Driving Range

[jnogalski.jr]

Well how about that. I lost my hypothetical $5....

I figured you would like that

 

[ballgolfconvert]

This could actually work but only in the winter time in the Northern part of the US when it's cold AF out and snow is down/most people don't wanna play outside. Come January I'd actually like/enjoy/use an indoor training facility. If you had nets up it wouldn't even have to be that big, something like an indoor soccer facility would be cool. Have some baskets out too.

This wouldn't even be something you'd necessarily have to create. It could be as simple as renting an existing indoor facility and bringing the nets/baskets and charging people a fee to cover your costs and make some money. You could probably create some type of field events/putting events too.

The problem is you want to practice with your own discs. If discs were all the same like golf balls, then this could work. But they are not. Even the same mold has inconsistencies from disc to disc.

I could see a range to try a disc out before buying, but buckets of disc are unlikely to ever work so a profit could be made.

Perhaps you could throw into a huge hole with holographic targets with a disc return mechanism built in.

 

[txmxer]

My home course (Oregon Park) has a driving range which is probably 1,000' from front to back. It's free and rarely gets used (I use it from time to time :thmbup. It seems most people would rather just play and try to improve on the course.

1000'? Guess I could choke it down and just throw mids and putters.

 

[JuanA]

I don't think I would use a facility like this for practice, since I'd rather throw my own personal discs.

However it would be nice to go somewhere to throw a stack of discs I'm not familiar with. I don't know much about other manufacturers, so this sounds like a good way to learn about their discs.

 

[txmxer]

I don't think I would use a facility like this for practice, since I'd rather throw my own personal discs.

However it would be nice to go somewhere to throw a stack of discs I'm not familiar with. I don't know much about other manufacturers, so this sounds like a good way to learn about their discs.

I thought it would be cool to have a brand show up at a DG course and loan/rent a disc or set Of discs to players to use on a course.

 

[JuanA]

I thought it would be cool to have a brand show up at a DG course and loan/rent a disc or set Of discs to players to use on a course.

That would be cool. Bicycle manufacturers do that all the time with demo days.

Discmania is 45 minutes up the road from me now, and their box van was parked at my local course one day. I thought they might be doing demos but it was just a few guys playing.

 

[jnogalski.jr]

The problem is you want to practice with your own discs. If discs were all the same like golf balls, then this could work. But they are not. Even the same mold has inconsistencies from disc to disc.

I could see a range to try a disc out before buying, but buckets of disc are unlikely to ever work so a profit could be made.

Perhaps you could throw into a huge hole with holographic targets with a disc return mechanism built in.

Those are the answers that I did not know. I guess it is very different from disc to disc.
Thank you for the help.

 

[autocrosscrx]

I'd happily pay a few theoretical bucks to theoretically try a bunch of discs, but I imagine these discs would become so beat that they wouldn't really be a representation of what you can go out and buy anyway. You know that people are going to be throwing forehand rollers across the parking lot on their way to return the discs and whatnot.

 

[DiscFifty]

In our neck of the woods we have a ball/disc golf shared course and they have a disc golf driving range as well. Might be worth while to research costs, etc.

https://texasgolfcenter.com/disc-golf/

 

[seedlings]

This kinda depends. If I could pay $5 to throw every disc on the market, saving me $16 for each disc I don't like... I'd go. Throw five Cloudbreakers to Find out if one is worth buying? I'd go. Mobile cart to throw discs at? I'd go. Throw only my discs? No chance. I'm patiently waiting for the beans to be harvested so I can have 40 acres to throw at my house.

Realistically, this is a fail business model.

 

[DiscFifty]

Realistically, this is a fail business model.

Perhaps...but to make it work you would have to be active locally. Running contests, have baskets on the range for ace prizes, etc. Maybe have a pro shop to sell discs, etc. It could work, especially if you're in....driving range....of a decent course with an active club.

 

[pmay5]

This could actually work but only in the winter time in the Northern part of the US when it's cold AF out and snow is down/most people don't wanna play outside. Come January I'd actually like/enjoy/use an indoor training facility. If you had nets up it wouldn't even have to be that big, something like an indoor soccer facility would be cool. Have some baskets out too.

This wouldn't even be something you'd necessarily have to create. It could be as simple as renting an existing indoor facility and bringing the nets/baskets and charging people a fee to cover your costs and make some money. You could probably create some type of field events/putting events too.

If you found an indoor baseball/softball facility, in a cold climate, the nets would already be there (so much an hour for a batting cage), then bring in some portable baskets for putting practice and that could work.
Maybe bring in different plastics and molds for people to try for an extra fee, that way they could throw their own plastic and try new stuff.
The problem is, you would have to rent out that facility and have it scheduled, then you would have to get a decent number of people to show up to make it worth while. :|

 

[Casey 1988]

The thing I would like to see made is a driving range like the golf mats for stopping discs from going too far and throwing the discs in your back yard. Probably be something similar to what Pitchers use for baseball and soft ball but made to withstand the discs sharp wing. Also could make the thing Hight adjustable to fit more players.

 

[jnogalski.jr]

I like some of the thoughts, I do not think that having a backstop would work because you do not have the feedback of the disc flight.

I agree that the discs would get "beat in" so there would have to be change outs to avoid that. Making a profit while giving the best quality discs and a good course would be the difficulty.

I would definitely have an indoor place for putting, but the cost is too high for an indoor distance facility.

Thank you for all the feedback.

 

[txmxer]

The thing I would like to see made is a driving range like the golf mats for stopping discs from going too far and throwing the discs in your back yard. Probably be something similar to what Pitchers use for baseball and soft ball but made to withstand the discs sharp wing. Also could make the thing Hight adjustable to fit more players.

I had a neighbor that had a baseball pitching/batting cage. It was 60+ long, and about 10'x10' with. Had a pole frame about every 15' and a netting cover. Something like that wouldn't be too difficult to create.

 

[BillFleming]

I don't believe it will work. Players want to know how THEIR disc flies, unless they are buying a new disc. Disc golf isn't like ball golf where every golf ball pretty much has the same flight characteristics or close enough that it doesn't matter if you are hitting a bucket of TopFlight or Titleist balls. There may be a little variation, but most players won't notice. Discs, however, have lots of variation.

What can an entrepreneur do instead? Lessons. Have a field with an area set up for putting and one for throwing - then give lessons or have local pros give lessons there.

 

[txmxer]

It's disc golf. There is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

I think there is a market for something, but it's not a cash cow. It's a labor of love.

 

[Danderlion]

1000'? Guess I could choke it down and just throw mids and putters.

Yeah, not kidding. It is a former ball golf driving range (which are typically 300+ yards).

 

[JuanA]

Has anyone ever done an indoor video driving range? They have them for ball golf and I've done it indoors with archery as well.

 

[BillFleming]

Has anyone ever done an indoor video driving range? They have them for ball golf and I've done it indoors with archery as well.

The issue with a golf/archery video driving range is that the item the computer is measuring stays the same...it is a golf ball or an arrow. What changes is how it is hit (golf ball) or released (arrow). Once the ball/arrow has left the club face/bowstring, it follows a determined route (that is why the camera/radar/whatever only needs to track it at the very beginning). For disc golf, different discs are used - they fly different ways AND the player throws them in different ways (FH, BH, hyzer, flat, anhyzer). Also, I don't know how archery video ranges work, but ball golf ones require you to use THEIR golf balls. You are testing your clubs, not the ball. In disc golf, you would want to use YOUR discs as that is what you are testing, not your arm. It would be near impossible to have a computer/radar/whatever track it for just a short part of the flight and determine the entire path of the flight.