How does your course do night golf?

[DoWork]

I did a bit of searching and it seems as though night golf is kind of hard to find. I don't mean "near a mall so it stays sort of lit" or "we just use headlamps", I'm looking to see if there are any officially run courses that actually run it regularly. It is just so much fun!

We are taking a run at the dark but I'd love to see how other places do their night golf if that's a regular thing somewhere. We just put color shift LED strips behind the chastity belt on our Prodigy baskets so they stay tucked in but are nice and bright. They just fade through the full color scale in a nice cycle and the colors look pretty awesome. Started with the whole front 9.

We are charging $5 for 3 LEDs w/ watch battery and special tape. Use your own glows for free if you don't need the lights. We also suggest that people bring headlamps and use them to get to the tees and find their disc, but they MUST be out for throws.

Right now we are utilizing it for special events (test run this Friday) but I'd like to see it on a normal schedule like fri & sat nights.

Would you go to this? Do you know of a course that does night golf regularly? What suggestions would you make? WWYD?!?

 

[Moose33]

We have a set of those LED pucks on top of the baskets, thread some glow necklaces in the chains and a couple of the guys sell the mini LEDS and tape.

It's a fun time, I'd do it more but most of the guys that play glow smoke. I'm not opposed per se but have bad athsma so it's not the best time for me.

 

[Gblambert]

The Flying Armadillo has permanent solar lights on all of the baskets on the short course. It's open every night for glow golf and there's a campground in the middle of the course for anyone that wants to play all night. There's a mini held every Friday night and usually 10 to 20 players participate. When the weather's cooler there are night tournaments/campouts where most players spend the night and brag about their aces around the campfire. When the moon is full there's also a mini on the big course, although it doesn't have permanent lights yet.

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

I used these solar lights

They were pretty sweet the first year, but by the second year several of them were not working (maybe need to be maintained/cleaned) so I'm not sure I'd go that route again. But for pretty much a year straight it was awesome, if you play often enough, that might be worth it, just replace them when needed.

 

[Noill]

There's always the electeical genius route...
Wire up lights to a series of car batteries a la Edward Leedskalnin...

Come to think on it, coral castle would be a fun place for a hole or two of dg.

 

[Streets]

Glow sticks, alcohol and shrooms (probably)

 

[joots]

In KC area, most summer leagues become glow leagues. We move the times back to 6ish, charge $5 (not in the club, it's an extra $1). One of the courses started charging $10 a league (for random draw dubs), but it was no issue 'cuz the turnout was smaller, and the payout didn't hurt those who had the good rounds. We do not light up the baskets, about 50% of us wear headlamps (amazon for great pricing w/higher lumens), and the league coordinator usually has extra lights for sale (2/$5). Those who usually make it out for glow make it a fun round. Good luck to you.

 

[kenjiac]

Lose the headlamp suggestion and the led's. They are too bright and ruin your night vision. Get some glow tape and black light flashlights. The blacklight flashlights super charge glow stuff and don't mess with your night vision as much as white lights. We have some leds lights in zip lock baggies that we put out on top of our baskets that shine down and work pretty well. I recently went to an event that used patio umbrella lights that worked really well they just snap on the basket no problem. Locally we mostly do glow dubs during the late fall and winter because of limited daylight after work. I have a glow bag with all glow discs in it for these fun rounds with a glow mini, glow scorecard and led blacklight flashlight. Pretty nice set up for myself.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Duck-Tape-1-88-X10-Glow-In-The-Dark/21909791

https://www.amazon.com/Findway-Blacklight-Flashlight-Outdoors-Detector/dp/B00ATWGCT2

https://www.amazon.com/QPAU-Umbrell...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MHNV5RMDQBVPJSHFV4C9

 

[dysmike]

Lose the headlamp suggestion and the led's. They are too bright and ruin your night vision. Get some glow tape and black light flashlights.

This does not work well in areas where there is a higher level of light-pollution. In more metropolitan areas, LEDs simply work better (and while I carry a flashlight, it's red and I try not to use it). If it's really dark, I agree though.

 

[ThrowBot]

The folks here in Billings have been running pretty regular glow leagues the past few winters. Baskets are lit up in one of two ways: little clip-on lanterns mounted high in the chain assembly, or puck shaped lights located top center and pointing down through the chain assembly.

We play in a public park, so all of the basket lights are temporary. Right before the organized round, someone has to go to every basket and mount the lights. The last group to play each hole has to remember to pull the light and bring it back.

For discs, I'm a fan of glow and color glow, charged with a black light right before the throw. Some folks also use small LED's taped onto the disc, which is fairly effective for clear discs but not great on more opaque plastics.

Edit: Oh yeah, glow in the dark tape is a thing, too. Not my cup of tea, since it kinda ruins the disc for any other purpose. Some people swear by it.

Pro tip: put some of the glow tape on your flashlight and black light. Makes you feel kind of smart if you're ever dumb enough to leave them somewhere in the dark, and need to borrow someone else's light to go back and look for your own.

 

[F. Howl]

This style of magnetic flashlight has worked for us the last 3 glow seasons at our weekly. One set of batteries lasts us from October to March. They stick to the pole, but if your course has baskets with a band, they stick to the inside of those. We do one pointing down into the chains, and one up into a traffic cone sitting on top of the basket.

Not as pretty as the rings of colorful LEDs we used to use, but much easier to set up and take down.

 

[dysmike]

Thinking of it, for baskets we just use cheap LED strings. The cheaper the better, as they tend to 'walk'.

 

[lines]

Glow sticks, alcohol and shrooms (probably)

Spirit animal.

 

[Future_Primitive]

Playing weekly glow leagues for the past 3-4 years. We use the small LED flashlights with a carabiner attached so it can hang upside down from the top of the basket and shine down. Use of the taped on LED's for discs, glow discs and or glow tape is what players use for their discs. Tape and glow discs work good in warm months but LEDs for discs are almost a must in the snow. Flashlights have to be UV or they can't be used, regular white light ruins night vision for everyone. No shining of fairways is allowed either, only use flashlight to charge disc/tape or search for lost disc.

Usually send out basket lights with the groups so they can be hung along the way to pad or during round as group plays holes. Really enjoy glow golf especially during the week when I work during the day.

 

[Plastic Thunder]

Couple of things to keep in mind as you play at night, more than a couple:

1. We use LED disc light that are remote control. Replaceable batteries, they work the best over an 18 week season. Plus they last for years. We did the glow stick thing for a while, they last for one use if your luck.

2. Get a permit from the parks department. We have police and park employees rolling up on us and the permit ends all discussions.
Make a few copies, have the smartest in the group carry them, this might be difficult to work out sometimes......

3. We have everyone sign a release in the event they are injured. We do stupid stuff in the dark and disc hurt when they hit you. Or they trip and fall or a branch busts someone the in head. Drinking and other things are always involved and frankly, we do stupid stuff by accident to ourselves once in a while.

4. Glow tape for the disc works. Put it on both sides of the disc, it not only the worms will see your disc. also glow tape does not help if your disc is covered up. They will hide. I like the LEDs taped to the disc myself. I set it to the slow blink, looks cool flying into the darkness. Oak leaves cover your disc at times, LEDs make it easy to find even if it's covered by leaves.

5. Behave, making a lot of noise draws attention, no need to have a visit from outsiders while you play. The lone exception is an Ace.

6. Get a good 395nm flash light. You will drop it and they do not always hold up. I have 3, 51 LED, one always seems to stop working during a round. I tested 100 LED last year and I think I will move to that for this season. Amazon has then for around 15 bucks now. They are bright but your discs lights up.

7. Charge your glow disc behind your back, if not you will understand why after you stare at your disc as you charge it. 100 LEDS is bright and you will be blinded for a moment.

8. Watch where your card throws each disc, if not you will spend loads of time looking for stuff all night.

9. Good shoes, your going to kick a lot of roots, rocks and stumps. You will step in water, or you will slip. You will find holes and other stuff as you stumble along.

10. I run a glow bag which is only used at night, All are glow disc, I start throwing in the weeks leading into glow season to remind me what they do. It's not that different then my normal bag but I switch bags in October.

11. We have been playing with ago of between 40-70 players each week, we move around to a different course in the area each week to keep things interesting, about 8 courses. As the season moves along the numbers vary, when it's really cold the numbers fall off a bit. We start after the time change in the fall and run until the last week in Feb. We track statistics and there is a prize for the top person in each division. We sometimes have a pre-season round the week before just to get everyone interested.

12.We have people sign up Pro, Advance, Intermediate, and Rec. We pair up by ability. Pro's with Rec, Advance with Intermediate so the teams are somewhat balanced. Random draw after the sigh up. Funny thing in the dark, people don't preform as well sometimes as they might in broad daylight. No one can remember where all the low hanging branches are......

13. couple of rules we use: No shining your flashlight towards the basket to see your line, one stroke penalty. Don't pick up your disc until you locate the one your team is going to throw from. If you pick up yours and you can not find the other then a re-tee is in order. Usually this is a drive, if you do, your team re-tees with penalties and this would be your 3rd shot.

 

[swhite]

2. Get a permit from the parks department. We have police and park employees rolling up on us and the permit ends all discussions.
Make a few copies, have the smartest in the group carry them, this might be difficult to work out sometimes......

Difficult to find smart group members?

 

[rd.bittle]

In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.

 

[ru4por]

Playing weekly glow leagues for the past 3-4 years. We use the small LED flashlights with a carabiner attached so it can hang upside down from the top of the basket and shine down. Use of the taped on LED's for discs, glow discs and or glow tape is what players use for their discs. Tape and glow discs work good in warm months but LEDs for discs are almost a must in the snow. Flashlights have to be UV or they can't be used, regular white light ruins night vision for everyone. No shining of fairways is allowed either, only use flashlight to charge disc/tape or search for lost disc.

Usually send out basket lights with the groups so they can be hung along the way to pad or during round as group plays holes. Really enjoy glow golf especially during the week when I work during the day.

Limited glo experience, but I have to agree with FP. LED flashlights should be banned. Blacklight is the way to go, they are SO much better on your night vision, but good enough to use to see if needed.

 

[Future_Primitive]

Limited glo experience, but I have to agree with FP. LED flashlights should be banned. Blacklight is the way to go, they are SO much better on your night vision, but good enough to use to see if needed.

That was one of the first lessons I got from some of the older players when I started playing glow. "Ahhhh put that away, blacklight only!" After playing for a few years now I completely understand why. Now I only use the blacklight to charge discs as my night vision gets me around the course without much issue.

My blacklight recommendation after years of use is the UltraFire WF-501b UV LED flashlight. Pretty inexpensive, comes with batteries and charger. :thmbup:

 

[DoWork]

Loving all the input.

Had the first round last night and it worked out awesome. Tried not to use headlamps but we are on the side of a ski mountain and walking from hole to hole definitely requires light of some kind.

Big turnout though, and everyone had a blast. Likely going to run night lights every Friday now!