Do clubs remove baskets in winter?

[glassila]

My area (Calumet, MI) averages 240 inches of snow per winter. I have been speaking with my township supervisor who is interested in a DG course in the township.

Do clubs in areas that get heavy snow amounts (northern Minn, upper Mich, etc.) remove their baskets during the winter or do they leave them in year round?

If baskets are left in year round, what baskets are recommended?

 

[JSurmann]

Not all do but I'm sure some do. Most any professional basket should stand up to the elements.

 

[Photoguy]

We don't get the snow that your part of the country does. But it rains 8 months or so out of the year in the NW and my local course baskets have been standing out there full-time for years and years now.

Now, if you lived somewhere that NOBODY used the course all winter, I could see pulling them. But in the NW, you get pretty used to doing stuff in the cruddy. I assume that the same is true in the snowy states. But then again, maybe people just stay inside and keep warm.

 

[mashnut]

The biggest reason to pull baskets is to prevent damage to the course when the snow melts. When you turn the entire course into a slushy muddy mess and have people walking through you can tear up any grass that's surviving and speed up erosion a ton.

 

[glassila]

Not all do but I'm sure some do. Most any professional basket should stand up to the elements.

This is pretty much how our winters look. While you could throw discs, you would never be able to find them in snow that is over 2 feet deep.

I don't envision the baskets being used in the winter, I'm just wondering if they would stand up to harsh winters.

 

[mashnut]

The baskets will be just fine, the course might or might not be depending on your ground cover and the amount of traffic it will get during the muddy spring thaw.

 

[glassila]

The biggest reason to pull baskets is to prevent damage to the course when the snow melts. When you turn the entire course into a slushy muddy mess and have people walking through you can tear up any grass that's surviving and speed up erosion a ton.

ahhhh, I didn't think of that. Removing the baskets...remove the temptation to play.

 

[Steve West]

It's more common to pull them in the spring when playing on the mud can have too much impact on erosion and soil compaction.

I played Lizard Range last winter in the snow. One target is in kind of a pit which had filled with water to just over the top of the tray and frozen. I had to hang the disc in the chains to officially complete the hole.

 

[KDDEBOER]

There are no "snow days" in disc golf. Keep huckin'!

 

[chrishysell]

do clubs typically own the baskets? I could see a park system removing them but the club probably doesn't have the right. Was this the correct answer?

 

[glassila]

There are no "snow days" in disc golf. Keep huckin'!

While in theory you could play in deep powder, in reality you wouldn't even consider it. In mid-winter the snow is knee to waist deep. While a disc would not sink down the the ground level, it will certainly sink out of sight. Any disc thrown a good distance (+ 200 feet) would probably stay there until spring.

Now if you had a stretch of warm weather, then cold weather with no snow in the meantime and there was a good crust of snow...Then you would have some really cool discing conditions! http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/images/smilies/applause.gif

 

[glassila]

do clubs typically own the baskets? I could see a park system removing them but the club probably doesn't have the right. Was this the correct answer?

I guess I should have said "course" instead of "club".
I am trying to determine if baskets are commonly removed for the winter in snowy climates, whether they were owned by a club, city, village or privately owned.
I guess I am trying to determine if baskets will withstand year after year of harsh winter weather and what types of baskets are the most winter tough.

 

[chrishysell]

a galvanized basket will last a lot longer than a powder coated basket. Even in the climate I live in here in Va the galvanizing begins to rust off around the welds after 15-20 yrs. This could possibly be a result of bad welds or the hot dip galvanizing process. I work for a steel company within 2 miles of a galvanizer. We often get visits and instructions to make the galvanizing process more efficient. The next time one of their people is here I will ask them what the expected durations are in different climates. I'm sure that galvanizing is least effective in the coastal regions.

 

[knettles]

Glassila, I'm not sure if you've seen this or not, but some people tape streamers/ribbons to the center of their discs. This can allow the disc to be found relatively easy even in 2+ feet of snow. Also, if it's a fairly open fairway and you see the general area your disc goes down, you can get good at just spotting the entry wound in the snow. So it's definitely doable. There's other things you can do as well. Not using drivers and sticking with mids and putters helps. They don't pierce through nearly as much. Some people like keeping concrete teepads shoveled, but that can be alot of work the more snow you have. But if you don't keep it shoveled, it's best to tee off from the side of the pad, that way the compressed snow doesn't turn to ice. Hope this helps.

 

[mashnut]

While in theory you could play in deep powder, in reality you wouldn't even consider it. In mid-winter the snow is knee to waist deep. While a disc would not sink down the the ground level, it will certainly sink out of sight. Any disc thrown a good distance (+ 200 feet) would probably stay there until spring.

Now if you had a stretch of warm weather, then cold weather with no snow in the meantime and there was a good crust of snow...Then you would have some really cool discing conditions! http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/images/smilies/applause.gif

I've played in 3'+ of powder. I threw a zephyr for all my shots, it never dives under the snow. The same is true of something like an ultrastar. It's a lot of work, but it's certainly still possible to play in those types of conditions without losing discs.

 

[KDDEBOER]

While in theory you could play in deep powder, in reality you wouldn't even consider it. In mid-winter the snow is knee to waist deep. While a disc would not sink down the the ground level, it will certainly sink out of sight. Any disc thrown a good distance (+ 200 feet) would probably stay there until spring.

Now if you had a stretch of warm weather, then cold weather with no snow in the meantime and there was a good crust of snow...Then you would have some really cool discing conditions! http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/images/smilies/applause.gif

It's great playing in fresh powder! You can see exactly where your disc hits the ground. True it takes a little time to hunt it down, but if you watch your shot the snow shows you exactly where to look!

Last winter played in a 60 person doubles tournie the morning after a 2 foot snow dump. It was a blast! (Even though I punched through some ice and played most of the round with a wet foot.)

 

[andrewv]

Some of my local courses take out a couple baskets to make way for ice rinks and sledding hills, but I play all through Iowa winter- tromping through snow knee-deep or more. Below 0 is too cold but anything above 0 I just wear four layers of shirts and carry a 5 disc bag and a snow shovel.

 

[ru4por]

Glassila, I'm not sure if you've seen this or not, but some people tape streamers/ribbons to the center of their discs. This can allow the disc to be found relatively easy even in 2+ feet of snow. Also, if it's a fairly open fairway and you see the general area your disc goes down, you can get good at just spotting the entry wound in the snow. So it's definitely doable. There's other things you can do as well. Not using drivers and sticking with mids and putters helps. They don't pierce through nearly as much. Some people like keeping concrete teepads shoveled, but that can be alot of work the more snow you have. But if you don't keep it shoveled, it's best to tee off from the side of the pad, that way the compressed snow doesn't turn to ice. Hope this helps.

This. Man, it cannot be stressed enough. :hfive:

 

[JC17393]

We play in all weather.

 

[glassila]

Some great posts and a video about playing in the snow. I thought it would be impossible, but I will have to give it a try.
On the other hand, I am the ice maker and president of the local curling club which keeps my winters pretty busy.