeah. That's that's a great that's a great way of describing how to present yourself. Yeah. You know? Because   the the sum the sum is better than   the single. You know? Well, it's also helpful in I can only imagine these crews, you know,   can  

[00:18:48] Sean Kelley:

only imagine these crews that come out to build a disc   golf course.   And whether they're just like, yep.   Throw a tee pad.   270   feet straight down the straight down the alley, throw a basket.   But in turn,   someone like Dan, you know, can basically walk up. You're almost making their job a little bit easier, and you're making the course more interesting, you know, for a player.   Because   as basic as a disc golf course is, any disc golf will play it. It's a matter of repetition. Like, do they wanna come back? Like, was the course interesting enough? Yeah. That challenged me in a certain way. Yeah. Exactly. Did it challenge you  

[00:19:27] Scott Belchak:

in a certain way? Is is there some je ne sais quoi? Yeah.  

[00:19:28] Sean Kelley:

So I'm sure it's like, you know, after the   here comes the president of the Daybreak Disc Golf Club rather than, here comes that guy Dan trying to chat in our air again about what we need to do. Like, those little things, like, I can see where it makes it it makes a difference. But at the same point, I'm pretty sure those crews are much happier being like, wait, what do you want me to put it? Show me. I'll dig the hole. Yeah. You're the expert here. Boom. Boom. And it probably,   you know, makes the progression of the course go quicker.   Because I mean, let me ask you this. Was,   in Bingham Creek, was disc golf always on the register to be put in the park, or was it a little bit of an afterthought?  



[00:20:06] Dan Langford:

I think it was always I actually think it was on the register pretty early. Yeah.   But,   what's interesting going back to COVID,   and like, if you look at it with the timeline of the holy shot and stuff like that, it actually was all planned   master plans 2018, 2019.   And so, they actually,   it wasn't a response to like the boom that happened.   And I actually think   that's   why   it kinda turned out crappy. Because there wasn't   like this huge disc golf boom that was happening. They were just like, Hey, we got a lot of space   here. You   know, we got Teaville, you know, the county's got   Taylorsville and then Creekside. And I think they're just like, you know, we got some disc golf and we got a lot of space here.  

And they just kind of hired someone who   has never played disc golf, which   is a testament, like, is   is the the signs were yards, not feet. Mhmm.   Little things like that. Like, it's just obvious that they they haven't played they just they just hired a firm and the firm's like, yeah, whatever. We we can put baskets and everything. Yeah. We'll draw some lines lines on a map for you and charge you $20. And then while we're waiting for it to get installed, there's this big boom and a lot more interest.   And   but by the time that we're seeing maps and and stuff like that, it's kinda too late in the process for us to make any changes.  

And they were like we're like, this is poorly designed hole. It shouldn't flow like this. And they're like, it's already been designed. We're already under contract with the installer. We can't really make changes at this point. And it it was it kinda sucked. Yeah. Yeah. It's definitely a weird thing, you know, because  

[00:21:51] Scott Belchak:

they're so these changes are so easy to make, you know, you just they cost a little bit of money, but to move a keypad, it's gonna cost you, like, at most $4,000,   you know. So  

[00:22:03] Sean Kelley:

Dustin and and Sean, have you guys played Bingham Creek? Yeah. Okay. That's right, man. It's it's one of the one of the few courses I have not played in the valley. You gotta get to play it a couple times. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's it's, I mean, I have a list of courses that I've been meaning to play, just getting around to, but Bingham Creek's on the on the list that I have not played yet. No trees. So, Dustin, what are your what are your thoughts?  

[00:22:23] Scott Belchak:

It's a fun course.   Like you said, no trees. It's a jungle. Different kind of jungle, but it's fun. This jungle? I don't have any trees in. There used to be tumbleweeds  

[00:22:34] Nick Jennings:

the size of trees. That's accurate.  

[00:22:36] Scott Belchak:

When I first played it. Like Yeah. There were six, eight foot tall, like, thistle bushes and stuff. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well and that goes back to COVID too because they they put all this park in. And then we had a bunch of wet years, and they weren't out there working on it. And all of a sudden, it's like yeah. I remember when we were installing the Tetons. We drove by it. And I and and I was like, look. There's a teepad out there. There's a teepad right there. And, yeah, I saw, like, the the infancy of it. But, no, I've never I have not walked the grounds on that course yet. You mentioned they put seeds down. What what kind of like grass? Or I think it was grass. Okay. Yeah. And The whole thing's irrigated.   Just don't they have a The whole property's irrigated. Yeah. Really? Yeah. The whole property's irrigated. The the the intention was to was to was to plant a bunch of trees and do stuff, you know. And and I think that they were they were about to get to the point where they were going to do that. And then COVID hit, and everybody went home, and the fences stayed up for years. Yeah. And it was just like, okay. We built the we just spent millions of dollars building this park,   but there's fences up. Nobody can use it. Keep out. It's like, what?  

Yeah. It was weird. Interesting.   It was a weird thing.   But they they they must have been under contract with somebody, and and the contract must have gotten extended for a certain period of time. And   and those contractors, they didn't install the course very good. You know, those tee pads are not that they're not they're they're okay.   But they  

[00:23:58] Dan Langford:

you've got a story about about the the pins out there. The sleeves. Yeah. The sleeves. Oh, my work. So I'm I'm   I'm telling him like, we   you've got the sleeves out here.   Let's drop some baskets. Like, oh, we don't have the signs. We don't have the mandos up. You know, we want it to to to be finished.   And I was pushing them really hard saying, no. Let's let's get some early,   feedback on it. This was still me trying to, like,   get some feedback and and try to convince them that   there's some changes that need to be made maybe before the signs are printed. Right? And so I convinced them to to to drop the pins in, and   they,   the baskets and they go out there and they they don't fit. They don't go in at all. And I'm like, I'm I'm looking at these emails from the what what do you what do you what do you what do you mean they don't what do they don't fit? They don't go down far. I don't I don't understand what you mean. We go there and look. Every single one of them is full of cement.  



[00:24:59] Scott Belchak:

Chuck full of cement. So this is like fall twenty twenty. Like 20 of these, so they yeah. They poured the cement and then put the sleeve in. Yeah. And So the cement just filled the sleeve. And then Yeah. I think I texted you in the first thing, like, they didn't tape up the bottom. They're supposed to tape up the bottom. Well, well, so what it it you go out and you look at at some of these and it's obvious what they did. They they dug a giant hole for these things. Oh, yeah. And then and then they they had, the chute from the from the concrete truck dumping concrete into the hole with for for a single sleeve. Like, they opened the chute   Yes. For a single sleeve. They're like, turn up. Oh, turn up. Right. And then  

[00:25:38] Dan Langford:

and then they took the sleeve, and then they went bloop and just stuck it in the concrete, and it filled up with concrete. And only recently did they cover up those areas with dirt. For the first year, there was just a giant blob of cement under each basket.  

[00:25:54] Scott Belchak:

This much cement in, like, haphazard, like, blah.   Yeah. Oh, man. Just shove it just   call it good. Alright. We're done.  

[00:26:03] Sean Kelley:

That's who that's who that's who that's who that's show the idea of having, like, an educated person Yes. Or someone who just plays, who knows the sport.   Those little tiny details  

[00:26:13] Nick Jennings:

go a far away. That seems like more than a little detail. Yeah. I mean, sure. So,  

[00:26:19] Dan Langford:

I I so this whole time that this is getting installed, like,   I like the sport.   I really don't know a whole lot, especially at installing courses and stuff like that. So this whole time I'm putting up this front to them like, oh yeah, let me get some feedback from the club. And then I go over to the Tunnel Runners Disc Golf page. Hey guys, what do you think about this? And   they are ruthless, man.   I mean, there was really good advice and everything, but I remember   I met someone who's out there painting the   foot fault line on   the tee pads. And,   and again, like, I'm I'm a bit naive in the sport. I'm like, oh, cool. I mean, we're getting stuff done. Right? And I took pictures, and I put them on the tunnel, and it was just  

[00:27:01] Scott Belchak:

Everybody was so pissed. What about that? Oh my god. Guys, I I don't know. I don't know if I can stop it now. You take a great tea pad and you and you stick a slippery piece of paint right in the middle.   Right where you wanna put your foot. Yeah. Right on the plant spot. They'll definitely push you around.   Yeah. They will. They'll tell you what they'll tell you what they think. Yeah. I mean, this isn't your first day on the Internet.  

[00:27:21] Dan Langford:

So,   so we were thinking that that was going to delay   the the like, like, I mean, they're chock full of cement. What do you what do you what do you do? I guess you you tear them out, you install another sleeve a couple feet, like, I don't know. And, and I was like, oh, crap. This is gonna be like another year, especially with, with how slow it was with the contractors. COVID all over again. Yeah. And,   but, but that's, those are kind of the conversations I was having with with them. And the part come back to me and says, I think we're gonna core drill them. I'm like, that does not   sound like a good idea. It feels like you gotta get that that diameter  

[00:28:00] Scott Belchak:

just perfect. Otherwise, you ain't ever getting these baskets out.  

[00:28:04] Dan Langford:

Baskets out. And,   I actually, the park actually got me in touch with another contractor who's going to do the core drilling, and I went out there with my,   I just forgot what it's gonna ruler. I don't know. Tape measure. Sure. Tape measure. No. It's it's more precise.  

[00:28:25] Scott Belchak:

A calipers? Hello? Yes. You have calipers? Yes.   I have calipers. Why do you have calipers? Because I Did you buy them just for this? No. Is this the president?   Yes. Yes.   Yes. You can't have calipers?  

[00:28:38] Dan Langford:

And, to to to let him know exactly what what the diameter was on those. And and he didn't have a bit the right size, but he found one.   And and they actually, within a couple of days, started core drilling and and they got all those baskets in. And it was the day before Thanksgiving twenty twenty three that all 18 baskets were in and and we played our first round of of 18 that morning in in some light snow and a lot of mud. Yeah. Yeah. Which which is kind of par for the course. Yeah. Yeah.  

[00:29:07] Scott Belchak:

Until until the grass grows. Like like what was Ben was saying on the last episode, grass does a significant   job of helping,   like, mud not be muddy   because it because the grass eats it. Yeah. They drink it drinks the water.   I'm surprised clover   is it used more on on our course trees? Yeah. Because it's a it doesn't need a ton of water. And it doesn't grow too tall? Nope. And   basically no maintenance. Yeah. Let's let's go to the park authority board and talk to them about clover. Yep. Yeah.   Maybe? It's good for the bees. So so speaking of that, what what what are your next steps? And and what are   not just for Bingham Creek, but for   for,   your fake club.  



[00:29:51] Dan Langford:

Right? It's a it's a it's a sanctioned different club.  

[00:29:54] Scott Belchak:

Don't you do that to him. Don't you do that. Don't undermine his club. I know. But I but I wanna know, like, what, like what are your plans for it? How do you how do you hope that it can   grow? What can people do? Like like what are you what are you doing to like what what is the club? Yeah. That's a really good question. I don't  

[00:30:14] Dan Langford:

I'm I'm actually pretty transparent with the other members of the club because there are other members of the club. There are other DVIC residents who are in the club. I was pretty transparent with them that like   this was a vehicle for me to be involved in   establishing myself as someone who could help with the course. Right. It served its purpose for me.   But also,   so I just kinda turned back on them, like, what do you guys want it to be? And there was a time where we were talking about   bag tags and weekly leagues and stuff like that. And there was a time we were talking to the tunnel runners about like, hey, should we just kinda be like another chapter of the tunnel runners? And we could kinda feed off of their ace pots and super ace pots and stuff like that.   And and there's actually a lot of interesting conversations with tunnel runners around like, do do do do does that club wanna   kind of, you know, manage the course, or do we wanna be our own thing?  

I I will say there's something interesting about that club is, like, it's it's   it's a different   group of guys,   that that live in Daybreak and play. Most of them are PDGA members. Right.   Some of them might be using uDisc.   But   but it's it's way more more casual. And so, like, I've been kind of stuck in between, like, you know, we've been trying to get it PG we've been doing some PDGA sanctioned leagues out there, and Tunnel Runners brought,   FHE out there.   And that was cool, but that's like kind of a different crowd than Right. It's a different club. Yeah. Different club. And like, one of our guys in our club is like   a competitive unicyclist. He'll he goes unicycle racing. And   there's two members of the club   that sprint the course,   okay? And they include Tetons.  

So they will take one or two discs and they will sprint the course as fast as they can and run down and play tee times as well. I think I saw them last time I was there. Yeah. Yeah. And they're just they're just crew and they'll and then they get, like, their best scores when they're when they're running that. Wow. That's awesome. And their and their, like, time and how long they can do all 18 plus the nine down there. And it's it's it's really fun. And so so I am kind of, like,   trying to figure out   what we want to be. And I think it's gonna be a little bit more chill. I don't think we're gonna do bag tags.  

If people want that, they can,   you know, play in in Elevate Utah leagues, or play with tunnel runners or or whatever. There's plenty of opportunity for that. But there's a lot of   a lot of people who   bought discs because they saw me posting about it on the neighborhood Facebook page. And they're out there playing and they don't know what they're doing. And   I think I was with you one time when a neighbor walked by with his dogs, and I was like, hey, you got my discs. Yep. You know, when are we gonna get out there? Right? And   and,   I I've drugged a bunch of my neighbors out there, and and we'll play regularly. And and it's it's not gonna be a competitive scene that the club the club is here. But  

[00:33:05] Scott Belchak:

but I think that the primary purpose is still gonna be to to improve the course, because there's still a lot of work that needs to be done on it. Yeah. Well and you've been doing a good you've been doing a good job with that. And and one of the things that I noticed from, running leagues with you is is that you're very you're very specific.   You know? Like like, it's   your whole notes have been fantastic about, like,   and and, you know, your understanding of the rules have been very specific.   And I've actually learned a lot about   about   running   or   I've learned a lot about mandatories from you   because you actually read the rules. We've got some weird mandatories out there. Yeah. Seriously. Yes. There are some weird mandatories and some weirdly weirdly,   some weird tee pads that point off in the distance   that you're just like, oh, wait. But that's my target. Why am I pointing this way? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But it's the mandatory. It's the it's the line of play.  



[00:33:56] Dan Langford:

I come from a history of running events.   I I me and my friend built up the competitive hearthstone scene in Utah. I've run,   competitive,   Lorcanah  

[00:34:07] Scott Belchak:

events. And And that's a Disney game. Is that right? Yeah. Yes. Disney's  

[00:34:11] Dan Langford:

Magic the Gathering. Yeah, yeah.   And those are,   I'm not good at those things either, but I think what I've realized is I like running things.   Sure.   And   really providing the opportunity   for a competitive   scene, even though I might not be competitive as myself. Someone's got to be the one   like, providing those those opportunities, and I find that really fun. So I actually   was a PDGA member and,   an approved   I passed the test to be, like, a PDGA, like,   TD. Right? Mhmm. I passed that before I even had a rating. I had passed that test because that's what I was most interested in PDGA, which is, like, running events. And so I I I did my studying, and I passed that test and everything,  

[00:35:02] Scott Belchak:

well, before I ever got a rating. So what about what about a tournament out there? Would is that something that would interest you in running for running for the beauty? Is running a tournament? I would love to run a tournament. In fact, I almost ran.  

[00:35:14] Dan Langford:

I almost I I I was   really close to running,   a distance   competition out there before the baskets got put in, because there's like   10 acres of   really good grass. Good field up there. With wind. With the right kind of wind. I actually had a couple sponsors on board and and everything   like that. So so, yeah, that's definitely in my blood. It's something I I want to do.   And, I think I've I've talked to a couple of of guys,   Britton Best, Mike,   Daughtry? Is that what you're saying? Doherty? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.  

[00:35:52] Scott Belchak:

About, like, helping me TD something out there. And, And and I think Ben would help you too. I actually   sent sent Ben a text a couple nights ago saying, hey. What do you think about Beam Creek for the Salt Lake Open? You know? What what if you what if you added Beam Creek for the Salt Lake Open? Because   when when tournaments come to town,   that gives you even more   conversation with the park authority board. You can say, look. We got a we got a 120 people coming this this this week. We'd like to give you, you know, your your rental fee, which is what? $250   or something? Yep. We'd like to give you your rental fee, and we'd like to host a big thing here. Get some planners up, you know, set up some tents,   make it look kind of cool and great,   and then and then put people through it. You know? It it'll really show them that. And I think that there's also a lot of really good pressure that goes on to the park's,   maintenance department when that happens too because they feel like they have to get it ready for play. Yeah. You know, some leverage.  



[00:36:50] Sean Kelley:

Yeah. And then seeing a course all cleaned up,   you know, the neighborhood's gonna enjoy it. Neighborhood's gonna like it. Yeah. It's a really good positive,  

[00:36:59] Scott Belchak:

positive   ball of energy that happens when when a tournament you know, because we're working with with Draper right now to get it ready for the Draper Open. And they're and that's all they can really you know, that's what they're focused on. They're they they wanna get this thing It's part of Draper days, you know. So they wanna get the course ready, and they wanna make sure that that that it's ready to present   and and have the community come and celebrate the new course.   And if and if you can somehow   capture some of that and instill that into the park authority board,   then that energy is just gonna kind of feed itself. And if it can become an annual thing that that you're looking forward to   to executing and running, it's a cyclical   thing that's on the minds of of the   maintenance crew of, okay. We gotta get this thing ready because   because every March   and I think springtime would be a great time for it Yeah. Before the mountain course is open.  

We have we have the course come. Or maybe you try to time it right after the first mow so that it's like a it's a early you know? Because if you figure out   because you're you're starting to really hone in on this property. If you figure out the time of year where you really need a mow   and put it on that weekend,   then or the weekend after. Right. Right. Then they're gonna make sure that they mow it perfect every year for the tournament.  

[00:38:19] Dan Langford:

Yeah. That would be cool.   The the maintenance of it so far has been   really   difficult.   Any of you guys who played it know that we've had, like, just so much overgrowth and vegetation and stuff like that. And what what was interesting is, like, going to the,   park authority board,   which is part county,   part city, and part,   residents on the board,   and and trying to get most. It it's been really interesting   because they they initially, they were like,   this was designed to be in kinda less maintained parts of the course. We don't really have have budget. Like, we weren't planning on doing so many mowing because I was I was at the the every month that they're bored with me, you gotta mow, you gotta mow, you gotta mow. And they're like, we didn't really budget for that.   But they've they've come around   and they actually bought their own   mower,   to keep at at the park there. Right at the I think they were trying to use up some surplus budget they had. So right at the end of   last year, they bought it. It was a a flail mower. Is that is that what they got? Yeah. Yeah. Flail or something like that. So hopefully we're gonna see that in action,   because last year we had the community out there with our own personal mowers and weed whackers and and we borrowed, the string trimmer from Tunnel Runners.  



[00:39:47] Scott Belchak:

And I we got a scythe. We got a scythe out there.   It was awesome.   You're hewing   weeds. We spent  

[00:39:55] Dan Langford:

hours hours out of the cleanup. And then and then   later, I'm in the park and a neighbor will walk by and be like, oh, looks like the county cleaned this up. No. They did not. Under the dust and mud,   the harrowed look in your eye with a scythe on your back. Yeah. That would be awesome. Is that a permit for that thing? Run some, run some events like like some big tournaments out there. I I think it could support it. There's some long holes and Absolutely. Well and and I'm really curious about  

[00:40:23] Scott Belchak:

about, this Chupacabra league because we're we're making some slight changes for the open pool.   Not really giant changes, but just some that I think are gonna make it play much harder,   for that for that upper level of of player.   That is gonna give us some really good ratings coming out of it. And   I think that if we can   really hone in on a layout that is challenging,   we're gonna get people back, and we're gonna get people excited about playing it because a lot of people, I think,   have just kind of discounted the course because   of the early reviews that came in, the mud, the weeds, like and that's you know, for the   for the county's argument, like you were saying before about about not wanting to open it until it's ready, I've I've I've kind of gone full full circle on that where I used to think, like, let's just put these things in and let's let's get it going right away.  

But then out at this West Jordan course, you know,   they were talking the contractors there were just like, well, yeah, let's just get the the tee pads in and the sleeves in, and then we'll just work on it, but let's open it as quick as we can to the community. I said, no. Let's put let's let's have the baskets be like, okay. We're all done.   Let's just grab the baskets and put them in and walk away from this joint. We got a lot of really early  

[00:41:41] Dan Langford:

negative reviews. Right. It was it was hard to and we're still we're still fighting just fighting that. It's hard to overcome that that negative   or  

[00:41:51] Scott Belchak:

early perception of it. Yeah. It's it's tough, you know. And so I kinda see   the county's point, but,   also, they wouldn't have done what they, you know, like   like, what does done mean for them? Okay. We got the signs in. Good. Mow it, you know.   Yeah. Clean Clean it up. I mean, it is unfortunate that that that we had COVID, which stopped the development of the course,   and then we had two really, really wet years back to back   that just made those weeds explode. Yeah. You know? So I think this year's gonna be a   little bit different because we're more back to a more, like,   normal year for water. And so I don't think that the vegetation is gonna explode like we've seen out there. Plus plus, we have a whole year of foot traffic on it. Right. And it is getting played now. Every time I'm out there, I always see people out playing.  

So there is foot traffic going. It's the same thing with river bottoms. Like, what's gonna grow back? Yeah. You know? And what's not? And what's gonna be easier to maintain this year? And what's and what's, you know,   like, what we're just learning about these spaces because we're, like, yes. We've been playing around them and we've been seeing them for years,   but we're still learning about them because every every year is different with how much water we get, you know. And you can't take those first  

[00:43:02] Sean Kelley:

you gotta take those first reviews with a grain of salt. I feel like most people who   come from a course that they play and they love all the time, and then you introduce a new course.   If it's not, like, better than their favorite course,   they're gonna give a negative review. Or if it doesn't play to their style of play, you'll get a negative review. But sooner or later, like, as a course develops,   you know, as,   as things get worn in and   and your your pace of play of, like, playing this course and how it's designed to be played,   I think people start coming around to, like, okay. Great. This isn't such a bad course. Yeah. But you need to go back and change those reviews or update the review. Or or just delete delete all delete the course on UDisc and start over. But I think I I think you you a lot of those a lot of those first time reviews   are always gonna be negative because you're just like, oh, I want it to be a better course than Yeah. Any of these other ones. Like but sooner or later, it's like,   they're let us start out, man. Hey. It's just one guy One guy out here. You know? Oh, he's he's got a whole lot of stuff. I got a whole lot of stuff. But, you know, I'm just saying in general,   this is this is this is Dan himself just, you know, on his own time and and his   at at his own conviction, just just jumping out to try   make it the best course he he can. Because if no one if no one jumped in, who knows what the course would look like? It's it's kind of a wild feeling being being someone who's who's in a position that has has helped  

[00:44:27] Scott Belchak:

change and shape public land. Isn't that kind of a weird thing? That kind of a weird thing?  

[00:44:31] Dan Langford:

Yeah. It it it is. And, like,   I spent so much time, like, out there looking at the course and   and, like, while   I'm walking the course, I'm on my phone typing emails to the county and sending pictures, like, you gotta change this. We gotta and and so many hours of volunteers, like, cutting down weeds and stuff. You you start to I I bet you feel maybe with river with river bombs, you start to, like, really, I don't know, get in touch with the land. Oh, for sure. Yeah. Like like,   I'm   I'm now starting to learn that, like,   the   mid May, late May,   mow that we do on it is gonna be one that sticks. Right? Because that's when the the rapid growth stops. And that's the one that's that that's gonna stick. Everything up to then is like making it playable. And now it's like, okay, that that one that I do has gotta be a really good one because it's gonna define,   like,   the shape of the vegetation for the rest of the year. And and you start to learn these things that you never would have even thought about,  

[00:45:31] Scott Belchak:

spending so much time out there. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, I know every single lump of dirt out out of the river bottoms, which is kinda weird because it changes every single time I'm down there. There's, like, a new lump somewhere. Yeah. I I think we're gonna thank the gophers for that. Go first? Seriously.   We found a dead fox down there today,   which is so sad which is so sad because   that's what kills  

[00:45:54] Sean Kelley:

the gophers. Well, there was a there's a dead deer down you know, we cleared out all those phragmites,   the possible Hole 5. Hole 5. There's, all the bones are scattered and the hides there. I mean, this place is a massive  

[00:46:05] Scott Belchak:

big fox den in Bingham Creek. Oh, really? Where? Which hole? 14.  

[00:46:10] Dan Langford:

No. That's the landfill hole. There's other there's other Hole 2 has got a really big fox den. Hole 2? That's right. Right by the basket. What? The the blue or the white? The white. Okay. Yeah. Well, and don't get used to to the blue one. Maybe it's chupacabra.  

[00:46:27] Scott Belchak:

It's not a fox. Beware the beast that stalks the night.   The fox is gonna eat someone's knuckle. Hey. I've seen the junk with no trees  

[00:46:38] Nick Jennings:

before. So, Dan, how like, ballpark it for us. How many hours do you feel like you've spent personally  

[00:46:46] Dan Langford:

Oh, man. On that course?  

[00:46:49] Scott Belchak:

I don't I don't even know how I would start to attack that. Thirteen years  

[00:46:54] Sean Kelley:

of probably   Serious. You gotta be out there.  

[00:46:57] Dan Langford:

One time, I went to a park authority board meeting,   and   the president of the authority board,   I I I had cc'd on an email.   Let me let me pause for a second, and I'm gonna come back to that, and explain the the park authority board.   The park authority board has decided to hire the county for maintenance.   So, I can't just go to the county and say, Hey, will you guys do this? Like, I can for some things, but there's other things I need to go through the Park Authority Board first, and then they say it, because   the the county takes their marching orders from the park clerk. So I gotta convince the park authority board to tell the county to do this thing. And so sometimes,   if the county's pushing back a little bit, I'll cc   the current president of the park authority board to try to to to get them involved. Anyways, I'm in a meeting one time, and I had CC'd,   Don Tingey,   and, he   was it was like a huge email chain,   and he   thought it was really cool that we were so involved with, with Andres. Anyways, he printed off the email chain   and brought it in. And he's got this huge ream of paper. It's like 150   pages or something. And he was trying to tell the other park club, like, this is cool. Look how involved this club is   with with,   the park and wanting to make it be better. And I'm like, hey, how many trees did you kill? We need those trees out in the park.  

So so I I don't know how many hours, but I can tell you, you know, some email threads are, yeah, 150   pages when printed,   because we do go back and forth a lot and spend spend a lot of time   out there. And and when it's something you love   doing, it's not it's not work, right? It's I take my dog on a on a walk,   and we   I'm always walking through the park, and it's it's during those times that I start thinking about the course again and what needs to change next. And and so yeah. I don't know even how I would add all that up. But do you feel at this point you have a little bit of clout Yes. With,  

[00:48:57] Sean Kelley:

with with each department? So, like, as you walk in or they actually take you a little bit, you know, serious Yeah. They straighten up in their chairs. Yeah. They go, here he comes.   Here comes here comes president Dan. He's gonna change his part. Love it. But no. But that's a I think that's a great thing because, like I said, it it almost makes their jobs a little bit easier where they don't have to, like, spend so much time thinking about what needs to be done.   It eradicates this, like, meetings of, like, oh, we'll do this because you can come with with fresh ideas, fresh thoughts. Yeah. And, like I said, even just the relationship you guys do work like, with   anything you do, any project, if there's anyone who has any type of input going in, I don't see why they wouldn't take it. So, I mean Yeah. I think I think it's a great thing. I mean, at least at this point, it's taken you so long  

[00:49:42] Dan Langford:

to get to to get to that point. But, I mean, it's it's gotta feel good at least at this point with the walk up and just it doesn't. No. It does. It does. And and there's those moments where, like, you start to realize, like, yeah. We're we we we've done something great here when, like, I don't know, I'll get an email from the county just out of the blue saying like,   you know, why don't you make this decision for us about this golf course? Because like, I don't know, we don't know. And I saw something like, well, they trust us,   and we just saved them from like doing some work and maybe making the wrong decision. This this is great. Or when I go out there and talk to the local crew and about where the basket should be and he's and he gives me a key to the basket. I've got keys to baskets. This is so I feel so official now. Key master. I that  

[00:50:27] Scott Belchak:

that's one of my favorite things about about building disc golf courses, and it doesn't happen very often. But my favorite thing about building a disc golf course is getting those keys  

[00:50:36] Sean Kelley:

and then giving them away to someone. I love I actually love I love getting every now and then you you, like, you hit those moments where you hop on to, to, like, Facebook or something. It's like there's always the first person chiming in. They're like, hey. When are we gonna get those baskets changed? And then all of a sudden, they just start slamming in where it's like, yeah. Any any any idea when those baskets get changed? And then all of a sudden, usually it's down the bottom and all of a sudden it's just like, Ben has a post or something. It's like, baskets change. Have fun.   But there's always, like, that threshold of about, like, two to three months where all of a sudden, like, they'll just start Yeah. They go to antsy. Start coming in and getting antsy. Yeah. That's just kinda cool too about these leagues because they run eight weeks. Yeah. And it's a good stopping spot. Like like, we just finished  

[00:51:16] Scott Belchak:

up Valhalla at Creekside right now, which means that boom. Like, go move the baskets if you want. Yeah. It's it's slowly becoming those, like like, a a well oiled machine of how  

[00:51:27] Sean Kelley:

how we we function with these courses, how we maintain them, how we upkeep them. Yeah. And then just how they're how they're changing. You know? Like, so you see, like, a rhythm. You're seeing a rhythm, and you're seeing more people involved   in in, you know, just doing a small little part   where it takes, what,   it's gonna take less than an hour to run around and move 18 baskets. Right. But  

[00:51:48] Nick Jennings:

just that little bit of a little bit of effort just now just just changes their whole perspective of a course. Well, it kinda brings more traffic to it Yeah. As well. Yeah. Because, like, I know I love t Teeville. Like, that's where I learned how to really play disc golf. Mhmm. But, you know, the baskets at Teeville   don't get moved very often. So I I find myself going a couple of months in between plays there. But as soon as I see that post saying, oh, hey, we moved four baskets.  

[00:52:14] Scott Belchak:

I wanna go there again. Yeah. You know? And I think a lot of the community is like that, you know, where  

[00:52:20] Nick Jennings:

it gets too repetitious,   you know, and they wanna be challenged. They want something new in the same space. Yeah. Yeah. And shout out to Aaron Lyle for,  

[00:52:29] Scott Belchak:

taking it on himself to take his pressure washer out there   and get the dirt out of some of those positions that haven't been used in years and years   to get a a basket back in there. So that's awesome. Thank you. Thank you for that. Yep.  

[00:52:42] Dan Langford:

Those leagues,   man,   they they do something to me mentally. It it's my   my game is so bad when it's like, this is gonna affect my rating. Is it Flippy? Does Flippy get to  

[00:52:56] Scott Belchak:

it? Like, is it Flippy? Like because I read some of the things the some of the things she wrote to you, and she was so mean to you. Wow. She said some really bad things to you. Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm still in therapy.   Sorry. Should we should we pull up all the things she's she's she's into you? No. It's good podcast material. It is. I love it. Like, the double  

[00:53:16] Dan Langford:

the double mando on   six,   Without fail, I can hit that every single time. I   I   I actually moved that Mando around before it was installed. I was moving it around, adjusting it. Yeah. Little buckets of dirt. Yeah. I played it a lot, and and I just feel like I've got that dialed in. And I never ever ever have missed that Mando until we started doing a sanctioned league. Uh-huh. And I couldn't hit it for the life of it. As soon as we're done with the league, I cannot hit it every time. Yeah. Well, you just gotta play more leagues. Yeah. It it does It really gets in my head. It it goes away after a while. Like, I've played now over the past, like,  

[00:53:54] Scott Belchak:

fifty days, I probably played   30 sanctioned rounds.  

[00:53:59] Dan Langford:

That's cool.  

[00:54:01] Scott Belchak:

And it's all I play now. It's just sanctioned rounds. No more casual.   I guess not. Oh, yeah. I mean, I played casual today, which was fun. Yeah.   First time I played doubles in a long time is today, which is fun. You know? But I used to complain a lot that there was no singles leagues, and and now it's like, I'm running eight of them. That's all you get. Every day you could play a you could play a league. Every day. Yeah. Well, so we've got chains of the chupacabra   starting at Bingham Creek. Yeah. March 4. Yep. So so by the time by the time anybody hears this   We might be already It'll be a month or two in. There'll be four weeks left because this will be Oh, okay. April.  

So,   it starts next week. But by the time you guys hear this,  

[00:54:42] Sean Kelley:

it comes by. On today that you're listening to it, it started four weeks ago.  

[00:54:46] Scott Belchak:

Yes. It started four weeks ago. So you're late. And and you would have stopped reading the the AI stories by now because you're just like, oh, I'm not doing this. I'm playing in four leagues. I'm not reading stories.  

[00:54:57] Sean Kelley:

Hey. But if if you don't play in the Elevate League, you can you can still jump in onto Dance League, the daybreak. Right? Yeah. Are you still running that? So When do you run that?  

[00:55:06] Dan Langford:

No. I don't know. We   we we ran it through the summer last year,   and then it started to get cold. I was kinda done. But then then we did Elevate   League. So we kind of like   we're kind of hosting I don't know. We we kinda did it in partnership. Right? The Daybreak Club and Elevate.   And and I haven't really thought this year about   what we're gonna do.   If there's already a lot of leaks playing, I just kinda wanna encourage our club members to to play   in in that   in that stuff. But   if we do something, it'll probably be some some   we we usually pretty casual kind of flex,   you know, a Friday or Saturday. And it's really just a way to   see each other's scores and   banter on the discord back and forth to each other about about how bad I did and Right. And stuff like that. But no but no weekly doubles or anything like that, you're thinking? Not not not right now. It's   it's really hard   to drive   to that course at five,   at 06:00 at night. Uh-huh. The traffic is horrible. Yeah. It's not easy to get to. So you you're you're   actually only really gonna be servicing people  

[00:56:22] Scott Belchak:

in that, you know, like air The Daybreak the Daybreak Disc Golf Club. Right?  

[00:56:28] Dan Langford:

Is there enough people right now to get, you know, a a healthy weekly doubles? I I don't know.  

[00:56:34] Scott Belchak:

Yeah. It's gonna be interesting to see the the turnout because when you're running   eight of these leagues, some are more popular than others. You know? Like, the Creekside one routinely pulls 60 to 70.   The, you know, Taylorsville and Roots, they're you know? Like, we had 31 people out of Roots today and almost and 51 at Taylorsville yesterday.   So, I mean, we'll probably see a drop in in numbers from from that for for Bingham Creek. But it but I'm curious to see the numbers, to see where people are playing and where they're going. Yeah.   Yeah. It's it it it's gonna be good. Plus you're also competing with,   the fort on that day and,   urban forest   up in Spanish Fork.  

I really tried to spread those out on Tuesdays so that so that They they were So that they're in people zone distance. You know? Because on Tuesdays, you don't really wanna travel. You just wanna be you know, you're starting your week. So local. Just go play local. Go find a spot local and go play.   So,   but but like I said too, I'm really curious to see the scores on this because we're gonna be playing from a longer hole one,   which is Longer hole eight. A longer hole eight.  

[00:57:41] Dan Langford:

I don't know what happened to that bench, but a bench disappeared. Yeah. So we're gonna use that. And but there's there's a there's cement there. So that's now a blue t on a light. Yeah. So so that, that turned it from a from a  

[00:57:54] Scott Belchak:

a 180 foot chip shot Yeah. To a 360   foot uphill shot with OB everywhere. So that's gonna be a bogey waiting to happen. Yeah. Not to mention the the new island on '13 for April. Island on 13 is for April. It's gonna be tight. Have you been out there since we put the flags down?  

[00:58:10] Dan Langford:

No. No. I need to get out I need to get out there. And then and then you mentioned that there's gonna be some kind of tight OB on  

[00:58:18] Scott Belchak:

12. Yeah. 12 has OB   surrounding   the the hillside and Yeah. The and the bowl. Yeah. Kinda along the peak. So you can't play Right. You can't play off to the right. And with the distance on that,  

[00:58:28] Dan Langford:

like, I got a full send off the tee   to to to try to get far enough down the fairway that I might par it. And and then knowing that I'm doing that  

[00:58:38] Scott Belchak:

into some tighter OB, I think will be fun. Yeah. And I think it's gonna it's it's gonna gonna because I think that there's there's a lot of par fours out there that that aren't par they're   they're a little soft   on the on the higher end where it's just kind of an automatic birdie for most of the field. Yeah. For you guys.   Yeah. Well I Yeah. And and still. Yeah. And that's what I'm trying to tighten up because that's what the that's what's gonna give us better ratings out there. Yeah. And the and the better the ratings are out there, the more people that it'll attract to come out to that league.  

[00:59:12] Dan Langford:

Little pro tip for people listening   who want to maybe get a little edge on that course if you're playing in league play.   Really early in the morning, it's usually not very windy at all. Nice. It's still. If you get out there in the afternoon, it's pretty it's pretty windy. And there's no trees to block the wind, and so, you know, you're trying to hit the island on 13 or even just putt, man. I I I one time went, like, plus five on 13.   I was, like, 10 feet away, but the wind just kept grabbing my disc and tossing it further and further away.  

[00:59:45] Sean Kelley:

So, yeah, get get get out there early. Beat the wind. Does that have anything to do with the name of the, the league you had with Daybreak?  

[00:59:53] Dan Langford:

Just play it early? Just play it early. Yeah. As the day breaks,  

[00:59:58] Sean Kelley:

I guess, seas will fly. Yeah. As the chupacabra sleeps.   You're allowed to play the course.  

[01:00:05] Scott Belchak:

I mean, he he he he stalks the night, so you gotta   you gotta be there in the morning Yeah. Because you're safe when the sun's up. Yeah.  

[01:00:14] Nick Jennings:

So for those of us who have played it and Sean, not to exclude you. Sorry.   But for those of us who have played it at at Dan, maybe let's start with you. What what is your favorite hole on that  

[01:00:29] Scott Belchak:

course?  

[01:00:34] Dan Langford:

I think my   oh,   that's hard.   When you get out there and you see there's no trees and it feels pretty flat. It feels like it's going to be boring. But once you start playing it, you realize, you know what, there's a little bit of elevation here. There's some of the mandos make the holes kind of interesting.   I like so many holes. I really   like   hole three. So many people hate hole three.   Because it's like a   dogleg, right? And you've got or dogleg left.   And you've   got that mando there.   And it's a drop down of the mando, so sometimes it's hard to tell if you hit the mando.   And a lot of people are super critical about that. But   when you see it, when when when you see someone who's really good out there and they're reading the wind, and they got a south to north wind,   and,   they   they launch it into a big hyzer   and make sure their disc is just high enough that it's it's over the   hill and the wind catches it late enough that they make the mando, but then the wind carries it all the way up the fairway   and they're   getting birdies on that. Like, that's a really   fun hole because so many people are so critical of that.  

That and hole five, the man on hole five, a lot of people are really critical of those, but to see people who have started to get that dialed in, it's it's really fun to watch people to people play those. I say people because I haven't quite got it dialed in. That's that's that's my challenge, but but some people do really amazing shots on that. And it's it's it's fun.  

[01:02:13] Nick Jennings:

Yeah. What about you, Dustin? What's your favorite hole out there? What's the par five coming back? Is that 14?  

[01:02:19] Dan Langford:

So there's there's four and and I think people listening who've played it will be like, that's not a par five. It's not. It's listed  

[01:02:26] Scott Belchak:

as a par five. It's listed as a par five. If I got their interior, it's Yeah. It's not a par five. I don't have the arm for that. But it's a lot of fun. It's a good drive.   Get it up over the hill   into that little bowl where the basket is and Yeah.  

[01:02:38] Nick Jennings:

Take your three maybe. I don't know. It's it's a fun hole though. I really enjoyed that one. Yeah. That second shot is kinda touchy though. It is really tough. Right. Because like You gotta get it just right and if it's breezy, you know, you get a nose up something and you're 200 out. Yeah. More often than not, I hit like the crest of the hill Mhmm. And have, like, a really awkward putt with, like, my feet sticking straight up in the air, like, and, like, I'm leaning all the way forward. Yep. Yep. But, like, the other day when we played, I overshot it. It was in the road. Right? So it is very touchy. Yeah. Yeah. And I do think if the Mando that was originally planned for for that hole, if that eventually gets, you know, put in or whatever. I don't know what the what the plan for that is, but,   I do think it is closer to a par five, especially if it's far, like, to the right where you  

[01:03:21] Dan Langford:

have to, like, really go wide. Yeah. That's that's a weird mando.   If you put it in, you're playing a little bit longer, but then you're also forcing play, like, out of the big space and forcing play, like, into the the river and there's a new walkway over there and stuff. And And it's very specific about where we can or cannot put it because down in that bowl is is the is the landfill cap, and we can't bust the cap. Yeah. That's actually one thing I think is really interesting. I I   hated   thirteen and fourteen. How close the 13 basket, original basket was to the 14 tee and   that And it's almost 30 feet, right? Yeah. Like it's it's Yeah. I think it's Almost in the circle. I think it's C1. Almost. Yeah. Yeah.  

And, but then once I started working with them and understanding where we could make changes, I finally got someone in the county to send me a map of the landfill cap. And   I drew it out on Google Maps. So I could walk out there with my phone, phone and walk around and be like, this is the cap, this is not the cap. And   and all of a sudden everything clicked like, oh, that's literally the only place that basket could have could have been,   or or, you know, way in a different location. This is literally the only place the Mando could have been if there was gonna be a Mando.   And I think that's something that people won't even take for granted.  

We get out and we play these courses and   we think this is a stupid design for a hole. It could be so much, but there's there's maybe   stuff going on under the ground that you don't know about, which is, you know, other other limitations. It's a good life lesson in general. Yeah. Everybody just calm down because you don't get it. Don't disturb the turtle eggs.   I think mean you should talk about it and ask and try to make a change, but but be a little understanding. Like everyone freaking out about Elon right now. Like, you don't know what he's going through.  

[01:05:06] Scott Belchak:

Jesus.   Oh, man. Leave him alone. He's autistic.   What about you, Scott? What's your favorite hole? I think seven is my favorite hole,   for a number of reasons. One, it's a really good golf hole, especially with with the out of bounds that we put there for leagues.   Number two, it's just a really good reminder   of why you need a professional to to design these spaces because it's it's one of the more dangerous holes we have as well. Yeah. And that's why they moved that bench, I'm pretty sure, because maybe someone is sitting on it. Oh, yeah. And they got hit hit because it's in the perfect spot for for an uncommitted   shot to just ding. You know?  

It's just not safe. So   it's a that's my favorite hole because I love it, and it's also a good thing that we can be point at and say, this is terrible.   Yeah. It makes sense. Just just because it's not safe. It's a great golf hole.   Yeah.  

[01:05:58] Nick Jennings:

I think for me, I I'm kinda torn between seven   and twelve.  

[01:06:04] Scott Belchak:

I really like hole 12. And I like holes that challenge you. Right? And 12 is the par four that that goes around a corner and it's cut into a line. It's a gray hole. Yeah. It's a We gotta get out there, Sean. It's a doggling left, probably, like, I don't know, not quite 90 degrees.   Yeah. But,  

[01:06:22] Dan Langford:

basket ends up sitting kind of in this little bowl. Yeah. It's awesome. Yeah.  

[01:06:25] Nick Jennings:

And it it's it's low enough in the bowl that you can you can kind of run it, and not worry about, you know, if you do overshoot it, not not being 200 out. Right? Yeah. And it's kind of like a it's a a tricky tee shot because it's blind. You don't you can't see the landing zone. There's now OB to the right, like, above the crest of the hill.   And then   kind of a technical approach shot as well, even though it is pretty, like, straight if you get in the right landing zone. But the elevation of the bowl kind of makes a difference on   the   shot as well and, like, where you can land it. And it kinda gives this weird depth perception,   like,   skew, if you will, where you think it's closer than it actually is, and then you throw your shot. You're like, well, dang.  

I'm a 150 feet short.   But I, yeah, I really like Hole 12. Do do you ever shoot left,  

[01:07:15] Dan Langford:

on off a Hole 12, shoot left  

[01:07:18] Nick Jennings:

of, like, the berm Yeah. To try to cut yeah. I've tried it a couple of times. My problem is my   my typical throw is very low and driven,   and I have skipped off of the berm Yeah. Or, like, drove it more into the berm.  

[01:07:34] Dan Langford:

So little fun fact, 12 used to have a mando Yeah. At the top of that top of that berm there,   mando right, so you couldn't you couldn't play left.   And that that's one of the benefits that came out of out of early play and me getting involved before they actually dropped the mandos in is I I moved a lot of mandos around. And that one went over to   hole six. Yeah. To make the double. Yeah. To make the double on six. Oh, nice. Yeah. And I'm glad we got rid of that mando there because   I've seen lots of really interesting play on that whole left and stuff. Well, and and six needed a double mando.  

[01:08:07] Scott Belchak:

Yeah. It had to make it different than five somehow. Yes. Exactly. They're almost exactly the same. They're the same. Yeah.   Well, we'll have to get we'll have to get you out there, Sean, to chase a chupacabra.   Take it out there. Jack. Chew choopy choopy. I text my knuckles.   Knuckles. Yeah. Yeah.   Where where your gloves?  

[01:08:25] Sean Kelley:

They like to bite my knuckles. No. I'm excited. And after just talking about it, I gotta get myself out there, you know. Yeah. It's a fun challenge,  

[01:08:32] Nick Jennings:

and it's a long course too.  

[01:08:34] Scott Belchak:

Yeah. Like, compared to a lot of the courses in the valley. Yeah. It was 70 to 200 feet or something like that. Yeah. Yeah. Well, especially if the wind kicks up. Yes. It's Oh, it's gonna be a long day if it's if the winds were going. Yeah.  

[01:08:45] Nick Jennings:

Well, Dan, any final thoughts as before we wrap up?  

[01:08:49] Dan Langford:

Yeah. We have some beef to pick with listeners out there Oh, okay. Who are,   you know We're gonna pull up some reviews of the course. Reviews on the call. Not allowed. Should we?  

[01:08:59] Scott Belchak:

We're just scanning the reviews? About the reviews.  

[01:09:03] Dan Langford:

Some of the reviews   for the course say,   good job Elevate Utah. Thanks for thanks for getting another course app. And I'm over here being like, what the heck, man? It's been thirteen years. What the heck? But   in in all in all fairness,   I just kinda served as an abstraction for the larger community. I talked about how   I would go and and ask tunnel runner Facebook group, and there's lots of times where I'm I'm texting,   Scott here and asking for his advice on on what we should do. And   and though it might have not have been   an official Elevate Utah   project,   you know,   there's so much love for growing the sport   that, you know,   they they they there was a lot of help,   from the whole community, including including Elevate Utah. So   I think that   any   positive   disc golf   change that happens   is easy for people to associate with Elevate Utah. And I don't wanna knock Elevate Utah at all. But, like,   that's really cool. L that you thought is, like, made an awesome   an awesome name   for themselves so much so that people are just, like, assuming if it's good, is disc golf, must be l that you and that that's really cool. Congratulations.  



[01:10:32] Scott Belchak:

Talking about weaseling your way into something. Right? Well, I'm not trying to weasels way into all of the projects. I'm more of a bulldozer than a weasel.   It's it's unfortunate. No. Thank you. I I I appreciate that. You know, it's a   it's a   it's been a it's been a journey, and every day is   like, I spend I spend a lot of time on this, you know,   nonprofit. And I'm,   like, it's a part of my daily life   to push things forward and to and to and to move things along.   And if   if anybody else does it,   that's awesome. Like, we need more people just spending   ten minutes a day thinking about things and   sending an email   or or, you know, sending a text message to your city council. You know? A lot of people don't understand that that these city council people, they want to talk to you. You know? They're it's their job. You know? You elected them. They they represent you. They they want to help you get what you want.  

So reach out to them and and start that conversation because sometimes all it takes is is a single email to somebody.   And, you know, like like on the last episode with Ben, you know? Yep. I really wanna do this. I think this would be great. That sounds fun is what Heidi said. You know? And sometimes it's just it's just right timing, and you'll never have the right timing if you don't do anything.  

[01:11:58] Nick Jennings:

Yeah. Yeah.   One thing I just wanna say is, Dan, thank you for your grit and your tenacity and not giving up   and being willing to just do something.   Right? And, you know, even though it you know, you wanted it selfishly for your own little community. Right? Which is great,   but you you have now built something that can serve a greater population as well. And I just I really admire that about you and the fact that you spent thirteen years, like, working on this project. Obviously, it's not done yet. Like, there's still more work to do,   but I think that's just really amazing.  

And if if more people could do that kind of to to Scott's point, if you just took that step   to get involved and to,   I don't know, to try to make a difference in your own community,   how much better our public spaces would be. You know? Yeah. So thank you for doing that. Thank you. You're welcome. I mean, you bypass the just sending a bad review  

[01:12:56] Sean Kelley:

and going away. You've actually no. It it it it's something to say, like, what Nick was saying is, like, it's just the it's the the little people.   And at this point, like, you know, you you started off as   again, you would just Dan probably harassing people, just Just telling him, like, this is no. You guys are doing it wrong. You just, you know, listen to me. And then sooner or later, like, you come around where now they're actually contacting you for,   you know,   just any any little detail or any little information to actually how to make it better. And it goes to it goes to goes to show. Granted, I have not played the course, but, you know, listen to you guys talk about it and stuff like that that yeah. It it you're creating a little a little piece of,   like I said, you become intimate with the land there where it's like it is. It's a little piece of home for yourself. It's right down the street from where you and your wife live, which is great. And I don't think it's, like, a selfish thing to do that to yourself because it is that's your little community, and you making it better. It it's not selfish because you're making it better for everyone else around you. And, yeah, I again, it's you know,   to have the get up and go to to do that and involve yourself,  

[01:14:02] Dan Langford:

it's, it's commendable. It's it's really cool. Thanks. And and I would really just say we to just kinda echo a little bit, you know, get involved, call call your your city council,   attend the the park meetings or whatever.   It's really easy for people.   I'll I'll see on some Facebook pages people asking questions about the park, and and other people chime in, I'll just mention it to Dan, he he can he can bring it up in in the next Park Authority board meeting, and and although I can, that's just my that's just my voice. I actually want you guys to be reaching out on your own so that they hear more voices, right? Absolutely. Yeah.  

[01:14:44] Scott Belchak:

And you probably might feel that a little bit with Elevate. You've got a little blue. Where like everybody's like, oh, they'll take it. Scott Scott will do it. Oh oh, yeah. Don't worry. We've got we've got a little bit. You've got it. We don't mind doing it, but but we need more voices to to back us up. Yeah. Well, I mean, the the you know, we I know we gotta wrap up, but,   this is something I I I like to harp on is that I think I think clubs for the most part are good for the sport. But I think in some cases, they can they can stop the growth of the sport in certain regions. And I think that I think that that's what we've seen here in Utah is we've seen some clubs get,   stuck on a spot, and then and then, they expect the president of the club to to do things and   to move things forward. Meanwhile, the president is just dealing with the club. How can the president of of the club still manage   to go after, like, new disc golf courses and stuff like that? You know? So it's like, at the end of the day, we're just single people   that that that follow our own intuition   and send emails when we think we need to do it. And so we're no different than anybody else out there listening.  

Just open your freaking laptop,   Google who your representative is, and send them a a question asking them about about a park that you think would be good for this because   I'm not doing that. I'm not looking at your neighborhoods thinking thinking what's good for you. There's a reason why the baby bottoms just got installed. It's in my backyard. There's a reason why why river bottoms just got installed. It's in my backyard. Right? Because I'm I'm interfacing with the people that are around me, and I can't do that in your neighborhood. And I'm not going to do it in your neighborhood because I don't have the energy for it, And Dan doesn't either.   You have to do it yourself.  



[01:16:28] Nick Jennings:

Yeah. Yeah. And that that first step does isn't hard. Right? It doesn't take very long. It's not time intensive to to send an email.   You know?   Anyways, yeah. I think that   a good a good place to to end it there. But,   Dan, thank you again very much for joining us today. Yeah, man. Appreciate your time. Yeah.   Well, that'll do it for this episode of the Elevate Utah Disc Golf Podcast. Thanks again for tuning in, and we'll see you next time. Cheers.