What is "the future of the sport"?

Everybody is always mentioning "the future of the sport" in their comments. What is your idea of "the future of the sport"? How far do you want this sport to go?

It seems like we want the sport to grow. We want to see it televised. We want to see it in the olympics. We even want pros to be able to make a living playing disc golf. In order to acheive this, are we going to end up shooting ourselves in the foot by making disc golf more private and expensive. What do you think?

[music-surf]

I think that maybe if it became a bigger sport we would see people building courses and charging making it more private, but how many courses are in city, county, or even state parks? I know here in Florida alot of them are. As long as those are still there disc golf will still be free to play. The beautiful thing about disc golf compared to ball golf is the relative ease of course maintenance. That is part of what makes it expensive to play ball golf, it costs loads of money to run and keep up a course. I for one would love to see the sport grow, and if they decide to put in some courses you have to pay for then great, some people will go and some won't.

[Pure Disc Golf dot Com]

The main goal is to bring together all our efforts as one giant force. I believe it’s finally time to utilize peoples strengths. Building a network that can better facilitate Disc Golf’s main stream growth is vital.

Taking the steps needed to gather corporate and local sponsorships. How to navigate the proper channels when approaching Parks Departments for course development opportunities. The easiest ways to organize local clinics, doubles events, monthly club tournaments, night golf etc. All of which are in turn helping to fundraise Disc Golf growth in there respective areas.

The Disc Golf scene has been growing exponentially the past few years. Every where you go you see new players with a single disc and smile on their face. With these new players comes the need to match the growth on a structural level. We need new courses to a alleviate stresses put on existing layouts. New clubs and organizations to structure events for these new players. A matched commitment from various regions to come together for a greater purpose. I’ve always been told that many hands make light work. Well we have amassed a great army to call upon.

If we work together to achieve common goals, great things will happen. The power is in the hands of the people. The PDGA is nothing without it’s core of players. We the player’s are the public’s perception of Disc Golf. Each time we interact with dog walkers at the course. Every conversation about what it is were doing throwing “Frisbee’s” in the woods. We are each in a way representatives of the Global Disc Golf community.

[joe]

"The future ain't what it used to be" said Arthur C. Clarke. One way to make disc golf grow is to encourage old people like me to get into the sport. It is ideal for old people - low cost, fun, exersize, etc. Besides they have plenty of time to play. With current economic times it has become more attractive. I am on the bleeding edge of the baby boomers. I think the promoters of the sport should be trying to attract old folks too. If this is accomplished, I may find someone I can beat ! Therefore, give some disks to your parents and encourage them to play.

[Chas Ford]

The future for this sport is involving more women and juniors. I see it growing on the professional side each year. It would be great to see it grow more in that direction. BUT I think the future is making this great sport more inviting to the juniors and the women. I see a lot of the newer courses going in with holes that are a mile long and that's ok for some but we need to think about everyone not just the top dogs.

As far as pay-to-play courses are concerned. That wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen. It might cut down on those that come out just to party and leave to course open for those of us who come out to get some exercise and have some fun with a little competition as well.

[DR]

More private disc golf courses are what the sport needs, the players are serious, and it's usually the private courses setting a new standard of excellence in course design. Local free courses are indeed a necessity, for beginners or just casual play, but these free courses are also the scene that can give disc golfers a bad name. Our local courses have their share of vandals, littering, riff raff, etc, something you generally won't see at private courses with serious players. I believe the future of disc golf is to be a gentleman's sport like ball golf, stressing ettiquette, patience, and sportsmanship. As far as the cost, Highbridge Hills in WI has 5 different 18 hole courses with a 6th going in this summer, and only costs $10 for a day pass. Go there sometime and check it out, you'll NEVER find a free course that offers anything like what you'll see at Highbridge Hills, I hope that more courses like this become a part of the future of disc golf. Private courses can only charge what people will pay, and I don't forsee disc golfers suddenly shelling out big money at a private course when there are so many alternatives, if a course got too expensive it's attendance would suffer...
In the words of a wiser man, the PGA didn't become what it is today by having a bunch of free mediocre courses in city parks. Not that I don't play those courses too, but you asked about the future, and I think disc golf has a bright future.
PS. Many courses are free because local volunteers are maintaining them, so spend some time this season and help out your local courses, it's good for the community and shows that disc golfers are active members of the community.

[Mike]

I like to think of it as a unicorn. Nobody has seen it because it doesn’t exist, but we all have an image in our mind of what it looks like. Yes, I believe that there is a great future for this sport, whatever that may be. Things like this site and others help linking the community together, clubs, players, and organizers can share ideas about all kinds of issues good or bad. No matter what the future of this sport, it is going to take a cooperative effort among all who play. “The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades” - Timbuk 3

[Terry "the Pirate" Calhoun]

Here's an interesting article that pertains here as much as anywhere, I guess: Chaos Begets Chaos. It's about new research that supports the "Broken Window" Theory: "ordinary people are in fact more likely to violate rules in situations where other rules — even completely unrelated ones — have already been broken. This might form the basis of a social model for understanding how disorder spreads."

[Chuck Kennedy]

That's why it's important to clean up vandalized areas as quickly as possible because leaving it there will definitely beget more vandalism such as those who write their ace somewhere on a sign, basket or pole with a Sharpie.

[Nascar Dave]

Chuck Kennedy said:

That's why it's important to clean up vandalized areas as quickly as possible because leaving it there will definitely beget more vandalism such as those who write their ace somewhere on a sign, basket or pole with a Sharpie.

And if people stand around a teebox, and see butts, they think, oh well, look at all these butts, and flick theirs onto the ground as well.
I am having a DISC GOLF ETIQUETTE sign made to be hung on the first tee sign. Will it make a difference? My hope is that it will, even if it only changes a select few players view, then it worked. We'll see.

[rob bax]

I would like to see the sport grow in the general public. I would like to see a basket or two at most of the neighborhood small parks instead of tennis courts that go begging for users. I would like to see the average age of players be higher, for the betterment of public health, and as a sign that this is a sport for all ages, not just the 16-26 crowd. I would like to see disc golf acknowledged to be the 'green' sport that it is.

Television? Olympics? I don't really care. If that is what it takes, then so be it. But I would point to soccer as a lesson that there is a tremendously popular sport that can barely sustain public interest (I mean in the mass media). I would hate to see resources spent on trying to popularize disc golf by glamorizing the 'pro' aspect of the game, when real growth at the casual and amateur level would actually be a better place for those efforts and resources, and would ultimately be better for the sport as a whole.

[Aaronv]

It sounds like everybodys ideas of this are different. Everybody has great ideas, but different. I wonder where the PDGA would like the sport to go. I think somebody or bodies have to become the leaders of a specific plan to change the sport. If everybody has a different vision, I can see some conflict happening. I don't mind paying to play, but I bet I would be forced to play less due to having little mouths to feed. I guess we all have been pretty spoiled.

[Chainchaser]

I think pay to play would spell trouble for this sport as it would allienate the younger generation from playing the game. If you had to pay 10 bucks to play each time I think that would keep young kids from playing. You might as well let them play lazer tag. I do think a Disc lisence similar to fishing would be something that could work. It would generate money for any particular states parks and help offset costs to maintain the courses. Have a 16 and under claus with no fee. You put it in the 15-20$ a year range and the money it would generate could be phenomenal. Then you also could have your private courses along with that, that you pay and play. I just think if the state could generate money you would see more and better courses in the parks around the country.. With that type of money park rangers could police the courses better which could deter some of the pot smokers and beer drinkers. They would be more apt to do it in there car than on the course( It don't bother that you do it just don't do it on the couse). I regularly fish and I pay about 95 dollars a year in lisence fees so that I can fish ohio, kentucky and indiana and really it doesn't break the bank at all. Also you could do 3 day passes for vacation stuff and whole host other ideas. It would put disc golf in the realm of generating money instead of being a burden on the parks with maintenance of the courses that don't generate money. Of course this would cover state and local county parks also. I bet any amount of money that if the states could generate decent money from disc golf you would see course pop up everywhere. In places that you generally would not see them now. Just a thought. .