Best Way to Mark O.B.

[mdsammy]

Our local club is holding a tournament soon at a 9 hole course that is normally very wide open. We'll be installing 9 temp holes and the plan is to introduce a lot of O.B. to the new and existing holes to make the layout more interesting and challenging.

I volunteered to head up the effort to mark the boundaries for the course without having done this before. Now that I've volunteered I'm wondering how to go about it. :doh:

My question is what is the best way to mark a lot of O.B.? What are the advantages of string over paint and vice versa? What tools are necessary for each method and approximate costs of each?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. :)

p.s. Hole design advice is not really needed as the design for the holes is already done.

[biscoe]

string offers better definition but is a little more work. as long as you can come up with something to use for pegs without buying it, string will definitely be cheaper. it also doesn't wash away if it rains.

[waynewf]

String is definately easier...and the paint will be gone before you know it.

I'm wondering if you would need to string the whole course? That seems a bit annoying, you might want to consider just using some cones and coming up with mandos rather than setting boundaries everywhere...

[Roc1Time]

String like biscoe says is the best. I have rolled my share of it and it leaves out any dispute there might be.

[Cgkdisc]

Try to avoid long runs of string because sections can easily break during practice and play. Make sure to have anchor points/knots no more than maybe 10-15 feet apart along a run.

[Roc1Time]

Ya I guess I didn hit on that. My bud had stakes put it every 20 feet and when I set out the string I just wrapped around the stakes. It lasted all day for a good size touney

[mdsammy]

string offers better definition but is a little more work. as long as you can come up with something to use for pegs without buying it, string will definitely be cheaper. it also doesn't wash away if it rains.

That was my feeling too. I like the idea of using string but I'm not sure of a good way to stake it down .

I'm wondering if you would need to string the whole course? That seems a bit annoying. . .

It's an option that I would like to avoid. However, many of the boundaries are defined by a gravel walking path that winds around the course and the edges where the path meets the grass are poorly defined.

Is there an easy way to determine O.B. through the wording of the tourney rules in order to avoid stringing up hundreds of yards of O.B.?

[mdsammy]

Try to avoid long runs of string because sections can easily break during practice and play. Make sure to have anchor points/knots no more than maybe 10-15 feet apart along a run.

Good advice. Thanks, Chuck.

[solomon.trenton]

i have used tiny metal garden stakes before. typically like 10 bucks for 50-100 depending upon where you buy them

[Cgkdisc]

If you put stakes marking the line without string, just make sure every group has a tape measure or spool of string they can pull between the stakes if there's a close call to make. That's how they do it in ball golf and it worked for Pro Worlds in 2007 where every player got a 10m tape in their player pack.

[Roc1Time]

We used wood

[agentdozzer]

If you do string the course make sure to remove the string afterwards, yeah I have tripped and its not fun maybe funny but not fun. I like paint seems like it would be quicker and no clean up.

[Cgkdisc]

The other reason to get the string up after the event is it can screw up the mowers when they come thru.

[mdsammy]

Pick up string. Try not to trip people riding on lawnmowers. Check.:D

Any advice on wording of the rules when playing path and beyond as O.B. and the grass is overgrowing the edges of the path?

Card decision?

Or if any path is visible or can be felt between disc and edge of grass, then it's O.B.?

(The edges of the path are about as well defined as in this pic that I found, where the grass overruns the bricks on the left)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/KarenAhlstrom/SLnW5npujOI/AAAAAAAACh4/lyyP-UAtH8I/s400/Back%20Yard%20Aug%2030%202008%20path.JPG

[biscoe]

If you put stakes marking the line without string, just make sure every group has a tape measure or spool of string they can pull between the stakes if there's a close call to make. That's how they do it in ball golf and it worked for Pro Worlds in 2007 where every player got a 10m tape in their player pack.

i've also done that at hawk hollow on the one hole that has (sort of) artificial ob (it defines the outer edges of an area that is really swampy sometimes). nothing else worked because the cattle would tear everything up. i put in stakes about 10 feet apart and there haven't been any problems with it so far in competitive situations.

[biscoe]

Pick up string. Try not to trip people riding on lawnmowers. Check.:D

Any advice on wording of the rules when playing path and beyond as O.B. and the grass is overgrowing the edges of the path?

Card decision?

Or if any path is visible or can be felt between disc and edge of grass, then it's O.B.?

(The edges of the path are about as well defined as in this pic that I found, where the grass overruns the bricks on the left)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/KarenAhlstrom/SLnW5npujOI/AAAAAAAACh4/lyyP-UAtH8I/s400/Back%20Yard%20Aug%2030%202008%20path.JPG

needs to be the edge of the bricks whether covered with grass or not- only thing that is not subjective. groups can dig down into it if need be to find the edge.

[zenbot]

We used Gypsum to chalk lines. Worked great and disappeared after a week or so. You can buy big bags at most hardware/gardening stores.

[Cgkdisc]

Still not as "sharp" an edge as string but a little better than paint.

[solomon.trenton]

and cheaper than paint too!

[mdsammy]

We used Gypsum to chalk lines. Worked great and disappeared after a week or so. You can buy big bags at most hardware/gardening stores.

What are these labeled as? What kind of string did you use?

[WillACarpenter]

O.B. Rules state that unless you're surrounded by O.B. You're good to go. So chalk lines would be fine

[discinvan]

(The edges of the path are about as well defined as in this pic that I found, where the grass overruns the bricks on the left)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/KarenAhlstrom/SLnW5npujOI/AAAAAAAACh4/lyyP-UAtH8I/s400/Back%20Yard%20Aug%2030%202008%20path.JPG

If the disc is touching one blade of grass its good. :D Thats how we play.

[Cgkdisc]

I know you're just indicating your casual rules, but if your disc is completely over the bricks and is also lying on a stick that straddles the bricks and grass, would you also call that disc inbounds? If not, what's different about grass versus a stick? There's nothing in the rules regarding living versus non-living objects in relation to OB rules.

[WillACarpenter]

If the disc is touching one blade of grass its good. :D Thats how we play.

Then you play by the rules

[Cgkdisc]

Then you play by the rules
Nope. Not inbounds if the grass is laying over the bricks which is what I bleieve discinvan implied.

[jeverett]

I tend to see this as more of a semantic argument.. technically, what you really want to define is what is in-bounds, rather than what is out-of-bounds.

The O.B. rule itself is very specific: If no part of the disc is touching a surface that is in-bounds, the disc is out-of-bounds.

That path, for example.. do you want all grass surfaces to be in-bounds? If so, then anywhere the grass has overgrown the path that's still in-bounds, despite that creating a non-linear margin. Do you want anything to the grass-side of the path to be in-bounds? If so, I'd recommend using string to mark the in-bounds limit, as that's much easier to spot than where the brick path actually starts.

[zenbot]

Powdered gypsum is used to condition soil. We put it in the same device they use to chalk baseball fields.

[mdsammy]

How much does gypsum cost per bag? I'm guessing that it may be as much or more than stringing the course.

[Cgkdisc]

That path, for example.. do you want all grass surfaces to be in-bounds? If so, then anywhere the grass has overgrown the path that's still in-bounds, despite that creating a non-linear margin.
You can't make the grass itself inbounds because grass itself does not create an area but you can make the dirt it's growing in inbounds. The OB line creates a vertical plane such that anything above the line on the playing surface remains OB unless another viable playing surface is above it that could be defined as inbounds. Even then, the vertical space between the two surfaces would be OB.

[NothinButChing]

seems that string is used in most tournaments ... well string tied to stakes hammered in every 10 ft or so

[zenbot]

How much does gypsum cost per bag? I'm guessing that it may be as much or more than stringing the course.
I'm not sure about the price. We got hooked up. I don't know what the price break down is powder versus string though.

[DiscChucker]

I've often found that Harbor Freight is a good inexpensive source for things that can be used for disc golf. Here are some options that can be found there:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97284
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97235
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96958

I personally like the nylon construction line because of the bright color. The pink line would probably be the best color to go with for visibility purposes from the tee. Due to the brown/tan color, the flax twine will likely be hard to see but it's the best deal per linear foot.

[solomon.trenton]

you can get the same stuff at any home improvement store for about the same price