Why A miniature golf in Mill Creek???

WHITE AMERICA WOULD NOT WELCOME MINORITIES ON ITS GOLF COURSES WAS EVIDENT FROM THE BEGINNING. WHITE PLAYERS NEARLY BOYCOTTED THE SECOND U.S. OPEN, PLAYED IN 1896. THIS WAS DUE TO THEIR OBJECTION OF COMPETING AGAINST JOHN SHIPPEN, A BLACK MAN, AND OSCAR BUNN , A FULL BLOODED SHINNECOCK INDIAN.

IT IS A STRANGE AND WINDING TALE OF RACISM, DISCRIMINATION AND SEGREGATION. AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE EXCELLED IN EVERY LIFE AND COURSE GOLF IS NO EXCEPTION, BUT THE INSTITUTIONAL SEGREGATION OF COURSES, ASSOCIATIONS AND COUNTRY CLUBS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS TO DISPLAY THEIR TALENTS AND JUST AS IMPORTANT TO EARN A LIVING. UNTIL RECENT HISTORY AFRICAN AMERICANS WERE STUCK IN THE ROLES OF CADDIES AND COUNTRY CLUB STAFF.

OH, THINGS ARE CHANGING....

THE CURRENT MASTERS CHAMPION FOR 1997 IS A MINORITY: ELDRICK "TIGER" WOODS; HE REPRESENTS A ROLE MODEL FOR MINORITIES AND YOUTH.

THE COMMUNITY OF MILL CREEKIS LOCATED IN THE WEST PHILADELPHIA. THE POPULATION IS APPROXIMATELY 10,000 WITH 95% BEING AFRICAN-AMERICANS. IT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS A FEDERAL EMPOWERMENT ZONE AREA DUE TO ITS POPULATION AND LOW INCOME STATUS.

TO THIS END THE PLAN IS TO ENHANCE THE NEIGHBORHOOD BY ADDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WHICH WILL BEAUTIFY ALONG WITH PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT TO ITS POPULATION. THE CONCEPT OF A MINIATURE GOLF COURSE ALSO PROVIDES FOR A FORM OF RECREATION FOR THE MANY INHABITANTS LIVING IN AND AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
THE MILL CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM THIS CONCEPT IN ANOTHER WAY . THE MILL CREEK AREA HAS HAD A HISTORY OF WATER SHED PROBLEMS. THE AREA IS SPOTTED WITH VARIOUS PARCELS OF OPEN SPACE LAND WHICH IN PART WAS CAUSED BY THE DAMAGE OF THE WATERSHED. THIS CONCEPT OF A GOLF COURSE WILL HELP BY REUSING RAIN AND WASTE WATERS.

Where is a miniature golf course in Mill Creek going to be?

How is a miniature golf course is Mill Creek going to be?

What do you think we should add to make our course special?

How can we make the mini golf course something special of Mill Creek that you won't find anywhere else? One of the most important thing is to bring people of the community to this project as much as possible. A comittee of the project are formed by the people from Mill Creek neighborhood, and they are the ones who are taking initiative. A series of workshop are going to be held. It is to find out the need of the community as well as to make the process of the project accessible to anyone.

Would the user help build the course?

Will they get people to do construction work?

How can people involve in the building process of the golf course?One possibility is to help raising the fund for this project. They can organize events for advertising and fundraising of this project. The other possibility is to involve in the actual construciton of the golf course. While most of the construction work is going to be done by experts, some work can be in the hands of people in the community. The work can be planing flowers, making objects which are placed in the course and so on.

Who can be the sponsor for the mini golf course in Mill Creek?

Is it possible to get funding from local business that sponsor this project? Unfortunately, it is unlikely to happen at this moment. There are not significant business in Mill Creek neighbohood which might give out significant amount of fund for this project. Therefore people might need to seek for funding from outside of Mill Creek neighborhood.

What kind of price you think we should have to fit in everyone's income?

The price of the miniature golf came need to be as inexpensive as possible in order to enable people come to play the game often. It needs to be affordable for kids who will be the major group of user of mini golf. However it is crutial to compromise with the fact that the course has to make enough profit for paying the workers as well as for the anual maintenance cost.

Statistics....average income of household in Mill Creek neighborhood

So, how do you feel about a miniature golf project in Mill CreeK?

CONCLUSION, THE HISTORY OF GOLF AND WHY NOT A MINIATURE GOLF COURSE IN THE MILL CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD

FROM A HISTORICAL PRESPECTIVE THE FUTURE OF THE MILL CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD LAY IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF IT’S NATURAL ENVIROMENT AND IMPROVING UTILIZATION OF VACANT LANDSPACES.

WITH THE HISTORY BEING WHAT IT IS, MILL CREEK COMMUNITY HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH FLOODING, CAVE-INS, DEATH AND MASS DESTRUCTION DUE TO THE MILL CREEK WATERSHED, WHICH RUNS TODAY THUR THE COMMUNITY UNDERGROUND. THE CONCEPT OF A MINIATURE GOLF COURSE IN THIS AREA HELPS TO RELIEVE MANY PROBLEMS WHICH WITHOUT SUCH A PLAN WOULD GO ON CAUSING DESTRUCTION TO PEOLPE AND PROPORTY.
THE POSITIVE THINGS WHICH WILL OCCURE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MINIATURE COURSE IN THE MILL CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD ARE;

RETENSION,REUSE AND RECYCLING OF RAIN AND WASTE WATER RUN OFFS
USE OF OPEN SPACE
EMPOLOYMENT OF COMMUNITY POPULATION
BEAUTIFICATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD
PROVIDING RECREATION
RESTORING COMMUNITY PRIDE
DEVELOPING POSTIVE SELF ESTEEM
CREATING SUBSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMUNITY

WITH THESE ADVANTAGES IN MIND, THE SELLING OF THE CONCEPT TO THE COMMUNITY MUST COME IN VARIOUS MARKETING STRAGDIES. EACH APPROACH MUST BE TAILORED TO THE AUDIENCE BEING COURTED. FROM THE LIST OF POSSIBLE USER WE HAVE A HOST OF LOCAL PATTISAPATES TO ENCOURAGE, INSPIRE, AND RECURIT.
THE INTERSET OF POSSIBLE SPONSORS MUST ALSO BE INTICED WITH THE MANY POSTIVE ASPECTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MINAITURE COURSE AS WELL. TO THIS END IT IS THE SUGGESTION OF THIS GROUP TO DEVELOP SURVIES AND POLL POTENTAL SPONSORS AND USERS. A QUESTIONAIRE COULD ALSO BE DEVELOPED FOR THE POLLING OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC ALSO.