Survey - Grading Our Disc Golf Courses

[DavidSauls]

OK, finished it by excluding our private course. It's a well-done survey but, of course, shares the flaws of all surveys in being hard to give nuanced answers.

I will say that that it may paint a misleading picture. If asked if there is erosion or tagging or blind shots on local courses, the answer is yes. Because there is---somewhere (I can think of only one serious blind drive that might hit someone). At the same time, the local courses are largely free of these problems; it's just a few places. Or just one of the courses. So I checked a bunch of flaws, and then gave them a "B".

 

[harr0140]

Understood David . . . and those types of things also point to my bias . . . I am trying to prove a point to people that the older courses and those with flaws need to be corrected or we risk losing them to injury, environmental issues (erosion), etc . . . I will work on the survey to help me get better data to continue to monitor these things over time.

 

[ringerguy]

I filled out the survey. By far the best I that has been linked in a thread on this site. At least that I have come across.

My home course, Cass Benton contains many of the maintenance/design flaws that are mentioned in the survey... Which is kind of what makes it a great course and by far the most popular in the metro Detroit area. Specifically, fairways that play along ridges of hills, blind holes, and up and down hills causing foot paths that are bare soil.

Is it part of your plan to encourage parks to eliminate holes that cause erosion or potential dangers to other golfers or random park users altogether? Or merely to mitigate the problem that a popular course on treacherous land implies with efforts such as those in use on hiking trails?

I agree with the sentiment regarding signage about the potential dangers of entering a disc golf course. I would love to see warnings for people who have know idea that they could catch the equivalent to a fastball to the face when they least expect it.

 

[DavidSauls]

It's good to raise awareness of these issues.

Though these problems exists on courses around here, at least to a minor degree, the biggest threats of losing our courses are (1) behavior of disc golfers and (2) non-disc golfers, coveting the park land for other uses.

One thing I don't recall seeing in the survey, which you might include in your future efforts, is damage to park vegetation. In our urban park certain trees, particularly smaller trees, are vulnerable to the damage by repeated wounds from thrown discs. And some, pockmarked with scars, die that might have died anyway, but give the appearance of being damaged by disc golfers. Newly-planted trees are particularly vulnerable. Where parks make plantings of shrubs or flower beds, players retrieving wayward discs can do considerable damage. Not an issue on wooded courses, but in more developed parks.

 

[ru4por]

It's good to raise awareness of these issues.

Though these problems exists on courses around here, at least to a minor degree, the biggest threats of losing our courses are (1) behavior of disc golfers and (2) non-disc golfers, coveting the park land for other uses.

One thing I don't recall seeing in the survey, which you might include in your future efforts, is damage to park vegetation. In our urban park certain trees, particularly smaller trees, are vulnerable to the damage by repeated wounds from thrown discs. And some, pockmarked with scars, die that might have died anyway, but give the appearance of being damaged by disc golfers. Newly-planted trees are particularly vulnerable. Where parks make plantings of shrubs or flower beds, players retrieving wayward discs can do considerable damage. Not an issue on wooded courses, but in more developed parks.

This is a pretty important point. Park systems can easily see this as a reason to terminate disc golf relationships. Perhaps a standardized, proven, and effective tree protection program/method endorsed by the PDGA should be included in course proposals. If such a thing exists.

 

[DavidSauls]

In the South we have dogwood trees---wonderful small trees, deservedly revered.

At Earlewood there are a bunch. Some are near tees and their bark has been badly marred by discs. Some are further down fairways, but still get hit. Some have died.

But dogwoods are temperamental anyway, and a number of dogwoods in the park have died, even though they are nowhere near the fairways. But I fear that we'll get blamed if the ones we hit die, even though that may have little to do with their death.

 

[jasonandsharon]

I just completed the survey. Like most of us I see the problems that we all do but am curious to see what you can do with the information. Like Dave says I think most courses are pulled either for the conduct of the players or the NIMB folks. One of the things I have noticed playing close to a thousand courses is that most areas tend to have one or two strong courses that are fairly well maintained and cared for, and a plethora of courses just thrown into the ground that serve as overflow that half the time have inadequate signage, poor navigation, and poor maintenance. Out here in CA we have a strong and growing anti-disc golf movement that are actively campaigning against new courses and causing as many problems as they can for current courses, but the course maintenance problems are rarely the actual cause of their complaints just ammo that they use. One thing I noticed on your survey was a lack of a question on parking and transportation, I have known quite a few courses pulled for inadequate parking or the players were parking in off limit areas, again goes to the conduct of players. But by far most courses are pulled because of the illegal drugs, alcohol and smoking abuse that occurs in public parks by disc golfers, parks management and the NIMBY groups simply use the lack of maintenance and erosion issues as additional ammo when closing the course.