Anyone ever hit a kid? Dangerous courses?

[The Hammer]

I totally sympathize with the frustrations of dealing with oblivious/stubborn/a-hole park users. My home course is Vista Del Camino. If you've been there (or watched footage of The Memorial), you understand the number of other park users that get in the way are plentiful. I can honestly say I would love to dome roc many of them. The thing I also have to keep in mind is that if I do drill one of them, we will likely lose the course. Personally, I don't want to be the guy known as "the dude that got Vista nixed", nor do I want to lose the nearest course to my home.

 

[mashnut]

Think about a housing complex on a ball golf course. If a parent tells their kid to walk around it and gets hit no one is blaming that golfer. They're all thinking, what the hell was that kid doing on a golf course without supervision? I just hope that a disc golf course inside a park will one day be regarded as the same. A place that is for disc golf but open to the public so travel at your own risk.

The golf analogy is flawed though. Golfers pay for the privilege of using that space exclusively for golf. One local course here in San Diego is marked at all the entrances for disc golf use only, and the course is pay to play. On that course, I have no sympathy for random people wandering around, just like I wouldn't on a ball golf course.

If a parent let their kid wander around in a park and some guy practicing his golf swing nailed the kid with a golf ball, you wouldn't blame the parent or the kid. The guy is welcome to use the public park like everyone else, but he's not entitled to use it in a way that endangers others. I would love to see more disc golf exclusive properties, but with over 85% of our courses currently on public property we have to be aware that it's not our space, it's just space we are allowed to share with other park users.

 

[SteezeOG]

The golf analogy is flawed though. Golfers pay for the privilege of using that space exclusively for golf. One local course here in San Diego is marked at all the entrances for disc golf use only, and the course is pay to play. On that course, I have no sympathy for random people wandering around, just like I wouldn't on a ball golf course.

If a parent let their kid wander around in a park and some guy practicing his golf swing nailed the kid with a golf ball, you wouldn't blame the parent or the kid. The guy is welcome to use the public park like everyone else, but he's not entitled to use it in a way that endangers others. I would love to see more disc golf exclusive properties, but with over 85% of our courses currently on public property we have to be aware that it's not our space, it's just space we are allowed to share with other park users.

Fair point but there are public golf courses. They are charging for maintenance and a somewhat exclusive area to play. I don't see why disc golf can't follow that path. There are a lot of cheap disc golfers but I think you'll find most willing to throw down a dollar donation each round they play if they know it's going to course maintenance and the signs to warn people they are entering a disc golf course.

I'm just saying everyone involved is going to have to compromise. Disc golfers, walkers, parks dept, etc. It's never going to work without mutual responsibility, education, and awareness.

 

[bcos4life]

I really agree with the guy that said that unless you're a golfer, you don't see the courses. Once I started playing, I noticed courses at parks that I'd driven by or been at dozens of times.

As far as the hazards of it. If someone is walking through the fairway, I whistle or yell and just hold up my disc. The closest I've come to hitting someone was a couple having a picnic. I yelled and waved and they waved me on thinking they were out of range. I skimmed it about a foot over their heads.

 

[scarpfish]

Having to deal with 'civilians' or 'muggles' etc in our line of fire occasionally is a burden of having a sport that is free to play in most instances. If we started paying for use of our facilities in much the same manner that ball golfers, baseball/softball teams and the like pay for theirs, I wonder if this conundrum would change.

 

[MrFixIt]

Having to deal with 'civilians' or 'muggles' etc in our line of fire occasionally is a burden of having a sport that is free to play in most instances. If we started paying for use of our facilities in much the same manner that ball golfers, baseball/softball teams and the like pay for theirs, I wonder if this conundrum would change.

I'm sure it would. Just look at any P2P courses, only reason anyone is there is for DG.
Also eliminates the a-holes, chuckers, and posers.

 

[DavidSauls]

Having to deal with 'civilians' or 'muggles' etc in our line of fire occasionally is a burden of having a sport that is free to play in most instances. If we started paying for use of our facilities in much the same manner that ball golfers, baseball/softball teams and the like pay for theirs, I wonder if this conundrum would change.

Which is about the point I jump in and say, Support your local pay-to-play private course. Sure, it's not free, but you rarely have to deal with this problem, either.

 

[bradharris]

If we started paying for use of our facilities in much the same manner that ball golfers, baseball/softball teams and the like pay for theirs, I wonder if this conundrum would change.

To be fair, my softball league doesn't pay for use of the fields. However, we do reserve them with the parks department. The disc golf equivalent would be reserving use of the course for a tournament.

A couple guys going out to hit balls on the softball field is more analogous to the casual player on the disc golf course.

 

[nolangherity]

i hit a dog once. the owner apologized

 

[Teebird Elvis]

Has anyone here found the best way to deal with these issues?

I played a round with a guy and his kid kept running ahead of us, and basically every shot we had to get the kids attention before throwing to keep him from running in front of us.

That said, last hole, I am lining up to putt, 50' or so away, I release my putt, and he darts towards the basket. I forgot to check on him. Landed close to him, and I could tell his dad got upset, but really I wasn't in an apologetic mood at that point after dealing all day with it, I said, that one was close, to acknowledge what happened, and the dad was like, YEA IT WAS!, but that was all I was going to say. I would not have thrown the putt had I known he was darting for the basket, and the dad needed to realize that.

Since that time I basically say no to groups with kids, or if I do, I am overly cautious to the point of not playing.

No matter what the situation, it is never ok to release a disc with the potential to hit a child. No matter how much that frustrates us, that is the way it is. An adult who is in the middle of a dg course, they get a heads up yell, then let it fly, but NEVER take a chance with a child. Better to walk to another he and play that one later.

 

[Osmo]

and posers.

there are people who pretend to be golfers when they are not?

 

[MrFixIt]

there are people who pretend to be golfers when they are not?

Yes sir. Ever see those folks running thru the course w/ a Groove and a Nuke?
Them thar's posers, son.

 

[scarpfish]

To be fair, my softball league doesn't pay for use of the fields. However, we do reserve them with the parks department. The disc golf equivalent would be reserving use of the course for a tournament.

Still, in that case there a formal arrangement with the powers that be that authorizes a dedicated use for that facility.

A couple guys going out to hit balls on the softball field is more analogous to the casual player on the disc golf course.

The one difference being that the guys casually hitting balls on the softball field still have a fenced in enclosure which makes it obvious even to non-participants what that space is for.

And I'm not saying going to pay to play would solve these issues completely, but in a world where the money that pays for the maintenance of a disc golf course comes from disc golf user fees as opposed to taxpayer coffers, and disc golfers decide to stop paying because non-users are encroaching on that territory for free, that's going to make parks departments think differently when it comes to putting up warning signs, or perhaps even cable barricades.

 

[Osmo]

Yes sir. Ever see those folks running thru the course w/ a Groove and a Nuke?
Them thar's posers, son.

*hides his groove*

 

[Thumber]

I was out the other night doing field practice on a soccer pitch. Guy shows up and, I kid you not, starts throwing javelins.

I walked over and chatted for a few minutes to make sure we could both safely use the field, which we could.

Next thing I knew a whole whack of parents and kids show up for a shinny soccer game. We both cleared out because the arguments that we were using the field first were just too selfish to make.

This guy could huck a javelin as well.

Share public spaces and never assume anyone other than other golfers understands the danger these discs pose. The thrower will always be at fault in the court of public opinion and a pulled course is a very easy achievement if you hit someone, especially a child.

 

[wake911]

I have hit a toddler in his mother's arms. It was a blind anny shot, on a 700'+ hole, so a big bomb turnover shot. I was using my 2nd run Valkyrie (VERY SHARP) and didn't even see the people when I went out to make sure it was clear (as we always did)

Threw one of the hardest, lowest shots ever with the perfect amount of anny to turn the corner and it would flatten out, heard a THUD, and then bloodcurdling scream. I sprinted up to see what happened and I had hit the little kid on the right bicep, while his mom held him, probably 100' from the tee pad. On a shot that would have been 400'+, so it was still traveling very fast.

It was 100% my fault. I threw the disc that hit the kid. It doesn't matter that I looked and still to this day have NO IDEA where they came from. I thanked all the lucky stars that this lady and kid were OK (it was only about 12" from her face hitting the kids arm)

All you people saying it isn't our (disc golfers) fault 100% have never hit someone for real. That happens you understand it was your fault. You NEVER are forced to throw your disc. As soon as you choose to throw, you choose to accept all responsibility for that disc and anything it does.

I have skipped more than a couple holes in my life due to people not knowing what disc golf is, not understanding how badly they could be injured, and not wanting to get out of the way. It isn't their requirement to know that, it is mine.

Analogies to a ball golf course are silly. Even public ball golf courses are in completely enclosed (even if by rope) areas dedicated to ball golf. I have only played a handful of disc golf courses with that type of set-up.

Baseball fields, soccer fields etc: If you do not have a reservation for the fields, and they are mixed use parks (ours don't even have outfield fences, just backstop fences) then it doesn't matter that you want to play softball and they are having a picnic. It is a mixed use area.

If it is truly a mixed use park, then the ones throwing the deadly weapons are the ones who are at fault. (softball, disc, golf ball, boomerang, kites, anything)

 

[techn9cian4life]

Our disc golf course, Ann Morrison, has heavy pedestrian traffic all the time. Most people are aware that it is a disc golf course year round because it's been there for a very long time. BUT I do have a story. 2 weeks ago during league, it was about 6:30pm. We were on hole 9.. and to the right of us there was a huge group of kids playing lacrosse. When I say huge, I mean 40-50 kids. At first they were far away from the fairway so we thought nothing of it. About 2 minutes later they split in to groups. Of course, 3 of those groups decided they wanted to practice right in front of the basket we were playing on. Literally 20 feet away from it, on all sides. So one of the guys in our group jogged up to them and told them that they can't be standing right there because it's right in the way of the disc golf basket. Well one of the parents came up and apparently all he heard of the conversation was, you guys can't be here. So he got all pissed off and defensive. In the end the coach of the boys came over and told them they need to move because they are in fact standing right in the way of where we were playing. They were wearing heavy lacrosse gear though..so if a disc DID hit them it wouldn't of hurt em, right?

 

[1978]

I almost plunked a dude at foxchase last time I was out there. It was on the big uphill hole (hole 8) on the first nine, can't remember the number. I throw. He comes walking out of the woods (like not from a path or anything, just the woods) as my disc is sailing up there. I yell and he ducks and then waits for me to walk up there and yells at me for almost hitting him and did I know this was a public park. I apologized and let him know that he might want to be careful if he is walking around back here because it is a DG course. He then yelled at me some more about he can walk wherever he wants since its a public course and then walks off into the woods again not following any trail.

The we pay taxes BS line is silly and immature. People use this ^ (im in a public park arguement) all the time in favor of playing disc golf AND being in the way.

In a public park, if the ball fields say closed or are locked or the bathrooms are locked...it is NOT ok to climb over a fence or break a lock. If a softball game is being played, its is NOT ok to walk into center field and lay out a blanket. These things will get you arrested or removed from the property. You have no right to play disc golf (this point is made when courses are closed for tournaments by casuals who still want to play) nor do people have the right to walk all over them with out paying attention.

You pay taxes, that build roads, you still cannot speed on them or graffitti them.

Basically, it comes down to doing what is right. In most cases, since a hiker or picnic'r cannot hurt you, it is your responsibility to eliminate the chance for injury to them. Your disc can kill or maim, mindlessly walking a baby or being rude cannot. The responsibility falls to you to make the sacrifice.

You have no more rights than anyone just because you "pay taxes." Almost HALF of people and a large amount of the people that use public parks dont pay any taxes! Should I get more use because I pay more taxes? This is the 18 hole dont pay your taxes loop. Show your tax return and you can play an additional 6 holes in the 24 hole layout. Lol. Its a dumb arguement.

 

[MrFixIt]

*hides his groove*

You're not a poser Osmo. And you don't have to hide your Groove. :thmbup:

 

[scarpfish]

The we pay taxes BS line is silly and immature. People use this ^ (im in a public park arguement) all the time in favor of playing disc golf AND being in the way.

The thing that people who use that line don't seem to comprehend is that the people that they are having a conflict with pay taxes too.

And I can bet you that in most instances that how often someone uses that line is inversely proportional to how much of their real world tax dollars actually go into that park.