The direction of Disc Golf

[Cgkdisc]

Leave those chains alone! Last night was my third round with my almost 7-year old Grandson, and he loves the sound of those chains. After our first round together we shook the chains together on No. 18, its our tradition.
He leaped for joy last night when he dropped a bogey on a 243 foot hole, it was the sound of the chains that excited him. I had to explain the term bogey to him. The bogey didn't mean much to him.

Might have been a birdie if par was set for his skill level. ;-)

 

[davetherocketguy]

Well would ya look at that. 96% of voters so far think everything is fine as is.

 

[araytx]

Make up your own poll then. If you feel like people would vote differently.

Ouch!

"when something doesn't agree with me it's illegitimate."

 

[DavidSauls]

Let's merge a few polls so we can prove that (1) artificial OB is bad and (2) is increasing and (3) disc golf is on the right path.

Then let people run around in a circle -- or, I guess, a triangle.

 

[hanger129]

Seems to be on a great trajectory. Before this year, I had only played disc golf a few times with a friend and watched Jomez about once every three months. Once the pandemic hit (which I honestly think has helped the sport immensely), I found out there was a course 5 minutes from my house. My office was closed and I was working from home so I ended up playing nearly every day during lunch and bought a ton of discs and a new bag within the next 2 months. I saw the exact same trend happen with several friends.

I think the pandemic in conjunction with high quality coverage of pro events (mainly Jomez but I've noticed a lot more channels now with stellar quality) has probably had a huge impact on the sport. Maybe it'll fall off a bit now that college and professional football are back, but when there were no sports to watch during the summer I was binging disc golf coverage every day.

 

[Orioles_Lefty]

Definitely need more "sponsored" players to push plastic on random people at local putter courses. That's about all that's missing from my perspective.

 

[autocrosscrx]

Selfishly, I hope it dies down a bit. I enjoy the coverage and all the youtube vlogs, but...

I liked being able to have the course to myself during off hours and buy things like discs or bags that I want. This summer, I was getting to the course at 6:30 on my day off to try to be able to play a multiple shot round and I'd still encounter 2 or 3 or 4 groups on tiny 9 hole courses.

 

[Doofenshmirtz]

How do you feel about the current direction of disc golf?

Do you feel drastic changes such as smaller baskets, or chainless baskets are needed?

Or do you see the current rate of growth as an indication that DG is already on the right path?

What disc golf needs is money and changed expectations IMO. I would like to see more private courses and the expectation, and acceptance, from players that they will have to pay something to play a nice course. My thought is that such a change would lead to more high quality, private courses.

It would also be nice to see a tournament fee and payout structure that made it more profitable to hold tournaments. Now, many participate in tournaments, not to win, but simply with the expectation that they will come away with their entry fee's worth of merchandise even if they come in dead last.

 

[Billyray]

What disc golf needs is money and changed expectations IMO. I would like to see more private courses and the expectation, and acceptance, from players that they will have to pay something to play a nice course. My thought is that such a change would lead to more high quality, private courses.

It would also be nice to see a tournament fee and payout structure that made it more profitable to hold tournaments. Now, many participate in tournaments, not to win, but simply with the expectation that they will come away with their entry fee's worth of merchandise even if they come in dead last.

Depends where you live. In my area (chicago burbs, Naperville area) there is no such thing as pay to play and ive got almost 100 courses within 50 miles of my house. The first time I heard about charging people to play disc golf I thought they were screwing with me.

 

[jeffmonty]

The only thing I really don't like about the way things are moving as far as the growth of DG is the trend of moving onto ball golf courses. I know this is a personal opinion and a lot of people like this trend, but I will take a disc golf fairway over a ball golf fairway 98 out of 100 times. What other sport uses another sport's field to play their game on? I do realize we need to put courses where and when we have the opportunity. If they would just design DG holes on the BG course (I'm sure it can be done) I would be more on board with it. I'm talking about trees/natural obstacles.

Our local club has two 18-hole courses on a ball golf course. They're beautiful courses, but it's 1-4 wide open throws depending on length, then putt. Bores me beyond tears. I have 2 free passes and club members get one free day per month, but I never bother to play there. I just don't find it much fun. The only real challenge is distance. End/BG course rant.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

The right direction for disc golf is...
















toward the basket.

 

[autocrosscrx]

What other sport uses another sport's field to play their game on?

Soccer, football, baseball, basketball, hockey...

 

[curmudgeonDwindle]

Despite the fact that social proof is really no proof at all, are the tyrannical elements of the game ignoring the chaotic elements, the 'exceptions'?

We all observe Golf having this problem, to some extent, of failure to update to current realities. It definitely seems to me that with regard to certain 'stubborn' issues in disc golf we have the same problems albeit to a lesser degree, and to a degree, the issues are being masked by disc golf's current growth.

Some examples?
1. PDGA juggling concerns for the broader game with concerns for the pro game. i.e.: The pro game's somewhat unhealthy vampiric relationship to the rest of the players.
2. Issues with the 'complexity' of the putting game.
3. Disproportionate amateur rewards.

 

[jeffmonty]

Soccer, football, baseball, basketball, hockey...

Kinda, but not really. Baseball, soccer and football can share a field, but they still have change it to adapt it to their game. I've never seen a hockey game on a basketball court, but that sounds boring after a few minutes, too.

 

[DavidSauls]

I like the current direction, which is......a lot of directions at once.

More open courses; more wooded courses. More courses on golf courses; more courses on private land. More beginner courses; more gold courses. More courses with lots of OB; more courses with no OB. More tournaments and leagues than ever before; more places to enjoy disc golf without ever entering competition.

In short, something for almost everyone to be happy.

 

[autocrosscrx]

Kinda, but not really. Baseball, soccer and football can share a field, but they still have change it to adapt it to their game. I've never seen a hockey game on a basketball court, but that sounds boring after a few minutes, too.

They put the basketball court over the ice.

...but aren't they changing golf courses to adapt it to disc golf. I played golf a long time and never encountered a disc golf basket on one.

 

[DavidSauls]

Our local park moves a fence twice a year, to convert a baseball field to soccer, and then back.

I coached baseball on a field that was converted for an annual volleyball tournament. I coached basketball in a gym that was converted for a badminton league. Etc., etc., etc.

 

[jeffmonty]

They put the basketball court over the ice.

...but aren't they changing golf courses to adapt it to disc golf. I played golf a long time and never encountered a disc golf basket on one.

I think you've missed my point, and I think you have it backwards. I think disc golf is the one that's adapting to ball golf courses, and it's boring. Unless you mean all the phony OB they have to add to make it challenging. Also, I can show you your first 36 disc golf baskets on a ball golf course if you ever make it out here.

I'm glad our club has the two courses on ball golf, for the players that like/want it, and there're quite a few. I think they're really nice courses and they've been a great addition to our local scene. I just don't want to see it as the dominant trend is all.

 

[ballgolfconvert]

it is booming around here due to covid. Most new faces I've ever seen sign up for events, so it could have some legs.

We also have quite a few people looking for help to learn the game. The local club pretty much scoffs when I bring up the idea of clinics, etc. They say they should just come out to league and get tips, but they may only get a small amount of help, as generally players are more interested in their own round. The sport would benefit if there was such a thing as a PDGA certified instructor or thereabouts that could advertise lessons while giving prospective students comfort with the designation.

 

[elmexdela]

i would like to see moar quality courses instead of quantity of courses

just cuz you can install a course doesnt mean you should