Courses That Hurt The Game?

[DiscLoser1]

Is there such a thing as courses that end up having a negative impact on Disc Golf? There's a lot of talk about the perception of the Disc Golfers having a negative impact, but what about courses?

In my area, I'm finding many courses that would seem to be unplayable with more than one group due to criss-crossing fairways and pin/tee locations...Others that are built and then seemingly left to rot away as an unused, overgrown area of some park...Still others that have tee after tee of throwing into trees with no real lines to speak of.
A lot of courses jammed in to areas that just don't work, and then seemingly never played again.

With no disrespect meant towards those whose hard work and planning have lead to these courses creation, and with awareness of limits that State or City parks place on designers as far as pruning and location...

Do these ghost town/dangerous/tree courses hurt the growth or continued participation in Disc Golf?

 

[allinpflop]

I think the actions of disc golfers do much more damage than any course ever could.....if you could only fix one the disc golfer not the course would do the most to improve the sport and it's perception.

 

[joecoin]

Based on another recent thread, I'd say any course designed by Optidisc would have a negative impact on Disc Golf.

 

[DiscLoser1]

Based on another recent thread, I'd say any course designed by Optidisc would have a negative impact on Disc Golf.

^Lol. We're in the same neck of the woods, so to speak, so maybe I am unknowingly talking about his courses!

 

[goosefraba1]

If you're playing a course with no trees... you are playing the wrong course.

 

[DiscLoser1]

^Courses without trees would be included in my OP about courses hurting the game; it's tree courses with no fairway or line, or 18 RHBH throws that I include. I live in Eastern PA, we have some stellar courses that you might call 'heavily wooded'.

 

[DavidSauls]

I don't believe any courses actually hurt the game, with the possible exception of courses that endanger non-disc-golfers.

 

[JedV]

When I encountered a homeless man sleeping on a teepad at Sunset Park in Las Vegas, it was an eyeopener.

Then again, that's a problem that has absolutely nothing to do with dg.

 

[Dave242]

All ISIS courses hurt the game.

 

[scarpfish]

This course didn't exactly help the cause. Case in point.

 

[cjman]

Fiesta lakes during the Memorial hurt the game.

 

[BrotherDave]

I think the actions of disc golfers do much more damage than any course ever could.....if you could only fix one the disc golfer not the course would do the most to improve the sport and it's perception.

One begats the other to some degree in my opinion. Maybe it's just me but it seems like if you learn to play on a good course with a respectable club that maintains it you're more likely to create a model disc golfer as opposed to the hordes of chuckers spawned on their college's nearest pitch and putt.

We need to discourage poor design a lot more in terms of ill-fitting courses with proximity/safety problems (close to ball fields, play across busy walking paths/trails, etc). Gone should be the days where we are just happy that a new course is going into the neighborhood; it's time to up the standards and hold Joe Schmo wannabe course designer a lot more accountable b/c Parks & Rec employees are generally way too clueless about DG to do this.

 

[DiscLoser1]

^Parks and Rec people being clueless, and perhaps overly enthusiastic, woefully inexperienced disc golfers designing and jamming in courses with too little space or too little demand?

If a course gets built in the woods, and there's no one around to play it...?
If a course gets built in a park, and there's too many people to play it...?

 

[1978]

I think the actions of disc golfers do much more damage than any course ever could.....if you could only fix one the disc golfer not the course would do the most to improve the sport and it's perception.

People do indeed make an impact, however, courses certainly hurt the game.

Long difficult ( if safe) courses still attract people. Its the poorly maintained course or course that is impossible to follow that turn people away. Sometimes you get one chance to impress someone's friends, girlfriend, or just a casual player with your course. If you fail, they decide the game isnt for them and move on.
For example:
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/reviews.php?id=4515&mode=rev

If I was in durango, or camping next to this course...as a first timer I would probably not try disc golf again. It was beautiful land, a great course area, but Terrible Terrible layout and maintenance. Those things really do scare away newbies. Kind of like if all ball golf courses ere $300 greens fees, that would really reduce the # of new players.

 

[riltim]

^Parks and Rec people being clueless, and perhaps overly enthusiastic, woefully inexperienced disc golfers designing and jamming in courses with too little space or too little demand?

If a course gets built in the woods, and there's no one around to play it...?
If a course gets built in a park, and there's too many people to play it...?

I'm from eastern PA. What courses are you talking about?

 

[optidiscic]

I'm from eastern PA. What courses are you talking about?

I am also from Eastern PA and am curious as well

 

[TruthHurts]

I think dink & dunk courses are bad for disc golf. A course where the same easy shot can be used repeatedly to score well. That's fine for beginners, but what I find is players who learn on those courses develop the idea that all courses should be like that. Therefore they either complain about courses that don't fit their idea of a good course, or worse yet, alter other courses to fit that idea. If you're a noob, and able to birdie every hole it should be an indicator that something is wrong, not the opposite.

 

[KDFrosty]

Fiesta lakes during the Memorial hurt the game.

I disagree. I enjoyed playing the course. Yes, it wasnt the best course for a NT event, but wasnt so bad that it "hurt the game".

 

[KingofKings696]

Id agree disrespectful players are the biggest detractor from disc golf. There are small trees, branches and other natural obstances that disrespectful players tear down and just ruin the courses. However with that said some course designs were very ill thought. The course in wyandotte MI plays next to a school, baseball fields crossing walking paths all over, and small skate park. There is also one in chesaning that has many blind corners and plays right in middle of everything.

This review from someone else pretty much sums it up

pros: Baskets--chainstars in great shape as no one apparently plays this course.
Cons: Map and routing--awful. You spend more time trying to figure out where you are supposed to throw than actually throwing...

Hole 1--plays across the corner of a back yard with the potential of hitting shed or house with a bad throw. About 300'

Hole 2--plays near a basketball court. Probably the safest home here... About 300'

Hole 3--plays over and between public restrooms and over roads and paths. Very dangerous and about 700'

Hole 4--Rediculous... Plays about 1000' between public buildings down a very narrow path into a swamp.

Hole 5--the most dangerous hole in disc golf... 1100' blind turnover into the middle of a campground...down a road and up a hill.

Hole 6-- second safest hole. Plays about 7-800 ft strait on the edge of the woods.

Hole 7--1100' straight along the woods, across a football field and along a river

Hole 8--never found the teepost here but plays 800' across the same football field and across the end of two baseball fields.

Hole 9--the worst hole in dg-- over 1000' again. Down a road blind turnover into a very public area and up a hill near public restrooms.
Other Thoughts: This course should be removed. The potential to build a great course is here but it is absolutely ruined by this awful travesty.

 

[Cgkdisc]

I'm not sure any course hurts the game even if it's the only one in town. If new players trying it out enjoy throwing the disc but not the course experience, they'll likely seek out other courses in the area to try again. All that a poor course can do if it's the only one in town is reduce growth but not turn existing players away if they have other courses to play.