Flatpad teepads

[BillFleming]

Originally Posted by Flatpad

It's kind of nice that so many of you are worrying about possibility for theft. On the other hand it's directing the whole conversation on completely side track. We don't see that as a big problem in general. I'm sure that we can solve that in any case, if iy would become a problem..

You aren't in the U.S.A. If you park your car outside or even in a parking lot somewhere, there may be a good chance your catalytic converter will be cut off. It happens so much here that there are now places that will weld or otherwise install anti-theft devices to keep it from being stolen. Police are advising that people have their catalytic converters etched with info so they can be identified when stolen and recovered.

So you may not see it as a big problem, but I'd bet one of those tee pads could be stolen with less difficulty and less chance of being caught.

[DavidSauls]

That varies from place to place. Like someone else posted, I also know of a public course where baskets aren't locked in their sleeves. Private courses and temp setups on golf courses may not have much concern, either.

Though the dollar amount if they are stolen, is pretty significant.

[Flatpad]

We want to make an alternative available to customers, and they ultimately have the decision-making power to choose a suitable solution. We do not force anyone to choose our solution, but we offer a new option alongside the old ones. We hope to see course builders offer customers more options in the future when choosing tee pads. We see this as a good opportunity for builders to expand what they offer to customers and thus be more successful in the future.

Here is a link to a short video from that Tyyni tournament. This particular teepad is temporarily installed on the sandy beach. A really good option for that place.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cfok5..._web_copy_link

[njgrosser]

Originally Posted by Countchunkula

Where I could see these being used is for a (deep pocketed) tournament series that uses temp courses. Get a set of 18+ (allowing for some FPO only tees) for the DGPT along with a set of portable baskets and you can have a tourney virtually anywhere with enough open space.

I'll admit up-front that I've never designed a course and don't know the financials of installing a course, but I would think this is the most realistic customer for these pads. If the DGPT wants to move toward temp courses that aren't at permanent disc golf locations, investing $50k in these one-time and then taking them to each location may not be the worst idea. Especially if they get the large 2x5 meter one and charge a lot for advertising on the sides.

However, at 2500 euros / $2563 per pad, it still might not be worth it for the portability. Especially if you need to fill each of them with sand every time.

[jakebake91]

Originally Posted by txmxer

Jake, I think you are being a bit over zealous. There are plenty of traditional tee pads that are elevated.

Not saying there is zero risk, but it’s not unique.

I understand that. My point is simply pretending or saying there isn't a greater risk on an elevated pad is ignoring common sense. Any raised pads is inherently more risky than a level one. My issue here is the manufacturer here saying it's simply a preference thing. It's not.

[dmoore1998]

Originally Posted by Flatpad

We want to make an alternative available to customers, and they ultimately have the decision-making power to choose a suitable solution. We do not force anyone to choose our solution, but we offer a new option alongside the old ones. We hope to see course builders offer customers more options in the future when choosing tee pads. We see this as a good opportunity for builders to expand what they offer to customers and thus be more successful in the future.

Here is a link to a short video from that Tyyni tournament. This particular teepad is temporarily installed on the sandy beach. A really good option for that place.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cfok5..._web_copy_link

This would seem to be the sweet spot for the product...a temporary pad that's a big pain to put in a cheap/permanent pad for due to location...that you can safely tuck away once the event is over. That's probably more likely than a course full of these. The question will be whether there's a sufficient market for that kind of one-off needs. It's hard for me to imagine there is...but I hope I'm wrong because that means a lot more variety of DG available.

[Flatpad]

When you think about how much the best players earn each year, you would expect to spend significantly more money specifically on the development and construction of courses. We think that for competition use, the appearance of the tee pads is one important factor. Of course, the most important thing is a safe and level platform for throwing. There is also a certain risk for the sponsor if an athlete is injured due to a bad tee pad. That is why it is very important to pay more attention to these things as well.

Our teepads meet the requirements given for competition use in terms of size and safety. Other features, such as portability and the possibility of advertising, are new opportunities for competitive use as well. Of course, a more advanced product also costs more.

Sand is cheap to add each time separately, but of course, if necessary, most of it can be recovered when the platform is dismantled.

[Rastnav]

Originally Posted by jakebake91

I understand that. My point is simply pretending or saying there isn't a greater risk on an elevated pad is ignoring common sense. Any raised pads is inherently more risky than a level one. My issue here is the manufacturer here saying it's simply a preference thing. It's not.

Well, the question of whether the associated risk is disqualifying is a preference/trade-off. I think the manufacturer is being a little overly defensive here, but there are definitely trade-offs to consider.

The infamous Kevin Jones "slip ace" is an example of a tee with a significant drop off that is designed into the hole/not mitigated. That hole at The Fort from Worlds last year is another (ridiculous) example.

Even concrete pads aren't necessarily ground level. My home course has concrete pads that are mostly ground level, but some of them have eroded so much that the entire pad height is above ground.

[jupiterboy]

Maybe the point is that height needs to be minimized within engineering limits, and taller tee pads need to be larger.

[coupe]

Originally Posted by Rastnav

Even concrete pads aren't necessarily ground level. My home course has concrete pads that are mostly ground level, but some of them have eroded so much that the entire pad height is above ground.

That's a course maintenance issue, not a design issue. Given a similar level of neglect over a similar number of years, is there anyone who honestly believe that the area around a Flatpad would not experience a similar degree of erosion?