Disc golf tee ideas?

[Horsman]

Originally Posted by jupiterboy

There is some sort of gridded material where you will in with loose rock and the grid holds it all in place. I see it in use in the local parks for rough parking areas so it stays level and doesn't get washed out.

DO NOT DO THIS. These are great for maybe the first week but the rocks quickly come out of the grid and just leave you with bare plastic to tee off of. They are super slick and are injury makers. My one disc golf injury has come from this kind of teepad.

[jupiterboy]

Originally Posted by Horsman

DO NOT DO THIS. These are great for maybe the first week but the rocks quickly come out of the grid and just leave you with bare plastic to tee off of. They are super slick and are injury makers. My one disc golf injury has come from this kind of teepad.

We have a local course where the tees are raised in about 10" high boxes. They simply can't keep the gravel in the boxes, so these elevated tees have 6-8" dips in them. I've fallen off the end of these several times and landed on the side of the box. Horrible, but interesting to know that these grids don't work.

[Horsman]

Originally Posted by jupiterboy

We have a local course where the tees are raised in about 10" high boxes. They simply can't keep the gravel in the boxes, so these elevated tees have 6-8" dips in them. I've fallen off the end of these several times and landed on the side of the box. Horrible, but interesting to know that these grids don't work.

Yea, I've played a few courses that have loose gravel for the tees and yea those are even worse.

[BillFleming]

Want to use a new idea for tee pads? Go ahead. But I suggest first creating a test tee pad. Then doing a stand still throw and work up to a full run up (ala James Conrad). See if you "survive" it. (joking...I really don't want to see someone hurt...but you should test it to make sure players won't be slipping and getting hurt). I don't know what the "perfect" tee pad would be....but it isn't concrete (although it might come close). Even if you put broom lines in the concrete for "grip", after time and use those broom lines wear down and then you have slick tee pads or you have to spend a lot of money to remove them and put in new ones.

IMO, the perfect tee pad would be large enough for a good run up, level to the ground so a player doesn't trip over it while running up, or fall off the edge during their follow-through. It should also give good grip in wet and cold weather. It should be level. And it should be easily replaceable when it wears out. But I don't know what would meet all that criteria.

[BogeyNoMore]

Really well textured concrete is about as good as it gets. I mean lightly raked, not swept with a push broom. Helps water drain off and allows the surface where your foot makes contact to dry off quicker.

Regular or broomed concrete is probably next.

Then probs well constructed artificial turf tees, à la Disc Golf Park.

I'm a big fan of sinking pressure treated 2x4's flush with the ground about 2ft out from the tee, to help retain soil/grass and combat wear and erosion from runups and follow throughs. Doesn't have completely surround the tee. Maybe the first 3ft or so on either side of the tee, extending about 2 ft in front of it, so as to creat a 3 sided box around the front of the tee.

Extra $$ and labor up front, but it keeps the tees in better condition for longer and reduces maintenance costs going forward. I've played too many courses where the area in front of the tee pad has become a rutted out mess.

I imagine you could reuse some of the wood used to frame and our the concrete to reduce cost and waste.

[BogeyNoMore]

Originally Posted by BillFleming

...and work up to a full run up (ala James Conrad).

Lulz, except I know you're not joking.

Conrad's a great guy, and great player, but he damned near needs a runway.

It's either hole 10 or 12 at 2021 DGLO:
the ground behind the tee is a couple of feet below the level of the tee, so the the back of the tee is framed in as a retaining wall to keep the ground from getting washed/eroded out from beneath the tee.

With a 2ft drop off immediately behind the tee, most players wouldn't think it feasible to start their runup from behind the tee.

Not so with our (soon to be) 2021 World's Champ. Starts his runup from behind the tee, and very noticeably takes a small leap onto the tee, finishes his X-Step to complete his tee shot.

Pretty sure there's footage of it during Jomez's practice round coverage, if not an actual tournament round. It was awkward and smooth, all at the same time.

[BogeyNoMore]

My bad. He was already the Champ.
I'd forgotten the sequence of tournaments.

But his jump up onto the tee pad as part of his runup was remarkable.

[BillFleming]

Originally Posted by BogeyNoMore

Lulz, except I know you're not joking.

Conrad's a great guy, and great player, but he damned near needs a runway.

It's either hole 10 or 12 at 2021 DGLO:
the ground behind the tee is a couple of feet below the level of the tee, so the the back of the tee is framed in as a retaining wall to keep the ground from getting washed/eroded out from beneath the tee.

With a 2ft drop off immediately behind the tee, most players wouldn't think it feasible to start their runup from behind the tee.

Not so with our (soon to be) 2021 World's Champ. Starts his runup from behind the tee, and very noticeably takes a small leap onto the tee, finishes his X-Step to complete his tee shot.

Pretty sure there's footage of it during Jomez's practice round coverage, if not an actual tournament round. It was awkward and smooth, all at the same time.

I was semi-joking. But James Conrad does show there are people who do lllloooooonnnnngggg run-ups. I've also seen a video (can't recall the tournament) where the end of the teepad is elevated and a player fell off the end during their follow through.

I don't think the tee pad has to giant sized.....just that it has to be level to the ground for players to be able to stand off of it and do a safe run-up - or be able to do a follow through without injuring themselves. I don't do a James Conrad run-up, but I have had instances where I stood off the teepad, did a walk-up and almost tripped over the edge of the pad.