How Do You Deal with Defiant Pedestrians?

[foxdawg10]

If more disc golfers started dropping deuces in the fairway pedestrians would stay off the course.

So would most disc golfers, lol.

 

[txmxer]

Something to consider is many DG parks are add ons to an existing park.

I haven't been to or played many courses, but what I have seen, lThe DG park isn't always obvious.

 

[smarkquart]

Instead of yelling fore, I usually yell something like, "I am about to throw." It is less ambiguous than fore. Second warning is, "I am trying to throw that direction," and then point at the basket. Third warning is the stink eye, hands on hips, and or clearly checking my watch. Fourth warning is slamming my disc back into the bag and start walking down the fairway, clearly mumbling something under my breath. That is the extent of the confrontation because missing one hole is a million times better than a fist fight.

Of course, my third and fourth warning depend on how clueless and or unable to hear the first two warnings. If it looks like I can approach them with a friendly outcome, maybe I will just jog down the fairway and ask if there is something I can help them find, using that as an opportunity to explain they are in the middle of an active fairway. Usually, most people do not want to have a confrontation as much as I do, and one way or another get the hint.

 

[thrembo]

Everyone has to be reasonable. One of the great things about our little sport is that you can put a course almost anywhere including holes that run through picnic areas and interfere with other park activities. It wasn't so bad at first as we were throwing catch Frisbees. I remember the original New Lenox IL course. The disc golf went in first. Then volleyball (on an existing dg hole) then the pavilion went in (on an existing dg hole) about the time beveled edge disc golf discs were coming out. I have never been hit by a modern golf disc, but I have seen it happen to others. The course was eventually changed. Then Huson Mills came along. Disc Golf in a dedicated area? Hell yeah! Educate those that not know they are in danger and skip the ones that don't care. We had to skip a hole in Lombard one time because there were hundreds of clueless folks playing soccer in field between the tee and the basket.

 

[ohtobediscing]

I've waited (dog walkers, etc.), I've thrown alternate shots, I've skipped holes. But only for a tournament did I walk out and warn them that it was in their best interest to move out of the fairway (a fee was paid for use of the park). That's the only instance that seems clearly a matter of right-of-way to the discer.

 

[dwalk77]

Plenty of disc golf holes on planet Earth. Plenty of rounds left to be played.

Yes. Take away one hole, you still have 17 others to play. Still a win, no biggie

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Parks could go a long way toward legitimizing us when we explain to people, "Pardon me. You might not have realized it, but you're walking in the middle of the disc golf course, " simply by posting a few signs that warn folks "Disc Golf Course - Watch for Flying Discs."

IMHO, way too few courses have anything advising the non-playing public where they about to walk. I recall being pleasantly surprised to see them at Sugar Hollow in VA and Englewood in OH, and several others.

...but my point is, I shouldn't be at all surprised to see them. They should be the rule, rather than the exception.

 

[Moose33]

We had so many pedestrians today at the park; picnic goers, fishermen, families playing and casuals trying to play the short tees while league was going on. Mainly an; "I'm sorry, but you are on a disc golf course and I don't want to accidentally hit you" followed by me throwing a disc 70mph seemed to work very well.

 

[thrembo]

 

[Nick Pacific]

. Usually, most people do not want to have a confrontation as much as I do, and one way or another get the hint.

You have no idea how dangerous people can be. I treat random strangers in a park as neutral at best and potentially dangerous until proven otherwise.

 

[biscoe]

Parks could go a long way toward legitimizing us when we explain to people, "Pardon me. You might not have realized it, but you're walking in the middle of the disc golf course, " simply by posting a few signs that warn folks "Disc Golf Course - Watch for Flying Discs."

IMHO, way too few courses have anything advising the non-playing public where they about to walk. I recall being pleasantly surprised to see them at Sugar Hollow in VA and Englewood in OH, and several others.

...but my point is, I shouldn't be at all surprised to see them. They should be the rule, rather than the exception.

Unfortunately many (most/) parks departments don't really understand liability and what triggers it. The common thought process is if they recognize the dangers of flying discs themselves then they become liable since they obviously know about the potential for harm. In reality (at least in Virginia) putting up a simple sign clears them of potential liability in many cases. State laws are likely to vary quite a bit on this stuff.

My legal consultant on this type of thing points out that many municipalities (wrongly) try anything to avoid getting sued when the actual thing they should be positioning themselves for is to win lawsuits when (inevitably) they occur.

 

[foxdawg10]

We had so many pedestrians today at the park; picnic goers, fishermen, families playing and casuals trying to play the short tees while league was going on. Mainly an; "I'm sorry, but you are on a disc golf course and I don't want to accidentally hit you" followed by me throwing a disc 70mph seemed to work very well.

Sounds like 70 mph is internet speed, lol.

Based on your limited description, it sounds like you are advocating for throwing very hard into people who have a right to be there. Throwing into families and casuals who you think are in your way is probably not a good idea. If you knowingly throw into them and hit them at 70 mph, that is not an accident and you are liable.

But perhaps I just misread your statement and intent based on your very limited description.

If it that crowded and not your thing, maybe go earlier in the day or go somewhere else. The situation you described is entirely avoidable.

 

[Moose33]

Sounds like 70 mph is internet speed, lol.

Based on your limited description, it sounds like you are advocating for throwing very hard into people who have a right to be there. Throwing into families and casuals who you think are in your way is probably not a good idea. If you knowingly throw into them and hit them at 70 mph, that is not an accident and you are liable.

But perhaps I just misread your statement and intent based on your very limited description.

You did misread, I ask them to move and then throw the shot and they think, "that was fast, I am glad I wasn't near it".

Not only do I not advocate throwing into crowds, I won't do it. It's a shared park and no one should feel unsafe. I'm advocating communication with your fellow park goers.

I was a college baseball player and threw in the low 90s, have been 73-76 with a disc on radar with 50+ witnesses.

 

[foxdawg10]

You did misread, I ask them to move and then throw the shot and they think, "that was fast, I am glad I wasn't near it".

Not only do I not advocate throwing into crowds, I won't do it. It's a shared park and no one should feel unsafe. I'm advocating communication with your fellow park goers.

I was a college baseball player and threw in the low 90s, have been 73-76 with a disc on radar with 50+ witnesses.

Gotcha, you didn't include the part where they actually moved so it was understandable and I am probably not only one to misread it. Since you can throw that hard, it is even more important to make sure they are out of harms way. Most people aren't aware how fast and dangerous discs can be, they mostly see the newb hyzer and figure it can't cause much damage.

I like the suggestion someone made of posting beware of flying discs signs. It takes the onus of of us disc golf players, and minimizes any chance for confrontation. I believe in good communication, but today's world is wacky and I see no need to stir the pot.

 

[Jimb]

This is why we can have nice things... referring to the respectful conversation between the fox and the moose. Well done folks. :thmbup:

 

[Jimb]

Also played three 9 holers today. First two courses had virtually no signs of life. But the third, a state park with lots of activities, was packed. My buddy was the only other disc golfer on the course, but the park was crowded.

On hole #1, just as we arrived at the tee, 2 teenage girls strolled into the fairway and sat down under the two trees between the tee and basket. So I got to use my DGCR skills. Walked up and explained that they were in the middle of a disc goof hole and that I wanted to ensure that they were safe. I showed them a distance driver so they got the idea. I let them know we'd only be a couple minutes and they kindly moved to another tree away from the fairway. They might have thought, what does this creep want, but they we're pleasant throughout.

There were lots of other people crossing fairways, so we just had to wait. It slowed us down a bit, but it was all good.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Played a new course today in a state park. There was a kiosk near the 1st hole, pretty close to the parking lot, tee posts and next tee signs all over the course. But not blessed sign anywhere indicating to other park patrons there was a course there.

They can't be expected to recognize tees and baskets and realize, "Hey, people just might be throwing things around here."

Sure enough a family came up behind us walking their dogs, leisurely strolling from one fairway to the next, literally walking the course. They asked if we're were playing ultimate frisbee, which immediately told me they really knew nothing about either sport (other than frisbees). I couldn't help but think about teams playing ultimate... in the woods.

Lack of signs for awareness is a disservice to all the park's patrons.

 

[armiller]

It seems I've been encountering more of this lately. Pedestrians are stationary and standing or sitting in the middle of the fairway. I yell "fore!". They clearly hear me b/c they look up and see me on the teebox, getting ready to swing with a disc in my hand. But then they look back to their friend and continue a conversation, as if nothing happened and disc golf doesn't exist. They're not going to move.

What do you do?

What do I do? It depends. Most likely, I walk the fairway past them. If they're willing to engage in conversation, I show them a high speed driver, point to the tee, point to the basket, and try to help them realize that disc golfers throw these things hard and fast with varying levels of accuracy leading to potential hazards to their safety. Depending on how far they are from the basket, I may throw a mid or putter at the basket to give them some idea of how the game is played. If I'm really trying to complete 18 holes of golf or playing a casually competitive round, I will walk up to them, ask if they can move, and then go back to the tee to play the hole.

The original post is so wrong in so many ways. The "defiant pedestrians" have as much right as you to be there, as it's a public park. They were there before you. The fact is, to the majority of the population, "disc golf doesn't exist." Do you want their introduction to disc golf to be you throwing a plastic projectile in their direction?

By the way, I've had this happen many times. Interestingly, most occasions happened at a public park in Kendall, FL (Kendall Indian Hammocks), where I ran into many folks playing baseball or football in several open fairways, or more commonly with a small family or couple setting up a blanket in the shade for a relaxing afternoon. I even ran into multiple "photoshoots," either a newly engaged couple or one memorably elaborate holiday photoshoot with a Christmas-themed set smack dab in the middle of hole 7. For the photoshoots, I always just walked past to the next hole. For all the others, I would show them the discs and help them realize the potential danger and why I might not be the only one throwing discs in their vicinity. One of the baseball-throwing folks was a young little league kid with his granddad, and I ran into them several more days after the initial encounter. For our 2nd and 3rd encounters, they saw me coming, waved, and watched me throw. The kid even tried to throw some discs. Maybe it's just me, but this approach seems favorable to throwing a spike hyzer, yelling fore, and trying to ask for forgiveness if I killed someone with an epidural hematoma.

 

[robdeforge]

I even ran into multiple "photoshoots," either a newly engaged couple or one memorably elaborate holiday photoshoot with a Christmas-themed set smack dab in the middle of hole 7. For the photoshoots, I always just walked past to the next hole.

do you ever talk to the people doing the photoshoots to see why they chose to shoot there?

 

[armiller]

do you ever talk to the people doing the photoshoots to see why they chose to shoot there?

I never have. That's a little more than I want to bite off and they're usually pretty occupied. Why they chose to shoot there is fairly obvious: it's green, beautiful, and nobody else was there before this crazy disc golfer showed up.