Dangerous Course

[Three Putt]

personally i would throw around it

That assumes too much. It assumes that everyone who walks up to that tee to play that hole would decide to throw around the obstacle and that everyone who walks up to that tee to play that hole would have the skill to execute the shot clear of the playground equipment 100% of the time. From a park design perspective, it's a risk assessment fail.

Like a lot of dangerous holes, it depends on a roll of the dice that the person who either decides to blast a Boss through the playground or the person who n00b hyzers a Beast into the play system never lines up with when kids are on the structure, which is more luck than a qualified park planner would be comfortable with.

 

[davetherocketguy]

You throw directly at a playground. Low use or no, this is unacceptable design. Not just unacceptable disc golf course design, but unacceptable public park design. Regardless of all other factors, this simply should not exist on public land.

Completely agree. That nonsense needs to go...

 

[jakebake91]

personally i would throw around it

C'mon bro. Channel your inner get freaky and smash a roller right into it!

 

[glassila]

its likely so low volume that it doesnt even matter

you could have 18 teepads and one basket and it wouldnt even be a safety concern

I have to disagree, this is a mistake.
Plus, you are asking for trouble if you assume there will only 1 or 2 people on this "course" at one time.
On the other hand this course has been open since 2011 so what do I know. :gross:

 

[enragedmullet]

Desperation is a stinky cologne. Trying to cram in a course near things like playgrounds is a boner move, period. I remember a now rip course in Mobile Alabama that had a volleyball court pop up in the middle of several fairways seemingly overnight. At first we said screw it and tried to play despite them but the fact remained that we were the ones chucking potentially dangerous things towards people and it became a game of "can we get there first".

Now that said, if the course came Second to the other things like playgrounds than that seems just like Ricky Bobby said, dumb. I've played my fair share of courses near things in parks like playgrounds and they always make me nervous and I almost never go back because of it. The last thing I need, as a professional recreational player is to shank a drive into a kid. Besides the fact you just ruined that kids day now you have to bear the brunt of mama.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Just played a recently installed niner in a local park, yet to be listed on DGCR.

Two holes under 200 ft, five about 230-250 ft range, and two clock in about 320+. So not exactly a "putter only" type of course.

Fact:
- A paved walking path winds it's way around the entire park. 7 of the 9 fairways play across the path.

- The only two holes that don't play over the path, have fairway that cross each other.

- Several tees are quite close to the previous basket, one being approx 10-12 ft from a basket. Two more tees are easily within 10m of the prior basket.

- The longest hole brings a swing set into play, as well as a pavilion about 15 ft behind the basket . It also has a tree obscuring a bench just left of the fairway, such that a RHBH throw that makes it around the tree and fades left, is headed toward the bench ...which is cemented in place. Standing on the tee, you can hardly see the bench behind the tee. I only noticed it because I saw a red wagon peeking out from behind the tree. Only when I looked to see what was up with the wagon, did I notice a lady sitting on the bench.

- Another hole puts some pull-up bars and some "use your weight for resistance" type exercise equipment in the line of fire (although, let's be honest: Does anyone ever use that stuff?).

During our round, my son and I saw at least a dozen other players. We also saw the mom sitting on the bench watching her child playing nearby, and at least 6 people walking along the path.

Opinion:
The entire course feels like an exceptionally poor fit for this park, especially the way it's been shoehorned in among other park features.

There are several signs posted to warn pedestrians of flying discs, but the position of the fairways and baskets in proximity to the other park features makes this a shared use nightmare.

It's painfully obvious to me that no one involved with this course had any:
1) Experience with course design.
2) Forethought about where discs are likely to go.
3) How fast players throw discs when trying to park holes in the 230 - 350 ft range.

I meant to list the course on DGCR, but found the entire course so irresponsibly designed and fraught with safety issues, I can't in good conscience play a role in funnelling more players to this course.

Probs just a matter of time before someone lists it here ...but it won't be me.

If someone does, my review will be titled, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

 

[biscoe]

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

I am headed out to a site tomorrow to re-confirm my opinion that it is not suitable for a course before I tell the (potential) customer that. The "any course is a good course" mentality needs to be a thing of the past.

 

[dr.chainslove]

Just peeped this Sunrise Terrace on UDisc. Rated an incredible 3.9. There's even a 27 hole layout--with a map! Most recent review, "Super cool course, just keep your head on a swivel." And this reviewer rated this a perfect 5.0. Yep

 

[ballgolfconvert]

This showed up in a Udisc Ambassador post on facebook recently. I wish there was a way local designers could be contacted to fix these kind of courses.

That's a little harsh. 4 baskets. To make it fun you develop a bunch of alternate holes. Regardless of how close things are, disc golfers are not suppose to throw until it is safe. Thus no one should be hit on these courses unless disc golfers ignore that common courtesy. For a sport that is suppose to be all about fun, you folks sure are big downers.

 

[Dcinmd]

Regardless of how close things are, disc golfers are not suppose to throw until it is safe. .

You do realize that over 50% of disc golfer have no clue about this concept.

 

[GMcAtee]

As I get older, I don't waste my breath. You have to let people fail.

Years ago, I tried to convince Batesville, IN it was a bad idea to put a 9 hole course in extremely busy Liberty Park.

They told me to f-off nicely, and figured out I was right on their own. Dangerous holes keep disappearing from the original design, and they built a 9-hole course on unused land near the soccer fields.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Found out today that someone has already been hit by a disc at the course I mentioned in post #66. In fact, the signs the posted were the result of that incident, and we're only installed after there fact.

Obviously, designers should avoid holes that play across a walking path. But not all violations of that best practice are created equal.

Holes where the tee is close to the walking path make it much easier to avoid hitting pedestrians (but ideally, shorten the hole, so the path is behind the tee).

Look left. Look right. None coming... safe to throw. Someone coming? Wait a few seconds, then throw.

But holes where the path crosses the fairway just in front of that basket are way more hazardous IMO, because walkers aren't paying attention to what's happening 200-300 ft away. And if the DG'er doesn't happen to see someone on the path walking toward the basket they're throwing to (say the pedestrian is obscured by some trees when someone tees off), the disc is already halfway down the fairway before anyone realizes the danger.

May not matter what the player yells, if the walker has earbuds in just chilling to some tunes.

Normally, I'm a big advocate of being aware of your surroundings and taking personal responsibility. But I fully support the people just walking on a path, listening to music, being disengaged, specifically because that's what some people to to escape. People walking on the trail are exactly where they're supposed to be.

They shouldn't have to think about avoiding objects being thrown toward them. That's on idiot course designers.

 

[txmxer]

One thing course designers should anticipate is that pedestrians have no clue about disc golf.

Over at the lake, we get a lot of dog walkers. I don't mind waiting for them to walk through (shared use, be nice), but we've had a few try and tell us to go ahead and throw when they are in the vicinity of the basket or other similar circumstances.

No way. Not gonna do it. I may be a wheenie arm, but I'm not cracking grandma or her poodle with my disc.

I'm surprised they turrets on the playground aren't marked as a mando.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Other park goers think we're innocently throwing frisbees/lids like, the kind they're used to throwing. They don't realize the frisbees were throwing have greater density and sharper edges, and are being thrown at higher speeds.

And from another thread:

As has been stated in every thread about "clueless" park users wandering on the course, ONLY DISC GOLFERS SEE FAIRWAYS; EVERYONE ELSE JUST SEES A PARK.

Since WE know what THEY dont...
The onus must always be on the designer and the players. I put the designer first, because you can't count on all players to do the right thing. Responsible designers recognize that.

 

[Luckj]

As I get older, I don't waste my breath. You have to let people fail.

Years ago, I tried to convince Batesville, IN it was a bad idea to put a 9 hole course in extremely busy Liberty Park.

They told me to f-off nicely, and figured out I was right on their own. Dangerous holes keep disappearing from the original design, and they built a 9-hole course on unused land near the soccer fields.

Thankfully they did redesign the original 9. It isn't particularly fun, but at least most holes won't result in injury. I still think 2 plays too close to the walking path though.

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Adventure? Excitement? A disc golfer craves not these things

 

[BogeyNoMore]

There may be a few different reasons for it but...

From what I've seen, niners seem to be more likely to be unsafe designed that 18 hole courses.

Perhaps it's designers trying to stretch holes to provide a variety of distances in a small area and/or people take more time designing a"full" 18 holes.

Or maybe even that some niners are a designers first attempt at getting a course put in, and it's possible they might learn a bit more after that experience,and do things differently.

Not saying I haven't seen issues on 18+ hole courses. But that I've seen more safety concerns regarding shared use on niners than courses that have 18 distinct fairways .

Just curious what others have seen, and their opinions.

 

[dreadlock86]

that vibes with my experience, with the exception of 18 hole courses on land that has room for 9 holes

 

[mojorooks]

There may be a few different reasons for it but...

From what I've seen, niners seem to be more likely to be unsafe designed that 18 hole courses.

Perhaps it's designers trying to stretch holes to provide a variety of distances in a small area and/or people take more time designing a"full" 18 holes.

Or maybe even that some niners are a designers first attempt at getting a course put in, and it's possible they might learn a bit more after that experience,and do things differently.

Not saying I haven't seen issues on 18+ hole courses. But that I've seen more safety concerns regarding shared use on niners than courses that have 18 distinct fairways .

Just curious what others have seen, and their opinions.

Absolutely. Playing into your notion that the average person sees harmless 'frisbees',

It seems schools like to install 9 hole courses on the playground area. The last time I was in Toledo, I played Dorr Elementary. Its a 9 hole course that plays entirely through an elementary playground. But then again, its meant for 8 and under. The kids playing can't generate enough power to cause much harm.

 

[biscoe]

Absolutely. Playing into your notion that the average person sees harmless 'frisbees',

It seems schools like to install 9 hole courses on the playground area. The last time I was in Toledo, I played Dorr Elementary. Its a 9 hole course that plays entirely through an elementary playground. But then again, its meant for 8 and under. The kids playing can't generate enough power to cause much harm.

This is one of the problems with that sort of course- play is not/can't be limited to players the course is "meant for."

9 hole courses in general (in my experience) tend to go in because there is not enough room (or money- one or the other) to install 18 holes. Often there is not even enough space to safely install 9. Putting in more holes than a piece of land can hold (whether the total be 9 or 18 or whatever) is one of the biggest safety issues in disc golf today.