specs and rules to move DG from kids game to pro sport

[discguy42]

I don't under the smaller basket idea. I saw several pros at the Memorial miss putts that should be a given, the smaller basket would not help prove anything except you missed worse!

Following the small basket idea we should get rid of it completely....dig a hole in the ground slightly bigger than a disc and throw into that. Better yet, take your putter and try to roll it into the hole. I can see guys on their knees, putter on edge trying to roll it into the hole.

Why are so many people fixated on growing or mainstreaming Disc Golf? I love to play and like to get other people playing but I am not rushing to push it down peoples throats either. This is a selfish statement here but, I like having my local course to my self all the time. There are five locals here that use the course (for now).

Mainstreaming will have negative effects on the this ride and ruin the fun/casual aspect. Things will happen and the purity of the game will be overshadowed by goofiness that will make the game more viewer friendly and gimmicky. Then DGCR fills up with half a nations worth of 12 year olds that want to know how to get "sponsored" and become "PRO" Dgers

Next thing will be disc updates that make discs more "pro" level in the eye of the commoner. Discs will have to be $100 a pop to be considered "useable" as serious equipment. Get your self a sweet bag, fill it full of $1500 worth of flying objects and your "sport" is now legit!

Last stop...Performance enhancing drugs will become a problem and the PDGA will have to implement drug testing and enforcement of anti-drug policies with suspensions and bans. All the bad publicity from the rampant drug use will send DG back the never been activity it was, forgotten by the masses to still be enjoyed by the people who never cared for the game to be "Mainstreamed" in the beginning.

Thanks for reading and now someone else can have the box.

 

[ChrisWoj]

At the risk of feeding the troll thread, that's fine with me as long as the PDGA cuts those programs that only benefit pros to make that happen. I don't know (or really care) how effective those programs are but cutting those to bring the pro membership price down might be worth discussing.

AFAIC - I get no benefits from these "programs that only benefit the pros." The problem is that the PDGA makes NO differentiation between a professional disc golfer, and an Open Division disc golfer. I compete on occasion with the professional disc golfers, but I'm not a pro. I compete in the Open division. That is what I tell people. I'm not a "professional" athlete. What do I get out of these programs that the PDGA has? Absolutely nothing. A rating, I guess? But at this point in my game I just care about cashing out at tournaments (from a playing perspective only - don't think I ignore community related aspects of the game). In general I think that to most Open guys the rating system matters LESS than it does to the amateurs. I love the rating system, its a nice tool, but relating it to my game - it doesn't tell you much. It is a very superficial number, and I think players figure that out after a while.

So tell me, what programs are benefiting the Open guy? None I know of. Maybe put the general Open guys on one scale, and the actual Professionals on another. Maybe if you intend to play a PDGA NT in the Open Division, or even an A Tier or higher you pay a premium with your membership. But if you're an Open guy that never goes beyond a B Tier what do you get? Nothing really.

 

[Anon]

Last stop...Performance enhancing drugs will become a problem and the PDGA will have to implement drug testing and enforcement of anti-drug policies with suspensions and bans. All the bad publicity from the rampant drug use will send DG back the never been activity it was, forgotten by the masses to still be enjoyed by the people who never cared for the game to be "Mainstreamed" in the beginning.

LOL what?

This guy can't be real.

 

[Cgkdisc]

The number one benefit of being a pro PDGA member regardless of your skill level is it "legitimizes" (in theory) your ability to play for cash and added cash instead of merchandise prizes because measurable skill is involved.

 

[ChrisWoj]

30 years disc golf, 7 aces. Why do people keep assuming most players want to "take the sport to the next level"? Why does anyone attempt to wish our sport to compete with swat golf. The only changes I can ever advocate is more courtesy and less litter and vandalism. @ChrisWoj, why would anyone, into our game, not want to at least glance through the disc golfer mag?

I read all I want to about disc golf online, there's no coverage of events that is remotely timely. Many of the articles regarding technique are neat, but I'm more happy to see good articles out there than I am learning anything from them. The only articles that really appeal to me are on course design. So there are usually 3-5 pages per quarter that interest me.

 

[davetherocketguy]

its not that big of a deal.

$300 / basket.

Where is this money going to materialize from again?

 

[discguy42]

LOL what?

This guy can't be real.

This is a work of fiction my man.

That was showing the path that big pro sports always end up going down. Imagine all the juiced up muscle heads pumping those Super Discs out to 1000'. Courses will have to be redesigned to emulate Ball Golf course distance for those cannon arms!

 

[Anon]

$300 / basket.

Where is this money going to materialize from again?

To be fair... for a reasonably sized Parks and Rec department, the cost of Disc Golf baskets is a very minor budget item in terms of overall cost... extremely affordable and a pretty damn good ROI when compared to plenty of other park expenses.

The problem comes when we have to accept the fact that budgets are already very limited. And it will be hard to convince ANY park district to replace a bunch of perfectly good baskets with some 'pro' level baskets for no tangible gain outside of "the PDGA requires it for high level tournament play."

 

[prototypicalDave]

I think that the drive to "legitimize" disc golf in the eyes of the public has pretty complex motivations.

1. Money
   
   Imagine if you could pull $75k/year as a course director or TD. $100k as a top pro or broadcaster. Imagine if there were enough money in broadcasting tournaments that you could have a production company entirely focused on it and have a comfortable life.​
2. Recognition
   
   Lots of folks work really, really hard being the best that they can be. For some of us it's enough to know it for ourselves, but I can imagine how good it would feel to get recognition of our skills from the public at large. I mean I know all about Tiger Woods and I don't play ball golf.
   I wonder if there aren't some folks up at the top of the DG food chain that may feel a twinge of embarrassment when they talk to random people about what they do.
   I mean they've devoted their lives to a sport that a very very small percentage of the public has even heard of, and if they have heard of it, they think it's college kids getting high in the woods.
   I've got friends who are local golf pros. At least when they tell me what they've decided to do with their lives, I have an idea of what it entails. I can even see social value in it.
   For top dg guys, that just isn't the case. I can see how they would crave that sort of mainstream acceptance.​

Honestly though I think it comes back to money and I'm fine with that.

 

[Three Putt]

To be fair... for a reasonably sized Parks and Rec department, the cost of Disc Golf baskets is a very minor budget item in terms of overall cost... extremely affordable and a pretty damn good ROI when compared to plenty of other park expenses.

The problem comes when we have to accept the fact that budgets are already very limited. And it will be hard to convince ANY park district to replace a bunch of perfectly good baskets with some 'pro' level baskets for no tangible gain outside of "the PDGA requires it for high level tournament play."

A lot of courses on public land were established with baskets the parks didn't pay for. In St. Louis in the 90's, the Club raised the money to buy the baskets and donated them to the park department to establish Creve Coeur, Sioux Passage and Jefferson Barracks. Later the Club raised the money to install concrete tees. A lot of courses were established with the parks department actually not spending any money on them. If it were ever to happen, a switch to smaller baskets would probably fall onto Clubs that want to run higher tiered events to come up with the cash.

 

[Three Putt]

I think that the drive to "legitimize" disc golf in the eyes of the public has pretty complex motivations.

1. Money
   
   Imagine if you could pull $75k/year as a course director or TD. $100k as a top pro or broadcaster. Imagine if there were enough money in broadcasting tournaments that you could have a production company entirely focused on it and have a comfortable life.​
2. Recognition
   
   Lots of folks work really, really hard being the best that they can be. For some of us it's enough to know it for ourselves, but I can imagine how good it would feel to get recognition of our skills from the public at large. I mean I know all about Tiger Woods and I don't play ball golf.
   I wonder if there aren't some folks up at the top of the DG food chain that may feel a twinge of embarrassment when they talk to random people about what they do.
   I mean they've devoted their lives to a sport that a very very small percentage of the public has even heard of, and if they have heard of it, they think it's college kids getting high in the woods.
   I've got friends who are local golf pros. At least when they tell me what they've decided to do with their lives, I have an idea of what it entails. I can even see social value in it.
   For top dg guys, that just isn't the case. I can see how they would crave that sort of mainstream acceptance.​

Honestly though I think it comes back to money and I'm fine with that.

You know that going in, though. If you crave money and attention for your accomplishments, don't dedicate your life to a small niche sport that will bring you neither. :|

Really, it's a process of trying to make disc golf be something it isn't so a select few can be showered with accolades and money. I'm tired of trying to make disc golf something it isn't. I'd rather focus on making what it is the best that it can be.

 

[Anon]

A lot of courses on public land were established with baskets the parks didn't pay for. In St. Louis in the 90's, the Club raised the money to buy the baskets and donated them to the park department to establish Creve Coeur, Sioux Passage and Jefferson Barracks. Later the Club raised the money to install concrete tees. A lot of courses were established with the parks department actually not spending any money on them. If it were ever to happen, a switch to smaller baskets would probably fall onto Clubs that want to run higher tiered events to come up with the cash.

I agree.

Just wanted to point out that in a 'real world' budgeting scenario... disc golf is actually pretty affordable. Especially when compared to other facilities parks and rec has to spend money on.

I'd almost say these 'pro' baskets have a better chance of going in the ground in your presented scenario (ie. the local club pays for the 'pro' baskets). Of course, clubs don't have parks and rec sized budgets. So we are back to square one.

You know that going in, though. If you crave money and attention for your accomplishments, don't dedicate your life to a small niche sport that will bring you neither. :|

Yea but the goal is to get in on the ground floor and be a part of the 'old boys club' when the niche sport finally blows up and goes mainstream.

Its happened in skateboarding, snowboarding, pro poker, e-sports, etc. Lots of 'old boys' ended up with great careers.

 

[bikinjack]

Really, it's a process of trying to make disc golf be something it isn't so a select few can be showered with accolades and money. I'm tired of trying to make disc golf something it isn't. I'd rather focus on making what it is the best that it can be.

:clap::thmbup:

 

[disctildeath]

While it wouldn't make sense to convert now, I could see a special event using something like this (find a short tech/putt and pitch course maybe use those Bullseye baskets with just the inner section) to pull some people out like the aces races do, the distances would be am friendly, but even better players could come have fun working out with mids and putters.

 

[biscoe]

Yea but the goal is to get in on the ground floor and be a part of the 'old boys club' when the niche sport finally blows up and goes mainstream.

i don't think that is really the goal for very many people.

 

[Anon]

i don't think that is really the goal for very many people.

I'm sure there are plenty of people doing it for the 'passion.' Most of them are probably older and have long realized they won't be making their American dream off of disc golf.

There are also lots of people looking for the next big thing.

When a niche sport/game shows the potential to blow up... the latter start to leech on. Its happened before in other sports/games and its happening now in disc golf.

 

[DiscHurler]

As far as I can see there's nothing stopping small-basket proponents from doing what regular disc golfers have been doing for decades: Find like-minded people and a suitable piece of land, install a course at their own expense and convince others playing there is worth their money.

We'll be reading hosts of success stories here really soon. Or maybe we won't...

 

[Three Putt]

I'm sure there are plenty of people doing it for the 'passion.' Most of them are probably older and have long realized they won't be making their American dream off of disc golf.

There are also lots of people looking for the next big thing.

When a niche sport/game shows the potential to blow up... the latter start to leech on. Its happened before in other sports/games and its happening now in disc golf.

That's like playing the lottery, though. Throw resources into something and hope in the end it pays off. It does for a limited few. For the vast majority, it's a moneypit.

I think far too many of the resources we have in disc golf are invested in watching the ping pong balls and hoping they have our numbers on them.

*bad analogies are bad*

 

[prototypicalDave]

You know that going in, though. If you crave money and attention for your accomplishments, don't dedicate your life to a small niche sport that will bring you neither. :|

Really, it's a process of trying to make disc golf be something it isn't so a select few can be showered with accolades and money. I'm tired of trying to make disc golf something it isn't. I'd rather focus on making what it is the best that it can be.

I agree. I just don't see what sort of negative impact that this desire will have on the sport. I think that if anything, it might end up being a good thing.
It's entirely possible that I could be convinced otherwise though.
What are you worried will happen as a result of their desire?

 

[JC17393]

I agree. I just don't see what sort of negative impact that this desire will have on the sport. I think that if anything, it might end up being a good thing.
It's entirely possible that I could be convinced otherwise though.
What are you worried will happen as a result of their desire?

The most common reason I've seen for the "mainstream is bad" sentiment was expressed a few posts up, and that's the "I like having the course to myself" mentality. People view growing the sport as in encroachment on their special little habit and they don't want to have to deal with crowds or waiting times or heaven forbid, tee times at their local disc golf course.

Thing is, as more players find the game, the number of courses will increase to match the player base. It's been happening that way for 30 years now, it's really not going to stop. People active in trying to grow the game aren't trying to move something that is otherwise stagnant. They're trying to speed up a process that's already moving forward at a good clip.

We're cruising along right now in the right hand lane just under the speed limit. The "mainstream" dreamers are trying to get the car out into the left lane, kick in the NO boosters, and push the pedal to the floor. Even if they're unsuccessful, it's not like the only other option is broken down on the side of the road. We can keep chugging along and get there, wherever there happens to be, eventually.