How long do you search for your discs?

[brokenfixed]

Been playing for about 2 months now, 2-3 times a weekend, at a handful of local courses and Ive found more drivers than I could ever want. I make it a point to find my disc no matter how long it takes, which leaves me searching for a long time and usually find someone elses disc while looking for mine. The longest Ive spent searching for my disc would probably be an hour.

How long are you "supposed" to look? Cause in some cases it seems like these guys give a quick glance and move right along...ahha Lately Ive been taking home a disc a day. I make it a point to call if they have a number printed on it, but the numbers dont ever work.

My best day was at White clay in Delaware. I found 6 discs in about 2 hours just before I got rained out at around the 12th hole. I paid $6 to play so I got my moneys worth I guess. But that course is nothing but thorn bushes that I wrestled with the entire day just before getting drenched, so I say I earned those discs. I still made the calls before I left with them though.

So far Ive bought 4 discs, and ive found 9.

(If anyone reading this lost a disc a Whiteclay let me know what you lost and the color and I'll mail it back to you)

[teejw13]

depending on the disc, i may look up to a half hour. if i have no idea where it went, i normally do a quick search and move on but if im playing alone, ive searched for my avenger ss for about 45-50min. i play alot at stoney creek in michigan and alot of the players up there are either zoned out stoners or guys with way to much money. i normally find at least 1 disc every other time i go. Plus every once in a while you'll see guys take a dip in the swamp on hole 14. thats were the real money is. i spent 3 hours in it about 3 months ago just after a week of beautiful weather and pulled out around 30 disc ranging anywhere from cyclones that looked like the dog had gotten ahold of them to brand new flx and esp drivers that were prob bought that day. i called numbers on a few but ended up still with prob 25 discs.

i don't know if people are getting lazier or im getting luckier but either way i like it!

[Aaron D'Angelo]

I look until I find it, but I only have a starter set. Still I don't want to lose a disc. Longest I have looked has been about 25 min.

[adlacro]

The longest I've looked is about 25 minutes. Generally, if it's one of my best discs I'll look longer, if not, no big deal, I give it about 15. Right now I've lost quite a few on my last journeys so I'm down to about 5 or 6, and 2 of those are putters, so I'm not throwing as much right now.

[brokenfixed]

So far its happened twice where im looking for my disc and i pick it up and look down and its the same color but its someone elses and mines like 3 feet away...haha..I think it'll be a while before I find the exact same disc I threw only someone elses.

[ERicJ]

How long are you "supposed" to look?

In a tournament: three mintues.


803.11 Lost Disc

A. A disc shall be declared lost if the player cannot locate it within three minutes after arriving at the spot where it was last seen by the group or an official. Two players or an official must note when the timing of three minutes begins. All players of the group must, upon request, assist in searching for the disc for the full three minutes before the disc is declared lost. The disc is considered lost immediately upon the expiration of the three minute time limit.

B. A player whose disc is declared lost shall receive one penalty throw. If the throw was made from the tee, the player will re-tee for the next shot. If not made from the tee, the group will determine the approximate lie from which the throw was made, and the player will throw again from that lie. In all cases the original throw plus one penalty throw shall be counted in the player’s score

http://pdga.com/rules/index.php

In casual play: as long as you want.

ERic

[bfaslewis]

we'll look as long as possible, everyone i play with is a casual player. i personally have only lost one disc, and that was to a lake. that was not the first time i shot into the water, but was certainly the deepest.

we once spent at least 45 minutes trying to de-lodge a disc that was stuck at least 30 feet up in a tree. the thick brush can be difficult, i too have found many discs that weren't mine, but i always turn them into the park office (if there's a phone number).

i think that PDGA rules state that a players name and number must be on a disc in order to use it in league play, but i could be wrong.

[Jheff!]

I look as long as it takes to find her.

I put my number on all my disc. Thank you for actually calling. Lost one and still haven't received a call yet. It was in the river so it could of sunk. I actually should of gone for it, now that I think about it. She was only 10' away.

[bikedoctor]

I look as long as it takes to find her.

You said her. :p Man after my own heart.

[grynreeper]

I have "lost" one of my discs twice. Both times it was at the Gordy Rd course in Florida off of the #1 blue tee with a horrible unintended hyzer. The first time I spent about 45 minutes looking for my disc with the help of my 8 year old son who was playing for the first time - great example huh? We trekked through very tall grass in about 4-12 inches of standing water and water snakes. We didn't find it at first and then just played out the rest of the course.

When we were done with the course, I thought to myself "throw another one from the tee the same way and see where that goes". Using my son as a spotter about half way down the fairway I threw another and he ended up finding both of them before I even got done walking down to him. I guess for me, looking for my discs will always take as long as it takes.

Even though I am a newbie to the sport, I sank a few extra dollars into my first starter set and then purchased a few more that day as well. I am one of those people who likes to buy the best as an investment in the future of my endeavors. Sometimes that bites me in the butt if i don't stay with that sport for very long, but i can easily say that disc golf won't be one of those sports for me.

[Pastime]

I'll look as long as possible. Tonight a friend lost one of my discs and we looked for a while and finished out the round. I dropped him off at his house and went back to search but ran out of light after 20min of more searching.

[cdavid74]

I work in a park and often practice during my lunch hour. One day I spent my entire hour trying to get a disc out of a tree. I threw just about anything I could find at it and after several direct hits with a softball, a bottle of water, and even a large bag of marbles, the thing was still wedged in tight about 15-20' up. I'm not one to give up though so I went to my office and grabbed a 10' shephard's crook (the kind you see hanging on the wall at a pool to fish out would be drowning victims), and strolled back threw the park to my hung up disc. I was still several feet short, but at this point I was not giving up. I went back to the office and duct taped a crocquet mallet to the end of the shephard's crook, and just to be safe, a whiffle ball bat to the end of the mallet. I proceeded back to the evil tree and easily lifted the disc out.

I am fairly certain that I am the only person in the history of civilization to put these items together to extract a flying disc from a pine tree.

[mike_riewer]

Losing a disc creates a feeling that is an undescribable, which im sure everyone has experienced. Its terrible. Ill look for up to an hour but then move on. (If it is in the water and I cant see it I wouldnt take that long.)

I too have found many discs searching, what a great feeling.

[ERicJ]

Losing a disc creates a feeling that is an undescribable, which im sure everyone has experienced.
Lost one tonight, five last night, and one last Thursday. The LINKS at Quail Valley (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/../course.php?id=2576) is a cruel course if you risk the water...

[ERicJ]

i think that PDGA rules state that a players name and number must be on a disc in order to use it in league play, but i could be wrong.

The only stipulation is that discs must be "uniquely marked":



802.01 Discs Used in Play

F. All discs used in play, except mini marker discs, must be uniquely marked in ink or pigment-based marking which has no detectable thickness. A player shall receive a warning for the first instance of throwing an unmarked disc if observed by two or more players of the group or an official. After the warning has been given, each subsequent throw by the player with an unmarked disc shall incur one penalty throw if observed by two or more players of the group or an official.

http://www.pdga.com/rules/index.php

[Donovan]

I am a believer in searching for a short while and then go back to that hole after the round to find it. Then you can take as long as you want and don't have to make the people you are playing with, wait forever.

cdavid74, I would have bet you are the only one! :D

[garublador]

I normally look for 10-15 minutes, give up and then actually find it as I'm walking back to the fairway.

[Bensontbjj]

Actually, I am cheap so if I am by myself I will look until I can find it. Otherwise look for a while, take the penalty and look later. I found my brother in-law's lost disc the following day, I just couldn't leave it be.

[agentdozzer]

I never give up on a disc, since i quit smoking weed. My teebird has spent two nights at Pride park before i went back for it. Then the same disc i left in the middle of the fairway at Banklick woods and the next day it was there, it had been a full twenty four. With the amount that course is played i couldnt believe it lasted all day. I find so many at idle wild i give them to newbies, my brother threw four in a row in the lake at AJ Jolly he was going in i told him not to worry i found them all so no loss.

[brokenfixed]

Thats funny I think being stoned helps me to search non-stop for my disc. Im a pretty impaitent person normally...haha It does suck when you cant remember where you looked and where you didnt though...haha

[tomschillin]

Thats funny I think being stoned helps me to search non-stop for my disc. Im a pretty impaitent person normally...haha It does suck when you cant remember where you looked and where you didnt though...haha

or if you drive, then take like a 5-10 minute session before walking to your drive...i almost always misplace my drive unless it's completely obvious in the middle of the fairway, sometimes then too...

that sucks on the quiting thing, why'd you decide to do that?

[agentdozzer]

The Man gave me five days for my second paraphanila? When i asked for a lawyer they said if i didnt plead guilty they would charge me with a felony. So five days changes your train of thought....Ohh yeah and the 175 days i have on the shelf. October 25 2009 i promise Mary ill be back.

[Marv Vega]

It all depends on how attached I am to the disc. I spent a good 20 minutes in Florida swamp water looking for my beloved DX Destroyer that I had turned over and put in the swamp, found 3 others before I finally found it. For most discs usually only about 10 minutes or so.

[mike_riewer]

Lost one tonight, five last night, and one last Thursday. The LINKS at Quail Valley (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/../course.php?id=2576) is a cruel course if you risk the water...

Bro, rough night. You must really play risky.

Have you ever went swimming at the links?

[ERicJ]

Lost one tonight, five last night, and one last Thursday. The LINKS at Quail Valley (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/../course.php?id=2576) is a cruel course if you risk the water...
Bro, rough night. You must really play risky.
Have you ever went swimming at the links?

I've logged 23 rounds at The LINKS (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=2576) and so far I've sunk 32 discs there. Maybe 6-7 have come back eventually. That lost total would be higher but after losing five my first time out I bought a bunch of Dragons (http://www.innovadiscs.com/discs/dragon.html) to throw out there. But over the last ~four months I've improved my throwing speed to the point where I can't throw a 150g Dragon without turning it over and launching it into whatever county is East of the tee ;)

After Texas States (http://www.texasstates.org/) back in April I went swimming several times as part of the disc reclamation effort. Over those several weeks we pulled out close to 300 discs that were lost at the tourney and weeks leading up to it. I eventually decided that braving the all the snakes and gator (see post #9 here (http://www.pdga.com/msgboard/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=780179&page=0&fpart=all&vc=1)) weren't worth a piece of plastic.

But for those that don't know it's standard for a Houston course's water to be so murky that you'll only be able to see about 3-4 inches deep. If a disc is deeper than that you've got to search by feel which makes for really slow going.

ERic

[ERicJ]

I've logged 23 rounds at The LINKS (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=2576) and so far I've sunk 32 discs there. Maybe 6-7 have come back eventually.
[...]
it's standard for a Houston course's water to be so murky that you'll only be able to see about 3-4 inches deep. If a disc is deeper than that you've got to search by feel which makes for really slow going.
I've also saved a few more from being lost by using the dredger that I talked about in this post: http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1590&postcount=2
Doesn't work all that well, but did save enough plastic to pay for itself. :rolleyes:

ERic

[brokenfixed]

or if you drive, then take like a 5-10 minute session before walking to your drive...i almost always misplace my drive unless it's completely obvious in the middle of the fairway, sometimes then too...

that sucks on the quiting thing, why'd you decide to do that?

Nah man, I leave all that stuff at home, and just arrive mentally prepared for the day...haha I dont wanna wind up with the hassles agentdozzers got right now. I cant imagine how many discs i'd forget about if i was teeing off and "taking a break"..ahah

[blang]

For me it depends on the personal value of the Disc.

I was playing doubles with 4 teams and left my only classic Roc in a fairway a couple holes back last night. After we finished I tried to find it in the dark but I did not see it. I drive 40 miles both ways this morning at 7:30 to get it. I might have waited until this afternoon, but I am in a tournament this weekend and did not want to risk not having it.

I have spares of my drivers so I would not have been as upset it it was one of those that I left.

[Disc Dog]

I live 42 miles from the nearest course and only have 2 within 50 miles. So I throw everywhere. I have had people ask me if I was the guy they saw in the field.

I once spent 5 weeks looking for a disc. It was in a wheat field. I had been trying to throw an anhyzer and one got away from me and ended up in the wheat. It was about the same color and I spent about an hour looking for it. It got dark so I had to go. I went back every few days until I found it. It was my best putter and had been a gift from a friend who new I did not have the money to buy this particular disc. So it meant a lot.

[ShaZaun]

10 minutes.... maybe 15 if I really liked the disc...... throw it in the gutter..... go buy another......

[XxInnovaxX]

it depends on the disc really....if its one of my go-to discs ill search all day...one i dont care about, maybe 5 min

[solomon.trenton]

it depends on the disc really....if its one of my go-to discs ill search all day...one i dont care about, maybe 5 min

for me its the plastic. dx=not too long whereas star=long time.

[krallbd]

I will spend as long as it takes if its a good disc. If it happens to be a disc that hasn't been good to me, maybe 10 minutes.

[jdggna]

unless it is a dx that I found, I won't stop. I'll be there till I find it or it is dark.

[Midnightbiker]

All depends on the disc. If its a disc I really like, I will search all day. If its an old DX mold that is easy to replace, 10 minutes tops.

[jpankow]

A couple weeks ago my buddy tossed his disc into some thick brush so i helped him look. I found it 5 minutes later and it was sitting directly on top of a pro destroyer.

[zenbot]

In a tournament: three mintues.



In casual play: as long as you want.

ERic
Interesting. So does that mean you should have a timepiece in tournament play?

[A.Mutt]

For me it depends on the variables, i.e. am I playing with others, and what disc was it thats MIA.
For the ones that I feel especially attached to I will look for up to an hour. After that long I usually accept its gone. The average disc that I feel could be easily replaced I'll look for a good 20-30 minutes. They maybe easily replaced but I don't like throwing money at a problem.

[mashnut]

I'll look for quite a while, especially if I'm playing by myself or just with my gf. I'll definitely go back and look later if I have to move on during league play or when I'm playing with people who don't want to stop and look for too long. I hate leaving behind a disc, even if I know I have another disc I can replace it with.

[sidewinder22]

I lost a disc the first hole of a tourney. I lost another disc the same hole a week ago, but it wasn't a tourney and looked for 20 min or they are gone.

I've looked up to an hr or so a few times and only found one after looking that long. I learned to not throw a yellow/red tie-dye in the fall! I walked right by it so many times and its fairly open course but the leaves were in full effect. It just depends on how bad I want that disc back on how long I will look if its not a tourney or the person im with will allow.

[NatiBuckeye]

A couple weeks ago my buddy tossed his disc into some thick brush so i helped him look. I found it 5 minutes later and it was sitting directly on top of a pro destroyer.

I found a FLX Buzzz the same way.

I look as long as it takes me to realize im not going to find it.

[fifteen]

I'll look as long as it takes me. I usually am good about watching my disc fly and keeping in mind where it lands.

[scarpfish]

Depends on the value (both monetary and sentimental) of the disc and how formidable the hazard is that its lost in. Needless to say, when I see something that has a decent chance of swallowing my plastic something cheap and unsentimental is being thrown.

[CwAlbino]

All day, into the night with a flashlight. And if that fails, early early in the morning.

[TalbotTrojan]

Like Albino said, look until you find it. I spent over an hour and a half looking for a disc last Thursday. I lost one in a tournament this weekend and sent my dad, also my caddy for the day, looking for it until he found it. He found a new unmarked disc for himself as well.

[Neophyte]

I usually search until I find it. I have only lost two discs total and had to give up on account of failing light or family wanting to leave. I have searched for close to two hours some times. At this time I don't really use any throw away discs in my bag but if I did I think I would not look as long.

[bazillion]

I almost always look until I find it. The two memorable times I didn't were 1) when some kid came riding his bike across the field where I was practicing, leaned over, grabbed my disc, and rode away and 2) when I shanked one into a swamp in Florida somewhere and the guy I was playing with advised me not to go in after it because of the gator living there.

Other than that, I see the time spent looking as punishment for screwing up the throw in the first place :)

[Midnightbiker]

I usually search until I find it. I have only lost two discs total and had to give up on account of failing light or family wanting to leave.

Families just don't understand that you leave no man behind

[Roc1Time]

Interesting. So does that mean you should have a timepiece in tournament play?

Just in case there wasnt sarcasim there, yes there is a timepiece. Alot of times its not strictly enforced unless its really packed and people are waiting.
I usually dont look to long unless its one or two of my babies. I have a couple of junkers that are there for that reason.

[80playedin10states]

i look until it's found in casual play...tourney time i have been lucky enough to never lose one, but have seen it happen..i have been lucky that i only lose discs in water...i have always found the "in the schule" plastic eventually..

[Midnightbiker]

i look until it's found in casual play...tourney time i have been lucky enough to never lose one, but have seen it happen..i have been lucky that i only lose discs in water...i have always found the "in the schule" plastic eventually..

Another case for floating discs.;)

[80playedin10states]

actually all my water discs have been retrieved!! doesn't happen often enough to buy a floater

[Adaven]

I will search for about 30 mins if thrown in the water (as long as its not to deep). On land I will search as long as I can.

[BrotherDave]

Generally too long but I gave up on my Teebird and Roc at Renny pretty quickly, those briers did not look inviting, and I've been in some briers.

[Disc Dog]

Generally too long but I gave up on my Teebird and Roc at Renny pretty quickly, those briers did not look inviting, and I've been in some briers.

Renny really did tear you up. Great course. Especially if masochism is your thing. But then I like pain and from your review I guess you do also.

[hh2news]

I've only REALLY lost a disc once. It took me about 10 minutes to find it. I HAD to find it, I only had 3 discs at the time.

[BrotherDave]

Renny really did tear you up. Great course. Especially if masochism is your thing. But then I like pain and from your review I guess you do also.

yeah, you're talking to a guy that has literally taken a machete out to a course to get a disc back.

[solomon.trenton]

yeah, you're talking to a guy that has literally taken a machete out to a course to get a disc back.

i took a rake to a public park to get a disc back once.

[Midnightbiker]

i took a rake to a public park to get a disc back once.

Wow.:eek:

[80playedin10states]

i took a rake to a public park to get a disc back once.

i have done this recently and found her!! i have also taken a leaf blower and a snow shovel to the course..it is not the monetary value..when you have a disc you know well, it sucks to lose it

[Midnightbiker]

i have done this recently and found her!! i have also taken a leaf blower and a snow shovel to the course..it is not the monetary value..when you have a disc you know well, it sucks to lose it

You guys are more serious than I am:eek:

[Neophyte]

Families just don't understand that you leave no man behind

Exactly!

[bayouace]

I lost a new Assassin E at Highland in Baton Rouge in May and looked for an hour, all told during and after the round. I'm going back with a rake Saturday because I think I know where it is. So that would be 2 months I'm looking for that disc.

[Midnightbiker]

I will look for up to an hour, and that is it

[corey]

No one gets left behind on my watch. Ever. Of course, I had been lucky enough before yesterday to not have any utterly horrible throws. But yesterday I tossed a new leopard I had never used before and somehow it came out of my hand weird and flew right into a marsh-y, low lying area. I looked for about 20-30 minutes for it. My feet were soaked (and that's one of my least favorite feelings in the world- wet shoes and socks). On the bright side, I found an unmarked Discraft Elite-X XS, so that was nice. My first found freebie disc!

[tbird888]

Outside of water (unless it's visible) I'll look as long as it takes, but once I let it go for the day I don't go back for it. It's pretty much an unwritten rule amongst my regular group of friends that you help look whether it's yours or not so we're pretty good about recovering errant shots.

Most of our courses are heavily played so lost discs don't stick around very long. I once threw three discs in a row into the same pond and got two of them back because they were close enough to the shore. The third, an Avenger SS, I could see, but it was just out of reach to keep my feet dry so I let it go. I really didn't like the disc so I was not getting my feet wet for a disc that was leaving my bag that night anyway. It was during a doubles round and was gone before the end of the round despite having my name and number on it - I would've told them to keep it anyway - so hopefully someone's enjoying it.

[steadyhebby]

I normally look for 10-15 minutes, give up and then actually find it as I'm walking back to the fairway.

that is the exact equation for finding a lost disc. works like a charm.

[drewba]

I lost a disc yesterday about 50 feet up in an evergreen tree and spent 30 minutes throwing rocks at it - I got it out and found an Avenger in the process. 30 minutes is definetly my max - the way I see it is maybe some beginner will stumble upon my lost disc and make their day. And who hasn't found someone else's unmarked disc, so maybe I'm 'paying it forward'.

Plus, when you lose a disc it's a great excuse to go out and buy something new.

[koenken]

I would look as long as needed, but after an hour or so I give up usually and get back to playing. I might try to look again for it next time I am on the course. I still look for the Comet I lost in the beginning of June.

[jdggna]

I never leave one behind if I can help it. I'll look until its to dark to see. The only exception is flowing water...I'll try for 5-10 minutes, then another 5-10 if there is somewhere it might get caught.

[LinuxTX]

I don't look for more than 20 minutes. I hate to hold up the other people I'm playing with.
Might break 20 minutes if I lost my Buzzz.

I've only lost two discs so far:
Brand new EliteZ Avenger - high grass and brush, saw a snake coiled up by my feet so I gave up
ProD Wasp - have no idea how/where I lost it

[vonDrehle]

For me it depends. If it is a new disc that I haven't thrown much I will not look long because it is replaceable. If it is a disc I have had for a while and is beat in I will look 15-20min, then prob. come back the next day and look again : ). My problem isn't losing disc it is forgetting them. Don't know how many times I have taken my upshot and just left my drive laying there.

[sub ceroh]

A friend of mine looks for about a minute. He believes in karma because after the minute of looking he says "O well my name and number is on the back so someone will call".

[tbird888]

A friend of mine looks for about a minute. He believes in karma because after the minute of looking he says "O well my name and number is on the back so someone will call".

So how good's his karma?

[A.Mutt]

My problem isn't losing disc it is forgetting them. Don't know how many times I have taken my upshot and just left my drive laying there.

man I hate doing that. What a great feeling having to jog back a few holes to grab one I just left at its lie :rolleyes:.

[sub ceroh]

So how good's his karma?

No phone call yet.

[ChainMan]

vonDrehle
<My problem isn't losing disc it is forgetting them. Don't know how many times I have taken my upshot and just left my drive laying there.>

Amen that! Walk-aways have cost me more discs than lost. I'll search for up to a half hour usually. Last week I searched longer than that for a Valk near dark. I was back down at the course at first light and there it was laying under a tree I suspect it was stuck in the night before.

[mashnut]

For me it depends. If it is a new disc that I haven't thrown much I will not look long because it is replaceable. If it is a disc I have had for a while and is beat in I will look 15-20min, then prob. come back the next day and look again : ). My problem isn't losing disc it is forgetting them. Don't know how many times I have taken my upshot and just left my drive laying there.


So true, I've lost 5 discs that way, and tried to lose a bunch more. I get so mad when I realize I've done that, and have even driven 30 mi. out of my way to go crawl back into the poison ivy where I left my favorite roc...