PDGA certified

[harr0140]

Is there anything with the PDGA that certifies someone as a course designer. I would enjoy taking some classes or studying the basics of course design, maybe not for any reason but to know what to do and why, but maybe eventually I could turn a section of my landscape business into a disc golf course design and maintenance company. I know I may be dreaming, but someday it might be possible. I want to think big and be the first one on that boat if it ever sails!

Anyone have any input?

Is there a PDGA certification class for being a tournament director. Do tournament directors have to be considered disc golf pros then in tourneys?

[ShaZaun]

great questions.....I only wish I had the answers......

[DavidSauls]

There is a separate organization of course designers you can join. However, there is no requirement that a course be designed by a member of that organization.

The PDGA does not offer classes, but the website has some comprehensive resources on course design.

To be a TD of a sanctioned tournament, a person must be a PDGA member, pass an Officials test, and agree to comply with PDGA guidelines for tournaments. No requirement to be a Pro.

[harr0140]

I assume the officials test requires knowledge of the sports rules and thats about it.

[borndasaur]

I assume the officials test requires knowledge of the sports rules and thats about it.


Correct. www.pdgastore.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?CMD=009&DEPT=1060060386&BACK=A0001A1

[biscoe]

actually, it requires the ability to read and that's about it. (open book test)

[scarpfish]

If you're literate and have $10, you too can be a PDGA tournament director. ;)

As far as learning to be a good course designer, the best school is to simply play with people who've been at the game a long time and see what kind of challenges they like. Traveling around and seeing what other courses offer is another good way to learn. If there is something that I think separates a "pro" course designer from a journeyman, its knowing that "badassness" sometimes has to give way to safety concerns. In otherwords, don't do this...

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2398

[A.Mutt]

well written blog posting. I was just yesterday explaining to my cousin who plays ball golf how inconsistant disc golf course quality is. And it really is one big hurdle keeping the sport from gaining more noteriety.

[REDARMY]

well written blog posting. I was just yesterday explaining to my cousin who plays ball golf how inconsistant disc golf course quality is. And it really is one big hurdle keeping the sport from gaining more noteriety.

i was watching the masters with my brother yesterday and thought along similar lines: someone needs to take a good defunct ball golf course and turn it into 3 or 4 great disc golf courses.

ball golf is such a horrendous waste of real estate if you ask me.

*ducks*

[solomon.trenton]

i was watching the masters with my brother yesterday and thought along similar lines: someone needs to take a good defunct ball golf course and turn it into 3 or 4 great disc golf courses.

ball golf is such a horrendous waste of real estate if you ask me.

*ducks*

*throws*


it would be too much work to convert the wide open into a challanging course though.

[scarpfish]

well written blog posting. I was just yesterday explaining to my cousin who plays ball golf how inconsistant disc golf course quality is. And it really is one big hurdle keeping the sport from gaining more noteriety.
The big problem is the kind of land you need for a good disc course is hard to find. Since our "sport" is in the mind of P&R departments merely a recreation activity in which they can fill dead space in a park to chase gay men and drug users out, we often get left with scrap land we have to make the best of.

Another problem is the kind of course advanced players want, isn't the same kind of course that casual players want. I'm all for challenge, but I think some local disc golf clubs get a bit too parochial in their approach in designing all their courses "championship caliber" while the majority of local players aren't at that skill level. And they scratch their heads and wonder why their most "boring" course gets the most play.

[A.Mutt]

For sure, quality public land is rare. But I really agree with what you say about the differing views on the function of disc golf and its courses. That's something that needs sorted out for disc golf to succeed to a level of legitimacy that I think we'd all like for it to have. The way a lot of people get introduced to the sport is with false or assumed notions. The way I was introduced to it was completely as a recreational activity. I didn't know it was a competitive sport for a while.

Course difficulty is definitely an issue what with courses hard to come by for some. I've been to a course that if that's what I was introduced to disc golf on, I doubt I'd want to play ever again. We are at the mercy of the person planting the baskets and pouring the concrete to have the proper knowledge on how to make a quality course. Seems like there aren't enough of these individuals designing courses.

[Three Putt]

The big problem is the kind of land you need for a good disc course is hard to find.Actually, one of the main selling points for disc golf in the old DGA literature was the fact that crap land that isn't good for anything else makes a great disc golf course. A hilly, wooded piece of land that is terrible for ballfields and other "traditional" sports could be used for disc golf, and the majority of the Ed Headrick courses were tucked up into wooded hillsides. The whole idea of the long, open shot is relatively new to the sport.

Of course, wooded hilly courses also require landscaping or you get terrible erosion. Since disc golf was promoted by DGA as something you could install on the cheap, there was very little landscaping done on those course and the ones that have survived often have horrible erosion problems. That's one of the hidden dangers. A lot of folks who can design a decent course know squat about landscape architecture and erosion problems can easily crop up.

[Olorin]

The main group for course designers is the Disc Golf Course Design (DGCD) group founded by Chuck Kennedy and Tom Monroe. There is a $50 application fee. I'm a member, as is ERIcJ, so send me an email to playdiscgolf(at)gmail.com and I'll forward it to them. The main benefit is membership in a Yahoo group with access to many design documents and resources, as well as ongoing discussion on a variety of topics. This is not a PDGA group, but it's the most official body of course designers that there is.

A website is in development. For now check out DG Course Designers (http://web.mac.com/bigchiz/DGCD/Welcome.html) or the DGCD Wiki (http://www.discgolfcoursedesigners.org/discgolfwiki/index.php5?title=Main_Page).

[magictenor1]

The big problem is the kind of land you need for a good disc course is hard to find. Since our "sport" is in the mind of P&R departments merely a recreation activity in which they can fill dead space in a park to chase gay men and drug users out, we often get left with scrap land we have to make the best of.

Another problem is the kind of course advanced players want, isn't the same kind of course that casual players want. I'm all for challenge, but I think some local disc golf clubs get a bit too parochial in their approach in designing all their courses "championship caliber" while the majority of local players aren't at that skill level. And they scratch their heads and wonder why their most "boring" course gets the most play. I totally agree about the difficulty thing. I also see existing courses that I really like getting so called upgrades that make the course harder without really adding much to the overall quality of the course. I think the problem is that most people who design are better players so they design for themselves in a way. I have to disagree about the type of land however. DG can make very good use of land that is not good for a lot of other things as someone already pointed out.

[scarpfish]

Actually, one of the main selling points for disc golf in the old DGA literature was the fact that crap land that isn't good for anything else makes a great disc golf course. A hilly, wooded piece of land that is terrible for ballfields and other "traditional" sports could be used for disc golf, and the majority of the Ed Headrick courses were tucked up into wooded hillsides.

I have to disagree about the type of land however. DG can make very good use of land that is not good for a lot of other things as someone already pointed out.
When I say, "good land" I'm implying good land for disc golf (particularly in the minds of advanced players who want to build 7000'+ layouts, and only 7000'+ layouts). Where I live, the terrain is mostly flat and trees are sparce. Sometimes we have swatches of that kind of land that you could put 3-6 holes on, but not enough for a course. Conversely, we have land to build athletic fields on for miles, but the amount of good public land (at least with regard to city owned land) to build that super disc course on is dwindling, unless of course they start procuring private land for new parks.

If you want an example of a good piece of land that I feel was wasted, look at Blue Valley Park in Kansas City, where PDGA Worlds finals will take place this summer. At 11,000' in length. I fully admit that it will provide a great venue to showcase our sports top talent, and for Kansas City's PDGA tournaments, but for more everyday casual use or even local leagues, it really isn't very practical because it takes too long to play. With the land they had there, they could have built two still very challenging courses.

[scarpfish]

Interesting that this article would come up regarding a newly proposed course in Corbin, KY. Still dreaming big while building small I guess.

http://www.thetimestribune.com/local/local_story_104083959.html


The Corbin Tourism Commission voted Monday to split with the city of Corbin the cost to construct a disc golf course at Miller Park.

The city and tourism will each pitch in $5,000 to construct the nine-hole course, which Corbin Recreation Director Marlon Sams said could bring tourists to town through disc golf tournaments.

Disc golf, also called Frisbee golf, is a growing sport similar to traditional golf. In this version, golfers throw rubber discs, or Frisbees, into an elevated metal basket, seeking to make the basket with the fewest number of throws.

Corbin’s course will be located on about one and a half to two acres of land in Miller Park that has been little used as a walking trail. Sams said a “very few trees” might be cut down for the course, but disc golfers play for the challenge of maneuvering around the natural landscape.

Having a course would allow the city to host and charge admission fees for tournaments, he said. Sams told the commission that a recent tournament at an 18-hole course in Bowling Green garnered about 500 participants.

For frame of reference, a football field is about 1 1/3 acres. If they're going to have a tournament on that, I'd suggest wearing a helmet.

[biscoe]

...and body armor...

[REDARMY]

Actually, one of the main selling points for disc golf in the old DGA literature was the fact that crap land that isn't good for anything else makes a great disc golf course. A hilly, wooded piece of land that is terrible for ballfields and other "traditional" sports could be used for disc golf, and the majority of the Ed Headrick courses were tucked up into wooded hillsides. The whole idea of the long, open shot is relatively new to the sport.

Of course, wooded hilly courses also require landscaping or you get terrible erosion. Since disc golf was promoted by DGA as something you could install on the cheap, there was very little landscaping done on those course and the ones that have survived often have horrible erosion problems. That's one of the hidden dangers. A lot of folks who can design a decent course know squat about landscape architecture and erosion problems can easily crop up.

If anyone wants to see an example of this in person, come to st. louis and check out white birch park. designed in '79 and has only seen moderate improvements since then.

[REDARMY]

*grumble* edit limit *grumble*

after a moderate rain, the place (white birch) is a quagmire.

there's plans to improve everything, but we'll see when (if) all that pans out

[olydiscgolf]

There is some good course design logic on john houck's web site. Some basic guidlines and some ideas for advanced designers. http://www.houckdesign.com/

As far as ball golf courses requiring too much work to convert them to disc golf....YOUR NUTS!! Most ball golf courses have ALL the features of a great disc golf course! Elevated tee pads, bunkers, contour in fairways, tree lined fairways, big open space, water, paths, trees, greens with hazards around them, facilities, pro shop, the list goes on! Your not going to play disc golf on the existing course, you design disc golf INTO the course. There could potentially be two or three disc holes per ball hole.

I play ball golf on some of the nicest golf courses in Washington! Newcastle country club in bellvue, Echo falls in Issaqua, Indian Summer country club in Olympia. When I play, I can't help but think what an amazing disc golf course they would make.


http://www.newcastlegolf.com/ http://www.indiansummergolf.com/

Next time your on the ball golf course, take another look!

[innova]

YOUR NUTS!!

Surely you mean you're

:^/

I have met a couple of pDGA certifiables that did not know the rules, imho.