Myerscough Disc Golf Course, Bilsborrow, Lancashire, England

 

A slight diversion from my Disc Golf journey is some respect. 

I began my research of Myerscough Disc Golf Course in May 2020. I had posted the photos you saw from my last Blog instalment, to the British Disc Golf Facebook (BDGF) page as an update and confirmation that indeed Myerscough was unplayable. 

This is what Myerscough Disc Golf Course looked like when it was first installed. 

And had its own logo...

On the same day as the post on the BDGF page I also wrote a message to Myerscough College using Facebook Messenger, in the hope that someone would pick it up and at least acknowledge it. I wasn't too hopeful because of the obvious pandemic situation and college was also out. I explained who I was and that I was a local, very keen on Disc Golf and wondered if someone was available to chat to about the course.

I had many messages of thanks for the update on the BDGF page as well as messages of sadness. One popped up from one of the original installers and main drivers behind the course, known as JM for the purposes of this Blog. We arranged to private message each other, which was then followed up on another evening with a Skype video call. JM was very helpful in explaining how the course came about, the installation, how beautiful it had been and about how in the past it had been used for Disc Golf competitions (Lancashire Hotshot 2015 & 2016). 

He mentioned that he had been a lecturer at the college and had moved away to another part of the country. It would appear that following on from that, as students moved on and there was no one else at the college to continue with the momentum and knowledge of Disc Golf that it just seemed to fade away in its use, despite discs for hire at the campus cafe. JM offered me any help he could to try and move forward its restoration.

In the meantime, a few days later, I had a surprise message via Facebook Messenger from the College inviting me to get in touch to chat more. I leapt at the opportunity and sent an email, as agreed, with more information on what I was looking to achieve. To briefly outline my proposal, I discussed two options, 1) reinstate the course with pros and cons, 2) Donate the baskets and tee box posts to another disc golf project in North West England. The gentleman I was communicating with said he would discuss my email with the Leadership Team. At this point I will now move forward in this story to the beginning of August 2020, following several follow up emails and me writing a full paper to present to the college Leadership Team, to save the gentleman I was corresponding with having to do this. 

I had decided I would not give up on Myerscough until I got an answer. I contacted JM again to see if he had the contact details of the College Principal, as I wanted to copy her into the history of communication and my paper on options. Following submission of that email, in a very short space of time that day, I got a reply. This advised me that the Senior Leadership Team had come to a decision, they would not donate the baskets/tee posts elsewhere. However, once the college re-opened they would look to combine the new students union sports committee, new Commercial Director and new group of Garden Volunteers to take it on as a project, looking at the suitability/safety of the course design, through to promotion and management of the course. I wrote back immediately and thanked them for their consideration and the positive news they had delivered.

Myerscough is still on my radar and I have agreed with the Principal to contact her in November to see where things are. Obviously the ongoing pandemic may hold things up but I am optimistic that by next year we will have some kind of update on how this course will move forward.

Now back to my Disc Golf journey.....