By Cheryl Klein
Spring is in the air. This year the weather has quickly gone from ski season to a short mud season right into golf and summer time outdoor recreation, which Ellicottville has plenty of, and now we introduce you to yet one more attraction: welcome Bigfoot Park Golf at the Ellicottville Distillery. Though the name is “Big” it is a smaller version of traditional golf, with bigger balls and holes. Chad Neal started building the course at the Ellicottville Distillery last spring and summer and finished half of what he plans; nine holes so far. He is finishing up another nine holes this spring with plans for a Grand Opening in May.
The rules are similar to golf, but there’s only one club to use along with the ball that are furnished for all who come to play. The tee box is set up off the ground with an attached tee to use for the first swing. The fairways are approximately 35 to 100 yards long and the greens are 16 feet in diameter. Par is the same as traditional golf, (3,4, and 5) but the ball isn’t intended to fly through the air. It shoots right over the ground, it isn’t as aggravating as regular golf, but it is still challenging. Neal has the first nine holes built and weather allowing, will have “Park Golfers” out there enjoying the family fun sport soon. No need for carts, the course is compact.
The sport, invented in Japan, was made to utilize park space that was not being used. A wrestling legend name, The Destroyer, while working in Japan, found these courses and fell in love with this game. Upon coming home, he told his daughter about the game. She and her husband subsequently built Destroyer Park Golf in Akron, New York, about an hour and fifteen minutes northeast of Ellicottville. There is a lot of information on-line about the sport and Destroyer Park Golf. There is also a course in Logan, Ohio called Wormburner Park Golf. Neal is hoping to soon open Bigfoot Park Golf, the third course in the United States, and is anticipating it will grow in popularity quickly.
While still working on some business details, Bigfoot Park Golf will be operating “hopefully before April is over”. Neal says, “As it is a work in progress and learning as I go along, I am confident this adventure will be a great new activity for Ellicottville and everyone who visits, including people from the surrounding communities, will want to check it out.”
The Ellicottville Distillery which has been in operation since 2016 is also excited to have this new feature connected with it. The owners have allowed Neal to work the land to make it usable as a course for this new kind of golf. There aren’t any water hazards or sand traps and the out of boundaries are just the borders of the course. Just like traditional golf, the player drives the ball off of the tee box and tries to make it to the hole in the least amount of hits as possible. Neal has a lot of ideas, but first wants to get it up and running so everyone interested can decide for themselves how much they love it. He is planning tournaments, fund raisers, prizes for holes in one throughout the season.
Be on the lookout for a Facebook page and Bigfoot images popping up as the theme will be just that. Stop by the Ellicottville Distillery to have a gander at what Neal has going on and see what it’s all about. More information is also available if you want to contact Neal at chadski27@gmail.com or text him at 716-541-4059. When the course is ready for action Neal will inundate as many media outlets as he can, especially social media. The Ellicottville Distillery and Bigfoot Park Golf are located on Robbiins Rd. 4 miles east of the Village on 242, right at Ashford Junction. Stop by.