Is it Basketball—a Great City Park—or Timeshare?

See if you know the correct answer to today’s brainteaser; also know as, “our-research-department-has-too-much-spare-time.”

Question: What (or who) is Cherokee Park?

1. A legendary power forward for Duke basketball (’91-95) who was a first round NBA draft pick by Dallas in 1995.
2. A 400-acre city park in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as the name of parks in cities and towns across America.
3. A residential area in Madison, Wisconsin, primed for timeshare development.

Answer: All of the above, if you allow Cherokee Parks (the person) to add the “s” to his name.

College basketball fans, will no doubt remember Duke’s somewhat bohemian, power forward, Cherokee Parks. Or perhaps you caught this shaggy-haired, tattooed California boy during his playing days with the Mavericks, the Timberwolves, or one of the half-dozen other NBA teams for whom he played between 1995 and the 2004 playing season.

And if you grew up in central Kentucky or southern Indiana, you most likely have spent a few pleasurable days picnicking, chasing Frisbees, or enjoying an outdoor concert in Louisville’s beautiful Cherokee Park. Even if you haven’t, it is such a common name, you have probably visited a Cherokee Park in some city in the United States.

But if you are familiar with the lovely wooded neighborhood on Madison, Wisconsin’s north side, known as the Cherokee Park Development, you already know that the area includes a golf course, country club, condominiums, townhouses, and single-family dwellings. Moreover, golf pro and developer Dennis Tiziani and other partners are working on plans to add retail shops, timeshares, and additional recreational facilities. 

Tiziani has been named by Golf Digest to the list of Best Golf Instructors in Wisconsin in numerous years and was formerly the golf coach at the University of Wisconsin. He has long been involved in the growth and development of the Cherokee Park area.

The January 17, 2006 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal reported, “…City officials are pleased that a master plan with an emphasis on preserving open space is being prepared for the area, (Cherokee Lake and Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park) which has been under development for about four decades.”

The State Journal quoted City Planning Unit Director Brad Murphy as endorsing the project with this comment, “We view this as a very positive step,” and added that the towns of Burke and Westport’s involvement will be needed to complete the effort.