Fly18 Rubber TeePads

[petecarp]

I asked about mulch teepads last week and got some good feedback. Considering the opinion of the avid disc golfers in this forum, i have ruled out mulch teepads as far as this course is concerned. I have moved on to the rubber teepad option Fly18 Disc Golf offers. I had a nice talk with Chase (from Fly18) this weekend and he did a good job of selling me. They end up being cheaper than concrete pads, are less permanent and make less of an impact in the serene environment we have chosen to put our course. Chase assured me of their longevity (7-10 years), flexibility (can me moved, but not stolen), and overall good play the pads achieve (traction and surface grade). My only issue is i have not personally played on these pads, he is sending me some samples but it isnt the same. Can anyone backup Chase's claims? Pros/Cons from players is more helpful than a salesman's pitch.

 

[bazkitcase5]

from my limited experience:

1 course I played had 1 flypad placed in the grass and it worked well in dry conditions, as well as after the early morning dew when the grass was still very wet

another course I played had 4 of them, but these pads were located in a place where loose sand/dirt would cover the pads, making them a tad slippery even in dry conditions and when played on when wet, they were like ice and were very dangerous to throw from... so location of the pads is very important it seems

in the 2nd example, if your looking for a cheap alternative, what I find works well are carpet tee pads - these are cheaper than concrete and flypads, plus they work better in all conditions (from my experience), assuming you get the right kind of carpet that can hold up well to water/dirt/mud that can collect on the tees (fluffier carpet pads seem to work best in my experience with these)

 

[borndasaur]

Flypads are durable and work well in wet or dry conditions. Over time the ground underneath will shift and the result is a slight "waving" of the pad. This is easily fixed with a little shovel work. As bazkitcase5 states, it is important to keep them fairly clean.

 

[DWill]

I have played on many courses with flypad (rubber) tees. Here's what I've noticed.

In a slight drizzle, they were not slippery. I have a bad knee, so I'm overly cautious about slippery tees and I became very confident using these and not slipping. Since the pads come in a roll, you can customize the length of each tee, if you need too. Maybe an uphill tee can be 10 feet long, when a better run up is needed, while a short downhill hole, a shorter 6 feet long tee could be used. You can also make the tee pads flush to the ground, which a lot of us prefer.

The biggest problem I have with them is the ground under neath. If this gets lumpy with use, the pad becomes lumpy and hard to use. If you can compact the soil well and have some mechanism to do periodic maintenance easily, I think you will have no problems.

Hope this helps.

__________________
Cool Disc Golf Apparel

 

[thatguy]

I have played on rubber and much prefer concrete. The rubber tends to allow the ground underneath to become uneven. Also you must be careful because if there is ice on the tee pads in the winter you shouldn't put ice melter or salt on them because over time that will degrade the rubber. Rubber isn't horrible though and does make less of an impact on the environment and on your wallet but I still say concrete is the best!

 

[BENFTS]

my local course has 9 of these and i feel they hold up better in the rain than concrete but not too well with mud. debris on the pad makes it much more slick than with concrete. overall i feel they are fine.

 

[thatguy]

They do become very slick with mud!

 

[srm_520]

At Terramont the main problem looks to be shifting and breakdown underneath the rubber, which in my personal opinion shortens the lifespan of the pad. Literally the pads are falling apart. Just breakdown and go with the concrete even though it's more money up front. If you do it right (rebar and a good brushing finish) then it'll last forever.

 

[PA_Disc]

I have played on rubber and much prefer concrete. The rubber tends to allow the ground underneath to become uneven. Also you must be careful because if there is ice on the tee pads in the winter you shouldn't put ice melter or salt on them because over time that will degrade the rubber. Rubber isn't horrible though and does make less of an impact on the environment and on your wallet but I still say concrete is the best!

Salt is worse for concrete than rubber.

 

[PA_Disc]

I ended up installing Flypads at my local course this year. So far I have not heard any negative reactions to their installation. I would recommend getting the thicker pads vs the thinner ones. I had the pads cut a little larger than what their stock size was and they fit great into the existing gravel tee pads. I think the most important part to ensuring the longevity of the pads is to have a good gravel base for proper drainage. The mats are heavy and will require two people to carry them b/c they are cumbersome.
The number one reason we installed them at the park was b/c they are pervious unlike concrete, plus they are way cheaper than having concrete installed. If in fact the life time is 7-10 years, they can be easily replaced for a nominal amount compared to concrete. Heck, you could replace them probably 4 or 5 times for the cost of concrete.

 

[PA_Disc]

One more thing. Whatever you do, dont just use gravel. It is a maintenance nightmare. The area where the pivot foot lands gets all worn in and the gravel gets kicked out of the boxes and needs to be raked out a lot.

 

[Jimb]

Shawnee State Park, Schellsburg, PA

Not sure if these are fly18 pads or not, but they're really nice. My only complaint seems to be the same as what others here have said. Whatever the ground is like below the pad will show through and you'll be able to feel it. So if the ground isn't graded properly it will defnitely stand out.

Otherwise, even when soaked with dew or rain I still get excellent traction. And if you look at these they even put some hole information on them. I believe that these are a great way to go.

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/view_image.php?p=course_pics/2788/dff0b53e.jpg

 

[srm_520]

I ended up installing Flypads at my local course this year. So far I have not heard any negative reactions to their installation. I would recommend getting the thicker pads vs the thinner ones. I had the pads cut a little larger than what their stock size was and they fit great into the existing gravel tee pads. I think the most important part to ensuring the longevity of the pads is to have a good gravel base for proper drainage. The mats are heavy and will require two people to carry them b/c they are cumbersome.
The number one reason we installed them at the park was b/c they are pervious unlike concrete, plus they are way cheaper than having concrete installed. If in fact the life time is 7-10 years, they can be easily replaced for a nominal amount compared to concrete. Heck, you could replace them probably 4 or 5 times for the cost of concrete.

Okay I looked them up 875$ for a 5.5' x 100' roll that is 3/8 inches thick. Or you can do the 1/2 inch stuff 10' x 5.5' for 145$ each. I have been pricing cement and to have a nine hole course done is about 1250$. (6' x 12' pad)

Let's do some math - 3/8 is lasting 7 years max - so you spend 1750$ for an 18 hole course since your ideally using a roll per 9 (5.5' x 11') --- or upgrade to 1/2 inch probably getting three more years out of it and spend (for 5.5' x 10') 2610$. Not to mention the maintenance in keeping the ground underneath it level.

Concrete (a little over 2K) plus rebar (about 400$) for 18 holes is 2500$ and a conservative estimate is they will last for 20 years. If my math is correct then my guess is concrete is the better deal if your willing to do more work up front. If you can't pour, skreet and finish concrete please let me know and I'll walk you through it - very easy to learn, lot of work to install.

Plus, the whole serene argument? Come on - it's a pad in the ground - you don't notice it until you're on it, and permanent means no erosion if installed correctly, so that's out the window too.

Again, breakdown and do the concrete - you'll cuss because you'll work harder than laying a rubber pad, but you'll thank yourself after years of enjoyment on your course.

 

[PA_Disc]

The other thing you need to consider is labor and the location of the tees. You provided a nice summary of material costs, but the labor is where it gets expensive. If you need to hire a contractor to install 12 yards of concrete with reinforcement, excavation and stone, it is safe to say that the cost will far surpass the $2,500 mark for cement tees. If you are on flat hard level ground and you can pull the cement truck up to each pad it will definitly save you some money; however if you are in a wooded location or the ground is soft or uneven, you will need to carry 12 yards of concrete to 18 tees. You will on ly have a limited amount of time to install the cement as the truck waits. The other way around that would be to buy bagged concrete Quikrete. This will surely increase the material costs. You will need about 960 60# bags to do all 18 12'x6' tees. In my area they run about $3.75-4.00/bag($3,648) and now you need to mix nearly 1,000 bags of concrete or pay someone to do it.

If you have the ability to do concrete pads, go for it! I would have installed them to. Just be aware of the cost, time and labor to do so.

 

[kyflash]

I played at Gulley Park in Ohio, they had some carpet tee pads. Some of them were carpet side up and some were carpet side down. The ones with the carpet side down, (burlap/canvas side up) were good, they were real good. You could get these at a carpet store as remnants for $10 or so per tee pad.

 

[srm_520]

When I went over costs - it's true - I'm saving money by doing the work myself, and of course a group of buddies. Minimal expertise and a lot of buddies (usually I find a 12 pack is all the payment that needs to be made. This can make short work of things that would otherwise be impossible.

 

[DiscChainBasket18]

When I went over costs - it's true - I'm saving money by doing the work myself, and of course a group of buddies. Minimal expertise and a lot of buddies (usually I find a 12 pack is all the payment that needs to be made. This can make short work of things that would otherwise be impossible.

The venerable "12-pack". Liquid paycheck

 

[FlyingDiscMagazine]

We've installed a bunch of Fly Pads at our local course and I like the surface a lot. I find them grippy in all conditions and they are softer than concrete.

I had to use them because the park (a state park) wouldn't go for concrete, which is what I proposed. I wanted to do a particular shape and length with color adds, something that you don't get with the rubber.

The problem I've run into has been that snowmobiles run over them and scored a few pads, one was mowed into rubber bands by an inept groundskeeper, and some of the corners have pulled away from the stakes, causing some rippage. This is, I think, an installation problem, not a flaw in the material. A bit ironic as Reese (of Fly 18) helped install a couple that did this, but he gets a pass from me for being kind enough to show up in our backwater and advise on things. All in all I am pleased.

We have 27 more tee pads to install (multiple tees) and are planning on using rubber. There is another company that makes them, too, so do your own due diligence.

 

[ShaZaun]

I asked about mulch teepads last week and got some good feedback. Considering the opinion of the avid disc golfers in this forum, i have ruled out mulch teepads as far as this course is concerned. I have moved on to the rubber teepad option Fly18 Disc Golf offers. I had a nice talk with Chase (from Fly18) this weekend and he did a good job of selling me. They end up being cheaper than concrete pads, are less permanent and make less of an impact in the serene environment we have chosen to put our course. Chase assured me of their longevity (7-10 years), flexibility (can me moved, but not stolen), and overall good play the pads achieve (traction and surface grade). My only issue is i have not personally played on these pads, he is sending me some samples but it isnt the same. Can anyone backup Chase's claims? Pros/Cons from players is more helpful than a salesman's pitch.

How can they be moved but not stolen....... just curiouse....

 

[PA_Disc]

How can they be moved but not stolen....... just curiouse....

I guess if you wanted a big rubber mat you could steal them.... They weigh about 160# so it would talk a little work to pull 18./