Cops at the Course?

[jamsisjams]

I play in a "dry" county so it's illegal for anyone to have beer in public. It kind of weirds me out to see a cop in the distance and have to walk semi-towards the cop. So far nothing has happened so I figure that as long as we don't make a big deal out of the cops (and keep the beer low or out of sight) that everything is alright.

I suppose it's not a terrible thing to play sober. Really, it all depends on the putting that day. :roll:

 

[trogdor1]

There's a fairly good bicycle cop presense at Westiminster, CO. I think it helps deter vandalism, so I welcome them.

I've only been confronted playing a night round. A concerned citizen reported someone shooting off fireworks in the field. When the cop found that the "fireworks" were LED's strapped onto a disc, they had no problem with it.

 

[TexasOutlaw]

Oh I forgot that while I was in Austin, I think Searight, they were citing people for having their dogs not on leashes. So we were warning each other.

Other than that, I've never been hassled by a cop at a course.

 

[eric_dmb]

actually, I was hassled one time by a cop.

We were at Francis E. Walter Dam course in Northeast PA and my friend and I were walking between the 3rd and 4th hole - this walk takes you the entire width of the parking lot. About 1/2 way through the walk a cop pulls into the lot (if you knew this course you would know how remote it is and how unusual it is for a cop to roll in there) and rolls right up to us at the 4th tee at the corner of the parking lot and proceeds to say "what are you boys doing out here?" At this point, I think it is obvious but my smart ass friend and I get a little sharp tounged with him and tell him that we are disc golfing. He then asks us what we have in the bags.... to which we respond, "discs"
clearly annoyed he goes, "well, we have had reports of vandals out here and you just behave"
total BS, he was just looking to rattle our cages a little.

 

[garublador1]

I went to play Waterworks in Des Moines on Monday, and entered through the main entrance. I got pulled over by what I presumed was a security officer, but as he approached my car, he looked like he had more authority than I thought. Anyways, he claimed I was going 3 times over the speed limit, which is 15mph, and there was no way I was going over 20. He told me that I was being an *sshole and inconsiderate of others using the park. After looking at my license, he kicked me out of the park. I was pretty upset as I play the course quite often since it is close, and usually bring an empty grocery bag with me to pick up all the beer bottles and cans that litter that course. I try to be as respectable as I possibly can, did not feel I deserved to be treated like that, but I cooperated and left.

My buddy and I played a round this afternoon, and the last 5 teepads were completely covered with broken glass beer bottles. We cleaned them off the best we could so other players didn't have to mess with it. Such a disgrace. I realize they can't patrol everywhere all the time, but I'd like to know where they were when somebody was smashing bottles all over the place. Better yet, I don't know why they can't set up a few trash barrels around the course either. Sorry for the rant, hope this isn't a threadjack.

That sucks about WW. I like that course. Ironcially, the course that seems to see the most vandalism in the DSM area (Southwoods) is also the one that's adjacent to a police station. Lot of good that does, apparently.

It's not DG related, but one time in high school some friends and I were sitting in a public park around dusk time (the parks close at 10pm, so it was OK for us to be there) sitting around a lit candle. Don't ask why, it was one of the girls' ideas and I still don't understand the reasoning behind it. Eventually we see a park ranger (or whatever the suburban, city park equivalent is) pull into the parking lot, get out of his car and head over twards us. He explained to us that someone in one of the houses called in that there were a group of kids looking suspicious in the park. We told him that we were just sitting there around a candle and he said, "Oh," and looked really disappointed. We asked him what the problem was and if we needed to leave and he said, "No, I was just hoping to score some pot."

 

[lamb]

I went to play Waterworks in Des Moines on Monday, and entered through the main entrance. I got pulled over by what I presumed was a security officer, but as he approached my car, he looked like he had more authority than I thought. Anyways, he claimed I was going 3 times over the speed limit, which is 15mph, and there was no way I was going over 20. He told me that I was being an *sshole and inconsiderate of others using the park. After looking at my license, he kicked me out of the park. I was pretty upset as I play the course quite often since it is close, and usually bring an empty grocery bag with me to pick up all the beer bottles and cans that litter that course. I try to be as respectable as I possibly can, did not feel I deserved to be treated like that, but I cooperated and left.

My buddy and I played a round this afternoon, and the last 5 teepads were completely covered with broken glass beer bottles. We cleaned them off the best we could so other players didn't have to mess with it. Such a disgrace. I realize they can't patrol everywhere all the time, but I'd like to know where they were when somebody was smashing bottles all over the place. Better yet, I don't know why they can't set up a few trash barrels around the course either. Sorry for the rant, hope this isn't a threadjack.

That sucks about WW. I like that course. Ironcially, the course that seems to see the most vandalism in the DSM area (Southwoods) is also the one that's adjacent to a police station. Lot of good that does, apparently.

It's not DG related, but one time in high school some friends and I were sitting in a public park around dusk time (the parks close at 10pm, so it was OK for us to be there) sitting around a lit candle. Don't ask why, it was one of the girls' ideas and I still don't understand the reasoning behind it. Eventually we see a park ranger (or whatever the suburban, city park equivalent is) pull into the parking lot, get out of his car and head over twards us. He explained to us that someone in one of the houses called in that there were a group of kids looking suspicious in the park. We told him that we were just sitting there around a candle and he said, "Oh," and looked really disappointed. We asked him what the problem was and if we needed to leave and he said, "No, I was just hoping to score some pot."

What was up with the candle?

 

[RustyP1]

There are 3-4 courses in/around Dallas that have had regular police presence at different times. One popular, centrally-located course actually had a "Dallas P.D. Mobile Surveillance Unit" parked across the street for about a week, and had 2 horseback officers patrolling daily. This course is notorious among "green party" players - guys will go here sometimes just to buy weed (the course itself isnt that great), and people just sit out in the open near the parking lot every day at the same time and smoke. Nice guys...just not the brightest bunch :wink:

 

[jamsisjams]

There are 3-4 courses in/around Dallas that have had regular police presence at different times. One popular, centrally-located course actually had a "Dallas P.D. Mobile Surveillance Unit" parked across the street for about a week, and had 2 horseback officers patrolling daily. This course is notorious among "green party" players - guys will go here sometimes just to buy weed (the course itself isnt that great), and people just sit out in the open near the parking lot every day at the same time and smoke. Nice guys...just not the brightest bunch :wink:

Well, geez. That's just asking for police presence at that point. :roll:

 

[mr.smOOOth]

I don't mind the police rolling through keeping an eye on things. I don't drink or smoke so I have nothing to worry about. In fact, I'm usually the one who can keep an eye on everyones drive and help them find it. Every group needs a sober player.

 

[dave9668]

There are 3-4 courses in/around Dallas that have had regular police presence at different times. One popular, centrally-located course actually had a "Dallas P.D. Mobile Surveillance Unit" parked across the street for about a week, and had 2 horseback officers patrolling daily. This course is notorious among "green party" players - guys will go here sometimes just to buy weed (the course itself isnt that great), and people just sit out in the open near the parking lot every day at the same time and smoke. Nice guys...just not the brightest bunch :wink:

Which Course is this? Not that I am surprised. Several of the courses in the DFW area seem a group of local that are always there and never seem to be playing.

 

[Steezo]

B.B. Owen-

 

[RustyP1]

B.B. Owen-

BINGO!

 

[redspexxx]

cops drive by one of our most notorious courses. famous for being the oldest still standing course in america, homosexual prostitution, and massive robitussen and scope consumption... and theres either a crack or coke dealer thats always walking around or sitting in their cars. one time some kids drove by and starting firing a handgun out of their car[at the sky, but still...] and everyone kept playing like it was nothing... ahhhhhh home sweet home

 

[discmonkey42]

geez, time to move.

 

[Hoey1]

Luckily, I've only been to one course around here that had a cop in the parking lot. Presumably to catch the guys going to fast in the 20mph zone. Who goes 20 on a road that should be at least 30, if not 35. 20mph? Insane. /rant

just smile and wave.
and don't look so shady/guilty.
If necessary, wear sunglasses.
And smoke ciggarettes. If you don't, find a friend who does.

or just don't break the law. 8)

 

[Steezo]

We have a course in Austin Tx-Pease Park-great park-great downtown energy. It used to be full of homosexuals and bums but the disc golf crowd has turned it around. Disc golfers take alot of pride in building courses and maintaining those courses. Dave Moody has done alot for the course and the disc golf scene in the Austin area.

 

[TexasOutlaw]

We have a course in Austin Tx-Pease Park-great park-great downtown energy. It used to be full of homosexuals and bums but the disc golf crowd has turned it around. Disc golfers take alot of pride in building courses and maintaining those courses. Dave Moody has done alot for the course and the disc golf scene in the Austin area.

That's my favorite course in Austin. When I was learning Moody gave me some pointers after I bought some plastic from him. The same thing has happened here: we have run off the hard core addicts and prostitutes.

 

[RustyP1]

There's another course here in Dallas that I've heard has prostitutes working the parking lot sometimes, but haven't actually seen with my own eyes. Its in a pretty bad part of town, so it wouldnt surprise me. The course also had a very bad problem with vandalism. Part of it was installed over an old dirtbike track, and apparently the few people that still used it got pretty upset and decided to take bolt cutters to the baskets :evil: ...and there are a bunch of little punk-ass kids that walk around the course with their pitbulls, trying to scare people off.

The one good thing about that situation is that the local police view disc golf as a solution to the problems that this park has had for years. I played a round with the designer of the course once, and before we started, the police rolled up and just chatted with the guy like he was an old college chum...its nice to see that kind of interaction/cooperation between DGers and local authorities

 

[mr.smOOOth]

Having a course installed also helped chase away some "man on man" action at Easterlin Park in Ft Lauderdale. The disc golfers cleared out a TON of underbrush and got rid of all the hiding places. Every once in a while you'll still pull into a parking space and surprise a couple of people (one who could be named 'Bob') in the car next to you. :roll:
For the most part having a constant flow of golfers walking around helps chase away the undesirables.

 

[the_lung]

Hey bigs, ever hear about the undercover ranger at Tyler asking people to smoke him up? :evil: