Church DG Courses on the rise - Any takers?

[Omega SuperSloth]

A true Christian's love for mankind causes them to desire to share the free gift of salvation to all who will hear. You never know who will hear, until you ask. "Slimey" is a better term for playing a privately owned course, and while you are there, the owner comes up and tries to sell you a tent-time-share on their land for a flat rate. A christian that approaches someone about Jesus has nothing to gain from the conversation and they are doing it out of sincere love. Most people who are annoyed with this fail to see the true intent.

So the church has nothing to gain by you becoming a member? $ Reeeally nothing ? $ I just cant think of anything they or their members could gain. $
Now i know that guy with the time share wants to ge tmoney out of his conversation but the church i just cant think of what they have to gain.$

 

[bayouace]

Many businesses provide recreational opportunities for their employees and customers. They also do promotions to draw in new customers. You choose to participate if you wish. If you go on their property for these, they usually try to sell you something. Its a church course, so don't go there if this bothers you.

 

[thepowerofpancakes]

This has been a fun read. I've never had the pleasure of playing a church course but i dont think that would scare me off. I doubt anyone would bother me, but if they did i just wouldnt play the course, just like i wouldnt play a course that had a bunch of homeless constantly asking for cigs

 

[sidewinder22]

I remember in college, some guy was holding a bible up in the center of campus and yelling, "You are all sinners! Repent now or you are all going to hell!" He was doin that all day long.

 

[thepowerofpancakes]

I remember in college, some guy was holding a bible up in the center of campus and yelling, "You are all sinners! Repent now or you are all going to hell!" He was doin that all day long.

Sometimes there is a fine line between Christian and crazy, but that had to be super entertaining

 

[jhgonzo]

I'd probably be deterred from playing if these guys were waiting by the first tee:

Not so much if this guy were there (that's Jim and Tammy Faye's minister son):

And if it was this guy, I'd probably see if there was a way to trade my soul to be the best disc golfer in the world:

 

[kerplunk]

I remember in college, some guy was holding a bible up in the center of campus and yelling, "You are all sinners! Repent now or you are all going to hell!" He was doin that all day long.

All day long? I went to texas a&m, I think that guy was out there at least once a week. Sometimes next to the 20ft pictures of an aborted fetus.

 

[kerplunk]

So the church has nothing to gain by you becoming a member? $ Reeeally nothing ? $ I just cant think of anything they or their members could gain. $
Now i know that guy with the time share wants to ge tmoney out of his conversation but the church i just cant think of what they have to gain.$

Not to mention power. The more people you can get to think and act the way you tell them too, the more you can shape the world around you.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I wonder what will happen when some of you have something you truly believe in curtailed or even stopped just because someone did not like what you said or did?

You mean that's not how most dates end?


I case some of you didn't noitice I like to sir the pot a bit and get people to think. I respect EVERY individual's (or organization's) right to do what they want with their resources - as long as no one is harmed in the process.

If they want to build it - I will be happy for them. If they are kind enough to let me play, I will genuinely thank them kindly. The reality is that far and away, most Christians I've met are pretty decent people.

However, I've been harassed, pursued, and followed on more than one occasion by overzealous Christian, Bible thumpers - and that really pisses me off. Because those folks, unlike most Christians, weren't interested in any meaningful dialogouge or hearing my point of view. Their point was simply that I'm living a bad life if I didn't accept Christ as my savior, and that he died for my sins - nothing short of me seeing their way or fleeing the scene would shut them up.

Then there are folks who come to my door to give me the Watchtower. If I'm interested, I'll come to church one day and check it out, until then, please: leave me the hell alone.

It's not necessarily the message itself that I abhor - it's their behavior, and the way some folks try to shove their message down your throat, and then say you're in the wrong for not joining them. Would have pissed me off just as much had they been Muslim, Jewish, Martian or Plutonian. I just happen to live in the good 'ol US of A, so chances of that a religious zealot chasing you down 'cause you haven't accepted Christ are far greater than than someone doing the same for not believing in ___ (fill in the blank with the religious figure of your choice).

Tell you what, though: As I said, weather permitting, I plan to get out play Fowlerville United Brethren DGC one weekend. Since I gladly donate a buck or two when I play Flip, Mason County, or other courses funded by donation, if no one harasses or tries to convert me, I'll gladly donate a buck or two for their collection plate.

I don't want to pre-judge them any more than I want them to pre-judge me.

 

[scarpfish]

I remember in college, some guy was holding a bible up in the center of campus and yelling, "You are all sinners! Repent now or you are all going to hell!" He was doin that all day long.

Was it this guy by chance?

Rev. Jed Smock​

He was doing that back when I was in school during the early-mid 90's. One day he made the mistake of doing his ranting a little too close to the fountain, so some aggrivated students decided to umm...baptize him.

But enough about that. Its cool churches are building courses, and if someone thinks they're using them as a sinister game to lure in converts, well, maybe you're right, but hey you don't have to play those courses.

 

[DavidSauls]

If most Christians conducted themselves like the worst isolated cases we know---I wouldn't play disc golf on their courses.

Then again, if most disc golfers conducted themslves like the worst isolated cases we know---I wouldn't play disc golf.

 

[magictenor1]

There are 4 courses here in town, the church course is the most well kept, and the least frustrating. It's not a huge challenge, but it's nice to get out in a park where people are friendly and play a round

I assume you are talking about The Roc? I played there this summer and really enjoyed it. there was a guy working on the grounds and he came over and talked with us about some recent changes (which was very helpful) to the course. later we were looking for a lost disc and he came over and helped look (he found the disc). Super nice guy and great course.

 

[ZMan44]

I am not sure how a regular church member benefits by anyone else attending their church. I personally get no money from the collection plate, so there is no benefit in that for me. And a true church is not about money. All of our contributions go to pay the utility bills, cothing for the homeless, pantry for the needy. We are about to have a coat day to hand out free coats for the winter. But I am sure those are all bad things....we should probably just let the government take care of it.

It just so happens that some churches use there money to install DG courses. What other trickeries can they come up with to brainwash people? Perhaps a bake sale for an orphanage. But let's not go there. We might get "preached at". Those Christians are a sneaky bunch.

 

[Technohic]

If most Christians conducted themselves like the worst isolated cases we know---I wouldn't play disc golf on their courses.

Then again, if most disc golfers conducted themslves like the worst isolated cases we know---I wouldn't play disc golf.

This

 

[Waddly Hobbins]

If most Christians conducted themselves like the worst isolated cases we know---I wouldn't play disc golf on their courses.

Then again, if most disc golfers conducted themslves like the worst isolated cases we know---I wouldn't play disc golf.

Bad impressions are usually the ones that stick, whether it be about church goers or disc golfers.

There are many times I mention that I play disc golf to people and they will say something to the extent of:
"Oh Frolf, don't all those people smoke dope?" or
"That's right, poor mans golf." or
"Oh that backyard game where people get drunk and throw a frisbee around?"
"I think I've seen that before, that's that game that all the hippies play."

I don't appreciate that these are the comments I hear when I mention this sport that I love. I'm not a hippie, I don't smoke/drink, and I play disc golf because I like it, not because I can't afford ball golf. I'd like to mention the sport sometime and have a more positive response.

When I go to the course most of the players are all respectable looking people playing a straight laced game. I do, however, see the occasional drunk or pothead and can only shake my head at how they represent the sport. (No I don't shake my head at the hippies )

 

[DavidSauls]

I'm saddened to think of what experiences some of our posters must have had.

I'm also in the Bible Belt and have known hundreds of people of faith, mostly Christians, spanning many denominations, some pretty enthusiastic. None has ever given me reason to believe their motives were money and power. Many I know well enough to be certain those aren't their motives. Is it that hard to believe they might do something good.....just to do something good?

Reminds me of a Mark Twain quote I'll no doubt misquote:

"Always do right. This will please some people and astonish the rest."

 

[Adam Schneider]

One of the best courses in Oregon (Camp Tadmor) is at a bible-thumping Baptist summer camp. The couple times I've disc golfed there, they were very friendly and seemed pleased that we'd gone out of our way to play their course. There were no passages from scripture on the tee signs, and no one tried to Save us. All they ask is that you not drink, smoke, or swear while on their property... seems like a fair deal to me.

But IF there were a course that made you listen to a sales pitch for Jesus -- or a time-share -- before teeing off, yeah, I don't think I'd go.


(By the way, as for that list of places you would or wouldn't play -- mosque, seminary, nudist colony, etc. -- I should point out that the Rooster Rock East course actually starts out along a path that leads to an official nude beach. The signs make it clear, however, that you're supposed to get all the way to the beach before you take it off.)

 

[Omega SuperSloth]

All of our contributions go to pay the utility bills, cothing for the homeless, pantry for the needy. We are about to have a coat day to hand out free coats for the winter. But I am sure those are all bad things....we should probably just let the government take care of it.

And im sure you never take advantage of those situations as an opportune time to "spread the word".


If your gonna do something good for people just do it , thats not sleazy at all but when you use those ventures to push your agenda that diminishes the good will and makes it dirty.

 

[Grover]

If your gonna do something good for people just do it , thats not sleazy at all but when you use those ventures to push your agenda that diminishes the good will and makes it dirty.

I think the issue here may be the definition of "do something good". To a lot of people, connecting you with Christ is the best thing they could possibly ever do. You see this as something dirty/sleazy that should never happen (or even be discussed). I doubt any christian sees spreading the word as an evil agenda.

 

[BrotherDave]

I'm saddened to think of what experiences some of our posters must have had.

I'm also in the Bible Belt and have known hundreds of people of faith, mostly Christians, spanning many denominations, some pretty enthusiastic. None has ever given me reason to believe their motives were money and power. Many I know well enough to be certain those aren't their motives. Is it that hard to believe they might do something good.....just to do something good?

Reminds me of a Mark Twain quote I'll no doubt misquote:

"Always do right. This will please some people and astonish the rest."

For some reason my neck of the woods has tons of bad Christians. I mean churches where if you do not specifically attend that church you will burn in hell or churches where the preacher drives a Benz while the congregation drives pick up trucks and jalopies. There's one church up the road where the preacher is involved in some sort of vitamin supplement pyramid scheme. But mostly the churches here tend to multiply from having congregations getting pissed at each other for one thing or another and then factions go and form their own churches. There is a town near me that has at least 3 churches (same denomination) all on the same block, half a block really. I'm leaving the names of denominations out of this b/c I don't want people to generalize but you get the idea.

I guess the point is, like everything else, you have to go on a case by case basis.