When is it time to replace/upgrade baskets?

[barnet666]

Just curious what everyone thinks on the longevity of disc golf targets. My favorite course in the area is Hudson Mills but the targets their are small and seem outdated.

So do many of the targets at our
state championship courses like beauty, beast and Goliath at mason county park. And don't even get me started on the tee pads there.

Anyways, how long will it take before the pdga makes a tournament course replace their targets? If you're going to play A tier tournaments then everything should be A tier quality. Pads signs baskets etc.

 

[scarpfish]

Anyways, how long will it take before the pdga makes a tournament course replace their targets?

When the PDGA starts paying for them. Last I checked, they weren't an authority outside of events that they sanction, and unless they wish to pay for several traveling sets exclusively for tournament use, it ain't gonna happen. Baskets at most any course are going to be there a whole lot longer than that.

A-tiers are not the elite events that you think they are. There were 65 of them held last year.

Amazes me how many people on this forum don't seem to get what the PDGA is, what they do, what they don't do, and the whys behind all that.

 

[DavidSauls]

True.

For what it's worth, there are some PDGA standards for targets for A-tiers. They're not terribly high, but as best I recall the course has to use all of the same kind, and they have to be the higher-grade baskets (not Sports, M-14s, Travelers, etc.).

The question of when to replace them is up to the local disc golf community, who uses them the most.

One of my local courses (Earlewood) has old, unique baskets that are noticeably narrower than anything else you're likely to play (bullseyes excepted). Over the years the club has upgrading them with deeper baskets, extra chains, and an improvises new chain assembly. There has been an ongoing dispute about whether to replace them with something modern, or keep them out of affection and tradition.

 

[skizzle34]

It is a major investment for a course to replace all of their baskets. If an 18 hole course were to do so it would cost upwards of $7000. When you think about mason county you are looking at nearly $30000...that's a lot of green!

 

[barnet666]

Great input so far. Thanks, guys.

 

[ru4por]

Hudson Mills is a world class facility, but I understand that you have seen better baskets. But, there are infinitely worse course setups than there. At least they are not homemade and in good repair. I would gladly take the trade off made by the local club to put money toward other maintenance, landscaping and tree replacement for the ash tree devastation. I am not sure who bought the original ones, the metroparks or A3. With the fairly recent advent of P2P there, maybe it is a good question to be asking the park.

 

[FlyingHyzer]

Most of the baskets at Rutgers U are from the 70's. Last time I was there, it looked like hole # 12's basket was backed into with a truck or something, I'd say that is when its necessary to be replaced, or if a tree fell on one or something of the sort. But what do I know, I'm still noobish.

Is it a possibility to just replace the chains with fresh galvanized chains? That could be good every 10 - 15 years, maybe?

 

[BogeyNoMore]

In trying to answer the OP directly, my answer would be to replace baskets when:
1) they are in physically bad shape
2) they fail to catch what most players think is a good shot on any type of consistent basis.

Are there better baskets than what's at The Mills? Yes, but I have no complaints about any of the baskets at any of the Metroparks except for the practice basket at Stony Creek... spits out a ton of shots - but it a practice basket, so who really cares?

I've played on the old baskets at Starr-Jaycee and Wagner, and they're not even that bad.

9 out of 10 times, I'd rather see new baskets used on a new course, than new baskets used on an old course.

 

[sloppydisc]

True.

For what it's worth, there are some PDGA standards for targets for A-tiers. They're not terribly high, but as best I recall the course has to use all of the same kind, and they have to be the higher-grade baskets (not Sports, M-14s, Travelers, etc.).

The question of when to replace them is up to the local disc golf community, who uses them the most.

One of my local courses (Earlewood) has old, unique baskets that are noticeably narrower than anything else you're likely to play (bullseyes excepted). Over the years the club has upgrading them with deeper baskets, extra chains, and an improvises new chain assembly. There has been an ongoing dispute about whether to replace them with something modern, or keep them out of affection and tradition.

I kinda like Earlewood, and think the old baskets, or even Bullseyes would make it a better course. Nothing wrong with tougher putts on a short course.

 

[notBOB]

Highland Park in Joliet, est 2008, is among the highest esteemed courses in illinois and host to the IL state champs. the past 4 years. They have old school mach I's, the original baskets from the first course in Illinois, across town, west park. i dont think the baskets take away from the course at all. In fact i dig the idea of wicked tester putts esp with such ruthless greens, which sets this course apart from every other IL course.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Come play Hansen or Moir park in MN and get back to me on outdated baskets.

 

[mndiscg]

Come play Hansen or Moir park in MN and get back to me on outdated baskets.

But those baskets are legendary and create a fun atmosphere on those parks which would just be average pitch and putts otherwise!

 

[Aim For The Chains]

not saying its bad.. just beyond outdated in comparison to some old chains.

They are OOP lol.

 

[mashnut]

Highland Park in Joliet, est 2008, is among the highest esteemed courses in illinois and host to the IL state champs. the past 4 years. They have old school mach I's, the original baskets from the first course in Illinois, across town, west park. i dont think the baskets take away from the course at all. In fact i dig the idea of wicked tester putts esp with such ruthless greens, which sets this course apart from every other IL course.

Along the same lines, what they did with those baskets was a really cool idea IMO. They saved up to replace the West Park baskets, then used the old ones to make the Highland Park course. That brings down the cost of a new course a lot, and it's easier to fundraise for new baskets on an established course than for a course that hasn't been built yet in my experience.