The White Pipes of Sterling

MuniMan

Well-Known Member
I'm sure that just about everybody who has ridden in Sterling Forest has noticed the 12' high white PVC pipes on the side of the Munsee-Eagle trail. There is also one somewhat hidden on the side of Hutchinson. In the winter when there are no leaves you can see quite a few more in the woods if you look carefully. You also might have noticed that some have green rings around the top and some are blue.

So why are they there?

Lets start with the recent history of the area. Late 90's early 2000's. What we now know as Sterling Forest was privately held land that the owner(s) of which was actively tooking to develop. A few transactions occurred building most of the park and in 2006, the land around the Caretaker Parking lot was one of the last parcels that was acquired by the State of New York. This 575 acre parcel became know as the Donut Hole during that process because the privately held parcel was completely surrounded by the State Park at that point.

Sterling Corporation, the previous owner, had planned to develop this parcel as an exclusive gated community that included an 18 hole golf course. They made extensive plans including surveys and preliminary engineering for this developemnt. The white pipes are part of that plan. They are survey markers. They are marking the tees and holes of the planned golf course. I think the blue pipes mark the tees and the green pipes mark the greens. Some of the pipes are missing. They were held up by green fence posts. There is a green post on the side of Hutchinson in one of the fern patches. There is also one on Munsee Eagle kind of close to the power line.

So wouldn't it be cool to know which pipe is which hole or tee and the Par/Distance on the tee's? Stay tuned, its being worked on.


Newspaper article about the Donut Hole Acquisition --> https://www.recordonline.com/article/20061128/NEWS/611280314
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Very cool. Will pay extra for knowledge of planned sand traps.
 

MuniMan

Well-Known Member
IMG_4199[1].JPG


Oops, one is on the ground. This is on the proposed Augusta Mine Trail that is currently in review by the State.
 

MuniMan

Well-Known Member
A year later the search for info proves fruitful. I was emailed a scan of map today showing the general layout of the golf course. I am going to go get more info tomorrow. And hopefully get a better scan.

From what I can discern on the scan that I have now:
  • Caretaker lot is on or adjacent to the 16 hole. The pond is the water hazard.
  • The clubhouse is on the hill just beyond the dam/pond.
  • The junction of Munsee Eagle and Hutch is on the driving range.
  • The pipes on Munsee Eagle, seen after you cross over the wood bridge and climb up to the rock ledge are in the areas of the 2nd Green and 3rd t's. The 2nd green is out near the powerlines.
  • The pipe that can be seen off Hutch just up from the ME junction is either part of the 15th green or 16th t. (You ned to know where to look to see this one).
  • The green standalone fence post seen on the right in the ferns while you are riding up the hill on Hutch is part of the 6th. There is a survey benchmark near the large roller on the other side of the trail from that post

Very Cool.


PDF attached
 

Attachments

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Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
Very cool! Recent history that won't be lost.

Might be able to drop this into the maprika editor to get the loop overlay !
 

MuniMan

Well-Known Member
Very cool! Recent history that won't be lost.

Might be able to drop this into the maprika editor to get the loop overlay !
I figured someone would do that, thanks

Long Meadow road and what is obviously the dam will make it pretty easy to align. A Maprika overlay will work somewhat better than me holding a printout up to my computer display with Trailforks open and the brightness turned up 100%.
 

MuniMan

Well-Known Member
View attachment 100990

Oops, one is on the ground. This is on the proposed Augusta Mine Trail that is currently in review by the State.
For those who have previewed the new Augusta Mine Trail. This is now vertical.

It’s most likely the 13th T. 13th hole, Par 4, 420 yards.

The 12th and 14th hole markers can be seen from the trail now with no leaves on the trees. 14 is quite close to the trail in a thicket to left between the flowy S turn and the stream crossing. The 12th hole is then on your right in the bottom as the trail climbs up towards the 13th, also in a thicket.


The only one that I have a photo of is this, probably the 12th T. It is visible to the right of the trail in the first clear area after you leave Hutchinson.

12th hole, Par 4, 435 yards.

FC18A341-2A6F-4F4F-9728-3702AE53874A.jpeg


I have also found the marker for the 14th T, way up in the woods. It’s under a fallen tree. Repairs for it are in order.
 
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MuniMan

Well-Known Member
I went looking for the 17th, 18th and 1st/2nd this morning. These are in the woods to the left immediately after you cross the dam at the caretaker parking lot, and reaching out to the power lines. None of these are visible from the existing trails

This is probably marking the clubhouse. On the hill across the dam from Careraker Lot


305A07BF-07E9-46BF-B927-976E197110A3.jpeg


This is probably on the 17th. It’s in a laurel thicket near an old woods road. Only the very top is visible. The T for this hole is somewhere near caretaker lot.

69BA7DFF-7AA3-45BE-B018-57601E6419C6.jpeg


Probably the 17th hole. Par 4, 440 yards further up from the previous on the same road

4F699B91-6FCD-44AD-A055-4996A2F3838A.jpeg


Probably a waypoint on the 18th, Par 5, 570 yards. I got pushed around by swamps and laurel thickets and came upon it.


D54610D4-6A35-4C6A-B807-F8F597806550.jpeg


This is either the 18th hole or the first T, if it’s the T, hole 1 Par 5, 528 yards. This is just off the woods road that leads to the power lines. Up from where Munsee-Eagle trail ‘kisses’ that road just before the bridge.

799DD053-F4D9-4949-8FD2-A275FEEE3B74.jpeg
 
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