Hey John,
First off ... I want to thank you for all the time you've taken over the years to field questions on here. ...
I get more thrill from the design process than playing anymore. While I've helped with a private course design, and have come up with alternative designs (to existing baskets) on a couple 9 holers in the area, I've not had the opportunity to help in the initial install for a public course. That may be changing soon, but I'm running into some obstacles which are more interpersonal than political/topographical/etc. ...
We have an older guy that's been a primary designer for most courses installed in the area in the last decade. While he's done a great job, his courses all have a signature "style" (as one would expect) and many of us in the area would like to see a course with a bit of a different "feel" to it--a bit more on the longer, mid 60's par golf side. The issue is, when a new course is in the works, he's the first person getting involved in the process. I totally get it; nobody will argue he's "the guy" in our neighborhood for design and a wealth of knowledge....
We met up and showed each other our design ideas, then walking the property, most of the discussion was about his hole ideas and basically dismissed my concept for the course.
Joe, thanks for the kind words. I do appreciate them.
I think you're right to characterize your situation as more interpersonal than anything else. Obviously that can be as tricky in course design as it can in any other area of life where humans are involved. The first step if for everyone to be respectful and to listen to each other's ideas. If you can't do that much, there may not be much hope. Design by committee can get messy, and I've always avoided it, so I can't give you any tips about how I've done it.
If you do ever have real problems -- with this person or anyone else, I do have a friend who is now a leading authority on how to deal with any kind of conflict. He has a great book, and now he has an online training at
https://www.conflictguru.com/
I don't have a stake in what he does, and he doesn't even know that I'm recommending him. I just know that I've learned a TON from him about how to deal with tricky interpersonal situations, and he's helped individuals as well as major corporations with improving communication, especially when people are having conflict. So there's that.
Now back to disc golf specifically:
I say all this to ask: Do you have any thoughts on how to "break-in" to design? ...
I understand that his concepts may be better than my own, but I don't know how to get him to entertain new ways of looking at holes. Many of his courses have this very signature feel to them, and there's a growing consensus that we could use new perspectives. I'm in a position to influence, but want to do it in a strategic way.
Thanks in advance!
The traditional answers to your question about how to break in to design was just, "Find designers who can mentor you" and " Go find a city that needs a course, and design it, getting as much feedback as possible from experienced people." The first answer you've already heard from Goose (and very well said, by the way, Goose), and the second answer involves recommending that someone who has never designed a course goes out there and just does it. Those days have passed.
Because of how the sport has evolved, and how the art of design has evolved, Dee and I have started a series of workshops on course design and how to succeed in the business of design. After the first two, the response from those who attended has been deond anything we hoped for, so we are moving ahead. The next event will be at Selah Ranch and Trey Texas Ranch June 10-12 and will offer the ABCD workshop (Art and Business of Course Design) as well as a second, more in-depth workshop called DGEF (Disc Golf Educational Foundations). So anyone who hasn't taken the first one will be able to catch up and do both in one weekend.
I don't want this to sound like a commercial, so I won't say anything other than this: we are sincerely trying to fill an educational void for people like you who have that real enthusiasm for design. If you want reviews, you can talk to people who have taken ABCD to get their opinion.
We'll have more details up soon, but the overview on the June event is that ABCD will run Friday from about 8:30-5:00 and Saturday 9:00-12:00, followed by DGEF Saturday afternoon and Sunday until 2:00.
Hope all that helps a little, and I hope everything works out on your new courses. Thanks.