Pay to play

[WIGS]

Can a city really make a person pay in a public park? O'hauser in Wis will be going to pay for play in June. How do you think it will go over?

 

[jhgonzo]

Makes sense if the maintenance costs exceed the budget and the locals would rather the course not get pulled...which is fast becoming the case in metro areas seeing the highest traffic, where excessive erosion and litter are quite problematic and probably beyond what was expected when the course first went in.

 

[jkdisc]

looks like they really are doing it with a $95 fine if not paid, so i imagine people wont be pleased but will have to deal with it or play elsewhere.

 

[keltik]

How would they do it and enforce it? I can see how they could possibly charge for an annual/monthly pass. But they would have to hire and pay an extra Park ranger to check for DG passes/take money/man a booth. I think they would be better served to have a fundraiser tournament or something. JMO.

 

[jhgonzo]

Message tallpaul, as I'm sure he has the specifics on why this is occurring; even random checks (as opposed to a full-time staff member) on compliance should be enough to deter chuckers trying to bypass an honor system. Token/Vallarta-Ast in Madison has done this very effectively (although the current cost to play is arguably steep given the caliber of nearby free courses); you never know when the ranger will show up, as he/she tends to travel the course backwards, randomly asking for the paystubs uniquely numbered to match the envelopes that you pay with at the first hole. The fine for non-payment has gone up in tandem with the fee; I think it's well over $100 fine now, IIRC.

So you see, just the threat of something bad potentially happening for not complying is enough to get 99% of people (made-up figure) to do what's requested of them. Precedence: Threat of eternal damnation.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Wonder if Rich got "deputized" to take fees?

 

[Sandman1981]

Beaver Ranch/Conifer Park is now a pay to play as of last year. It is more on the honor system and if they catch you they throw you off the mountain... not sure how they prove it as you put your 3 bucks in a depository then take out a daily tag(which is not contingent on whether or not you actually put money in. They also allow you to buy a seasonal for 50.

If they want me to pay to help keep up course maintenance and make it better for all as well as the surrounding recreational facilities, I say why not. Beats 50 a round bare minimum for ball golf any day.

 

[DanJon]

i dont mind paying a couple bucks to play at a clean, well-maintained course. free of chuckers and litter. it helps keep the course around longer and shows city govts that disc golfers can be respectful and professional.

 

[pspunch]

i see this two ways. i'm happy to be able to use the park and enjoy playing disc golf there for 'free'. I participate in leagues, happily pick up trash and donate time for course work.

that said, some of these courses were built on preexisting parks. those parks were built specifically for the public to enjoy and are paid for/maintained by tax payer money. the parks and rec budget should not be on the chopping block because the government can't stop spending money on new things.

all things equal, i'd pay a reasonable fee for a WELL maintained park.

 

[scarpfish]

Still don't understand why paying a nominal fee is such a sticking point with some folks. Under a fee system, if the parks department isn't keeping things up to snuff, you can make your displeasure known by not going there anymore. When the maintenance is being funded through tax dollars, you pretty much are stuck with what they give you and when budgets get tight, park maintenance is one of the first things that cities start slacking on.

I will admit that in many pre-existing parks that have incorporated disc golf alongside other activities that enforcement of a pay-to-play rule is going to have complications.

 

[aardvarkious]

Disc golf is such a cheap thing for the city compared to other free recreation facilities (think about how much it costs to install a paved running trail, or put in tennis courts, or mow and water a soccer field) that I really would resent, as a taxpayer, the city suddenly charging for disc golf but not other outdoor facilities.

 

[scarpfish]

Disc golf is such a cheap thing for the city compared to other free recreation facilities (think about how much it costs to install a paved running trail, or put in tennis courts, or mow and water a soccer field) that I really would resent, as a taxpayer, the city suddenly charging for disc golf but not other outdoor facilities.

Well, think of how much it costs to mow a disc golf course. The free pass against user fees that we've mostly enjoyed some far comes from the fact that a great deal of our courses are on multi-use land. As more and more people take up disc golf, and more and more erosion and litter accumulate from disc golf traffic, and space conflicts with other users become more prevalent, this idea is going to be reconsidered by many parks departments.

Also consider that something that is cheap to install is also cheap to remove. If you have a space conflict from two activities, neither of which are producing revenue, and one of them is seen as a general use activity (like say jogging) and the other is seen as more of a niche (like say disc golf), then guess which one is going to get the boot. A course in Anchorage, AK was recently pulled over just such an issue. Another longtime course in Ft. Collins, CO only got to save all of its holes by redesign.

Of course, if the niche activity were compensating the parks department somehow to mitigate its impacts, like say through user fees or some other funding that didn't come through tax dollars, that changes the equation a bit.

 

[Three Putt]

I ran a course that was pay for play. Nothing funnier than watching some old dude with a gut try to hide behind a tree. I was young at the time, and it seemed crazy that all these 40ish dudes would run and hide from me to avoid paying a $1. Now that I'm 40ish, it still seems crazy.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Are you sure the old dudes were disc golfers?