DG Popularity

I've been playing disc golf "seriously" for about a year now (little less). In that short time, I've noticed a huge popularity increase in the game at a seemingly exponential level. When I first started playing at places like Cass Benton and Kensington Metropark, I could get through with a couple friends very quickly, sometimes without being held up at a hole once. This would happen even on weekends occasionally. Now, even on weekdays after work, I can't go without massive hold-ups and waiting.

I think that the upsurge in popularity is great for the sport. I'm sure that this trend will continue, and will get dg exposure on a much wider scale.

However, with this popularity has come irritation. People come out to the courses with seemingly little or no sense of etiquette. There will be groups as large as 12 or so players that just hang out on tee boxes, don't keep up speed of play, and WON'T LET YOU PLAY THROUGH. It is beyond obnoxious. I know that other people have similar complaints, including littering, loudness, etc. Disc golf has a stigma of being a very relaxed, laid back, even lazy sport, but some people have taken this idea and made it a hassle for other players. I don't want to come off as up-tight; I think that the sport is and should be accessible to everyone. However, I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to play in an environment that is both relaxed and appropriate.

I think that the recent increase in courses will help. Some parks have started charging for disc golf, and the small fee is worth paying, because I think it creates a sense of ownership and respect. Anyone else have thoughts? Thanks for reading my vent.

[mark ellis]

Thanks Steve, but I don't want to start or own a disc golf country club, I just want to join one. And hopefully one very close to my home. Florida may be lovely but it is a long way away.

[Jordan smith]

The lodge in pawuska oklahoma is a pay to play course and has camping and rv hookups on privately owned land! mabee its not that far away? it was designed by kevin mccoy. and boast and island hole and 2 courses.

[skinner]

I asked the owner of the The Lodge recently how much it was to play there. He told me that there is no green fees currently, but in thr near future he will be installing a donation box. Of course to camp and hook up RVs there is a fee...

[ROBEY the one.]

i do want to own and start a "disc golf country club", still looking for cheap usable land and investors.have some awesome ideas, love to test them out. one major problem would be security and employees, i cant quit working to babysit a course, and would need to work to pay for it for a few years till it is well used and self sustaining. i dream big and have gotten everything I've wanted so far, so i believe its just a matter of time. and my future kids might be that slave labor i need. :)

[Fedora]

I have seen a huge increase in players at events. Don't get me wrong, I like to play fast, and the waiting kills me. However, this gigantic growth spurt is the best thing to happen to the sport. To solve the wait time, one day we discgolfers are just going to have to schedule tee times and pay greens fees. I can't wait!

[stephen b]

help build a new course in your area to spread the _______ players out

[ROBEY the one.]

i try every opportunity i get!

[Rescue]

Well, I feel it's up to us (people who have played for awhile and know the rules) to let these people know course etiquette. I know when I first started I must have pissed some people off, but I didn't know better. I didn't think it was so structured. I thought you just go out there and throw a disc around, tee off were ever you felt like it, and what not. Heck we even had to stop these people from using are basket as a frickin BBQ pit!!! The average Joe or Joan just doesn't know. Most just come out for a day at the park and see these "things" with chains hanging down and figure, what the heck. Lets give it a try. I know it won't always work, but I've found that it is more often than not a very possitive experience by just letting them know the basic rules and etiquette. Heck some even have a BETTER time once they know whats going on. I know, I know it's a common sence thing. But that seems to be lacking more and more today! So instead of getting pissed off. Try talking to them and letting them know what's up.
Also, our club has "Intro to disc golf days" You pass out a few discs and give them the basics and teach them some rules and etiquette of the game. It's a win, win. Well, minus the long line at the tee pad ;)

Peace

[Nick]

I like the "Intro to disc golf" days. That sounds like a great idea and something that more clubs should start doing.

[Drx49er]

I like driving past my local course and seeing people out there almost everyday. It wasn't the case not too long ago. People playing ensures that our clubs will grow, bringing in more money, which provides more courses and more places to play.

Most people I meet on the courses are nice and polite, let you play through if your moving faster, chat with you a bit. You have the bad apples, but unfortunately, that's a part of life itself. These idiotic, no sense using morons are everywhere, on the roads, parking lots, stores, your local eatery. But if we work together, drop a hint, lead by example, be polite and educate( love the intro to disc golf days), most of these problems will become minor.

As for pay to play, there are pros and cons. Yes there would be more quality courses with less distractions. And it would be nice to say "we have a disc golf country club." But how long before our sport becomes as elitest and up tight as ball golf. I love the Lodge(in theory, never been,yet)! It caters to our demographic. Ours is a counter-culture sport and is more accepting and tolerant of all who want to play. At your next tournament, talk to the people there. They come from many different walks of life and that's the way it should be.

We who love the sport and want it to grow should take leadership roles and show the newbies what it's all about.

Boy, that was a long comment. LOL!

[Nick]

I don't necessarilly think that public parks should charge people to play. What I would like to see is more private courses that charge people to play and in return the people playing have a much better time doing so.

[4U2NV]

This will be my 3rd year playing. However, here are some things I have noticed.

1) Good weather = too many people on the course.
2) Course congestion depends on your local area (I learned to play in Kalamazoo, MI just about every nice day the courses are packed. Now I live in Illinois and even on the nice days you can usually get in a quick round if you get out early enough.
3) The "Recession" we are currently in continues to grow the sport because it is cheap to play and with so many people out of work there is a lot of free time in order to do so,
4) The harder the course is the more likely it is to get vandalized by immature golfers who are trying to make it easier.
5) The more accessible a course is the more likely it will get vandalized by random people.
6) The more Regulars that play the course more often the less likely the course is to be vandalized during daytime hours.
7) Pay to pay often keeps riffraft out of the courses, but some people still think that because they paied a nominal fee they own the course.
8) Allowing drinking on the course isn't a bad thing to do. Our local course here allows it and there are still far more water, gatorade, and (pop,soda,cola,coke) bottles littering the course at any given time. (Most beer cans/bottles find there way into the trash or are taken with the people who brought them.
9) There can be a garbage can at every hole and still the course will be littered with anywhere from 30 to 70 percent of the litter within 10 feet of a garbage can.
10) There are people that will throw on you well before you are done with the hole (even if they can see you) These are the same people that do not yell "FORE!" until after the disc has already hit you.

You better believe that if I had the money or funding I would be more then happy to start a disc golf country club.