A certain image comes to mind whenever you hear the term mini-golf. Perhaps images of the typical putt-putt courses festooned with campy windmills and faux mountains.
Jackson County Parks and Rec department is looking to swap that image for one with a more historic theme.
The 18-hole “Spirit of the River” mini-golf course that is being installed at Hurricane Shoals Park is the brainchild of Pat Bell. Jackson County Parks and Recreation director, Ricky Sanders said that the concept was originated by Bell to tell the story of the area. The overall design of each hole serves as a timeline for the area, with each hole telling a story about the area and Jackson County.
The winding creek through the golf course is just one of the tie-ins to the local history of the area for the Hurricane Shoals mini-golf project. Photo by Justin Poole
Hurricane Shoals’ mini-golf course under construction
“I envision field trips here to learn the history of the park,” said Sanders. “It is a great thing for teachers, anytime you can get kids to learn and they don’t realize they are learning. Pat [Bell] has been a master of that.”
The first hole focuses in on the Native Americans who were originally in the area and treated the area as a holy site.
The Cherokee and Creek nations regarded the area, Hurricane Shoals, as a neutral land where blood was not spilt, not even for hunting. Key elements in the history tie the course together, as one of the following holes illustrates the killing of a bear at the shoals. The killing of the bear sparked conflict between the settlers and the Native Americans.
Another hole is designed to incorporate the story from the 1840 flood that destroyed most of the settlement; this hole has a unique design where the water flowing through the course plays a key role to the game.
“We want folks to come here and have something to enjoy,” Sanders said. “We are excited and looking forward to getting open, it will benefit the park.”
While the history that the course is built around is intriguing, the actual layout of the course is equally impressive. Kermit Simmons is the key designer on the project and has overseen the construction from the start.
“The biggest challenge has been building on a slope,” Simmons said. “It has been a challenge, but it makes a better golf course. This has been a very pleasant project.”
The course site is approximately three-fourths of an acre and winds among trees down the hill behind the ranger station. Included in the course is a walk path that winds through each hole, bridges, and a pond with a pump that circulates water through the course.
When the course opens, the landscaping will be mostly bark mulch and the trees that were already present. Simmons said that in the fall other native plants and possibly a few more trees will be planted.
The entire project has been paid for from SPLOST funds and as far as construction cost Simmons said that the only thing that has been bought has mainly been concrete and a few items for the pond. The rocks serving aesthetic purposes were taken locally from the park or from the courthouse construction site. The bark mulch was given by the DOT, and according to Sanders, about 90 percent of the labor came from inmates from the Jackson County Correctional Institute.
Simmons said that each hole presents a special challenge for players.
“We tried to make some challenging holes, and some holes that kids would really like,” said Simmons. “There are some holes that you get a hole-in-one nearly every time and some that are probably a par four or five.”
With the majority of the course comfortably shaded by trees and plans for installation of a pavilion and benches, the course will offer visitors something to do and maybe teach a little history.
The course is set to be open and ready for the Hurricane Shoals Art in the Park festival in September.
The first hole focuses in on the Native Americans who were originally in the area and treated the area as a holy site.
The Cherokee and Creek nations regarded the area, Hurricane Shoals, as a neutral land where blood was not spilt, not even for hunting. Key elements in the history tie the course together, as one of the following holes illustrates the killing of a bear at the shoals. The killing of the bear sparked conflict between the settlers and the Native Americans.
Another hole is designed to incorporate the story from the 1840 flood that destroyed most of the settlement; this hole has a unique design where the water flowing through the course plays a key role to the game.
“We want folks to come here and have something to enjoy,” Sanders said. “We are excited and looking forward to getting open, it will benefit the park.”
While the history that the course is built around is intriguing, the actual layout of the course is equally impressive. Kermit Simmons is the key designer on the project and has overseen the construction from the start.
“The biggest challenge has been building on a slope,” Simmons said. “It has been a challenge, but it makes a better golf course. This has been a very pleasant project.”
The course site is approximately three-fourths of an acre and winds among trees down the hill behind the ranger station. Included in the course is a walk path that winds through each hole, bridges, and a pond with a pump that circulates water through the course.
When the course opens, the landscaping will be mostly bark mulch and the trees that were already present. Simmons said that in the fall other native plants and possibly a few more trees will be planted.
The entire project has been paid for from SPLOST funds and as far as construction cost Simmons said that the only thing that has been bought has mainly been concrete and a few items for the pond. The rocks serving aesthetic purposes were taken locally from the park or from the courthouse construction site. The bark mulch was given by the DOT, and according to Sanders, about 90 percent of the labor came from inmates from the Jackson County Correctional Institute.
Simmons said that each hole presents a special challenge for players.
“We tried to make some challenging holes, and some holes that kids would really like,” said Simmons. “There are some holes that you get a hole-in-one nearly every time and some that are probably a par four or five.”
With the majority of the course comfortably shaded by trees and plans for installation of a pavilion and benches, the course will offer visitors something to do and maybe teach a little history.
The course is set to be open and ready for the Hurricane Shoals Art in the Park festival in September.
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