There’s more to do than eat. Although dining is sometimes the easiest and most practical activity to partake in on a date, there are other options, which can often be a lot easier on your budget.
Sometimes a good game of basketball, tennis or any sport that suits you, can be a good bet for a chance to spend time with that special person. But not everyone wants to break a sweat in front of someone he or she is trying to impress. So, maybe it’s time to get out of the gym and into a park. Westmoreland Community Park, to be exact, is a great place for a little game of disc golf.
The park, located on W. 18th Avenue between Polk and Chambers streets, is equipped with a nine-hole disc golf course. All you need is yourself, your date and a couple of Frisbees. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to score a couple of discs from a credit card vendor around campus, who sometimes give out free paraphernalia, including Frisbees, when you fill out a credit card application.
The Westmoreland course consists of nine holes, or metal baskets that stand as targets for the discs. Each hole — most of which are par threes — has a starting platform several feet away. A few of the holes are even strategically placed behind trees, which serve as obstacles in the game.
The rules to the game are more or less up to you. If you’re familiar with miniature golf, you may just choose to play by those rules. However, if you’re a stickler for accuracy, you could look up the rules of the World Flying Disc Federation, which can be found at www.cs.rochester.edu/u/ferguson/disc/wfdf/wfdf-disc-golf.html. This Web site will give you complete details of professional play, from player conduct to a glossary of terms.
However, before you begin your game, you may want to wander around the park to get an idea of where each hole is located. Not every hole is easy to spot, and sometimes, the markers are difficult to read because they’re covered with graffiti, which adds to the somewhat unattractiveness of the park as a whole. Located in a commercial neighborhood, Westmoreland lacks the beauty and solitude one might expect from a park.
But appearance aside, Westmoreland Community Park allows for a mean game of disc golf.
Considering it’s the end of October, you’ll likely be cold and maybe even wet after you finish your game. Fortunately, there are a couple of nearby places to get a hot cup of coffee. If you’re looking for something really cheap, there’s 7-11. But if you would like a place to sit down and talk, there’s a Starbucks Coffee across 18th Avenue inside Albertson’s Food and Drug. Or, better yet, across Chambers Street is Jamocha’s Espresso Cafe.
The small coffee shop features Torrefazione Italia coffee. The atmosphere is rather quiet and cozy — good for conversation.
And, if you’re hungry and can’t resist the temptation, Jamocha’s offers an appetizer menu including chicken tenders, fries, onion rings and quesadillas. And there’s a small dessert case as well, offering a limited selection of pastries. In fact, if you choose to plan your date for the evening, you’re in luck. Jamocha’s has an “After 5 Special.” In the evenings, you get a free cup of coffee when you purchase a dessert.
So, instead of engaging in the typical dinner and a movie, it could be nice to try something a little different. A good game of disc golf and a warm cup of coffee never hurt anyone.