Night golf/glow golf strategy discussion.

[BillFleming]

Besides the obvious and having some discs that actually glow, what are you doing differently when the sun goes down? Or are you doing nothing different?

I played a very unprepared round of night golf and the locals put on a clinic and whooped me. It was really fun so I'd like to hear some ideas on how to improve.

One of the things I wasn't prepared for was having glow tape on the disc be the brightest point of light while teeing off. Does this affect anyone else it felt like I almost was closing my eyes to not have it work me.

Another thing that kind of threw me off was putting, is there any kind of half glow or sort of glow blends of plastic? I was almost trying to cover my putter with the other hand to get it out of my sight line.

Also shut up and throw the glow disc is an acceptable response.

I'm going to comment on part of your post that I haven't seen anyone else comment on.
"...the locals....whooped me..."

They probably whooped you because they are familiar with the discs they are throwing and you aren't. You probably don't throw glow discs often....maybe you are like me and have glow discs that just get pulled out for night rounds. You can't always get glow discs that are the same as discs you use and if you do, the plastic and/or weight aren't the same. So you are throwing a totally different disc than you are used to. Even using your normal discs and adding glow tape or LED lights changes the disc enough that if you haven't practiced with it that way, you aren't going to be good. Imagine playing a round in the day, but someone handing you three discs that you've never used before and that is all you are allowed to use....your round isn't going to go well. That is what night golf is like if you don't frequently practice/play with your glow discs.

 

[txmxer]

For sure. It boils down to a courtesy thing. Shining a flashlight around in any glow round would probably get you chastised and made fun of around here. Different areas and groups might see it differently.

does here in my group as well, but it's casual and you will get chastised no matter what.

 

[txmxer]

I'm going to comment on part of your post that I haven't seen anyone else comment on.
"...the locals....whooped me..."

They probably whooped you because they are familiar with the discs they are throwing and you aren't. You probably don't throw glow discs often....maybe you are like me and have glow discs that just get pulled out for night rounds. You can't always get glow discs that are the same as discs you use and if you do, the plastic and/or weight aren't the same. So you are throwing a totally different disc than you are used to. Even using your normal discs and adding glow tape or LED lights changes the disc enough that if you haven't practiced with it that way, you aren't going to be good. Imagine playing a round in the day, but someone handing you three discs that you've never used before and that is all you are allowed to use....your round isn't going to go well. That is what night golf is like if you don't frequently practice/play with your glow discs.

I haven't found that glow tape significantly alters the flight.

With or without, they still hit trees and fly off in to the rough about the same.

 

[R-Ogre]

I haven't found that glow tape significantly alters the flight.

With or without, they still hit trees and fly off in to the rough about the same.

I bet I can chain out weak side just fine with or without glow tape

 

[dmoore1998]

Shining any flashlight, at anything but your disc, should be highly discouraged. You should never shine any flashlight down a fairway or at a basket. (It is actually discussed in player meetings and against the rules) Glow tape for basket demarcation is a poor plan. Glow sticks or lights are the best way to go. It does take a bit of prep. Someone has to go out and attach lights or glow sticks and then collect them. We sometimes in casual play, just walk down each hole and place the light, grab it when the hole is complete and do the same for the next hole. A bit more walking and time. In organized play, we have 18 lights or a box of glow sticks. We prep the course ahead of play. Minimizing the use of any lights is such a huge part of the enjoyment and success of glow.

Public service announcement. Clean up your glow sticks!! It is litter and nobody want to clean up after you!!

I'd much rather let the basket glow than have lights on every basket at glow league. I'd want as much darkness as possible instead of lights on each basket.

 

[R-Ogre]

The best thing I've tried for night golf is one of those glow stick bracelets around the pole in the bottom of the basket. Bright enough to see it from a ways out, but won't ruin your night vision when putting. But as previously noted our local club doesn't believe in anything lighting the baskets and I think that's dumb so it keeps me away for the most part. One exception is if you have a good layer of snow it's pretty easy to see to putt even without any lighting on the baskets.

 

[txmxer]

I'd much rather let the basket glow than have lights on every basket at glow league. I'd want as much darkness as possible instead of lights on each basket.

I put glow tape on my practice baskets, but it really doesn't add visibility without external light. It acts more as a reflector.

I tried charging it, but in the time it takes to walk back to the teepad it's starting to fade.

 

[ru4por]

I'd much rather let the basket glow than have lights on every basket at glow league. I'd want as much darkness as possible instead of lights on each basket.

Fair enough.

The lights used (pretty universally) all point down. Nearly all those made for glow, attach to the top of the pole and have a cover or shroud to protect players eyes. Most often (via several leagues, clubs and tournament) I see these type flashlights. Generally three to five bulb LED. https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Flashlight-Keychain-Portable-Camping/dp/B07SL51GVB Clip on a carabiner and attach to the top of the chains at the pole, hanging straight down. The light is dim enough to make you really look to see it down the fairway.

I have never seen or heard of glow tape on the basket. Maybe we will will give it try this winter. Though we would really need permission of parks, clubs and leagues to permanently attach something to the basket.

 

[txmxer]

this is my putting practice area in my backyard. The baskets are about 30', 40', and 50' apart.

These are the lights I linked earlier from Amazon. I added some pipe to raise them up at different heights to see what might be the optimal mounting height. I did make some padding/protection to try and prevent them from getting damaged by disc hits. They have an off switch, so you could charge them up fully, then place them on baskets throughout a course, turn them on and they would provide full brightness for several hours. Fully charged, I'd say they are good for 4-6 hours, but haven't tested them. They are on when I go to bed and they have run out of power when I get up.

As far as causing night blindness, you could add some type of "lamp shade" so that all the light is projected down and you don't get any horizontal glare.

They were 10 for $50, so not expensive.

Since I have acreage and a couple of out buildings, I use solar powered motion lights in several locations that have held up pretty well for several years. I anticipate these to last as well. These are not motion activated, they are on/off.

When I go out and putt I do turn on the house exterior lights, but the basket mounted lights are a big plus. Without the basket lights or a flashlight, I'm far enough from the house that discs get lost in the grass shadows pretty easily.

 

[dmoore1998]

Fair enough.

The lights used (pretty universally) all point down. Nearly all those made for glow, attach to the top of the pole and have a cover or shroud to protect players eyes. Most often (via several leagues, clubs and tournament) I see these type flashlights. Generally three to five bulb LED. https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Flashlight-Keychain-Portable-Camping/dp/B07SL51GVB Clip on a carabiner and attach to the top of the chains at the pole, hanging straight down. The light is dim enough to make you really look to see it down the fairway.

I have never seen or heard of glow tape on the basket. Maybe we will will give it try this winter. Though we would really need permission of parks, clubs and leagues to permanently attach something to the basket.

I'm familiar with the lights. At my local course which isn't really anything official in terms of glow league or tournaments we'll sometimes throw the lights on top of baskets to play at night. That course also just has more ambient light in general (it's a park, not wooded, and it's in town). We've got some basket lights that are LEDs but rather dull, just a faint glow. We also have puck lights that are pretty bright and multi-colored. It helps if you're trying to see a basket 400 feet away.

At the course on my acreage I actually have solar-powered flagpole lights on my baskets. Automatically kick on in the dark. Lights certainly work better/more nicely for people who aren't as familiar with the layout so they can see the basket from further away. For my regular glow league though, I definitely prefer the glow tape (out in the woods, no ambient light). That also seems to be a league where everyone makes a more concerted effort to play quiety, so it's just more serene (except for the 1 week per year when the entire metro area decorates every hole with lights and it plays like a 90s rave).

 

[R-Ogre]

I'm familiar with the lights. At my local course which isn't really anything official in terms of glow league or tournaments we'll sometimes throw the lights on top of baskets to play at night. That course also just has more ambient light in general (it's a park, not wooded, and it's in town). We've got some basket lights that are LEDs but rather dull, just a faint glow. We also have puck lights that are pretty bright and multi-colored. It helps if you're trying to see a basket 400 feet away.

At the course on my acreage I actually have solar-powered flagpole lights on my baskets. Automatically kick on in the dark. Lights certainly work better/more nicely for people who aren't as familiar with the layout so they can see the basket from further away. For my regular glow league though, I definitely prefer the glow tape (out in the woods, no ambient light). That also seems to be a league where everyone makes a more concerted effort to play quiety, so it's just more serene (except for the 1 week per year when the entire metro area decorates every hole with lights and it plays like a 90s rave).

Man, our course is so far out in the woods that if your card has a lull in the conversation it gets creepy. I played 9 holes of solo glow one evening and never again.

 

[itsRudy]

"Lighting up the area" is strictly prohibited in ALL casual and tournament glow, that I have played. It ruins your night vision and that of all your cardmates. We use specific designed basket lights or simply hang a small, 5 bulb LED flashlight down the pole.

Anything other than blacklights are discouraged. NO SHINING THE FAIRWAY OR BASKET. Glow really requires the attention of the entire card on each throw. Keeping the hunting for disc to a minimum, makes for a far more enjoyable experience. Previous knowledge of the course is a plus. I have found that, even in wooded courses, with cloud cover and lack of ambient lighting, you can see pretty well in the dark, given everyone keeps the lights to a minimum.

Cold weather is a MAJOR consideration, here. Most use a LED light, https://www.google.com/shopping/product/1?lsf=seller:151786389,store:4059634419399048063,lsfqd:0&prds=pid:14943496081719150641,oid:14943496081719150641&q=flying+disc&hl=en&ei=MnwkY_bxBumD0PEP3rGoqAc&sts=14&lsft=gclid:Cj0KCQjwvZCZBhCiARIsAPXbajsZpp_eXBy5gxz0ZtjBLbTTwrL2B5SYSwCRlBIEOxXLzWy6WQRYrisaAjpAEALw_wcB taped to the underside of a disc. The proper tape, applied to room temp disc is paramount. Often hear of players using a blow dryer to set the adhesive.

I'm really surprised to read up much of this thread (and another 7 pager you linked) with no real mention of red, green, blue lights rather than white. I never played a glow round (unfortunately) but I have a big "backyard" on a farm and done a number of night practice in my first summers/autumns playing. I always light up both the basket and use a flashlight using pure green, because the ground here is far too uneven for me to risk rolling an ankle.

I've tried a number of colors but found pure green the best (and white the worst). And this makes sense, the military uses it in the night goggles with green light for several reasons and the switchover back to night time vision is far quicker than if white light were used. And it has a rather old history, even some WW2 Night watchmen lights used the same color (filter) scheme.

On night vision and light colors:

https://thehikingauthority.com/what-color-light-for-night-vision/

Blue and red don't have the same detail and appear far dimmer for the same output. UV or ultraviolet violet, is, as the name suggests is beyond blue. It's actually invisible and the purplish light you see direct from the light is just the bluish remnant of the visible spectrum that UV bulb gives off (it's not perfectly UV) and when it lights something up -- the UV is fluorescing some object and the light is coming back in the visible spectrum. So something glowing brightly white from UV will screw up night vision just as much as an outright white flashlight. No difference there. So UV isn't a magic bullet either.

Anyway, that's my experience mucking about at night. By the same token, I'd just tape a green led underside a transparent disc with a cheap watch battery but I know not everyone has a bag of transparent discs.

 

[ru4por]

I'm really surprised to read up much of this thread (and another 7 pager you linked) with no real mention of red, green, blue lights rather than white. I never played a glow round (unfortunately) but I have a big "backyard" on a farm and done a number of night practice in my first summers/autumns playing. I always light up both the basket and use a flashlight using pure green, because the ground here is far too uneven for me to risk rolling an ankle.

I've tried a number of colors but found pure green the best (and white the worst). And this makes sense, the military uses it in the night goggles with green light for several reasons and the switchover back to night time vision is far quicker than if white light were used. And it has a rather old history, even some WW2 Night watchmen lights used the same color (filter) scheme.

On night vision and light colors:

https://thehikingauthority.com/what-color-light-for-night-vision/

Blue and red don't have the same detail and appear far dimmer for the same output. UV or ultraviolet violet, is, as the name suggests is beyond blue. It's actually invisible and the purplish light you see direct from the light is just the bluish remnant of the visible spectrum that UV bulb gives off (it's not perfectly UV) and when it lights something up -- the UV is fluorescing some object and the light is coming back in the visible spectrum. So something glowing brightly white from UV will screw up night vision just as much as an outright white flashlight. No difference there. So UV isn't a magic bullet either.

Anyway, that's my experience mucking about at night. By the same token, I'd just tape a green led underside a transparent disc with a cheap watch battery but I know not everyone has a bag of transparent discs.

The gist of my posts was, you DO NOT, light up any area. You light the basket and use a UV light to charge your discs. Using any light to walk around is highly discouraged, at the very least. Shining a light down the fairway is prohibited in the player's meeting. Apparently this is regional.

 

[blayed]

I played my first glow round last night. One thing I would really suggest is to use your regular putter but either dont glow it or use glow tape. I putt with links or occasionally PA-3s. They feel the same in my hand and my grip pressure is consistent. I used glow wizards for my round and i couldnt make a single putt. Didnt feel right, my grip pressure was all off. I missed four 20 footers. My putting on thursday during league was great and did some putting this morning that went great.

I still got 4th and won a halo orc tho that was cool.

 

[txmxer]

I played my first glow round last night. One thing I would really suggest is to use your regular putter but either dont glow it or use glow tape. I putt with links or occasionally PA-3s. They feel the same in my hand and my grip pressure is consistent. I used glow wizards for my round and i couldnt make a single putt. Didnt feel right, my grip pressure was all off. I missed four 20 footers. My putting on thursday during league was great and did some putting this morning that went great.

I still got 4th and won a halo orc tho that was cool.

Putting is glow optional typically. If it's a throwing putter, get one just for glow rounds and tape it up.

IMO

 

[Sheep]

Putting is glow optional typically. If it's a throwing putter, get one just for glow rounds and tape it up.

IMO

Yep, Usually you're so close the glow disc isn't necessary.

I'll carry at least 1 glow putter for long putts, but otherwise just putt with my normal day putters.

 

[R-Ogre]

Depending on the lighting situation trying to putt with a freshly charged glow putter might blind you also.

 

[ru4por]

Depending on the lighting situation trying to putt with a freshly charged glow putter might blind you also.

This is my struggle. I am not really effected by other discs, but my putting routine puts my lighted disc, into my face and line of vision a couple times. I find it very distracting. I have gone to a brightly colored version of my regular putting putter.

 

[The Shide]

I'd just tape a green led underside a transparent disc with a cheap watch battery but I know not everyone has a bag of transparent discs.

Depending upon the plastic, one can still tape a light to the underside of an opaque disc & it will shine through. Not too terribly bright, mind you, but, again, the color of the plastic may shine through enough to matter. And the type of battery may make a difference as well - CR2032 makes for a very bright light, CR2016 is less so.

 

[ejvogie]

Make sure the tape is secure if you use the LED/battery method. I've seen plenty of lights fly of on a tree hit...