There’s another big chair in the Chair City.
When players approach the 18th hole at the disc golf course at the Bailey Brook Park and Conservation Area in Gardner, they will be reminded of where they are playing in a big way.
A large wooden chair, which is a nod to the city’s manufacturing history and a replica of the “big chair” on Elm Street, holds the basket at the final hole at the public course off of Leo Drive.
The chair was designed and constructed by Gardner High School students in the Advanced Woodworking class, which is taught by William Jacobson. The chair, which is about 14 feet high, was put in place at the course, which opened to the public last summer, on June 5.
The course was designed by Benjamin Tucker, a firefighter with the Gardner Fire Department, and built by crews from the city’s Department of Public Works along with volunteers from the Worcester Sports Foundation.
“Ben’s enthusiasm and energy were contagious, and we definitely wanted to bring his vision for an amazing course to life,” said Jeff Turgeon, vice president of the Worcester Sports Foundation.
Big chair a nod to Gardner’s manufacturing past
The idea to put a big chair on the course came from volunteer Rick Lee, according to Turgeon, as they were designing the 18th hole.
“Lee said, ‘You know, the 18th could use a signature basket piece – Gardner is the Chair City, right? How about a big chair there?’” Turgeon said. “We thought that would be epic.”
Several disc golf courses add a touch of local flair, especially around the 18th hole as players finish their rounds, according to Turgeon.
“Hillside Park in Boylston has a distinctive sign at their basket, and Meadowbrook Orchards in Sterling has a basket on an old farm tractor as a couple examples,” he said. “Having something that stands out that’s tied into the community can really make for a memorable player experience. It will also be a great backdrop for players to commemorate their round with a group picture in front of the chair when they finish and ideally post it to social media.”
GHS officials, students enthusiastic about ‘big chair’ replica
Turgeon reached out to GHS and ran the idea by Jacobson and Principal Paula Bolger, who he said were both enthusiastic about getting it done.
“I saw this as an opportunity for students in my Advanced Woodshop to gain some real-world experience and contribute to the community,” said Jacobson. “There were 10 students in that class who loved the idea and were willing to put in the hard work it took to pull off this project.”
“They took the idea and turned it into concrete plans, and then reality,” Turgeon said, adding that sponsors such as the CMSC Driving School in West Boylston and several local players donated the funds needed for the necessary supplies for the project.
Jacobson said the challenge was to build a prefabricated chair in the school’s woodshop that could be delivered and built on the site.
“The chair was constructed of pressure treated lumber that was sponsored by a local company, Chairtown Lumber,” said Jacobson. “Work on the chair started when the lumber was delivered in early March. The students began to measure, cut, notch, drill, sand, build and stain all of the 13 different chair parts. The backrest of the chair has two rail pieces that were engraved by senior student Mathew Carlson using a handheld router. After a three-month building process, the chair was ready to be built.”
The students who worked on the project were Bryce Paradis, Christian Gonzales, Mason Gelineau, Matthew Carlson, Alexis Buros Negron, Brayden Kosciolek, Jamie Lagoy, Madalyn McCann, Edwin Rosado and John Frushell, according to Bolger.
The pieces of chair along with other materials were loaded into a truck and delivered to the course on June 5, which, as Jacobson noted, was the hottest day of the year.
“Like a giant puzzle, the chair pieces were locked together with 32 carriage bolts,” he said. “The last task was to anchor the chair in place. Forms were made around each leg and filled with concrete. Students worked together to mix and pour a total of 960 pounds of concrete by hand.”
Jacobson said he couldn’t be prouder of his students for taking on such an ambitious community project.
“This is an experience they will never forget and can be proud of for years to come,” he said. “Our hope is that this brings attention to the new course and helps put Bailey Brook Disc Golf Course on the map. Please take pictures with the chair and share them on social media. We would love to see the impact this structure has made on our community.”
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Gardner High student project at disc golf course fits Chair City