Pirate Plank - $70 Teepad

[RootsDiscGolf]

Depends on your definition of level. I'm kinda partial to flat and level regardless of material used. So yeah, IMHO you will almost always need to do some amount of leveling. If there is a high point right where you want to place one of these this SOB may teeter-totter on that point as you do your run-up.

Pavers can be a good surface provided those installing them take great care to do it right and they are maintained properly. But that usually doesn't happen so in general pavers suck.

With pavers you need to use a plate compactor and lay the pavers, then brush sand in it often to fill in the little cracks. This will keep the pieces from sliding around. I personally like pavers because when a teepad is getting wore out you do not have to replace the whole tee, but just the few pavers that have worn slick. We are having this problem now on one of our local courses, the course is 30+ years old and the pads are done for, if it was pavers it would take 20-30 bucks to fix, but now its going to be in the 1000s to tear them up and replace.

 

[RootsDiscGolf]

I am going to have to disagree with this as I witnessed one break at Terry's house not long after install. One of the pads was placed on a slightly uneven ground and during a round it broke on somebody's run up. Kind of snapped in half, still usable but definitely noticeable. It may not need to be perfect leveling but you still need to do a decent job of leveling or risk snapping these on uneven ground.

(Was long par 4 or 5 hole near edge of property, long hole with mando at BRATS)

This is true, I was mainly talking about the amount of leveling that is required for pavers is 10x the amount for these.

 

[davetherocketguy]

With pavers you need to use a plate compactor and lay the pavers, then brush sand in it often to fill in the little cracks. This will keep the pieces from sliding around. I personally like pavers because when a teepad is getting wore out you do not have to replace the whole tee, but just the few pavers that have worn slick. We are having this problem now on one of our local courses, the course is 30+ years old and the pads are done for, if it was pavers it would take 20-30 bucks to fix, but now its going to be in the 1000s to tear them up and replace.

Sounds like you're one of the few that knows how to install them correctly. :clap:

 

[RootsDiscGolf]

Sounds like you're one of the few that knows how to install them correctly. :clap:

Thank you, I think they look nice also. What is really cool is you can take donations for the pads and have a paver engraved with their name or something like that. I want to do this for a course in the future. We will see if anybody else thinks its a good idea.

 

[Countchunkula]

With pavers you need to use a plate compactor and lay the pavers, then brush sand in it often to fill in the little cracks. This will keep the pieces from sliding around. I personally like pavers because when a teepad is getting wore out you do not have to replace the whole tee, but just the few pavers that have worn slick. We are having this problem now on one of our local courses, the course is 30+ years old and the pads are done for, if it was pavers it would take 20-30 bucks to fix, but now its going to be in the 1000s to tear them up and replace.

There's got to be a way to roughen up the surface that will cost less than tearing them out and pouring new concrete.

The pic below is from the Channahon, IL course. The diagonal grooves in the tee help traction in slippery conditions. They've been that way since I've been playing the course and I couldn't tell you if the grooves were done while the concrete was drying or were cut at some point after the concrete had cured. I'm not saying renting a concrete saw for long enough to cut grooves like that would be practical, but there are ways to improve grip.

If the tees are cracked that's another story, but if they are in otherwise good shape you should be able to made them sufficiently grippy again.

 

[Casey 1988]

With pavers you need to use a plate compactor and lay the pavers, then brush sand in it often to fill in the little cracks. This will keep the pieces from sliding around. I personally like pavers because when a teepad is getting wore out you do not have to replace the whole tee, but just the few pavers that have worn slick. We are having this problem now on one of our local courses, the course is 30+ years old and the pads are done for, if it was pavers it would take 20-30 bucks to fix, but now its going to be in the 1000s to tear them up and replace.

I have seen on a course that they used quickcreat or other quick type concrete to fix a broken cracked teapad. This works and you can even pave over the whole surface if need be. As long you do it right using the right tools, small smoothing tools for small and the large floor model for the whole tee pad the spots or whole thing should smooth enough to use if one works quick. The pads were not made right for winter with the reinforcing of the perpendicular sets of the round bars I forget the name.

 

[RootsDiscGolf]

There's got to be a way to roughen up the surface that will cost less than tearing them out and pouring new concrete.

The pic below is from the Channahon, IL course. The diagonal grooves in the tee help traction in slippery conditions. They've been that way since I've been playing the course and I couldn't tell you if the grooves were done while the concrete was drying or were cut at some point after the concrete had cured. I'm not saying renting a concrete saw for long enough to cut grooves like that would be practical, but there are ways to improve grip.

If the tees are cracked that's another story, but if they are in otherwise good shape you should be able to made them sufficiently grippy again.

How deep are the cuts? I have access to a roller concrete saw, but I was afraid of the groves being too close and breaking off.

 

[Countchunkula]

It's been a while since I was out there. Any number I throw out would have to come straight out of my ass.

 

[davetherocketguy]

If the tees are cracked that's another story, but if they are in otherwise good shape you should be able to made them sufficiently grippy again.

That seems like a good way to reduce the life of the concrete - but that depends on the freeze-thaw nature of the climate its in I suppose. I'd be really interested in seeing what this pad looks like in 10 years. I wonder what it'll be like when the grooves inevitably fill with dirt.

I kind of think that a better solution for when concrete pads become too smooth is to apply a turf tee much like the DGP turf tees but there really isn't a product on the market like that I am aware of.

 

[RootsDiscGolf]

It's been a while since I was out there. Any number I throw out would have to come straight out of my ass.

Thank you for your honesty lol

 

[Countchunkula]

That seems like a good way to reduce the life of the concrete - but that depends on the freeze-thaw nature of the climate its in I suppose. I'd be really interested in seeing what this pad looks like in 10 years. I wonder what it'll be like when the grooves inevitably fill with dirt.

I kind of think that a better solution for when concrete pads become too smooth is to apply a turf tee much like the DGP turf tees but there really isn't a product on the market like that I am aware of.

I've been playing there for more than 10 years. The tees were that way the first time I was out there. The course was put in back in the 80s. Not sure when the concrete tees went in, but they've had at least 10 years of midwest freeze/thaw since the grooves went in.

This course has a dedicated steward who has worked tirelessly to maintain, upgrade and beautify the course. I wouldn't be surprised if he was cleaning the tees periodically, as I agree that the grooves would inevitably get filled in with dirt, but I've never seen them that way.

 

[davetherocketguy]

I've been playing there for more than 10 years. The tees were that way the first time I was out there. The course was put in back in the 80s. Not sure when the concrete tees went in, but they've had at least 10 years of midwest freeze/thaw since the grooves went in.

This course has a dedicated steward who has worked tirelessly to maintain, upgrade and beautify the course. I wouldn't be surprised if he was cleaning the tees periodically, as I agree that the grooves would inevitably get filled in with dirt, but I've never seen them that way.

That's interesting - and a little surprising. Good to hear that it's working though. Wouldn't have thought that would be the case especially in the midwest.

 

[krupicka]

Frank Grimes cut those grooves at Channahon after the pads were set. That took a lot of time to do. Unfortunately Frank is no longer the course maintainer there.

 

[Casey 1988]

I have seen on a course that they used quickcret or other quick type concrete to fix a broken cracked teapad. This works and you can eveen pave over the whole surface if need be. As long you do it right using the right tools, small smoothing tools for small and the large floor model for the whole tee pad the spots or whole thing should smooth enough to use if one works quick. The pads were not made right for winter with the reinforcing of the perpendicular sets of the round bars I forget the name.

Name of the stuff is rebar and they never put it in at Omaha Park in Rapid City back in the early 1980's so they did the Quickcrete or other quick type concrete to fix the pads and most after first one they did was not bad and worked. dumb thing is on one worn super smooth the local club put the quick rite on it when they could have just done other things. Now they have new pads at Omaha park in Rapid City since the mid 2000's if they did not get redone in 2015 when they started the new basket replacement of the Original home made ones from the 1980's.

The other I have seen is putting the paves on top of the old concrete pads with mortar to hold them down and building up the surrounding area with fill dirt or wood chips. I forget the course but it was one I played on vacation.

 

[BuzzzFlicker87]

Name of the stuff is rebar and they never put it in at Omaha Park in Rapid City back in the early 1980's so they did the Quickcrete or other quick type concrete to fix the pads and most after first one they did was not bad and worked. dumb thing is on one worn super smooth the local club put the quick rite on it when they could have just done other things. Now they have new pads at Omaha park in Rapid City since the mid 2000's if they did not get redone in 2015 when they started the new basket replacement of the Original home made ones from the 1980's.

The other I have seen is putting the paves on top of the old concrete pads with mortar to hold them down and building up the surrounding area with fill dirt or wood chips. I forget the course but it was one I played on vacation.

I saw a video of some guys using steel mesh in teepads instead of rebar. Anyone else heard of this? Ive only had experience in larger pours where rebar is the only option.

 

[mball1684]

These have been used by Terry Calhoun on his private course for a while now. I would venture that a few SE Michigan players on here could provide some feedback. I have not played on them.

I got to use some a few weekends ago. Super grippy, no slipping at all. I like them.