How do we get Disc Golf into the big time?

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Self sustaining means recovering whatever costs go into the planning, installation and annual maintainence of a course, plus some money to help fund future capital improvements. For a privately owned enterprise, that's obviously not desirable. For courses that are on public land (where about 98% of them are at the time being), its reasonable. Eventual cost to the taxpayer is zero, and the game is still accessible to the everyday joe.

What you're suggesting is a private model, and yes, I'd like to see more private courses popping up, but when you consider the logistics of that, there's a reason why they're still a rarity. The market simply isn't there in many instances to make that model sustainable, and I don't see it being there for some time to come.

Phantom Falls is a private p2p self sustaining DG course. It has all the awesome things that we wish for like lunch served at the turn, a pro-shop, trash cans at every hole, wind socks, benches at every hole, and much much more. I am working on a mini 9 hole course for 2011. Your hard earned $$ is used wisely at the Phantom. I could not continue to improve the course W/out donations. Come visit and C what P2P courses can do for this awesome growing sport.

 

[Thumber]

For the sport to grow it need money injected into it. Pay to play will do this. Personally I would like to see the sport grow with more p-2p.

The fun thing about DG is it is everywhere....you don't even need a course. Go play object

I do take issue with the unemployed saying keep it small so i don;'t have to pay. We use tremendous parcels of land and should be paying for it. What other sport is "free"?

 

[craftsman]

Then all the playgrounds should be ptop. Way more exspensive and only usable to a small demographic.

 

[Dave Walters]

Then all the playgrounds should be ptop. Way more exspensive and only usable to a small demographic.

very good point

 

[Thumber]

very good point

not really....I said what other SPORTS are free....Playgrounds aren't sports and trying to draw a parallel between a playground and a DG course is pretty tenuous at best. Playground occupy very small parcels of land. DG courses require 10s of acres.

My point is that if you want the sport to gain more national coverage, be on tv, not be associated as a "stoner" sport (which is totally a red herring given the media's love of anything and everything edgy and alternative these days), and to have better facilities then you are going to have to pay for it. Why should the taxpayer install premium courses for no return?

Until you go P2P, you are going to continue to have all these F'n punk vandal threads.

 

[shane8002]

i dont mind paying money to the sport i love. Its kinda like church it dosent cost to go but you can give money (local club,p2p) to something you love and get enjoyment out of, to improve it and make it better. If you could make even just 100k-200k being a pro disc golfer I bet nobody on this forum would turn that down for the sake of staying underground. Just think how awesome would it be to pay the rent every month just from tossing a disc into some chains.

 

[Midnightbiker]

I think with the release of the PS3 With the "Move" and the disc golf game on there, more people will learn about the game, and when they see baskets in the park, they will know what they are, and will want to try it for real.

I think the downside will be though, when they do play it for real, they will see that you can't throw 300ft out of the box. I really hope we can do more to educate people about buying the right discs.

On Saturday, I had to talk a newbie (played 3 times) out of buying a Boss at the disc store. He kept saying" This feels like a good disc" and it took everything I had to convince him that it was for Pros and experienced players only. He finally put it down.

I think that is the biggest problem is people buying the wrong discs. I met a guy that could only throw about 150ft, and he was convinced that the Star Wraith he found was the only driver he ever needed. It kept diving to the left into the ground on him, but he seemed OK with that.

 

[Thumber]

I think with the release of the PS3 With the "Move" and the disc golf game on there, more people will learn about the game, and when they see baskets in the park, they will know what they are, and will want to try it for real.

I think the downside will be though, when they do play it for real, they will see that you can't throw 300ft out of the box. I really hope we can do more to educate people about buying the right discs.

On Saturday, I had to talk a newbie (played 3 times) out of buying a Boss at the disc store. He kept saying" This feels like a good disc" and it took everything I had to convince him that it was for Pros and experienced players only. He finally put it down.

I think that is the biggest problem is people buying the wrong discs. I met a guy that could only throw about 150ft, and he was convinced that the Star Wraith he found was the only driver he ever needed. It kept diving to the left into the ground on him, but he seemed OK with that.

and the funniest part is that as players become more experienced they tend to gravitate back towards the slow "boring" drivers they started out with, only throwing the heavy equipment (nuke, destroyers, etc) where appropriate

My Eagle has become my go-to driver for anything 350-

 

[shane8002]

and the funniest part is that as players become more experienced they tend to gravitate back towards the slow "boring" drivers they started out with, only throwing the heavy equipment (nuke, destroyers, etc) where appropriate

My Eagle has become my go-to driver for anything 350-

This is true. When i just started playing my buddys were telling me to throw 10-13 speed drivers on 250ft holes. My game never improved until I joined this forum and got good solid advice and now that ive been reading about good form and technique on this forum ive surpassed my friends that have been playing for 2 years and I just started in july. They still chunk bosses and xcals on those short holes and im tossing rocs, my fastest driver I have is a valkyrie. And in the past 2 weeks ive just started scoring between 4-6 under on the shorts and 0-2 under on the longs at my course THANKS TO YOU GUYS HERE AT DGCR. If I never would have joined this site I would still be throwing wraiths and boss' on 250 ft. holes and shooting 6 over.

 

[Rip Van]

If you could make even just 100k-200k being a pro disc golfer I bet nobody on this forum would turn that down for the sake of staying underground. Just think how awesome would it be to pay the rent every month just from tossing a disc into some chains.

The only problem is none of us would be making the money. If it were possible to make six figures playing disc golf, a lot of very good athletes would take an interest in the sport.

 

[craftsman]

not really....I said what other SPORTS are free....Playgrounds aren't sports and trying to draw a parallel between a playground and a DG course is pretty tenuous at best. Playground occupy very small parcels of land. DG courses require 10s of acres.

My point is that if you want the sport to gain more national coverage, be on tv, not be associated as a "stoner" sport (which is totally a red herring given the media's love of anything and everything edgy and alternative these days), and to have better facilities then you are going to have to pay for it. Why should the taxpayer install premium courses for no return?

Until you go P2P, you are going to continue to have all these F'n punk vandal threads.

Okay, how about skate parks-

 

[harr0140]

Okay, how about skate parks-

Probably an isolated incident but I witnessed a skate ramp being burned up by the same people who used it just 10 minutes prior. They lit the thing on fire and before I knew it was on fire they were gone. This all happened while I waited in the parking lot at Estabrook park to play a glow round.

 

[craftsman]

not really....I said what other SPORTS are free....Playgrounds aren't sports and trying to draw a parallel between a playground and a DG course is pretty tenuous at best. Playground occupy very small parcels of land. DG courses require 10s of acres.

My point is that if you want the sport to gain more national coverage, be on tv, not be associated as a "stoner" sport (which is totally a red herring given the media's love of anything and everything edgy and alternative these days), and to have better facilities then you are going to have to pay for it. Why should the taxpayer install premium courses for no return?

Until you go P2P, you are going to continue to have all these F'n punk vandal threads.

Okay, hiw about skateparks.
I think location has more to do with vandalism than ptp.

 

[The dude on the bike]

Friggin stoners are keepin DG from going "Big Time".

good, we can play and play free. I don't smoke weed but I do not want the game over run with idiot bible school buses even though they might help me get laid.

 

[scarpfish]

i dont mind paying money to the sport i love. Its kinda like church it dosent cost to go but you can give money (local club,p2p) to something you love and get enjoyment out of, to improve it and make it better. If you could make even just 100k-200k being a pro disc golfer I bet nobody on this forum would turn that down for the sake of staying underground. Just think how awesome would it be to pay the rent every month just from tossing a disc into some chains.

Users fees for everyday players = apples
Earnings made from competitive play for "pros" (probably not even 1% of the disc golf community) = oranges

Two completely separate issues. Addressing one does absolutely nothing for the other.