Disc Golf in the News

[biscoe]

That is a very well-written article, and the situation is a darn shame. Obviously the firing range risks were present before volunteers devoted "hundreds upon hundreds of man hours" to developing the course. That is just bad decision-making by the parks department.

For what it is worth, there are other disc golf courses with shooting in reasonably close proximity. At certain times of year Patapsco Valley sounds like a war zone.

Environmental compliance nerd note: putting a landfill in a floodplain is a lousy idea, so Harrisonburg made the right choice there.

I am fairly certain that a change at the top of the parks department precipitated the issues. We tend to see this stuff as simply "the department" when they are often the current administration of the department (sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse).

 

[dashiellx]

It does seem like the shooting range should have been considered before baskets started going into the ground. If there was a change in admin, who ever left obviously wasn't very good at their job.

 

[ru4por]

I am fairly certain that a change at the top of the parks department precipitated the issues. We tend to see this stuff as simply "the department" when they are often the current administration of the department (sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse).

Agree. The shooting range thing has to be some smokescreen or intentional misinformation. I mean the safety considerations HAS to be zero chance of injury. If the area is not safe for disc golfing, it is not safe for a single soul to be there. If there is ANY chance of catching a stray bullet, the ONLY option would be to put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in and a sign posted that states anybody caught trespassin' would be shot on sight.

 

[jeffmonty]

Agree. The shooting range thing has to be some smokescreen or intentional misinformation. I mean the safety considerations HAS to be zero chance of injury. If the area is not safe for disc golfing, it is not safe for a single soul to be there. If there is ANY chance of catching a stray bullet, the ONLY option would be to put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in and a sign posted that states anybody caught trespassin' would be shot on sight.

We presented a course proposal to a parks dept. some years ago, and they were completely on board with it. They held a community meeting to get feedback from the public, complete with a disc golf informational powerpoint presentation, and a small, vocal group of mostly dog walkers argued that it would disrupt the peacefulness of the park.

There is a shooting range bordering and adjacent to where the course would have gone in. It's been there for decades.The course never happened.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

There is more discussion on FB... one of the dger's that was there in the town meeting, said the opponent was referring to the baskets as a strangling hazard to little kids. Then the dger said he had a basket in his back yard with 2 little kids running around and the crowd in the meeting gasped.

Back in about 1997 or so when Larry LaBond was trying to get Oshtemo going just west of Kalamazoo, I remember hearing there was an anti-Disc Golf crazy person at the park board meeting who threw a Disc against the wall and said something like, "People are going to get NAILED with these things!" His unhinged antics were cringey and actually helped our cause. It's been awhile since I've heard the story, but I'm pretty sure that's what I heard.

Oshtemo is still there. The trees are much, much taller these days...

 

[BogeyNoMore]

...and a small, vocal group of mostly dog walkers argued that it would disrupt the peacefulness of the park.

There is a shooting range bordering and adjacent to where the course would have gone in. It's been there for decades.The course never happened.

What says "peaceful" better than firearms?
Nothing like the sound of gunfire while walking Fido.

 

[Steve West]

...disrupt the peacefulness of the park....

Translation: If someone is watching, they'll have to pick up the poop.

 

[Rastnav]

Agree. The shooting range thing has to be some smokescreen or intentional misinformation. I mean the safety considerations HAS to be zero chance of injury. If the area is not safe for disc golfing, it is not safe for a single soul to be there. If there is ANY chance of catching a stray bullet, the ONLY option would be to put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in and a sign posted that states anybody caught trespassin' would be shot on sight.

I think that should be "Anybody not caught, but trespassing, might be shot, unsighted."

 

[hiflyer]

Agree. The shooting range thing has to be some smokescreen or intentional misinformation. I mean the safety considerations HAS to be zero chance of injury. If the area is not safe for disc golfing, it is not safe for a single soul to be there. If there is ANY chance of catching a stray bullet, the ONLY option would be to put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in and a sign posted that states anybody caught trespassin' would be shot on sight.

I was looking for a job there,
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I was looking for a job there,
And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply

You look like a fine, upstanding, young man. I think you do.

 

[brutalbrutus]

 

[ejvogie]

You look like a fine, upstanding, young man. I think you do.

Huh, imagine hiflyer working for you

 

[davetherocketguy]

Huh, imagine hiflyer working for you

 

[InnocentCrook]

https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/32076462/jake-paul-loss-just-distant-memory-groundhog-hater-buckthorn-slayer-ben-askren

To say that Ben Askren and I share similar feelings in regards to groundhogs would be a massive understatement.

 

[ChrisWoj]

Currently it's the front page story on ESPN.com so thats neat.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Ben Askren making a putt at 2011 USADGC (where he finished second) on hole 17 similar to Kristin Tattar's bomb.

 

[brutalbrutus]

I wonder how good he'd be if he had chosen to be a pro DGer instead of a fighter?...

 

[ru4por]

Ben Askren making a putt at 2011 USADGC (where he finished second) on hole 17 similar to Kristin Tattar's bomb.

I was spotting and spectating. I was blown away by his performance. I was a fan, having a couple buddies who were college wrestlers and now coaches, I knew of his wrestling. Never thought he could show up to USADGC and play as well as he did.

 

[Cgkdisc]

I was spotting and spectating. I was blown away by his performance. I was a fan, having a couple buddies who were college wrestlers and now coaches, I knew of his wrestling. Never thought he could show up to USADGC and play as well as he did.

Related side story, I was the PDGA Marshal there and was also taking lots of photos for the website/mag. Eventual winner Ben Callaway barely got into the event or perhaps Askren would have won. Callaway arrived to check in just short of the 7pm deadline but had forgotten to take the rules test. I administered the test on the spot which Callaway just passed in order to complete his registration.

 

[Jukeshoe]

https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/32076462/jake-paul-loss-just-distant-memory-groundhog-hater-buckthorn-slayer-ben-askren

To say that Ben Askren and I share similar feelings in regards to groundhogs would be a massive understatement.