Disc Golf - The Unwashed Masses

[lyleoross]

Did I write disc golf? I meant golf. A week or so ago there was a discussion about whether or not social pressure makes golfers better able to obey the rules than disc golfers. There was an implication that the ball golf crowd was, "better mannered." Implied, not stated. In light of that, I found this article very interesting:


US golf fans, a group known for expressing their feelings, are beginning to grate on Rory McIlroy. The world No13 was subjected to heckles during Saturday's third round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and wondered whether limiting alcohol sales could remedy the matter.

"There was one guy out there who kept yelling my wife's name," said McIlroy, who was two shots off the leader Henrik Stenson going into Sunday's final round. "I was going to go over and have a chat with him. I don't know, I think it's gotten a little much, to be honest. I think that they need to limit alcohol sales on the course, or they need to do something because every week, it seems like guys are complaining about it more and more."

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...arnold-palmer-invitational?CMP=share_btn_link

All I can say is, what's with you disc golf fans? You need to step it up to get to where the ball golf crowd is. When the best we can do is to use our drink bottles to deflect OB shots, and an occasional flash going off during a putt, well, clearly we aren't working our social skills hard enough.

 

[thrembo]

I just wish that they would stop yelling "GET IN THE HOLE" after every shot. Very annoying.

 

[bnbanbury]

Did I write disc golf? I meant golf. A week or so ago there was a discussion about whether or not social pressure makes golfers better able to obey the rules than disc golfers. There was an implication that the ball golf crowd was, "better mannered." Implied, not stated. In light of that, I found this article very interesting:


US golf fans, a group known for expressing their feelings, are beginning to grate on Rory McIlroy. The world No13 was subjected to heckles during Saturday's third round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and wondered whether limiting alcohol sales could remedy the matter.

"There was one guy out there who kept yelling my wife's name," said McIlroy, who was two shots off the leader Henrik Stenson going into Sunday's final round. "I was going to go over and have a chat with him. I don't know, I think it's gotten a little much, to be honest. I think that they need to limit alcohol sales on the course, or they need to do something because every week, it seems like guys are complaining about it more and more."

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...arnold-palmer-invitational?CMP=share_btn_link

All I can say is, what's with you disc golf fans? You need to step it up to get to where the ball golf crowd is. When the best we can do is to use our drink bottles to deflect OB shots, and an occasional flash going off during a putt, well, clearly we aren't working our social skills hard enough.

How are you going to heckle someone at a disc golf course and not be immediately noticed, are you going to hide among the tens of spectators thronging the fairway?

Worry not, we have plenty of people that behave this poorly and worse in the disc golf crowd. If we ever get the spectator following of the PGA the players will have to deal the same nonsense.

 

[thrembo]

On one side I think that this golfer needs to grow some thicker skin. Have you seen the heckling that goes on at a pro football or even a pro baseball game? On the other side, if I guy yells at a pro golfer "hey I boinked your wife last night" he should be booted off the course and asked not to return.

We don't need any outside hecklers in disc golf. My regular group is pretty good at heckling each other.

 

[Cgkdisc]

What if allowing fan interaction during play like other major sports increased spectators and viewership?

 

[GoobyPls]

This isn't a new thing in golf at all.

I remember watching a ball golf tournament on TV in summer of 2003. There had ben a rain delay after a downpour, and there was an inch or two of standing water in some of the bunkers. Tiger Woods was teeing off on a par 3, and found a bunker short of the green. There was a big splash as it hit, and you could clearly hear these two (obviously drunk) guys from the gallery yell "IN THE WATER!" Tiger turned around and started looking for them.

 

[GoobyPls]

What if allowing fan interaction during play like other major sports increased spectators and viewership?

Hole 16 at TPC Scottsdale is like that. The entire hole is enclosed by stadium stands, and usually has 20000 people cheering/booing/etc. The fans yell and make noise the entire time.

 

[JC17393]

Hole 16 at TPC Scottsdale is like that. The entire hole is enclosed by stadium stands, and usually has 20000 people cheering/booing/etc. The fans yell and make noise the entire time.

And most players play into it because of the unique situation involved. Also, the spirit of the crowd there isn't necessarily hostile or mean-spirited, which seems to be the issue Mcilroy was having at the API.

Hole 16 at TPC Scottsdale kind of has an equivalent in disc golf:

 

[BogeyNoMore]

What if allowing fan interaction during play like other major sports increased spectators and viewership?

Imagine if golf or DG had people waving blown up likenesses of players, or thunder sticks, like players shooting free throws have to deal with.


...although I'm not sure if they still allow that at games.

 

[XC_Eddy]

Oh, spectators are very much still distracting free throw shooters at college basketball games.

As someone who used to sit in the Duke Grad-Student Section, I completely understand why everyone hates us.

My favorite use of distraction tactics for free throws:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PEXG0mZKcw

GTHC

 

[lyleoross]

What are the razz rounds called, where the fans scream like crazy to disrupt the players? I've seen Paul in one.

 

[lyleoross]

How are you going to heckle someone at a disc golf course and not be immediately noticed, are you going to hide among the tens of spectators thronging the fairway?

Worry not, we have plenty of people that behave this poorly and worse in the disc golf crowd. If we ever get the spectator following of the PGA the players will have to deal the same nonsense.

I don't think I'd argue that we don't have rowdy, impolite fans, rather, that there isn't any difference in the jib of our fans or players and those from golf.

In my life, I've seen people make the argument that different groups of people act or behave differently based on lots of things. I've rarely found those differences to be correct, rather, they are based on personal perception or whether or not you belong to that group. Being a member of the disc golf group, I find ya all to be a rather spectacular group of people, high in moral fiber, and fun to play with. On the other hand, I read a comment a week or so ago claiming we're a bunch of red necked racists. But that writer didn't play disc golf.

 

[lyleoross]

What if allowing fan interaction during play like other major sports increased spectators and viewership?

Tough call. I'm agin' it, but since no one is ever going to be interested in razzing my rounds, I wouldn't suffer much for the allowance of such.

How would such a thing jibe with the rule allowing players to move and silence distractions during a round?

 

[Halcón]

Hole 16 at TPC Scottsdale is like that. The entire hole is enclosed by stadium stands, and usually has 20000 people cheering/booing/etc. The fans yell and make noise the entire time.

The ONLY way you're going to make disc golf really grow is to add beer. Lots and lots of beer. The Waste Management Open may as well be called the Get Wasted Open.

 

[Jimb]

What if allowing fan interaction during play like other major sports increased spectators and viewership?

I've seen some "heckle" rounds of dg on youtube. I can't stand them. It's just generally very annoying. If it would increase viewership, I'd use my mute button a lot more.

Hadn't read the whole thread and now she razz round mentioned.

 

[F. Howl]

I just wish that they would stop yelling "GET IN THE HOLE" after every shot. Very annoying.

The only time I yell, "Get in the hole!" or "Oh, just get in..." or "One time!" or "Get sexy." etc...
is when a friend completely shanks his drive.

 

[jmdaire27]

I played hockey goalie in high school (well, to this day) and I hated getting "Sieved!" by the crowd. Definitely threw off my mojo but I suppose I was a teenager back then. I guess back then the razzing would definitely get to me. Nowadays, I've played many rounds with music in the background, people talking/moving/etc, things moving in the background (tournaments and casual rounds the like). I don't really care. I sink into my own head when I play, for better or worse. I suppose "You're wife is a _____!" directly at me could probably do it though...

I think it might boil down to the fact our sport and ball golf are still very different. Outside of the scoring metrics and end goal, I think we don't need to nit pick between the two. Ball golf's been around forever and has evolved into what it is today. The players have played and grown with the expectation at the big stage there will be silence when they swing their club. Which, I think, it should be (since such minute muscle reactions can change the outcome significantly, as I understand it). That's the way it is there, and the way it will continue (just like a baseball game will seem to last forever...).

Disc golf is still evolving and growing, however. Probably much different than the way ball golf has, idk. Clearly, at these larger events, it's an expectation that fans will stfu (and move their water bottles and turn their flash off and get out of the way of a disc flying at them during a playoff), but idiots will be idiots (and accidents will happen). Can disc golfers tolerate more noise or distractions during a throw? I don't know. But, with there being maybe a couple dozen people following in a gallery, it's easy to pinpoint the 'distractors' (as Paul did at WACO, by smiling and asking the photographer to cut the flash, and they did, and they moved on). So, the less the distractions are tolerated, I'm sure that will evolve into the norm. And don't take away beer. Add more. Take away idiots.

That was long winded. I am procrastinating other things... Cheers.

 

[teemkey]

1. Write an app so internet viewers can heckle
2. get a monster amp & speakers
3. ?
4. Profit!

 

[TimSyl]

I come from an old school, ball golf background so I'm used to quiet and no movement when executing a shot. Casual ball golfers are guilty of noise/movement in casual or league rounds, but know not to move or make noise at a pro event. Or, should know. As my nephew once said, "you can get 10,000 people to stand still at a PGA event but you can't get 10 disc golfers to STFU when you're trying to play".

 

[Grippenripp]

Grow some thicker skin. Deal with it. It's going to happen, when you're being heckled just be confident in knowing that it only happening because you're completely s.oking someone or hot on someone's heels.