Pro Tees Not Being Concrete

[kmunt09]

Of all the courses that I've played the pro tees almost seem like an afterthought and are really uninviting (covered by brush, super muddy because they aren't concrete, and hard to find because there isn't a sign or post next to it). Why aren't they kept up so they don't become a virtually unplayable dirthole over time? This has kept me from ever playing them and I would definitely play them if they were concrete and easy to find. Maybe It is just the area but it really discourages anyone I know from playing them.

[Texconsinite]

Funny you should say that, because I find the opposite to be true more often. The long tees are nice concrete, and the short tees are an afterthought. But since the short tees are, well, short, they are usually in the middle of the fairway, so its usually not such a big deal.

Which courses in particular are you referring to? Im thinking about heading south of the border to play some courses in the land of lincoln, and am curious if this affects any of the courses Im looking at.

[Three Putt]

Multiple tees are an issue that have never really been worked out. In golf (where we borrow most of what we do) the tees are usually fairly close together. If they are not, at least they are right down the cart path. So you can set up one sign and basically service three tees logically. In disc golf you can have a red tee with a sign, then a white tee 60 feet back and ten feet to the left. Another 40 feet back and 25 feet to the right on top of a little ridge you can have a blue tee. There will be no cart path to connect them. So how do you mark them so that you can find them without a guide? Well, it would take two more signs, probably. Even if you put the tee sign on the red tee and then a post by the white and blue, you are still talking about a lot of work and money to get that done on 18 holes.

Then you have to add in the equation of the Parks Department. Are they really going to be hep on the idea of 18 tee signs and 36 posts scattered about their park? From an aesthetic point of view, it's going to look like crap to anybody who does not play disc golf (which is 99.99% of the population.) Same goes for the concrete slabs. Some courses do not have concrete tees because the park absolutely will not allow them to be poured. They do not want slabs of concrete all over their park. We might see these parks only as disc golf courses, but they usually are multi-use areas and a bunch of concrete slabs just uglies up the place. I know several of the St. Louis courses have turned down proposals for concrete tees for this very reason. Once you have that one set of concrete tees, a lot of parks departments will not approve another set.

Also, most park departments are about providing recreation for local residents. They do not care at all about "professional" disc golf. Pro tees are a luxury item that caters to a small group of people that they really are not in the business of serving. So why should they care? A lot of "pro" tees are wildcat tees that clubs set up for tournaments that the park department doesn't even know about.

If disc golf was a more legitimate sport, I'd expect more. Considering we play for free in parks all over the country and create mo revenue stream for most of the parks departments we deal with, I'm really happy with one set of concrete tees on a course.

[ERicJ]

Also, most park departments are about providing recreation for local residents. They do not care at all about "professional" disc golf. Pro tees are a luxury item that caters to a small group of people that they really are not in the business of serving. So why should they care? A lot of "pro" tees are wildcat tees that clubs set up for tournaments that the park department doesn't even know about.
This was actually a big deal when "The Houston Project" was putting in a lot of courses around Houston in the late '90s (looong before my DG career began). The P&R departments were interested in recreational courses that would appeal to and service the masses of park goers.

The average recreational disc thrower isn't going to be jazzed about throwing a tee shot 280' over a water hazard, or playing a 630' hole. So many courses get designed, sold, and installed with "rec" tees as the main tees. Then once the course is in the ground the "Pro"/"Long" tees get established by the hardcore players. Sometimes this happens right away, sometimes it evolves over time as the skilled players get bored playing the standard configuration and make up Long tees to add some challenge.

ERic

[kmunt09]

Which courses in particular are you referring to? Im thinking about heading south of the border to play some courses in the land of lincoln, and am curious if this affects any of the courses Im looking at.


I was thinking about Mcnaughton Park and Northwood Park-both located in central Illinois. Both are great courses, challenging, have a wide variety of shots, and just flat out fun! Don't stay away from them just cause of the tee situation. The normal tees are concrete and plenty difficult :) I would reccomend these although they are quite a way from the border for you!

[taxman]

of my local courses 2 have only 1 tee pad per hole. the 3rd has blue and red tee's. i believe most of the blues are cement, and some of the reds are. i actually prefer not to have cement tee's.

[giles]

Go fix the longs... Grab some disc golfers and some tools and make them nice.

[kmunt09]

Not being able to find them is what is really frustrating!!! They are marked with two TINY chunks of blue cement or something in the ground and are only about the size of a soda can. Grass grows over theys WAY to easy. Nearly imposible to find without a course map in your hand. I do understand the points about how having 36 posts and tee pads could become rediculous and unappealing to the park directors.

[Wheat]

we have both pro and am concrete tees, but they water flow pushes alot of sand down the fall lines and it tends to find its way to the pro tees and collects. Its a bummer for sure, but most people in the area play the am tees anyways, because they are still pretty tough.

[optidiscic]

I really think that concrete tees are very overrated......for many reasons
aesthetically..I think they ruin the natural experience of disc golf
They only affect 18 shots so maybe on a good day 1/3 of your day is spent driving off of them...why this is such a huge deal to people is silly......I prefer well groomed gravel or dirt over crete....when concrete is wet it can be just as problematic as mud or slippage on other surfaces.
Does it really improve your game.....I mean really be honest...LOL! I have had good days going off concrete but also bad days...I enjoy the consistency of the surface but I doubt it affects my score all that much....I wonder if these concrete types are the type who want perfect footing in fairways and putting greens with no obstacles from 30 ft from the basket.

[scarpfish]

As long as disc golf is played in public multi use parks, is seen as a recreational activity and not a sport by a lot of parks departments (and let's face it, most of the time it is), things like this are going to be an ongoing problem.

I can see a time coming when we might have cities or private entities making new parks/courses exclusively for disc golf, much like they build traditional golf courses, but that's 20 years down the road yet, and things are going to have become pay for play in order for it to happen.

[Geoffro]

A lot of this discussion is covered at http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=872

I prefer many types of tees, my favorite being crushed rock that can rotate under my plant foot.

Oh, and kmunt? Go Cubs.

[thatguy]

I have noticed this on older courses where the pro tees are an after thought. One of my favorite courses is Giles run, the pro tees were a forthought! They are the best tees I've ever played on!

[srm_520]

Concrete tees aren't silly, they are important to the overall longevity and maintainace of the course. Go to an Agnes Moffitt course that is played often and you'll see what happens to the boxes. Then they get redone and golfers kick off the gravel because they don't like the footing. After that driving is more about footing than the drive itself because the ridges are so deep you could sprain an ankle. Then they are simply unplayable after a rain storm. Sure this is 1/3 of your hole, but it's the same 1/3 that everyone else plays, after that your shot is unique to you - so you can't compare the two. Also, I think as DG grows, the course planning and design will incoporate these items before the course is ever built.