Hit the hobo?

[ScottishDiscman]

Anyone else almost have issues with this with the unfortunate chaps who are homeless and don't realise the shiny things in the parks are targets and sleep in the "line of fire" and almost play through someones living room?

 

[The Last DJ]

^ Have not. I have seen people hike or picnic in a fairway. Most of the time I'll just walk up to them and explain what's up and they'll move. Next time you play that course I'd recommend you do the same. Perhaps bring the guy some food and talk him up for a bit. Being homeless is heartbreaking but being homeless AND getting hurt from a flying disc is beyond sad.

 

[John M. Fretz]

Once, a couple guys were actually bbq-ing "in" the basket for hole 1 @ SeaTac. I was going to warn them about the danger, but quickly found they didn't understand me. I started my round at hole 2 instead. I've never seen them there again. It was pretty odd to see hot dogs being cooked on a Mach X

 

[ru4por]

Stumbled across a couple in Pease Park (Austin TX), RIP, a few years ago. They were sleeping in the shule well off of the fairway though. I would agree with DJ, no sense in bothering such a guy. A helping hand and skipping the hole would be my only reaction.

 

[takman]

"I never got a hole in one in golf, but I did hit a guy....and that's WAY more satisfying"
-Mitch Hedberg

 

[b-mart]

Once, a couple guys were actually bbq-ing "in" the basket for hole 1 @ SeaTac. I was going to warn them about the danger, but quickly found they didn't understand me. I started my round at hole 2 instead. I've never seen them there again. It was pretty odd to see hot dogs being cooked on a Mach X

Did you tell Keith? I feel like that might break his heart a little bit. Or who knows? Maybe fire makes the Mach X catch better. I hate those things.

 

[Ocelotl]

Not as big a problem now that winter has settled in, but Pier Park up here in portland gets a bit of park campers. Usually they are off in more secluded areas but ive shanked a drive into a tent before. We played through 4 guys BBQing in a basket lined with tin foil and a small fire around the base at El Dorado in LA once.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

It was pretty odd to see hot dogs being cooked on a Mach X

Gotta love the smell of burnt galvanized metal. Must add some unique flavor.

 

[mfcastillo17]

Quite often at my home course but it's gotten a bit better recently.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Over the course of countless rounds scattered about various locales, I've only come across maybe a couple of homeless people trying to eek out an existence on/near a course. Nod to Ru4por: I'm not hassling the unfortunate homeless person(s) just so I can finish my hole as if they weren't there. In fact, I'd probably offer them my jerky/trail mix if I have some in my bag at the time.

Pretty much all my encounters with people who seem clueless that they are on a course at all has been with people who, judging from looks, don't appear to be homeless at all. More courses need signs to make casual (and even serious) walkers aware:
"WARNING: disc golf course. Beware of flying objects."

Might even work for the homeless.
I firmly believe most people don't want to be in the way... they simply don't realize they're in the line of fire.

 

[Fraser]

We don't have that problem too much around here. One course gets played so much that the homeless don't go there anymore. Another course gets played so little that it's not a problem. The other course in the area used to have a problem but a small group of local players has run most of them off. They were more of a public intoxication nuisance than anything else. We do have a "resident" homeless man that actually helps us with tournaments at this course. He also plays (a few rounds each day) and isn't a drunk. He just chooses to be homeless. He helps keep our course clean by picking up trash. He also finds a lot of lost discs and sells them to our course steward who then returns (without any "fees") as many as he can to their owners. Bob makes a little cash and most of the discs' owners get their discs back for free. Kind of a win-win situation.

 

[Moose33]

At my home course it's usually teenagers making out in those Eno hammocks but in Las Vegas at Freedom park we had to skip some holes due to guys sleeping under the basket or too close for us to be safe. It's really sad, if they were awake we would have let them know but it was getting late, so we figured if they could sleep we should let them.

 

[sisyphus]

...I firmly believe most people don't want to be in the way... they simply don't realize they're in the line of fire.

SO much this!
(Not specifically about homeless folks, but...) Even after talking to some other park patrons about the hazards and suggesting where they'll be safest, they often want to stay too close to the line of fire, thinking perhaps that they're about to see a throw like they've seen Frisbees tossed casually at the beach. It's almost fun to get them to safety and see that slight jaw drop when you rip one out to 300' or more. Often becomes a great opportunity to grow the sport. :thmbup:

 

[PWaggoner]

Ive found most people arent really impressed with a long throw until theyve tried to throw one.

Like these discs go far just because or something.

 

[MarkDSM]

I hoped 'hit the hobo' might be a game. Like free putter throws at anyone carding an 8 between chain out and next pad.

A few hobos around here know enough about DG to catch newbies unaware before the' you got cash, smokes, smoke, liquor, give me a ride, ect..' Pitch

 

[markmcc]

I played a tournament in Cortez, CO three years ago. We were the first group to play Hole 4, and we found a couple sleeping (passed out) under the basket. We managed to wake them up enough to gesture that they were in harms way, and got them to move about 50' to the shade of a nearby tree. I'm not sure that they ever completely understood what we were trying to communicate to them, but it all worked out.

 

[AmsterdamHeavy]

One morning in the spring, about 7:00am, teeing off from hole 4 at mercer County, and a guy that looked just like George Washington King (The Skinner from Dexter) stands up from the underbrush like 20 feet from us. Complete in landscaping browns, knife on his waist and everything.

He just looked at us a moment and walked off; didnt realize who he looked like until about 5 minutes later.

 

[Reniger]

One morning in the spring, about 7:00am, teeing off from hole 4 at mercer County, and a guy that looked just like George Washington King (The Skinner from Dexter) stands up from the underbrush like 20 feet from us. Complete in landscaping browns, knife on his waist and everything.

He just looked at us a moment and walked off; didnt realize who he looked like until about 5 minutes later.

Plot twist, they never heard from their fourth ever again.

 

[Hadouken]

There's a course in my town where a lot of homeless live. I've seen super scruffy dudes (Def homeless) literally come out of some bushes with discs and start teeing off. That park is pretty gritty.

 

[Tripper]

I do not see homeless people on any of the courses around here probably because most courses are in the suburbs.

However, over 4th of July we were playing Mars Hill University on the way home from Harmon Hills and found a tent set up on the #10 tee pad. There were sleeping bags inside but no people. So we moved the tent (it was a free standing model), teed off and put the tent back. Very odd as we saw no one else on the course.