Anyone ever hit a kid? Dangerous courses?

[Titan037]

Thank goodness no, but i witnessed a 12 speed driver coming full force at one, missed him by about a foot. What a scary situation

 

[BrotherDave]

Who hasn't hit a kid? I had a little kid bolt directly into the path of a really long putt once. Hit him right in the back of the head. It was a soft Ion and I don't throw putts hard so he just shrugged it off. The mom laughed and called him out of the way.

Memorial day I had to ask a young boy to move away from the basket on hole 3 at Glenn C. Hilton. He was digging in the dirt around the basket with a little shovel and bucket. He looked kind of pissed when he left even though I asked him nicely. That kid could have gotten smacked by a disc easily, he was crouched completely hidden from the fairway.

 

[SteezeOG]

For the record I've never thrown when a kid is around and don't plan on ever doing so but I'm against this notion that the entire responsibility lies on the person playing disc golf on a disc golf course. I'm always the one in my group of people who says let's wait and let's yell at them one more time to pick up the kid and walk over there. We've never hit a kid and I hope never do but parents need to start parenting. Parks and elsewhere.

 

[NOStheBOSS]

For the record I've never thrown when a kid is around and don't plan on ever doing so but I'm against this notion that the entire responsibility lies on the person playing disc golf on a disc golf course. I'm always the one in my group of people who says let's wait and let's yell at them one more time to pick up the kid and walk over there. We've never hit a kid and I hope never do but parents need to start parenting. Parks and elsewhere.

yep.

 

[SteezeOG]

We have this issue on 18 at my home course. I will take the time to walk to where they are and explain that the discs will hurt if they are hit. For the most part, people will pay attention until we are done throwing. If we get an a hole, we throw away, but generally these are not people with kids. I would not throw on a hole where there are toddlers. Older kids are different in my opinion because they can understand that the discs will hurt them. They just need to pay attention to our group when we throw. I think that everyone should have respect for others in general. If I tell someone what we are doing and ask them to pay attention for 3 minutes, it usually works. If they just have no respect for what we are doing, then that is on them. They were warned. If you tell a group of kids that you are about to launch a disc, they will generally stop whatever they are doing to watch. Don't throw on toddlers though, even if their parents are idiots, the consequences by far outweigh the inconvenience of skipping the hole.

Reginald gets it. :hfive:

 

[SteezeOG]

Who hasn't hit a kid? I had a little kid bolt directly into the path of a really long putt once. Hit him right in the back of the head. It was a soft Ion and I don't throw putts hard so he just shrugged it off. The mom laughed and called him out of the way.

Memorial day I had to ask a young boy to move away from the basket on hole 3 at Glenn C. Hilton. He was digging in the dirt around the basket with a little shovel and bucket. He looked kind of pissed when he left even though I asked him nicely. That kid could have gotten smacked by a disc easily, he was crouched completely hidden from the fairway.

These are the types I speak of. I bet in that park there are several secluded areas where that kid could've dug dirt in safety and peace but his "parent" is a mindless dolt with no concern other than themselves so he's doing it smack dab in the middle of a disc golf area.

Someone should produce a "discs are dangerous" PSA video.

 

[The Hammer]

Steeze,
I get what you're saying but I still disagree. I look at it like I look at how I would handle a firearm. If some clueless parent wanders out in between my target and I'm out in the desert somewhere, am I going to yell once, and then fire away? Hell no. I'm the guy with the weapon, therefore it is my responsibility to be sure that I'm not endangering anyone, regardless of what they are doing. The same goes for disc golf. I'm not going to throw on someone just because they are clueless. They aren't endangering me with their disregard, but if I disregard them and throw away, I am endangering them with my actions.

Agree, to disagree, I guess. At least you're making an attempt to let them know. I've seen a lot of golfers that won't even be bothered with that.

Disclaimer: I know equating guns to discs is ridiculous.

 

[Reginald]

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/claim-229018-frisbee-city.html

Here is an article about a woman hit in the face. There was also an incident involving a kid at the same park. Lawsuits suck.

 

[primal dg]

I'm gonna say they should have enough respect to share the park with disc golfers. I also believe most disc golf course were parks first.. And to avoid a complaint about disc golfing ruining the park just try to take their sh*t

 

[mashnut]

You're one hundred percent correct currently and that's the problem for me. One, people are too litigious. If a person is walking a dog in accordance with park policies and laws and gets hit by a disc golfer that disc golfer is responsible.

If that dog walker is walking without a leash or in the wrong area or doing anything else that helped lead them to getting hit it's no longer just on the disc golfer.

I'm sure there is a few but maybe you know some specifically or have some links. I'd be interested in reading where a city got sued and decided to pull a course because a disc golfer hit a person and a judge decided that person had zero culpability.

I don't think it ever got to court, but at Madison Meadows Park in Lombard IL a lady was hit while sitting in the middle of a fairway to watch a football practice on a field adjacent to the course. The city pulled more than half of the baskets out of the park for an entire season, and considered pulling the entire course along with another course in the same city. That was without someone actually filing a lawsuit, just a complaint to the park. Those parents were asked to move on many occasions, but the park still isn't going to side with the disc golfers. We're the ones throwing dangerous projectiles in a fringe sport.

For the record I've never thrown when a kid is around and don't plan on ever doing so but I'm against this notion that the entire responsibility lies on the person playing disc golf on a disc golf course. I'm always the one in my group of people who says let's wait and let's yell at them one more time to pick up the kid and walk over there. We've never hit a kid and I hope never do but parents need to start parenting. Parks and elsewhere.

I think you're missing the fact that none of the people arguing against you are saying it's ok for parents to be clueless. I find it aggravating just like you do, and I hate it when I have to wait on idiots or skip holes. That doesn't matter though, because no matter how stupid those people are it still is likely to hurt disc golfers if I throw anyway and nail one of them. I'm not absolving people of the responsibility to be a little aware of their surroundings, I'm just trying to not be the person who gets a course pulled because I'm in a hurry to throw.

 

[bradharris]

For the record I've never thrown when a kid is around and don't plan on ever doing so but I'm against this notion that the entire responsibility lies on the person playing disc golf on a disc golf course. I'm always the one in my group of people who says let's wait and let's yell at them one more time to pick up the kid and walk over there. We've never hit a kid and I hope never do but parents need to start parenting. Parks and elsewhere.

If kids or other park goers are interfering with the use of the disc golf course, they are in the wrong. But aside from asking them to move, there's not much you can do. As soon as you begin throwing at them, no matter how obstinate they may be, you are also in the wrong.

If it's a frequent problem, all you can do is talk to the parks department to try to devise a solution.

I'll equate it back to my softball example. A softball field is put in for softball. However, if a group decides to use the outfield for ultimate, or touch football or whatever else, that's their right, it's a public space. If it's a frequent problem, the parks department may consider putting in a new athletic field to ease the pressure, but they're never going to support you hitting balls at them.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

My 9 year old nephew got hit twice in one round........... he ran out after his drive before everyone was done driving and caught a glancing blow off the melon from his older brother(When someone says "DUCK" you don't turn around stand up tall). Three holes later my wife griplocked a drive right into his stomach.

Needless to say he's not a fan of the game anymore. :doh:

 

[NOStheBOSS]

Three holes later my wife griplocked a drive right into his stomach.

I really shouldn't be laughing at this, but...

 

[nice toss man]

I don't think it ever got to court, but at Madison Meadows Park in Lombard IL a lady was hit while sitting in the middle of a fairway to watch a football practice on a field adjacent to the course. The city pulled more than half of the baskets out of the park for an entire season, and considered pulling the entire course along with another course in the same city. That was without someone actually filing a lawsuit, just a complaint to the park. Those parents were asked to move on many occasions, but the park still isn't going to side with the disc golfers. We're the ones throwing dangerous projectiles in a fringe sport.

Wow, i had no idea that this happened, i was just there yesterday actually and on hole 1 (with the pavilion right next to the tee pad) the group had set up a game of bags across the fairway and rolled their eyes when i asked them to move for a minute while i thew.

 

[SteezeOG]

Steeze,
I get what you're saying but I still disagree. I look at it like I look at how I would handle a firearm. If some clueless parent wanders out in between my target and I'm out in the desert somewhere, am I going to yell once, and then fire away? Hell no. I'm the guy with the weapon, therefore it is my responsibility to be sure that I'm not endangering anyone, regardless of what they are doing. The same goes for disc golf. I'm not going to throw on someone just because they are clueless. They aren't endangering me with their disregard, but if I disregard them and throw away, I am endangering them with my actions.

Agree, to disagree, I guess. At least you're making an attempt to let them know. I've seen a lot of golfers that won't even be bothered with that.

Disclaimer: I know equating guns to discs is ridiculous.

I respect your opinion. I don't think we're that far off. Every park is different and I just know this small town and the disc golfers who live here. If we had a group of chuckers who was throwing on people and making the sport or players look bad we're policing our own and that would come to a stop.

I don't mind the gun analogy I work with them so I do it a lot. I can choose where I shoot my gun. I can and do shoot in a private area where I am absolutely certain of my backstop. I don't have that luxury in disc golf I have to play in the designated area so all I'm asking for is for people to be aware when they wander into a disc golf designated area.

Think about a housing complex on a ball golf course. If a parent tells their kid to walk around it and gets hit no one is blaming that golfer. They're all thinking, what the hell was that kid doing on a golf course without supervision? I just hope that a disc golf course inside a park will one day be regarded as the same. A place that is for disc golf but open to the public so travel at your own risk.

 

[SteezeOG]

I don't think it ever got to court, but at Madison Meadows Park in Lombard IL a lady was hit while sitting in the middle of a fairway to watch a football practice on a field adjacent to the course. The city pulled more than half of the baskets out of the park for an entire season, and considered pulling the entire course along with another course in the same city. That was without someone actually filing a lawsuit, just a complaint to the park. Those parents were asked to move on many occasions, but the park still isn't going to side with the disc golfers. We're the ones throwing dangerous projectiles in a fringe sport.



I think you're missing the fact that none of the people arguing against you are saying it's ok for parents to be clueless. I find it aggravating just like you do, and I hate it when I have to wait on idiots or skip holes. That doesn't matter though, because no matter how stupid those people are it still is likely to hurt disc golfers if I throw anyway and nail one of them. I'm not absolving people of the responsibility to be a little aware of their surroundings, I'm just trying to not be the person who gets a course pulled because I'm in a hurry to throw.

Not missing the fact, just frustrated that I share a planet and park with people so selfish and clueless to their everyday surroundings. I'm the guy in the group who encourages we just skip the hole all the time but each time it happens it slowly wears me down and now I'm to this point. I explain the danger, I say head's up, I throw. That's on adults though. If they have a kid and don't move I just pick up my bag and give them the stare of death the entire time I walk to the next hole.

 

[mjoyce]

^This type of thing happens often at Schenley Park. I've never seen anyone get hit, but hole one is at the top of a hill with a nice view of the city, it's also the largest public lawn space in Pittsburgh. So when it's nice you'll find people picnicing under the trees by hole 1's basket, sunbathing between 1's teepad and basket. Or doing any other sort of activity in that area. And most often when you explain to someone what you're doing. They get angry that you're politly asking them to move because they're in an unsafe spot.

I understand that it's our responsibility as disc golfers to ensure that we dont endanger anyone with our discs. But it's pretty frustrating when you walk down the fairway to tell someone that they're on a disc golf course and they're in a bad spot, and they might want to consider moving to a safer area only to get a response of "I was here first" or "Go ahead and throw you won't hit me"

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

I really shouldn't be laughing at this, but...

Believe me, it was REALLY hard not to when it happened. He was 10 feet to the right of the tee, paying close attention to her teeing off and then WHAM.

 

[SteezeOG]

If kids or other park goers are interfering with the use of the disc golf course, they are in the wrong. But aside from asking them to move, there's not much you can do. As soon as you begin throwing at them, no matter how obstinate they may be, you are also in the wrong.

If it's a frequent problem, all you can do is talk to the parks department to try to devise a solution.

I'll equate it back to my softball example. A softball field is put in for softball. However, if a group decides to use the outfield for ultimate, or touch football or whatever else, that's their right, it's a public space. If it's a frequent problem, the parks department may consider putting in a new athletic field to ease the pressure, but they're never going to support you hitting balls at them.

I don't disagree with much of that. One that I do is if I throw towards the basket after explaining it to them and they refuse to get out of danger's way. I'm not in the wrong then. We've mutually decided I'm going to do my activity and they are going to stand there and risk it.

I don't have a problem with people using areas for other than the designated activites. If no one else is using it sure why not do your thing. The moment a group comes to use it for softball though you get off. Plain and simple. It's out of respect that you move your activity that doesn't require the softball field. I'm just tired of being a member of the only group that should care and hearing that from the same group members. If you want respect you have to demand it. I'm not talking about being a jerk to people but we don't have to let them walk all over us just like they do the fairways.

 

[NOStheBOSS]

MOST of the time, these people don't even have to move. They just need to watch so that they can dodge a misplaced drive. But sometimes even that's too burdensome...