Playing a tourney with your toddler

[Discette]

I have noticed that children with self control have parents with self control. If you and your child have self control, you are welcome to sit next to me in a restaurant or an airplane and you are both welcome during a casual round.

The problem is no one wants to be the one to tell you that you can't play with our group because you totally suck at being a parent.

 

[Halcón]

Has anyone posted in support of the selfish parent? Is this possibly one of the few times that DGCR is united over an issue?

Just caught this thread. I'll be that guy. If I'm playing in a tourney, that means I had to get off work just to be there. And it also means that I've been waiting several weeks, probably months to play. If something came up, and my wife, family, or friends couldn't watch my child, you bet I'd bring them along. I'm not wasting the entry fee, all that waiting, and vacation time for nothing. Plus my kids are very well behaved. They would get bored for sure, and probably complain a bit, but it would be fine.

Then again, I love kids, and am not distracted at all by them. As long as they are not in danger of being hit by my disc, then it's all good. I would probably just suggest to the dad that he hold the little one's hand while everyone was teeing off on each hole. After that he'd need to just keep him in check, for his own safety.

Having said all that, I can see everyone's point. Not everyone loves kids, and when you go to a paid event, you expect it to be distraction free, so you can play your best.

 

[Keller]

Having said all that, I can see everyone's point. Not everyone loves kids, and when you go to a paid event, you expect it to be distraction free, so you can play your best.

And having said this ^^^^, you'd still bring your kid. The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the one. I paid my fees, I should go! Well, they paid their fees too and they don't want to be watching your kid. Suck it up and stay home if your plans fell through. You had the kid, I didn't.

 

[ru4por]

Just caught this thread. I'll be that guy. If I'm playing in a tourney, that means I had to get off work just to be there. And it also means that I've been waiting several weeks, probably months to play. If something came up, and my wife, family, or friends couldn't watch my child, you bet I'd bring them along. I'm not wasting the entry fee, all that waiting, and vacation time for nothing. Plus my kids are very well behaved. They would get bored for sure, and probably complain a bit, but it would be fine.

Then again, I love kids, and am not distracted at all by them. As long as they are not in danger of being hit by my disc, then it's all good. I would probably just suggest to the dad that he hold the little one's hand while everyone was teeing off on each hole. After that he'd need to just keep him in check, for his own safety.

Having said all that, I can see everyone's point. Not everyone loves kids, and when you go to a paid event, you expect it to be distraction free, so you can play your best.

Parenting is your job and primary life responsibility....why would you even assume it is OK to impose your decisions and responsibility upon anyone you encounter? If disc golf is in the way of parenting, stay home and do your job. Disc golfing is selfish when your needs are placed above those of your child. Come on, man.

 

[DG_player]

To the people that are pro- playing with toddlers, aren't you worried about your kid being struck by an errant throw? I can't imagine what a high speed driver could do to a child's head.

I see a lot of people playing with toddlers, sometimes even strollers, at my local course. It drives me nuts, not because of their behavior, but rather I end up waiting excessively long to throw just to make sure there is absolutely no chance of me hitting a small child. It always makes me wonder what the parents are thinking, especially the ones that let their kids run around willy nilly.

 

[Hampstead]

Relax, guys. Halcón doesn't even play disc golf. He's not bringing his kid to any tournament.

 

[Jay Dub]

Recently quite a few players I haven't seen in 15-20 years on the course are showing up again to play in local events. When asked where they've been for the past years their answer is "raising my kids".

They have their priorities straight.

 

[scarpfish]

Just caught this thread. I'll be that guy. If I'm playing in a tourney, that means I had to get off work just to be there. And it also means that I've been waiting several weeks, probably months to play. If something came up, and my wife, family, or friends couldn't watch my child, you bet I'd bring them along. I'm not wasting the entry fee, all that waiting, and vacation time for nothing. Plus my kids are very well behaved. They would get bored for sure, and probably complain a bit, but it would be fine.

Some might be of the opinion that if such a scenario could happen, a proactive parent would not sign up in the first place.

Another thing to consider here is that anyone who has been to enough disc golf tournaments knows that they are by and large, adult affairs where a lot of adult behavior goes on. Would any conscientious parent really want their kid exposed to that?

Would same parent suggest that others who are accustomed to acting a bit rambunctious have to temper their behavior because someone brought their non-participant kid along.

Having said all that, I can see everyone's point. Not everyone loves kids,

But this isn't about whether one loves kids. This is about people with kids having the decency to realize that there is a time and a place, and that the rest of the world shouldn't have to just bend over and accommodate them when they're in one of these situations.

 

[SonicGuy]

No problem to you maybe, but I'm sure they're are a lot hard pressed smiles from your card mates that wished you didn't bring them.

If all your friends are bringing their kids out for a casual round, all fine and dandy, but if you're the only one, you've just bummed out a few folks who just wanted to chill with the guys.

So what about my hard pressed smile when my card mate shows up 30 minutes late, lines up 10' putts for 5 minutes, and declares every other hole a bowl hole? My opinion is to grin and bear it or play without him and everyone has the same choice with my kids. The reason tournament/league is different is that choice is removed.

Honestly I usually play by myself anyways so adding kids doesn't involve card mates.

 

[SonicGuy]

To the people that are pro- playing with toddlers, aren't you worried about your kid being struck by an errant throw? I can't imagine what a high speed driver could do to a child's head.

Not worried. I have been hit once in my life, and people are more considerate about being jerks when strollers are in the fairway. People only get hit when the throwers are being negligent or malicious.

 

[Hampstead]

People only get hit when the throwers are being negligent or malicious.

Would you consider a disc that hits a tree and ricochets onto an adjoining fairway to be negligence or the act of a malicious thrower?

 

[ohtobediscing]

Not worried. I have been hit once in my life, and people are more considerate about being jerks when strollers are in the fairway. People only get hit when the throwers are being negligent or malicious.

Although I too have only been hit by a golf disc once (which was my fault, for tarrying at a #9 blind basket), under no circumstance is your second statement true. Ever seen Sergio Garcia shank a drive two fairways over? Would you call him negligent or malicious?

 

[Halcón]

Wow, tough crowd. Haven't any of you been in a bind and there was nobody to watch your kids? Or is life that easy that everything always falls into place. :\

I still say cut the guy some slack, if he brought the kiddo for a good reason. Now, if wifey is home on the couch eating Bon-Bons, then that's another story.

He's not bringing his kid to any tournament.

This is pretty much true. It's been over 2 years since my last tourney, and the chances of me playing another one are slim to none...at least for the forseeable future.

 

[SonicGuy]

Would you consider a disc that hits a tree and ricochets onto an adjoining fairway to be negligence or the act of a malicious thrower?

1. If that happened it would not have enough steam to hurt anyone
2. We have well designed courses here in MN where that is not an issue

Although I too have only been hit by a golf disc once (which was my fault, for tarrying at a #9 blind basket), under no circumstance is your second statement true. Ever seen Sergio Garcia shank a drive two fairways over? Would you call him negligent or malicious?

Ball golf is not disc golf.

 

[sillybizz]

The best way I've found to deal with being thrown on is to take their disc and either do two things with it: (1) Throw it back at them as hard as you can or (2) throw it as hard as you can into the bushes where it could get lost or at the very least be a pain to recover.

 

[sillybizz]

You are responsible for your caddy; why not your freakin' kids?!

 

[DanJon]

Wow, tough crowd. Haven't any of you been in a bind and there was nobody to watch your kids? Or is life that easy that everything always falls into place. :\

I still say cut the guy some slack, if he brought the kiddo for a good reason. Now, if wifey is home on the couch eating Bon-Bons, then that's another story.



This is pretty much true. It's been over 2 years since my last tourney, and the chances of me playing another one are slim to none...at least for the forseeable future.

Once you have kids, your wants no longer come first.

Want to go to league or a tourney but your sitter fell through?

Guess what, don't go.

If you did go, it wouldn't be fair to your kids, much less the other competitors.

 

[davetherocketguy]

Once you have kids, your wants no longer come first.

Want to go to league or a tourney but your sitter fell through?

Guess what, don't go.

If you did go, it wouldn't be fair to your kids, much less the other competitors.

^^^^That feller right there get's it.

Like I said before, I don't care how well I was doing in a league there is no way I'd take a 2 year old toddler out on the course for a league or tourney. Even a well behaved one is going to be VERY problematic. It would just be chaos. I'm guessing Halcon does not have kids.

That said, I have seen people successfully pull off a 18 hole round with a little one in a stroller. If you can work a miracle to get that to work then more power to ya but that just seems to me to be a giant roll of the dice.

 

[Halcón]

I have 3 wonderful children.

 

[armiller]

Wow, tough crowd. Haven't any of you been in a bind and there was nobody to watch your kids? Or is life that easy that everything always falls into place. :\

This is a moot point. Apparently after we decided to have kids, we forfeited the right to play disc golf for at least 18 years. Now, as "responsible parents," we shouldn't bring our children because 1) it's dangerous and they might die from an errant disc, and 2) we will inevitably distract, annoy, and otherwise inconvenience other disc golfers. And while we're at it, don't travel by plane with your child.

I'm inclined to agree with the more reasonable posts. It would be poor etiquette to bring a kid to league and especially to a tournament. And if I do play a casual "stroller round" or bring a toddler onto a disc golf course, I'm happy to admit that it's my responsibility to keep the kid safe and to eliminate (or at least minimize) the inconvenience or distraction to others on the course. I haven't run into much problem because I play relatively low traffic courses and I'm willing to cut out a few holes if the need arises.