More Broken Trees

So last Monday I put in a new position for hole #15 on our course. It had been one of the only holes not to get a new position over the years. I saw a spot in between a large tree and a much smaller tree that basically had branches coming up individually from the ground. They are both elm trees. I put the basket in so that one side of it was "guarded" by the branches of the smaller tree. I thought it was a good position. I also pruned up the smaller tree so that there were no lateral branches down low.

 

Anyway, as soon as I put it in my friend said that those smaller branches would get broken. I was trying to think the best of people so I disagreed with him. He actually said that by putting the basket there I was "encouraging" people to break the branches. Of course I am doing no such thing at all. Last Thursday we had league and everything was still fine. Today I went up for our Sunday morning league and when we got to that hole one of the larger branches was completely broken off. It was a good five or six inches in diameter so they had to really jam on it to break it. And of course the stupid part is that the bottom part of the branch is still there in front of the basket. Tomorrow the basket will go super deep since someone obviously needs more of a challenge. I have now thought about completely removing that position but wouldn't that mean that they won? I am just very pissed off right now and really wish that I knew who vandalized the course. If someone needs to break trees down in order to play they should probably take up another sport.

[hg]

I hear you, Jim. An incident very similar to this happened at a course I played up at college. Some morons cut down a fairly large tree in the middle of the fairway. The hole was intentionally built around this tree making an otherwise simple hole much more difficult...on purpose. Last I heard, disc golf was supposed to be challenging. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure the local club got creative and 'planted' some large branches upright where the tree used to be. It solved the problem for now, but there is no way for anyone to prevent any idiots from coming down and doing it again.

[Chris Goodrich]

I love (heavy sarcasm) people who can't throw around an obstacle so they just destroy it.  We've experienced quite a bit of broken branches and tree damage in the past couple years in Kenai.  But my favorite stories involving trees are the two sets of idiots that decided to cut them down because their discs were stuck.  One guy successfully cut down a 40+ foot spruce (and took out a birch in the process) because his disc was stuck.  The second group was two high schoolers.  I verbally engaged them and "nicely" suggested that they go home.  They were stunned at the thought that cutting down a very large spruce wasn't an acceptable way of recovering a disc.

[Ghost]

Once in a while rec players aren't really interested in challenge.  They just want to toss a frisbee around and relax a bit.  If a hole is too hard they'll fix it so it's easy.  These people aren't interested in DG as a sport, just a form of relaxation.

[Jim Coonradt]

I think what you meant to say is they are interested in disc golf as a way to get high and drunk at the course and break stuff that is in their way. That position was in no way difficult. It was an easy three.

 

We also try to set up the course so that there is a mix of long and short holes. But because that tree was broken down around the new position, that hole is going much longer today. The lesson that they can learn is that if you think that it will become easier by breaking down trees, then you are sorely mistaken.

 

I will also be talking to some people today about what happened and let them know in no uncertain terms that breaking trees is not acceptable. We also have a small sign up at the first tee with rules and one of them is "Don't break trees". What gets me when you go out and do some work on the course is that you get these young kids who come up to you and ask "Do you get paid for this?". Kids honestly believe that you shouldn't do anything unless you are getting paid for it. Or they believe that the City is just going to clean up their mess. They don't have a clue about all of the hard work that goes into maintaining a disc golf course. I just wish that we could catch the people responsible for this crap.

[Eric Day]

Yeah I was lucky enough to catch some discers at my park attempting to break a limb off. After a slight chewing out and some advice on how to throw a disc the right way. The limb is still there, I guess understood what I was saying.

[Jim Coonradt]

I went out this morning and relocated number 15 to the super deep position (which we have rarely used). There is also a note by the tee explaining the change and the fact that a tree was broken. I put a note on the broken tree as well so that everyone who sees it will know what happened. And I started talking to people out there and letting them know what happened. I'm not really trying to change any minds or make the course a perfect place but I am just engaging people. My friend I guess is the ultimate pessimist as he just predicts more doom and gloom. I, on the other hand, believe that there are a lot more good people out there enjoying this sport. And I played with a couple of them about an hour ago. But we won't just sit by while people vandalize the course. I had considered just pulling that position out but then the vandals would just win.

[xians421]

Solar powered four camera DVR system. Problem solved.

[Disc Player Sports]

Having put in courses and doing all the work for some ahole, who breaks branches for the birdie they won't get is always annoying.

Someday I'd love to catch them, and "break their arm!" (That would be fun......).

These goofs need a basket 100 feet away in an open field. 

 

[mr ed]

Well..it's always an on going problem for those who dispise challenge, easy{ier} is always better.Twelve yrs play at our dg course has had a string of cut,broken,destroyed,etc trees/bushes for the ease of those with different taste of view.

We've lost the first 6 baskets of wood play for construction/destruction for NCAA college baseball field.Some very old Heritage Fl oaks  are gone, progress according to p & r county depts and county commissioners.Shade in the Fl heat is always welcomed along with the nature one encounters while playing.Gotta watch out for the Red Hawks when territory is in question.

[Jim Coonradt]

I haven't decided what to do with that positon now. It still might get moved. Oh well, the basket is now in the "super deep" where it has only gone probably twice in the last fifteen years. I will move it back to just "deep" after league tomorrow. Not sure if the new position will ever get used again. I will probably just move that position back about twenty feet which will make it a bit harder. I think that some of the people that play the course understand what happened. I kind of like the "super deep" position but it is pretty difficult to actually get a three on it. You need a perfect drive through the trees and then a perfect up shot.

 

I left the note on the broken tree so that people can see it when they walk past it. And so far nobody has messed with  the note or taken it down. It just serves as a reminder.

[Gary Burdick]

I really wonder if these people actually feel good about themselves when they murder an innocent tree.   This is not their property, not their trees, yet they want to destroy them.   I can only imagine how they must treat their wife, girl friend, children or pets.   What they need to do is to quit playing disc golf, find something that they can handle without violence being involved.  If you beat their azz, and they need it, you will be the one ending up behind bars.