'non golfer' course etiquette

[Sgraham602]

I'm fairly new to disc golf and wanted to get the opinion of some other players. This morning I was playing on my local course, which is an extremely tight wooded course . It doesn't appear to be very popular, as the past month that have been playing it (every weekend) I haven't seen anybody else on the course. This morning, however, there were a few people out... the only thing is that they weren't playing disc golf. They were instead walking or running on the course in the opposite direction . Luckily I was in between shots when I encountered each person, but I wasn't sure if I was out of line to tell people that they shouldn't be running/walking on the course? I've got to imagine that a disc to the head could do some damage. I decided not to say anything as I was playing alone and wasn't in a rush. A few people stopped to ask how my round was going and were very polite.

What is the protocol here? The course is in a park that has a lot of running trails and paved bike paths. Is it common for people to use a disc golf courses for running and walking??

 

[Stable]

It's always a good idea to think of yourself as an ambassador of the game. As those individuals were passing by you could give a friendly wave and let them know that they're on a golf course and it's possible for them to get hit unintentionally. Help them be aware. People are always more receptive if you initiate the right way. Don't be abrasive.

If there were a tournament going on that day you would be right to let them know the course is closed to the public.

 

[brutalbrutus]

...and picnicking, sunbathing, picture taking, metal detecting, pokemon chasing, ive even heard about two people hanging a hammock and getting it on. There are hundreds of reasons people might be out on the course and not be throwing. Just gotta deal with them as they come. Some people are quite friendly, others not so much. I usually give people a warning about the discs, most people don't consider them dangerous. Sometimes I'll hand them one to give them an idea. Sometimes you have to give them directions to a safer area. Mt Airy is especially bad for the sunbathing, picnic, picture taking crowd but has a dedicated area for these kinds of things on the other side of the park. Other times, you just let them be, lol.

 

[Orioles_Lefty]

I've experienced this a few times on a number of different courses and can only conclude that the "clearing" provided by a disc golf course invites people to see the holes as useful for walking/running as well. Placing a course in a multi-use park invites multi-use of the course even if that's not how it should work (on most holes most of the time). Sounds like some of the folks know what you are doing, so it's not like they need an education.

I hate interacting with non-golfers and I know I offer more danger to them than them to me, so I'm very diligent about checking fairways for non-golfers. I rarely say anything as I don't know what I would say to improve the situation. I wouldn't say you would be out of line to say something, but I think you will be disappointed by the conversation most of the time.

I once came up to a protected, mostly-blind green and found a young woman painting a landscape. She was sitting on a rock on the backside of the green painting on an easel. It was a pretty scene to paint.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I've got to imagine that a disc to the head could do some damage.

Yes, it certainly can.

Is it common for people to use a disc golf courses for running and walking??

More common in some parks than others, particularly shared situations. This is why I don't necessarily think it's a good idea to "shoe-horn" a course into a shared use park amid walking paths/trails, or where there's other previously well established park activity.

You can't necessarily expect the general public to realize whether they are on a DG course or not, especially if the area is not clearly defined and/or shared use. The responsibility must lie with us, because we know what's happening. Soccer mom looking at her phone, with toddlers scurrying about, is simply strolling through park, completely unaware what someone else is doing 250ft away.

I handle those situations by politely (but convincingly) approaching the non players and explaining to them that while this is a public park, they are walking through a section of that has been designated for people to throw frisbees in, and that they might want to be watch out and be carefeul so no one gets hurt. It usually helps if you can point to the basket your throwing to and/or the tee you threw from.

Than said, I think most parks and recs depts do pedestrians and DG'ers a huge disservice by not posting signs that say "CAUTION: YOU ARE ENTERNG A DISC GOLF COURSE - WATCH FOR FLYING DISCS" at high traffic points of entry to courses.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

It's always a good idea to think of yourself as an ambassador of the game. As those individuals were passing by you could give a friendly wave and let them know that they're on a golf course and it's possible for them to get hit unintentionally. Help them be aware. People are always more receptive if you initiate the right way. Don't be abrasive.

If there were a tournament going on that day you would be right to let them know the course is closed to the public.

:thmbup: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[brutalbrutus]

Than said, I think most parks and recs depts do pedestrians and DG'ers a huge disservice by not posting signs that say "CAUTION: YOU ARE ENTERNG A DISC GOLF COURSE - WATCH FOR FLYING DISCS" at high traffic points of entry to courses.

I've been seeing these a lot more, recently.

 

[JC17393]

Hard to say exactly what the protocol is in terms of whether they should be there or not. Different parks treat things differently, but my guess would be that there are no official rules preventing them from running on the course like that. It's a public park that is presumably free to use for anyone, so it's not as though disc golfers have priority over runners or vice versa. You can't kick them out and they can't kick you out. The expectation is everyone shares the space.

As to what you as a disc golfer should do in a situation like this, I would at least try to initiate a conversation with the runners to make them aware of the disc golf course. Not necessarily to make them leave or stay away, but to make them aware of the course (if they aren't already) and perhaps talk them into running with the traffic when they are on the course. Better they walk/run fairways from tee to basket where they'll be coming up behind throwers rather than walking/running basket to tee and moving right into a disc to the forehead or something.

The biggest problem we face having courses in public parks is that a disc golf fairway doesn't stand out to a non-golfer the way, say, a baseball diamond or a soccer field does. If there's a baseball or soccer game going on, everyone recognizes what it is and stays off the field. Tougher for folks to do with our game. And even if someone recognizes a disc golf hole for what it is, their idea of the game probably involves regular frisbees that they don't think will hurt them if they are hit so they think nothing of strolling through anyway.

The only thing we can do is educate where we can and otherwise defer to other park users. We know what we're doing. They don't. Therefore if they get hurt by a disc, guess who's fault it is?

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I've been seeing these a lot more, recently.

Good to know.

Let's be perfectly honest: the chance of hitting people with discs is very small. It's just that in certain circumstances, it's a quite foreseeable possibility, particularly as Orioles Lefty said; if the clearing they are walking through happens to be a fairway we're supposed to be aiming for.

The right thing to do is to reduce the chance of foreseeable risk. Making people aware of their surroundings is a big step in that direction.

 

[Orioles_Lefty]

Lots of parks departments add disc golf courses to parks because they are viewed as appropriate for and good use of shared-use space. This we have to live with.

But, that said, I'm not going to have an "educational" conversation with any non-disc golf user on the course save perhaps the soccer mom described previously. Those picnickers I came across in the fairway at Patapsco 1. What was I going to say to them of useful consequence? The guy in Syracuse who liked to use Heritage 7 as a open space to play catch with his dogs. What said to him?

I don't think my success rate in those conversations is going to be over 5%. So why bother?

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Lots of parks departments add disc golf courses to parks because they are viewed as appropriate for and good use of shared-use space. This we have to live with.

But, that said, I'm not going to have an "educational" conversation with any non-disc golf user on the course save perhaps the soccer mom described previously. Those picnickers I came across in the fairway at Patapsco 1. What was I going to say to them of useful consequence? The guy in Syracuse who liked to use Heritage 7 as a open space to play catch with his dogs. What said to him?

I don't think my success rate in those conversations is going to be over 5%. So why bother?

Point taken. This is why I feel so strongly about signage indicating there's a DG course and to watch for flying discs. It legitimizes us when initiating such conversations. I'm not saying they can't share these areas... simply that they should be made aware of what else they've been designated for. People don't set up picnic blankets on a ball field, because they recognize it... but they just don't recognize when they're on a DG course.

 

[JC17393]

Lots of parks departments add disc golf courses to parks because they are viewed as appropriate for and good use of shared-use space. This we have to live with.

But, that said, I'm not going to have an "educational" conversation with any non-disc golf user on the course save perhaps the soccer mom described previously. Those picnickers I came across in the fairway at Patapsco 1. What was I going to say to them of useful consequence? The guy in Syracuse who liked to use Heritage 7 as a open space to play catch with his dogs. What said to him?

I don't think my success rate in those conversations is going to be over 5%. So why bother?

Why bother? Because the next player coming up behind you might not be courteous enough to play away from/around them, and instead throw at/over them with no regard for their safety. The next player might be the ******* who hits them, or rudely yells at them, or otherwise does something that motivates the picnickers to go to the authorities with complaints. Enough complaints and next thing you know, the course gets yanked.

At least if you are nice enough to let them know the hole/course exists (because they're not going to know if no one tells them) and how their picnic impacts it (and vice versa), they're informed enough to decide to stay or find another spot where they might not be in any danger. And maybe it's enough that they avoid the unfortunate encounter with the ******* player that might be coming up behind you.

 

[Moose33]

Be nice and let them know what's going on. Some people have no idea it's a game going on and they are happy to know that plastic circles could be flying at them.

If you know that they are around, try hard not to hit/scare any of them. Nothing will get a course pulled quicker than pedestrians being hit with a high speed driver.

 

[DiscGolfMaster]

There is a local course that is a giant multi-use park and the disc golf course is mostly in the woods but does come close to a couple of the ball fields. I've seen people walking, running, pushing strollers, walking dogs etc. a lot recently. It's annoying, because before the course was there, it was unused dense woods with no trails in it or anything. A lot of hard work and time went in to making it cleared out enough for some disc golf paths and holes. So seeing oblivious people jogging on it makes me a little upset, because, you can freaking jog ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET lol, I can only disc golf on disc golf courses.

I'm a shy quiet guy and usually don't say anything. Sometimes, if they are right in the way and don't look like they are moving any time soon, I'll just say "This is a disc golf course and I need to throw right where you are standing" I've never had anyone not move.

How do you just nonchalantly walk onto a course and pay no attention to the strange looking yellow baskets in the woods, or the tee signs and pads, or the people throwing things? I mean, how dumb can you be? I don't expect someone to just magically know exactly what is going on, but use some observation skills, and maybe use google on the phone your face is always buried in and figure it out in about 5 seconds.

Pet peeve, if you can't figure it out, is oblivious people.

 

[sisyphus]

Unfortunately, many of the non-disc golfers enjoying a park with a disc golf course have no idea that there is a course there, and clearly have no idea that we're throwing beveled edge projectiles, sometimes at 50 to 80 miles per hour. They might see a flying disc and think "Oh, they're throwing Frisbees". You know, the 119 gram, huge, flexible kind that rarely even sting if they do hit you unawares.

There are some who literally have no clue about the purpose of that post and chain assembly we're throwing at. I once met a lady who was walking by on the path 80 feet from our basket, who saw us putting out, and said "So THAT's what those are for!" There is absolutely no chance she would recognize a fairway as a place we throw through.

Whenever possibly, I politely inform and suggest. Particularly, I try really hard to imagine how I'd want to be treated if I were blissfully unaware, and focus on the fact that I'm thinking of their safety, not my enjoyment of the sport. It seems to help. :thmbup:

ps: if they become obstinate or rude, that's on them, but I'll still just pass on by and skip the hole. I'm not going to let folks like that ruin my day.

 

[ToddL]

Lots of parks departments add disc golf courses to parks because they are viewed as appropriate for and good use of shared-use space. This we have to live with.

But, that said, I'm not going to have an "educational" conversation with any non-disc golf user on the course save perhaps the soccer mom described previously. Those picnickers I came across in the fairway at Patapsco 1. What was I going to say to them of useful consequence? The guy in Syracuse who liked to use Heritage 7 as a open space to play catch with his dogs. What said to him?

I don't think my success rate in those conversations is going to be over 5%. So why bother?

Like JC said, they might not move immediately, but at least they'll be aware. I try to say something like, "Hey, just to let you know, I'm playing some frisbee golf through here. I'm aiming over there, and these things are kinda hard [knock, knock]. There's a lot of people on the course today, and some of them might have pretty bad aim or might not see you before they throw."

 

[JC17393]

How do you just nonchalantly walk onto a course and pay no attention to the strange looking yellow baskets in the woods, or the tee signs and pads, or the people throwing things? I mean, how dumb can you be? I don't expect someone to just magically know exactly what is going on, but use some observation skills, and maybe use google on the phone your face is always buried in and figure it out in about 5 seconds.

Pet peeve, if you can't figure it out, is oblivious people.

It isn't a matter of dumb, though. Ignorance does not equate to stupidity.

As golfers, our eyes automatically see the fairways and find the baskets. If we stumble unsuspectingly on a basket, we can take one look around and almost instinctively figure out pretty quick what direction the tee. If we're driving down the street, we notice the practice basket in the random backyard or a basket at a park we didn't realize had a course. Stuff like that jumps out at us but a non-golfer would never notice.

Just as an example, there was a course on campus where I went to college. Before I ever played the game, I must have walked through the course a bunch of times and never even noticed anything. This was before cell phones so I had my head up and was looking around (particularly early on looking for landmarks so I could remember my way). Once I learned about the game and the course, I couldn't understand how I never saw the baskets. There were at least two within 10-15 feet of a sidewalk I know I used frequently.

It's one of those things that you could go your whole life not noticing, but once you're aware, you can't unsee it. Like the arrow in the FedEx logo.

 

[markmcc]

I played a course yesterday that had benches placed within 20' of baskets on a couple of holes. These were nice shady spots along a walking path so were good places for a bench, but were also prime basket locations.

This was a multi-use park with walking paths, etc., and it did have the "Flying Discs" signs up. But having benches in close proximity to baskets has got to be confusing to park users...

 

[JC17393]

I played a course yesterday that had benches placed within 20' of baskets on a couple of holes. These were nice shady spots along a walking path so were good places for a bench, but were also prime basket locations.

This was a multi-use park with walking paths, etc., and it did have the "Flying Discs" signs up. But having benches in close proximity to baskets has got to be confusing to park users...

Stuff like that makes you wonder which came first, the bench or the basket? If the basket was there first, it's probably down to the decision maker in the parks department being ignorant of the course and how it's played. If it was the bench that was there first, it's down to a poor course designer. No amount of warning signs can fix bad course design.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

If it was the bench that was there first, it's down to a poor course designer. No amount of warning signs can fix bad course design.

I couldn't agree more.