Baskets vs Tee Pads

[Casey 1988]

I'll put it like this:

The difference between the worst backers and the best basket isn't as big as the difference between the worst tees and the best tees.

If the tees pads are merely, decent, improving the baskets makes sense. But if the tees pads aren't level, or just suck, don't worry about the baskets at all... fix the freakin' tees.

Worst Baskets to best is huge and some courses I have seen crap baskets that should not fly anywhere in the world, they used 12-15 baskets used to be a 17 basket course where tee off 1 was originally basket 18 as they did not have tee spots at all for course. For baskets they made them out of 95% wood very small micro chain like that from a cheep chain necklace for 9-12 chain strands taking word Chains literally and the plastic landscape divider stuff that keeps lawn from entering planter beds. The baskets were never upkept and some you had to layup right next to the basket to carefully put the disc in the basket so carefully that in some we just took the disc put it so to PDGA rules the disc is in the cage area in the basket but still in the hand. Yes this is/was a semi public course in the Fingerlakes area of NY, the baskets were used by a local kids club who claimed to own the land or at least the baskets but let people play the course as long as they did not disturb the kids club. That Course lacked tee off areas so we used basket to basket but did have a marking on a post of a basketball hoop pole in sharpie saying hole one tee off, so sometimes when the court was in use you had to tee off standing in line with the pole but off the court and no runup allowed. Course was tough due to baskets mostly but for some reason they thought a single 550 foot hole was appropriate for what was other then that a total beginner course where I used mostly midrange and putter on. We had a map from online printed out for the course layout with distance on map all thanks to a cousin or we would have been lost looking for the baskets.

So yeah both can be very off with lowest basket to highest end. Then also very off with the tee area from a worn out natural no tee area using previous basket/target as tee marker to the best concrete one. This is why I did not vote as both need to be at least decent for a course to work as a public or open to public course.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Bottom line is this:

...both need to be at least decent for a course to work as a public or open to public course.

 

[davetherocketguy]

Depends are we talking about regular sized or smaller baskets?

 

[wolfhaley]

Depends are we talking about regular sized or smaller baskets?

What is a regular sized basket? I thought all they use currently is GIANT baskets.

Along those lines. I picked baskets.

In 20 years when every course is using smaller baskets I'll change my answer to tee pads. Until then I prefer better baskets. And I have been injured by a basket before. Cage was made of an old tire (looking at you Winchster Park) and sliced my wrist open.

 

[Casey 1988]

What is a regular sized basket? I thought all they use currently is GIANT baskets.

Along those lines. I picked baskets.

In 20 years when every course is using smaller baskets I'll change my answer to tee pads. Until then I prefer better baskets. And I have been injured by a basket before. Cage was made of an old tire (looking at you Winchster Park) and sliced my wrist open.

Yep Played that course in Fingerlakes of NY where the basket course was of wood, with actual cheep micro chain neckless for the chains taking wording chains literally, and cage the plastic lawn edging stuff where some baskets we, My brother, uncle, dad, and I could not even put the disc in the basket to hole out had to hold it in the cage. Was a semi public course owned by a local club for kids. I am not sure the course still exists but if it does they got some of these baskets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L0GGSN...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl set in concrete with base removed as this was all I could find for a course in the Area of where we played in 2007 and I am not sure it is even the same course.

 

[joecoin]

As usual, the correct answer is "all of the above". I'd rather have a few holes - all with signs, fairways, tees, and baskets - than a bunch of only baskets, signs, fairways, or tee pads.

But, before any of those, a parking lot and bathrooms.

Welcome to Use Your Imagination disc golf course. Level, paved, and striped secure free parking for hundreds. Heated bathrooms with flush toilets and personal attendants.

See those trees over there? Just imagine a basket and let your disc fly!

 

[Casey 1988]

Bottom line is this:

Yep Baskets need to be good metal tone poles of materials that will not rust or fixed so they will not and tee needs to be some surface not natural, at least a rubber pad or the low height carpet of some kind for course to work for me. Baskets need to be something that will not fall apart quick like low low end metal baskets/ones without rust prevention to them and if wood that the baskets are not flimsy but get maintenance every 2-3 years but get repaired/maintenance every year if they are on the flimsy side.

This is minimum for me to play a course that if not best equipment it will still work. Yes baskets can be other material too like some plastic, but they better not if home made have potential ability to hurt players.

 

[DavidSauls]

I'll put it like this:

The difference between the worst backers and the best basket isn't as big as the difference between the worst tees and the best tees.

If the tees pads are merely, decent, improving the baskets makes sense. But if the tees pads aren't level, or just suck, don't worry about the baskets at all... fix the freakin' tees.

Or, at least, the distribution is different.

I rarely see bad baskets. The vast majority I see are good; a few places I encounter decent baskets (maybe a few spitouts). There's no way to play around bad baskets -- you can't practically set up an alternate target -- but I don't see them much.

Bad tees are a much bigger nuisance to me, because they're more common and so more often detract from the experience. Though it is true that, in casual play, most of the time you can relocate the tee to suit yourself.

 

[Doofenshmirtz]

by that logic only 18 throws hit the basket: still equal

I typically have more than 18 throws hit the basket. Your logic seems a bit off.

 

[JuanA]

As long as we aren't talking about damaged baskets, I say tee.

As long as we aren't talking about damaged tees, I say basket.

In that order.

 

[Horsman]

When I search for courses to play, the first thing I look for is concrete tees. No concrete tees means I more than likely will skip over the course. I dont care at all what kind of baskets I play on. Maple Hill could have Franklin Sports baskets and I would still travel there anyday to play it.

 

[rocthecourse]

I voted baskets

I would rather play a course with baskets and no tee pads than a course with tee pads and no baskets.

 

[ToddL]

When I search for courses to play, the first thing I look for is concrete tees. No concrete tees means I more than likely will skip over the course. I dont care at all what kind of baskets I play on. Maple Hill could have Franklin Sports baskets and I would still travel there anyday to play it.

Even though Maple Hill does not have concrete tees?

 

[Horsman]

Even though Maple Hill does not have concrete tees?

Which are made from?






Concrete.

 

[JuanA]

I don't need concrete, but it has to be smooth and level. Natural is fine, but not if it's worn into a trough.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

Shameless plug for my latest vintage casual round video, but I think it belongs in this discussion. The time? September, 1998. The place? Ludington, Michigan. It's half of our sport's existence ago (if you consider the advent of the basket to be our beginning). Fewer than 1/10th as many people had a PDGA number then compared to today.

At the time, I believe this is the farthest north course in Michigan with baskets. Today there are 36 courses north of this location just clicking once on the DGCR map and counting the baskets, and that's just on the western side of the state.

I drove 2 hours to play this course that day. It has among the gnarliest looking baskets I've ever played (three of them stolen) and a rut of dirt with a wooden stake in the ground. We had a blast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1435FOQBUaM&feature=youtu.be

 

[ohtobediscing]

Good fairways first, then baskets.

Because life is uninspiring without a journey.

16-18 years ago, when there were a lot less courses, I loved going to parks and wooded areas and making up courses.
Tees? Baskets? Meh.

 

[glassila]

Shameless plug for my latest vintage casual round video, but I think it belongs in this discussion. The time? September, 1998. The place? Ludington, Michigan. It's half of our sport's existence ago (if you consider the advent of the basket to be our beginning). Fewer than 1/10th as many people had a PDGA number then compared to today.

At the time, I believe this is the farthest north course in Michigan with baskets. Today there are 36 courses north of this location just clicking once on the DGCR map and counting the baskets, and that's just on the western side of the state.

I drove 2 hours to play this course that day. It has among the gnarliest looking baskets I've ever played (three of them stolen) and a rut of dirt with a wooden stake in the ground. We had a blast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1435FOQBUaM&feature=youtu.be

Your video description with information about the disc golf scene in Michigan in 1998 is very interesting. :clap:

 

[jakebake91]

We have good examples of this on local courses. One has weird temp rubber tee pads (cut apart tractor tires?) with amazing new top of the line prodigy baskets. Another has really nice concrete tees and discatcher 3's.

I'll take the tees.

Like others have stated, the difference from best to worst basket is nothing compared to the difference between a great tee surface and a terrible one.

In my example, teeing from beside the rubber pads isn't always feasible because a few holes tee from low laying muddy areas. That area is worse than the tee pads.

 

[Casey 1988]

When I search for courses to play, the first thing I look for is concrete tees. No concrete tees means I more than likely will skip over the course. I dont care at all what kind of baskets I play on. Maple Hill could have Franklin Sports baskets and I would still travel there anyday to play it.

Then you would miss a few courses that I have played that used pavers or brick for the surface. One of them was Ashtabula Disc Golf Course in Ohio, played about 55% of the course before rain set in, that had Brick material pavers.