Driving Range Clean Up At Vinny Links - #spring

Vinny Links is home to the First Tee - Tennessee headquarters, where their staff works to "[empower] kids and teens through the game of golf." In order to keep their programs running, we frequently recruit volunteers to help them maintain their golf ball supply, keep their landscaping beds neat and tidy, and pick up trash from around their greens.
What will volunteers be doing at this event?

Volunteers will be retrieving golf balls that have gone into the wooded area near their driving range and are inaccessible to their staff. They will do this by loosening up balls that have been compacted into the soil using hand tools or rakes, and then picking them up using the golf course's "shag bags" (a tool that grabs golf balls and stores them in a zippered pouch). The baskets collected will then be left on the range for the staff to pick up and clean.
 
What is the community impact of this event?
In order for the First Tee staff to put on their athletic programs for local youth, they need plenty of golf balls to keep things running. While balls that are on the main range can be easily picked up, the wayward ones that fly into the woods are too difficult for them to spend time grabbing, meaning their supply slowly dwindles over the season. By returning these hard-to-reach golf balls to the nonprofit, they are able to run their programs more smoothly and bring the love of golf to even more young people.

Accessibility:
This project will require volunteers to walk up the steep driving range and step into the slightly wooded area along the edge. They will need to be able to bend and reach for golf balls, and potentially use hand tools to remove golf balls from the compacted dirt. In some areas, you may be able to sit and dig golf balls out of the dirt. The "shag bags" have a handle on the top that allows volunteers to press the tool into the ground, scooping up the ball into a bag, which is then unzipped and emptied into a basket. Volunteers may also pick up balls by hand if this is difficult. There is a small parking lot available for use, and the Vinny Links clubhouse will be open should you need a restroom break.

What should volunteers bring or wear?
Please be sure to wear sunscreen, as you will be in the direct sun. Volunteers should also wear clothing that's appropriate for the weather, such as light colors to relfect the sun as well as hats and sunglasses. If preferred, long pants might work well for the patches of golf balls that have flown into the forest, though you may be able to stay on the green by raking golf balls to the edge of the forest. Bringing your own water bottle is highly recommended, but the clubhouse will be open should you need access to a water refill.

What’s next?
Once you sign up, you will receive an email from CD Paddock a day ahead of time with a Google Maps pin to the meeting location, the contact for the Vinny Links staff member whom you will check-in with, and any other relevant information. If you have questions ahead of time, please send CD an email at [email protected]. Thank you and hope to see you soon!
 
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Founded in 2008, Friends of Shelby is a private, nonprofit organization working to preserve, enhance, and promote Shelby Park and Bottoms for everyone to appreciate and protect. We work to protect the natural and historical integrity of the area by supporting appropriate recreational activities, maintaining and enhancing its features, promoting programs that inspire appreciation and conservation of the Park and Bottoms, and advocating for a level playing field for the various user groups.