Innocent Bystanders

[gianetics]

yell fore and try to hit the person closest to the basket. if you aim for them the odds of hitting them is +/- 3%. if you try to not hit them odd rise to +/- 60%. its like that single tree down a tight fairway that you always seem to hit every time. try and hit the tree and ill bet you miss it.

 

[Magshad]

If you throw as bad as I do just pretend those bystanders are the actual basket, throw right at them as if trying to hit the chains and then don't worry cause the disc will go nowhere remotely close to them. This is also how I avoid hitting trees in the fairway

 

[1978]

Thats why we should strive for benches on all holes. Just wait or go up to them and explain what they are doing.

 

[Chainchaser]

Thats why we should strive for benches on all holes. Just wait or go up to them and explain what they are doing.

^^^this^^^

I usually just let them know what i am doing and that if they need to be on the course they should definitely beware of their surroundings. I will even go as far as show them a high speed driver edge to reiterate the danger they are in if they are not paying attention.

 

[DiscChainBasket18]

Watch yer neck!

Reminds me of hole #10 where you threw across a couple walking paths & a bench:

There was an old guy sitting on the bench with his back to us. He was eating a sandwhich. We yelled over to him & told him to watch out for flying discs. He waved back at us & said OK & went about eating his lunch. Talk about an intimidating shot! Who wants to be the one to hit the old guy in the head with a disc? Not me!! I ended up throwing a side-arm shot.

 

[General Scales]

Here's how I avoid hitting people. I don't hit them. Cars, dogs, people, the occasional large woodland creature, they are all easily avoidable if you want them to be. Although if I could take out a Moose with a driver, I would seriously consider it, I didn't get one this year :-(

 

[tom12003]

I usually can handle the innocent by-standers by explaining how they might be danger, they have almost always picked up their picnic basket and moved safely away.

What greatly irritated me this Saturday were the soccer parents that parked on the green of a local hole (within inches of the basket) despite big no parking signs. These people became very belligerent when I tried to tell them that they can't park there. I mentioned to a few of them that I should park my car in front of their kiddies soccer goal; they couldn't understand anything but their own "needs". There was a police cruiser there but he said that the park was not his jurisdiction so he could not ticket these offenders. I asked the policeman if I was liable if I hit any of these cars and he said no I wasn't as they were not allowed to park there. I tried but hit the chains by mistake!

 

[mashnut]

I never throw if there's a chance of hitting someone, I'm not going to throw a good shot with them there and I certainly don't want to hurt someone and potentially deal with fall out from that (not to mention the issues that can cause for the disc golf course and community). I generally walk up to the people and have a friendly conversation about disc golf. I find that offering to let them throw a disc or two and educating them gets a much better reaction than simply telling them to move. Once they see a driver and I mention that they go 60mph, the safety issue is a lot more obvious and they will hopefully be more aware of it in the future.

 

[knettles]

If it's children (or old people), I don't throw period. That's never worth it. If it's adults, I tell them to look out because I'm throwing, then don't worry about it and throw like I normally would. If it's inanimate objects or animals, HA!

My point being, they have a right to eat their sandwich just as much as I have a right to throw my disc. If I warn them, my conscious is clean. Maybe I'm cold, but the more I worry about it the worse I throw.

Edit: Forgot to mention, if the people are walking, I just wait. If they're still, then I warn them.

 

[LeewayeDiscGolf]

Most people assume these are plastic lids we all throw. Almost everytime we show someone a disc and explain the situation they had no idea that our discs could even cause harm. For the most part people are cool and at least give you space. But every now and again you run into those that just don't wanna hear what you're saying. I had a lady royally curse me out and threaten to bring down the whole of the Russian mafia on me for throwing out and around the area she was standing in. I'd already played way out of my way to avoid her and she was kindly informed that the local ball golf driving range was nearby for her to wonder aimlessly through.
Like previously stated though: The best way to avoid hitting someone is to not throw when there is a chance of hitting someone.

 

[Monkeypaws]

It's great to have a disc you KNOW you can control in these situations - my Buzz and my TeeBird would get thrown for control in such a situation and i am pretty certain no one will die.

Still, there are holes in Winona where one simply has to wait, because your shot actually crosses paved walking trails.

Maybe agree with members of your party to have mulligan?

 

[OcDiscGolf]

I usually can handle the innocent by-standers by explaining how they might be danger, they have almost always picked up their picnic basket and moved safely away.

What greatly irritated me this Saturday were the soccer parents that parked on the green of a local hole (within inches of the basket) despite big no parking signs. These people became very belligerent when I tried to tell them that they can't park there. I mentioned to a few of them that I should park my car in front of their kiddies soccer goal; they couldn't understand anything but their own "needs". There was a police cruiser there but he said that the park was not his jurisdiction so he could not ticket these offenders. I asked the policeman if I was liable if I hit any of these cars and he said no I wasn't as they were not allowed to park there. I tried but hit the chains by mistake!

Cool Story bro

 

[Widdershins]

Sometimes these innocent bystanders are obstinate and no matter how nicely asked will refuse to move. I have seen some of them react overtly confrontational to groups of players. Sometimes they have small kids with them who are truly innocent and have no idea of the risk involved.

All of us are capable of missing shots (as our scorecards attest) so being confident we can miss someone is not an answer. Skipping a hole is not always an option if you are playing a tournament or a league. Damn, I have played some tournaments where the course was littered with bystanders. The Memorial stands out, with walking paths well used by senior citizens walking/tottering through or adjacent to fairways. How those courses stay in the ground is a mystery to me. How many times does Grandma have to get hit before they pull the course?

One solution is to send out a member of the group to protect the bystanders, knowing that the flying disc may need to be caught or knocked down to protect them. Bystanders, even those paying attention lack the ability to predict how the disc is going to bend and are prone to dodge right into it.

 

[Stan McDaniel]

Once you get your first kill off the tee that feeling goes away

Man, I don't know who you are, but I think you are so freakin' funny! Your post is the best laugh I have had on this board in a long time.

 

[onemilemore]

I never throw if there's a chance of hitting someone, I'm not going to throw a good shot with them there and I certainly don't want to hurt someone and potentially deal with fall out from that (not to mention the issues that can cause for the disc golf course and community). I generally walk up to the people and have a friendly conversation about disc golf. I find that offering to let them throw a disc or two and educating them gets a much better reaction than simply telling them to move. Once they see a driver and I mention that they go 60mph, the safety issue is a lot more obvious and they will hopefully be more aware of it in the future.

Sanity prevails. :clap:

 

[Disc Fiend]

Man, I don't know who you are, but I think you are so freakin' funny! Your post is the best laugh I have had on this board in a long time.

Agreed!! I laughed my ass off when I read that.

 

[aardvarkious]

We have two spots on our course that are popular picnic spots. If someone is sitting in them, they probably won't get hit but just might. We send a person out to talk to them. They explain what is going on, and point out safer spots to picnic nearby. If it isn't a busy day and we will probably be the only group out, we don't ask them to move- whoever talked to them just stands guard and knocks down any dangerous discs while everyone else drive, then someone stand guard for him.

Our club is only a year old and our baskets have only been in for a few months. One of our most regular players is a guy who was a picnic-er who had never heard about disc golf until we explained it to him in this fashion. He would've been hit if we hadn't set up a guard, and the fact that the disc went that far and was going that fast is what impressed him.

 

[Lewis]

I try to explain the danger of hanging out in the fairways in a non threatening tone. Most bystanders don't realize how far and fast dg discs can go. Usually just asking them to lookout or give me a few seconds to play through will avert any territorial response from them. Otherwise do whatever it takes to avoid injuring someone.

 

[theabacus]

I saw a group in front of me throw and hit an older lady in the head on a hyzer. She staggered to the ground leaving a pool of blood on the path. Paramedics and police came, thankfully she ended up recovering and was kind enough not to sue or make a case of it. I did hit a teenage girl by accident once; threw a R-Pro boss that just flip over and went crazy in the wind about 75 feet outside the fairway. Thankfully, the disc was gliding and basically landed on top of her head; she was more surprised then hurt. I have never since thrown that disc or anything like it since and am always watchful of pedestrians.

If there are people in the fairway, I do one of the following:
- If they are walking, simply wait. Talk discs if they are slow walking...
- If they are sitting, either attempt to get their attention or just throw a disc I know will never go far enough (putter) or just skip the hole.
- If they are standing and there aren't young children, I may throw a roller...they usually are mildly startled and confused as a disc rolls past them.

If the park has a designated Disc Golf area, then I may kindly let the know what is happening. Many people are just ignorant about Disc Golf and what the baskets are for. I've seen families picnic with the basket in the middle of there group. I've even heard of people using Disc Golf baskets as grills (no idea how that even...ya...). If the park is multi-purpose without a designated Disc Golf area, then I typically don't approach them since (as many have stated) they have as much right to be there as we do. Exception would be if a tournament is going on...

I live in Idaho, so as far as cows on the course...ya well...I just drive. I doubt they'd even feel it if I hit the with my noodle arm. If there were bulls well, that'd be a different story. And no, I've never hit a cow. Seen geese hit tho.

 

[scarpfish]

Stuff like this is why more disc golf courses need signage explaining to the civilians that they shouldn't be sitting in a particular spot, and why we need to implore more to parks departments not to put things like park benches, playgrounds, and picnic tables in the line of fire, and also why we need to implore to amateurish "designers" not to build courses in parks with too much of the aforementioned infrastructure already in it.