where will disc golf go?

[gianetics]

i have been pondering about the future of the sport. i am relatively new to the game. Even in the short time i have been playing(1.something years). i am seeing more and more people interested. I also work at an outdoor store, so i see firsthand. i have looked at charts showing the exponential growth of the game in the last 5 to ten years. Ive been trying to use the work exponential for a while. So whats next? 20 year olds breaking records throwing 1000 plus feet, big corporate sponsorship, green fees. i have grown quite fond of the game and love to see it flourish, however at what cost? should we now try and covet our precious game, or encourage it's growth? I am an outdoorsman and an athlete so disc golf bridged those gaps into one. I feel as though the next 10 years of the sport just may shape the next 100 years for the sport. So will anyone of us be willing to draw a line in the sand if the time ever comes? or even be able to see that a line needs to be draw. or instead will we be so excited for the growth of a game we all love that we will be blinded? Am i thinking too deeply?
Probably!

 

[billnchristy]

I can tell you that here there are some counties thinking they are going to get rich on our backs and all that is going to do is hurt the sport...so no telling, it could go either way.

The future is private courses that turn into more like a DG resort that makes its money on a huge national tourney and sustains itself of vacation golfers.

IMO

 

[treethacker]

Yes,but lets face it, One of the many appealing things about disc golf is the disc are usually cheap to buy and the courses are usually free.
Ya could loose a lot of the "average Joe" players if it got to the point where you had to make "tee times" and charged for all the courses.
Probably will never come to that but still...

 

[billnchristy]

Yes, but that free ain't gonna last. Counties are already talking about charging 1000-1500 for tournaments which would make entry fees double or triple. IF this becomes the status quo then tournaments cease to happen in these areas so where to go for this alleged cash cow? Oh, lets charge 5 bucks a head....

Its a downward spiral...our popularity will lead to these things, it is better for us to prepare for it and actually make money off it by becoming entrepreneurs then let the gov't take it all.

 

[NateDiscFlip]

The sport will be huge....like skateboarding was before it hit the X games....will it end up on ABC sports....I doubt....but if the X games adopt....that will be the first sign of the corporates taking a long hard look:thmbup:

 

[billnchristy]

Nothing says extreme like pot bellied bald men throwing plastic in the woods...

 

[biscoe]

disc golf is going to be like softball eventually- widely recognized and played by many but lacking a huge pro tour because it basically sucks on tv.

 

[cbeckett22]

disc golf is going to be like softball eventually- widely recognized and played by many but lacking a huge pro tour because it basically sucks on tv.

This sounds about right.

 

[BrotherDave]

disc golf is going to be like softball eventually- widely recognized and played by many lesbians but lacking a huge pro tour because it basically sucks on tv.

fixed

 

[JSurmann]

I'm waiting for a course to spring up near Dubai where you throw from island to island and take a boat from the tee to the green....

 

[billnchristy]

I like disc golf vids and some of the ones coming out on youtube are definitely showing that it could be interesting.

 

[Ryan P.]

I would love to see a couple courses that are nearly as manicured as ball golf courses. I know that would cost money, but i'm fine with paying a little money to play an awesome course.

 

[sidewinder22]

Its funny that when Whamo sponsored Worlds back in the day the winner got like $30,000. Last year the winner got $5,500. The sport is lacking corporate sponsorship and TV coverage. Watching a disc fly through the woods is so much more appealing than a golf ball, but the coverage is way better in ball golf. The recent vids from the Beaver State Fling and EU Open show the potential of the coverage even with one camera. Most disc golf DVDs have fairly crappy coverage and editing. It would be much better to have multiple cameras and good editing.

 

[BrotherDave]

I would love to see a couple courses that are nearly as manicured as ball golf courses. I know that would cost money, but i'm fine with paying a little money to play an awesome course.

I wouldn't. I mean don't get me wrong, it would be awesome to have really decked out courses but knowing how environmentally unfriendly most ball golf courses are in terms of water requirements, etc, I prefer my disc golfing to go au naturale.

 

[discpicable]

I wouldn't. I mean don't get me wrong, it would be awesome to have really decked out courses but knowing how environmentally unfriendly most ball golf courses are in terms of water requirements, etc, I prefer my disc golfing to go au naturale.

Such a hippy, this one.

 

[KMaC]

fixed

There's actually some truth to that Dave. There was a HUGE lesbian softball tournament at the park my home course is at last summer.

As I was teeing off on hole #2, I heard a voice over a rather large PA system state the following (not verbatim, but close)

"Alright ladies, we're all heading over to *the local gay bar* after this last game. Everyone who's wearing their jersey gets a free vibrator at the door."

And then they all started cheering. It was strange.

 

[leppard]

Better disc design, players throwing farther, longer courses, more pay to play with golf carts.

 

[BrotherDave]

Such a hippy, this one.

Hey man, wanna listen to some Dead and spark a... uh oh, the Man is listening.

 

[tstack10]

Free is very apealing to most and think it won't get to main stream because around here it has a negative atmosphere as being for trouble makers. Problem is tha is only the bottom 10 prevent that ruin it for the rest of us. Mabe better leaders or examples are needed in some disc communities

 

[Pink Elephant]

I wouldn't. I mean don't get me wrong, it would be awesome to have really decked out courses but knowing how environmentally unfriendly most ball golf courses are in terms of water requirements, etc, I prefer my disc golfing to go au naturale.

Agreed. Plus disc golf, you don't need short grass to get a crisp shot off. As long as I can do a run up through the grass, it's good with me.