Hey guys was wondering if y'all could give me any input on a public park that was shut down because of a PDGA tournament. went to my home court today and a PDGA sign was up that said close to public do to tournament others kept playing through. is it really legal for them to shut down or is the sign a scare tactic to just to keep people off of the course?
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PDGA shuts down public park?
- Thread starter Levi615
- Start date
First, the PDGA didn't do anything. It is probably a local club/TD running a PDGA sanctioned event.
Second, if the organizers obtained the proper permission (permits applied for, fees paid) from the powers that be in charge of the park, then absolutely it's legal to shut down the course. I would guess that if they have signs up saying the course is closed except to tournament players, they have official authority to do so.
Looks like you'll have to find another course to play today.
jeverett
Double Eagle Member
Hi Levi615,
JC already talked about it some, but yes, Parks Departments do indeed rent out their facilities, including shelters, ball fields, disc golf courses, etc. Sometimes it is very expensive to do so (I know a park that charges over $1000 per day to rent its (multiple) courses). Generally, the renter also needs to acquire event insurance (typically but not always through the PDGA), which is another cost on top of that. Generally, these kinds of closures are posted well in advance of an event. There are also usually (regional) online forums where disc golf events/tourneys are posted/discussed, as well, that you may want to check occasionally, to keep this kind of thing from interfering with where you want to play.
I played a tournament where the club had supposedly paid for exclusive use of the mixed-use park, yet they had no effective way to keep folks off of the course. It was a large park, surrounded by city streets and with no fence. Folks just kept wandering in from the perimeter and by the afternoon round we were having to deal with people on about half of the holes. Made for a difficult and frustrating tournament.
So the other side of the coin is just because the park is closed, doesn't mean you can actually keep the public off of the course!! But at least the local disc golfers understood that there was a tournament going on and didn't interfere. Small victories...
So the other side of the coin is just because the park is closed, doesn't mean you can actually keep the public off of the course!! But at least the local disc golfers understood that there was a tournament going on and didn't interfere. Small victories...
It's always nice if the folks running tournaments put up signs several days in advance, announcing when the course will be closed.
Trust me, even if a tournament doesn't have exclusive rights to the course, you don't want to try to get in a casual round while a tournament is going on. The pace of play will kill you, and no one's letting you play through.
Around here, even where the course is closed, we'll often tell casual folks who show up about when lunch and the end of the final round should be, so they can squeeze in some play then if they wish.
Trust me, even if a tournament doesn't have exclusive rights to the course, you don't want to try to get in a casual round while a tournament is going on. The pace of play will kill you, and no one's letting you play through.
Around here, even where the course is closed, we'll often tell casual folks who show up about when lunch and the end of the final round should be, so they can squeeze in some play then if they wish.
When there's a tournament at Mt Airy a lot of casual players show up not knowing what's going on. We explain it to them and it seems when we point out the players paid $50-$75 to play in this event, they understand and go somewhere else to play with no hard feelings.
Most of the time, people understand a tournament is going on and leave. A few years ago at the Charlotte Amateur Championship, a couple of guys come up and ask what was going on. I was the course TD and told them a large tournament was taking place. Tried to explain there was players on every hole, that they paid to play, that we paid the park to have the course and no matter how many times or different way I tried to explain it, they just didn't get it. They kept saying that it was a public park and they played taxes, so they should be able to play where ever/ whenever they wanted. I asked if they thought it would be ok to walk out onto a football/ soccer/ baseball/ softball field or basketball court and play while a league was playing. They didn't think disc golf ( which they were wanting to play) wasn't the same as those other sports. They finally left after I threatened to call the park police. Really sad that " disc golfers" couldn't respect other disc golfers.
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Whenever events are held at my home course, the park is reserved several months in advance and signs are posted several weeks in advance.
Still, we need to place someone at the first tee to keep visitors from teeing it up. We've even had them sneak to the back nine to attempt play during the tourney.
I hate it for them (some have traveled to play the course), but it happens.
And like others have said, we have exclusive use and can keep others off.
Still, we need to place someone at the first tee to keep visitors from teeing it up. We've even had them sneak to the back nine to attempt play during the tourney.
I hate it for them (some have traveled to play the course), but it happens.
And like others have said, we have exclusive use and can keep others off.
Several year ago, while visiting San Jose to catch a Wings game, my wife I got up early on a Saturday morning and trekked out to Stafford Lake. I had done some research on the course and was very excited to play it. Well, when we got out there to hole one, two foursome where waiting for the horn. They explained it was a large tournament, play would be horribly slow and play very competitive. We express our disappointment, explained that we were from Detroit. After some polite sharing of local culture, they decided to ask us to just play along. We did, it was a very slow round, but one of the most fun we have ever had. They could not have been more hospitable. Invited us for some of their lunch, and Anderson Valley beer brought in for the break. First, thank you Sonoma Flyers and second polite conversation and common courtesy solves any issues signs present.
I've had that very conversation a few times. Fortunately, far more often the walk-ups have enough sense to understand.
chainedwraith
Par Member
This discussion reminds me of a tourney experience from this past fall. Full tourney, fivesomes on every hole. A group of casual players (with a pretty good buzz kickin') were peeved at how busy the course was and they were dead set on getting their party on.. loaded coolers, boombox blasting music and all..
They were turned away by the TD at hole 1 and so they went to the back of the course near a big water hole that causes backups and waited until there was a break between groups so they could tee off. We arrive on the teepad of the hole and motioned that we were ready to tee-off and tried to explain that a tournament was in progress, with groups behind us. They just told us to F-off and flicked us birds and started talking back to us and continued to play the hole.
It just so happened that at the same time we notice the local club president playing the hole across the street from us and we got his attention and showed him what we were dealing with. He yells from all the way across the course that the course is closed for the tournament.. They got just as belligerent with him and started cussing and making a loud scene, telling everyone to suck it and that we're all stupid for paying money to play and he has every right to play too.. etc etc..
TD sends over a park ranger.. apparently a rookie ranger.. The ranger lady is disrespected almost as bad as we were, but she gets them to begrudgingly leave. The whole time they walked away they were cussing us out and trying to pick a fight with everyone on our card as they walk by on their way out.
A few months after the tourney, I visit the course and talk with the local guys and we discuss the incident and apparently these jerks went and filed formal written complaints against the DG club, the park ranger, and county parks dept. They apparently got the ranger lady in a heap of trouble for forcing them to leave the park (even though she really only made them leave the course) and in the end, the local club was made out to be in the wrong because it wasn't made clear enough to the public that the course was to be closed for the tourney (despite a sign at hole 1 teepad and the TD turning people away). Even though prior park approval was given, apparently the expectations set between the TD and the park officials were not quite on same page. Also, it seems you need signs on every hole these days to prevent some jerks from causing issues.
They were turned away by the TD at hole 1 and so they went to the back of the course near a big water hole that causes backups and waited until there was a break between groups so they could tee off. We arrive on the teepad of the hole and motioned that we were ready to tee-off and tried to explain that a tournament was in progress, with groups behind us. They just told us to F-off and flicked us birds and started talking back to us and continued to play the hole.
It just so happened that at the same time we notice the local club president playing the hole across the street from us and we got his attention and showed him what we were dealing with. He yells from all the way across the course that the course is closed for the tournament.. They got just as belligerent with him and started cussing and making a loud scene, telling everyone to suck it and that we're all stupid for paying money to play and he has every right to play too.. etc etc..
TD sends over a park ranger.. apparently a rookie ranger.. The ranger lady is disrespected almost as bad as we were, but she gets them to begrudgingly leave. The whole time they walked away they were cussing us out and trying to pick a fight with everyone on our card as they walk by on their way out.
A few months after the tourney, I visit the course and talk with the local guys and we discuss the incident and apparently these jerks went and filed formal written complaints against the DG club, the park ranger, and county parks dept. They apparently got the ranger lady in a heap of trouble for forcing them to leave the park (even though she really only made them leave the course) and in the end, the local club was made out to be in the wrong because it wasn't made clear enough to the public that the course was to be closed for the tourney (despite a sign at hole 1 teepad and the TD turning people away). Even though prior park approval was given, apparently the expectations set between the TD and the park officials were not quite on same page. Also, it seems you need signs on every hole these days to prevent some jerks from causing issues.
UCF_Knight
Birdie Member
I believe I was on that card, or maybe a card or two in front of you at that point. Those guys were pretty bad. I had no idea it ended up getting turned around on the club that really sucks, everyone was far more polite with them than they should have been given the outcome.
Kenny53691
Noodle Arm
I bet you wouldn't get the same response if the tourney was a Winton Woods, lol.
People complain to us all the time about closing courses.
It is simple.
Take the emotion of not being able to play out of it.
Simply ask or think, would I take my family to a softball field during a tournament at a local park, unroll a blanket and start playing catch with my children in the outfield because, "Hey I pay taxes?" No. That would be silly.
There is no reason to think you should be able to play when a course is reserved, or basketball/tennis courts or even shelters or horseshoe pits.
Because people pay taxes...well because 53% of us pay taxes doesnt mean we have full access at all times to everything government run or owned.
Exactly
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