Rubber Pads - WANTED!

[superberry]

We are in the process of evaluating options for improving the tees at Winter Park. Rubber pads seem to be like the logical, but alos best solution. Concrete is NOT an option. Continuing to resurface the pads with crusher dust is labor and time intensive on a biennial basis nowadays with the increased amount of play we get due to the course recognition.

Rubber pads would be approximately 5'x10' for all 27 blue tees & 14 of the gold tees (it's just how the roll works out), and then 5'x8' for all 27 red tees. (Lots of tees and rubber needed!) Rubber has it's drawbacks though, mainly cost...

We've received samples of all types of rubber, and Flypads seem to be the best quality and surface. However, even with a generous discount of one roll free when we buy 6, we're still looking at $8500. Throw in possibly having the company become a Lifetime Sponsor level for us, and we're still looking at $7500.

So, I'm wondering if through the grapevine and all the extensive disc golf channels that may exist through this networking community, if anyone knows of a course that previously had rubber pads and has since upgraded. If the pads are in good shape, we would definitely consider purchasing them. Or if your pads are just going unused, you could donate them and take a write-off. We'll take any size pads as long as they are in good shape. Shorter ones are fine for red tee, and longer ones always welcome for longer tees.

Can anyone help?

 

[gottafixit]

Do a course search for hot shots it's a course in MD, they used horse stall mats. If I can get the funding approved this is the way i'm likely going to go for White Bank. just another option.

 

[Porkchop]

Why is concrete not an option??

I'm pretty much against rubber tee's unless all the proper steps are taken during installation. Leveling and packing down the base isn't enough. You really need to put a good base of gravel under them and typically install some sort of boarder or edging. I've yet to play on a course where the rubber pads are installed correctly or if installed correctly have withstood the test of time.

The pads at Central Park in GA are by far the worst I've played on and its supposed to be a champ level course

 

[superberry]

I've looked into the horse mats. They sell them locally at Tractor Supply and other stores. They're still $90 for a 5'x10' pads. And we need 63 pads (ideally 72 pads), which is still $5990 after tax. The rubber is not NEARLY as good as far as flexibility, pourosity, and degradtion in the sun. I have to agree so far with Flypads claims, they seem like a great product and we've been beating up our samples. Of course, I am still open to other options, especially used ones that are no longer used due to a recent upgrade!

 

[upfromtheashes]

The only times I've ever played on rubber pads, I hated them. Any kind of moisture, even dew, made them slippery as hell.

I played a course in Nashville (Crockett Park) that used big pieces of carpet for the pads and I thought that was better than rubber.

 

[jimbosprint]

The rubber pads at Parque de la Raza in San Jose are installed just how you described. Also bolted down in the corners. I'm not sure how old they are, but they are very nice!

 

[superberry]

The course is on property that fancies itself as a ski hill in winter, so no concrete in the runs. Also the county does not want the permanent and non-natural concerete slabs all over the property. I don't care - concrete installation is expensive too, would be hugely labor intensive to get concrete back in the hills and woods, and the amount that I play the course would have my hips aching from planting on concrete all the time.

 

[superberry]

The flypads are SUPER pourous and grippy. They're not like solid rubber pads, they are ground up rubber that is then formed together. They have all kinds of voids and whatnot in them to provice grip and allow water to pass. The surfave is not at all smooth, very textured and actually broken up. I'd compare it to the surface of corkboard, but even more gaps and voids. The compsoition is such that we're now considering rubber pads where we have't in the past due to concerns with slipping (I've played many poor rubber pads that are slippery even with a little dirt on them).

We know we'll have to prep the area very well, and wil use the same type of crusher dust (road base) material that we have on the pads now. It's the dust from the rock crusher machines at quarries. It has angular granularity so it compacts WELL and becomes stiff and firm.

 

[billnchristy]

Somebody (gateway?) was working on an astroturf or something rather pad. Might be worth looking in to. Also Vibram was working on a rubber pad as well.

 

[superberry]

I've seen the gateway astroturf. We considered similar with the outdoor turf carpetting. It would be great to buy a roll of gold, blue, and red to identify the different tee pads. We just don't think it would hold up well to teeing off on it continuously. We also don't think it would hold in place well (tear even if it were staked down).

 

[scarwig]

horse stall mats.

My home course has these. I would actually prefer having and maintaining the bluestone dust over the rubber mats. the mats are often too grippy when they're dry, too slippery when wet and they can be really easy to trip on if they're too short and they need constant sweeping clearing etc.

Bluestone dust is never slippery, it doesn't destroy shoes like concrete and can be raked and re-leveled over and over again.

 

[superberry]

Do you have that bluestone dust in a form, or just spread on the ground?

That's a problem we have, erosion and elongation of the pad area because there is no defined 'front' of the pad. If we were to dig and install a 2x4 framing system in the ground, we could then fill with the crusher dust and probably have a good tee box (and easier to regrade and rebuild). We could even buy a mechanical tamper to help with the process. It would be cheaper than concrete or rubber. But the labor is intensive, we have a small group of volunteers (half dozen on any day at best), and access to some tees with equipment other than an ATV and cart is not possible. Some tees are currently not accessible even with the ATV, we carried 5 gallon buckets of crusher dust to each tee, up and down hills, over and over again to complete them.

 

[scarwig]

no need for a form. just dig 6-8" down in the spot you want it. you'll need more dust than you think because it settles a bunch once it gets wet.

 

[agent_peebody]

We are in the process of evaluating options for improving the tees at Winter Park. Rubber pads seem to be like the logical, but alos best solution. Concrete is NOT an option. Continuing to resurface the pads with crusher dust is labor and time intensive on a biennial basis nowadays with the increased amount of play we get due to the course recognition.

Rubber pads would be approximately 5'x10' for all 27 blue tees & 14 of the gold tees (it's just how the roll works out), and then 5'x8' for all 27 red tees. (Lots of tees and rubber needed!) Rubber has it's drawbacks though, mainly cost...

We've received samples of all types of rubber, and Flypads seem to be the best quality and surface. However, even with a generous discount of one roll free when we buy 6, we're still looking at $8500. Throw in possibly having the company become a Lifetime Sponsor level for us, and we're still looking at $7500.

So, I'm wondering if through the grapevine and all the extensive disc golf channels that may exist through this networking community, if anyone knows of a course that previously had rubber pads and has since upgraded. If the pads are in good shape, we would definitely consider purchasing them. Or if your pads are just going unused, you could donate them and take a write-off. We'll take any size pads as long as they are in good shape. Shorter ones are fine for red tee, and longer ones always welcome for longer tees.

Can anyone help?

if i was you, i'd either PM or call the user "Bart", he was in charge of a lot of the groundskeeping for the 2010 world's and he may have some extra rubber pads laying around since they made most of the tees concrete for the worlds.

 

[superberry]

no need for a form. just dig 6-8" down in the spot you want it. you'll need more dust than you think because it settles a bunch once it gets wet.

I agree the sides are probably not needed, and having a board in the back would hamper the ability to have longer runups, but we really want a front board in order to hold things firm in front to prevent elongation, and provide a visual identifier for foot-faults (that means you Scotty G!!!!!!).

 

[tallpaul]

Find out who is in charge of Shore Acres Park, in Saugatuck, Michigan. It may be bennyb from here (he has the first review of the course). If it's not him, he or TerryC will know who to contact, I believe. They have recently installed concrete and have their old rubber mats still lying there on many holes. They may be willing to hook you up. I have also sent an email out to another contact in hopes of finding some info for you. This person gets the rubber from a quarry he works at. Contact Hognosesucker from here and ask them where they are at and where they are looking to get their mats; they are in the same boat as you as well.

 

[tallpaul]

How about brick tees, like at Pamprin Park, in G.B.? Those need to be done well also; or they can be trouble. The Pamprin crew enclosed them well with a metal form and those are some of the prettiest tees around. The form used also seems to be holding up perfectly and there have been no issues that I've noticed with any maintenance required or upheaval on the tees. Cheapness of said style would of course depend on finding a source of cheap, almost assuredly used brick.

 

[Mando]

The only times I've ever played on rubber pads, I hated them. Any kind of moisture, even dew, made them slippery as hell.

I played a course in Nashville (Crockett Park) that used big pieces of carpet for the pads and I thought that was better than rubber.

Carpet is not only better than rubber, but cheaper... as in free when you find someone replacing their carpet. I installed carpet over a year ago and it's been great. They need to be framed and leveled. I put a layer of brick dust with mulch on top,then carpet screwed to the frame for a cushioned feel. If they are swept periodically, I think they will last 5 years.
Dark colors look better than light ones.

 

[Jaysus]

How often do rubber pads have to be replaced?

 

[agent_peebody]

i don't know, but they're pretty durable. there's one at Rogers Lakewood that's been there since i started playing