The Army Corp of Engineers - the federal entity that is in charge of the Libby Dam - is going to be installing a DG course on their land this spring. They are looking to make the course more challenging than what is now in the ground in that area, and after walking the terrain, that should not be hard to do.
The course and other amenities are still in the planning phase, but we will be trying to design the course to include a couple of Pro par 4's with the rest being par 3's with maybe an Am par 4 (Pro par 3) or two mixed in. Sounds like they have already acuired 18 Mach II baskets from the dam at Sandpoint, ID, just down the road. They are talking about cement tee pads and I am pushing for large pads, similar to what the Bozeman guys did at Rose Park. Tee signs and map are also being discussed, too.
The Corp is VERY excited about this project as a way to bring more people to the dam area, which is very nice and already includes multiple campgrounds, boat launches, a VERY nice playground, and several other rec sites in addition to guided tours of the dam itself.
This was the other course I was referring to when talking about making the Timberbeast Challenge a 2 day event, but I think we'll try to fit a small PDGA event in at the Dam sometime in the fall of 2010 and see what happens after that.
soooo stoked about this course, can't wait to play it!!!
Just got word that the work party scheduled for this weekend at the Libby Dam course will be postponed. Sounds like there is more NEPA paperwork than originally expected. I'll post when it will be rescheduled and hopefully a few of us can make the trip and give them a hand building it.
They are still hoping to have the course playable (but not done) by the Timberbeast so people can chek it out while they're up there.
Checks it out:
http://www.thewesternnews.com/articles/2010/04/05/news/doc4bba9f5f678dd293317007.txt
Nice picture Brian and the Nuge!
Yeah! Nice work B Squared and Nuge 
I just read that article a few minutes ago myself from the PDGA e-mail. Should be a fun course and a great addition to disc golf in MT and NW MT specifically. I did find it interesting to hear where 9 of those baskets came from though. Perhaps Brian might be willing to elaborate on the failed Sandpoint course that is mentioned briefly?
Don't know too much about the Sandpoint course other than a couple of years ago the Army Corp of Engineers were going to install a course at the dam there. Don't really know why that didn't happen. The Libby dam course definitly benefited from that as they received the 19, not 9, baskets from them and 18 tee signs. The extra basket will be used as a practice basket at the Libby dam.
Sounds like they are going with rubber mat tee pads complete with a wood frame instead of cement as it makes the NEPA process a little easier and allows for moving of tees, if needed, as the course matures.
Just received word that work has begun on the course at the Libby dam. Sounds like the first 8 holes have been cleared already and work is ongoing.
There will be a work party in the very near future to help out with some of the more difficult holes. Will post more when I know more.
Looking very promising for a tourney there in late September.
That's great, Brian. Be sure to let Spotucky know when the course opens, and about the Tournement, of course.
The Nuge and I went up to Libby a couple of weekends ago and collaborated with a group of locals to design the course at the Libby Dam. Hole 1 starts near the boat trailer parking and the course plays around and then up to the top of a bluff offering great views of Lake Koocanusa before playing back down and around.
They wanted a course that had different characteristics than the courses that are up there, and I think we did a fairly good job of that. There are 2 short holes that play along the lake, a couple of good vistas on top of the bluff, several cool downhill shots, and 3 - maybe 4 - par 4 holes from the long tees. Most of the course is in the woods, but there are a couple of open holes. A rough estimate of distances looked like 9 holes under 300', and 9 holes between 300' and 400' (a couple of those were just under 400') from the short tees. A few of the holes will have long tees to add a little more challenge to it and they will play about 9 under 300', 7 between 300' and 400', and 2 over 500' (one over 600'). The short tees play about 4,600' and the long tees play just over 5,000'. There is also an alternate start to the course that plays from the observation deck above the visitors center and plays down to hole 1's basket, a vertical drop of about 100', that is a fun shot.
They have already acquired 18 Mach II baskets and are still deciding on the type of tee pad to go with. They originally thought about cement, but some of the tees are in hard to get to places, so there may be a mix of cement and rubber tees, or just rubber, we'll see.
I think they have already started clearing brush and sounds like there will be a work day in mid-April to begin installing baskets and finish brush removal. I'll post that info when I get it and maybe a carload of Zoo Towners can head up and support their efforts.
They are very excited about this course and hope to have an event up there sometime in the late summer/early fall to show it off to the rest of the region.