An idea to make a course more First Timer Friendly?

[33tango]

Ok so I had this idea and want your opinion:

In order to make it easier to find the next tee, paint the inside of the basket spoke that points in the direction of the next tee.

You could do it in such a way it would only be visible if you were at the basket. You could even do it with a subtle difference in color (dark grey) so as to not be visually distracting.

This way, you're not looking for a next tee sign, it's always right there inside the basket.

This assumes you have a course where you don't change pin placements.

Problems? What haven't I thought of?

[Greg Layton]

Ok so I had this idea and want your opinion:

In order to make it easier to find the next tee, paint the inside of the basket spoke that points in the direction of the next tee.

You could do it in such a way it would only be visible if you were at the basket. You could even do it with a subtle difference in color (dark grey) so as to not be visually distracting.

This way, you're not looking for a next tee sign, it's always right there inside the basket.

This assumes you have a course where you don't change pin placements.

Problems? What haven't I thought of?

Your suggestion is already utilized at quite a few courses. It's by no means universal, but I've seen it quite a bit. Anything that makes course navigation more intuitive can only be considered a good thing.

[garublador]

I've seen similar things done as well. One of the easiest ways I've seen is a little arrow sticker attached to the number plate on the top of the basket. It's easy, cheap and obvious as to what to do. I've also seen them on the tee signs, but I find it's easy to forget where I was supposed to go after I finish the hole.

[soladeos]

i recently played a course in PA that had a piece of industrial tape around one of the spokes on the chain holder that indicated the next tee's direction. it took me 3 tees and 1 misdirection before i noticed it, but i finally caught the correlation

[33tango]

And I was thinking it was a new idea :) Oh well, at least it doesn't sound like it's a bad idea.

[Greg Layton]

And I was thinking it was a new idea :) Oh well, at least it doesn't sound like it's a bad idea.

No problem man. The more people that are aware of it, the more it will hopefully be done.

[sidewinding]

Which way should the spoke point?

A. towards the next tee

B. towards the trail that leads to the next tee

[33tango]

Which way should the spoke point?

A. towards the next tee

B. towards the trail that leads to the next tee

I've never played a course so densely wooded that it would make a difference. Ideally, the tee should be within 50 ft(I swear I read that somewhere) of the previous basket.

[gcoghill]

I like the baskets with the orange tape on the pole - makes them easy to spot from a distance for both noobs and in general for setting up a shot, as well as a perfect point to aim for. Would be a perfect spot to add the arrow. Perhaps a small "Next Tee" tagline to go with the arrow to make it all explicitly clear.

[jdc03270]

I played a course once that had small wooden signs at the base of some of the baskets, this was pretty helpful and not distracting at all.

[sidewinding]

I played a course that used one of those machines that puts white lines on football fields. They used it to put a white line through the entire course for you to follow. It was pretty cool.

[valkyriefb11]

I've never played a course so densely wooded that it would make a difference. Ideally, the tee should be within 50 ft(I swear I read that somewhere) of the previous basket.

Lol, you sure about that? :p

Ive seen the stickers on the number signs. Ive also seen small flags on the top of the basket bent to point towards the next tee. this works well if the pin placement is variable - you can just move the flag to point towards the next tee as needed.

[garublador]

I've never played a course so densely wooded that it would make a difference. Ideally, the tee should be within 50 ft(I swear I read that somewhere) of the previous basket.There are a couple instances where it matters here. Some of them are even courses I've seen mentioned in top pro's top 5 course listings before.

[nygfaninva]

Bryan Park in Richmond uses the same idea that you first mentioned. On the top spokes of the basket they painted the two spokes pointing in the directions of the next tee the appropriate colors. Yellow spoke points to the yellow tee, and the blue spoke the blue tee. It works great.

[brokenfixed]

Alot of times if you just look at the ground, especially in the woods, you'll see which way other people go and it usually works for me. Of course that gets all messed up when youre playing a course that has hiking trails cris crossing everything...haha

I hate when the course tells you where the next tee is at the tee sign. I can never remember it for some reason by the time I get to the basket. Or Im so into reading pin position, par, and distance that I forget to look for the next tee info.

[The Valkyrie Kid]

North Star in Athol, Idaho which sits in Farragut State Park uses these tall plastic strips about 36 inches high and 4 inches wide as signs for the next tees. They're the same kind that they use in the state park to mark the camp sites numbers. Because they're plastic and flexible, they're almost indistructible. They're brown colored so they really really are unobtrusive to the park surroundings. They're imbedded into the ground so unless some teens actually take some kind of a cutting tool to them, they would be really hard to vandalize. They are one of the best next tee signs that I've seen. I have no idea where you would go to buy this plastic material? Has anyone seen it at Lowes or Home Depot?

[DSCJNKY]

When I have played new courses for the first time (without a guide), I have always found it helpful to look for the well worn path heading away from the basket... follow it... and usually... I find the next tee-pad. Usually.
DSCJNKY

[Texconsinite]

At Hiestand Park in Madison, WI, near every basket they have signs attached to trees that point to the next pro and am tees, especially when the two are in different directions. Even if the basket moves, the path to the next tee is the same, and thus the signs are still accurate. They are white laminated paper signs, so they hold up alrite. It's extremely helpful, and wouldn't be all that hard to nail a piece of wood with a spray painted arrow on it. Especially on courses that are strictly disc golf, there's really no reason NOT to do this.

[Lewis]

Why not paint blazes on trees, after the fashion of backcountry hiking trails? Wouldn't this be less hazardous to a tree's health than nailing a sign into it?

[ShaZaun]

I played a course that used one of those machines that puts white lines on football fields. They used it to put a white line through the entire course for you to follow. It was pretty cool.

This sounds like a great idea..... new courses can be a pain if you don't know where you going... this would eliminate that issue......

[flash86]

I would sink stepping stones into the ground at the base of each pin placement with arrows pointing to the next teepad along with the number of the next teepad.

[harr0140]

Just like the top of the disccatchers have anumber, you could also have an arrow up there, rather than sinking stones near the base that will do more damage to your discs (assuming you can hit your discs at the base of the catcher) It would be a simple label system with arrows that can be purchased. The arrow can be on a round label so that it is up to the locals at the course to put the labl on the correct direction. You coul buy them in sheets of 18 or something like that.

[thatguy]

I like the idea of the basket pointing you in the right direction. Signs can get knocked down, blown down, fall down, and stolen. Great thinking!

[landon77]

Good Idea, I think some of us disc golfers need to take the responsibility and do it ourselves. Hope I don't get caught vandalazing!

[harr0140]

Unfortunately not all baskets are the same. Some have a round thing on top for the hole #, some say it around the top.

You could make something that wraps around the pole with the direction to the next hole, however it might get twisted or damaged too. Not sure what the answer is however.

[Tolbert]

I've played courses using white signs nailed to tees, and painted markers going down trails. I've always felt it seriously detracts from the beauty of the course. Marking the basket in some way usually works just fine. At Iron Hill (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=2737), A new course they are lining the trails going basket to tee with cut logs from fallen trees. Its pretty efficient and the way to the next hole is clear.

[harr0140]

Also being a horticulturist, nailing or screwing into trees is not good for the trees, and if the sport is to be considered legitamate, coming up with a way to post directions without harming the environment around would be a better way to handle it.

It's not hard or that expensive to put a treated piece of wood into the ground with a simple directional arrow off to the side of the basket. It might take 30 minutes to make them. All we would have to do is create a template with an arrow on it. You could even do it out of simple sheet metal with a vinyl arrow attached to it. Then simply screw through the sheet metal with the arrow pointing the correct direction. That's why circular pieces would be good because they can be used universally.

I also like the look of the fallen trees lining the walkway to the next hole, problem would be on the open courses it wouldn't work. Also then on the open courses, where do you put the sign to the next hole? Behind the basket by 30 feet? Whats a safe distance to interfere as little as possible with the throwers.

Is there a rule in disc golf like regular golf that any manmade object in the path or interfering with the stance of the thrower allows for a free drop to remove that object from the line of play???

[bazkitcase5]

Is there a rule in disc golf like regular golf that any manmade object in the path or interfering with the stance of the thrower allows for a free drop to remove that object from the line of play???

No, in disc golf, the general rule is to "play it as it lies"

in tournaments, the rule is that if an object is on the course at the start of the round, then it can not be moved during that round (to make sure everybody plays in the same course condition)

examples are trash bins moved into the fairway, fallen trees/limbs, maybe even stranger things on more open courses like a car parked in the fairway (nobody can stop the owner from moving the car if they so choose obviously, but the player can not have it moved just for the sake of improving their lie)

[harr0140]

hmm then a seperate sign might not be a good idea. One on top of the baskets would be the best idea, but the mounting apparatus would not be universal then

[ERicJ]

Check out the signs on top of the baskets at Freedlander Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/../reviews.php?id=1291&page=1&mode=rev#6339):

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PkLiobixfto/SVHrJlODJSI/AAAAAAAAkIM/g1z2sZm8Mak/s400/IMG_1025.JPG


ERic

[harr0140]

Thats exactly what I was thinking, but the signs could be round so that they can be mounted in any direction so the arrow points where the tee is.

The best part of that is idf ytou throw a little high it will still drop down instead of flying by the basket.

It could even be made with some ubolts that go through the sign. If the intererence of the sign in play was a concern, then they could be mounted around the pole directly below the basket, the only problem would be that the people installing or moving baskets would need to be aware of the changing arrow!