Follow up to woman hit in face

[Shamis]

No it is not.
Everyone knows what a ball golf course looks like, can't say that about Frisbee golf...What? Oh yeah, disc golf. Most people don't even know what it's called.

Hence my original point: you shouldn't put a dg course in a crowded park, and if you do, you better put up a lot of very descriptive signs.

 

[JC17393]

Hence my original point: you shouldn't put a dg course in a crowded park, and if you do, you better put up a lot of very descriptive signs.

I think stopping at the bolded is enough. Disc golf really isn't an activity suited for a shared public space. It really needs to be isolated as much as it can be from non-golfing users of a park.

Frankly, all the signage in the world does no good for the people who don't bother to read them. That goes for signs aimed at the non-golfers and golfers alike. The woman who was struck that sparked this thread wasn't wandering aimlessly through the park. A warning sign wouldn't really have changed her situation, since she was in the park for a specific purpose and in a part of the park specified for that purpose (and not for disc golf). From what I can tell, she didn't encroach on the disc golf course unwittingly and get struck by a disc thrown in the "fairway". The disc left the "fairway" and entered a space that was presumably safe from the disc golf course (assuming responsible design).

Also, there are apparently a few unsanctioned layouts of the course that undoubtedly strayed far from the original design. Any warning signs that might exist would presumably only cover the official layout. She could have been paying full attention to any signs on the course, intentionally chose a place to sit/stand where she was reasonable "safe" from the course, and still found herself in danger from some fools playing an unofficial, unmarked layout.

Signs, no matter how descriptive, aren't nearly enough.

 

[gdub58]

The city and the individual disc golfer who threw the disc are only marginally responsible for this situation - the majority of the blame is on the disc golf community at large - all of us here included.

We are so anxious to have more courses in our areas, will throw discs just about anywhere a basket is placed, and will often abuse the privilege when someone works hard to install a proper course.

Forget the analogies. Do we really think it was the city's idea to have this course, or did local disc golfers convince them to put it in? And was it new players who don't know any better who made the case, or was it likely an established, experienced group who wanted to have another course they could play, to pat themselves on the back and demonstrate that they are "growing the game"?

And what about courses like Flyboy and, more recently, the Blockhouse? These gems close because the disc golf community either acts irresponsibly themselves or are too laid back to police the idiotic behavior that causes courses to shut down and make the sport look bad.

It's time we started doing better - lobby for unsafe courses to be pulled, call people out for their inappropriate behavior in shared public spaces, and interact positively with people who don't have a clue and dare to get in our way.

This quote seems fitting: "A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury." - John Stuart Mill

 

[Improbably]

The city and the individual disc golfer who threw the disc are only marginally responsible for this situation - the majority of the blame is on the disc golf community at large - all of us here included.

Agree with all but only quoting the beginning. Disc golf needs to transform as part of growth. High traffic multi-use areas simply are not good places for disc golf courses any more. I hate to say it but some courses should be pulled. This woman's misfortune is unfortunate, but disc golf communities perusing a growth strategy which creates more conflicts is a tragedy.

 

[davetherocketguy]

The city and the individual disc golfer who threw the disc are only marginally responsible for this situation - the majority of the blame is on the disc golf community at large - all of us here included.

Hmmm...I disagree - a little bit. I just spent a bunch of time with my local muni and made a point of demonstrating that while disc golf is a great sport safety has to be a big consideration. I did that by handing everyone on the committee a disc and then asking them to tap their heads with the edge of the disc and then asked if they would like to be hit by a disc thrown by me as hard as I could. They laughed but my point was made.

I see what you are saying and you are not completely off base though. There probably needs to be more of a push for safe course design.

We are so anxious to have more courses in our areas, will throw discs just about anywhere a basket is placed, and will often abuse the privilege when someone works hard to install a proper course.

Forget the analogies. Do we really think it was the city's idea to have this course, or did local disc golfers convince them to put it in? And was it new players who don't know any better who made the case, or was it likely an established, experienced group who wanted to have another course they could play, to pat themselves on the back and demonstrate that they are "growing the game"?

And what about courses like Flyboy and, more recently, the Blockhouse? These gems close because the disc golf community either acts irresponsibly themselves or are too laid back to police the idiotic behavior that causes courses to shut down and make the sport look bad.

It's time we started doing better - lobby for unsafe courses to be pulled, call people out for their inappropriate behavior in shared public spaces, and interact positively with people who don't have a clue and dare to get in our way.

Yes yes yes...a thousand times YES.

This quote seems fitting: "A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury." - John Stuart Mill

eeeehhhh...not sure I completely agree with that lol. I think the key qualifier there is "may."

 

[KniceZ]

Come on - I'm surprised no no has mentioned the obvious group that's at fault and that can solve the problem.

It's the federal governments fault - they should force DG manufacturers to put warning labels on every disc warning that they are dangerous. :gross::wall::gross:

But back to the point - does anyone KNOW if the DGer was playing the Official course or one of the alternatives.

 

[KniceZ]

Oh I almost forgot - there needs to be federal safety regulations imposed on every course. Standoff distances, fencing, standard warning signs, federal regulations on disc shapes & weights, required training before you can play, and don't forget head gear.

Hyperbole - just for fun. But where does it end?

 

[nightmare]

ive played on some courses that are insanely integrated on park property with patrons way to close to the play area. I've played others where it would be shocking to see anyone but golfers on the property.

I'd blame the golfer for now being more aware of his surroundings... just like if a kid hit a baseball into the woman, or someone letting their dog off the leash.

 

[coupe]

I did that by handing everyone on the committee a disc and then asking them to tap their heads with the edge of the disc and then asked if they would like to be hit by a disc thrown by me as hard as I could.

Years ago Craig Gangloff taught me a similar trick, that I've used whenever I do a clinic or a demonstration at a school/church/camp/kids club, etc., I pass out midranges and have kids tap the edge against the side of their head, and demonstrate what I want them to do (of course, I use an 86 Softie, so I can bang my noggin pretty vigorously, but they don't know that and I ain't tellin'.) Inevitably, it elicits surprised "OW!"s from a few showoff boys (it's always boys) who whack themselves too hard. The point having been made, I introduce Rule #1, Don't throw when there's someone in front of you, and 1A, Stay behind the person who's throwing.

That's all it takes for most kids to get it, but there's usually a few MS/HS boys and adults who need to get whacked a couple of times before they achieve enlightenment.

 

[chalos13]

I've got to agree with gdub that disc golfers need to be more responsible and take better care of the courses they have, not be desperate to put in more on every park in town. When I tell people I'm playing disc golf this weekend, and then have to explain what it is, they typically say "is that what those weird metal things are for?" For the most part, the public doesn't know what DG is in my town, and with 6 disc golf courses around town, if they were going to learn they'd know already. Responsibility comes back to us. Blind shots always make me nervous because I don't know if anyone is going to be where I'm landing. Crowded parks I have to add about 30 minutes to an hour just for waiting on a tee box for people to move to a safe distance. We have to share the park. Those other people aren't just in our way, we're in theirs.

 

[coupe]

But where does it end?

Here.

 

[coupe]

^OMG! :doh: It's bad enough with an avg hole length of 225 that criss-crosses all over the park, where people throw putters and mids that are fairly easy to control. That layout that showing and avg hole length of about 400 ft /hole takes the insanity to a new level. Not only will those lengths encourage using drivers, which are less accurate and harder to control, but the extra distance will only make it harder to see anyone who may be up ahead, about to cross into the fairway.

Whomever designed and/or proposes that layout in that park should be... I have no words.

To this point, most of the comments assume that the disc that injured the woman was thrown by a chucker, but given that the published alternate layouts--one of which appears to have been created with at least the tacit approval of the Beach City Disc Club--were designed by individuals who are, or at one point were, PDGA members (#s 23362, 48221, and 53915), maybe we shouldn't be so quick to assume it was a chucker.

 

[BrotherDave]

There should be only be one sign put up at courses designed like that:

Attention Disc Golfers: Only Soft Vibram and DGA Gumbputts/Blowflies are approved for use on this course.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

To this point, most of the comments assume that the disc that injured the woman was thrown by a chucker, but given that the published alternate layouts--one of which appears to have been created with at least the tacit approval of the Beach City Disc Club--were designed by individuals who are, or at one point were, PDGA members (#s 23362, 48221, and 53915), maybe we shouldn't be so quick to assume it was a chucker.

FWIW - My post was simply pointing out that as you create longer layouts in shared use, close proximity park:
1) Players are more likely to use drivers, which are:
a) less accurate
b) capable of doing more damage
c) thrown at higher speeds
2) It's harder to see potential conflicts with other people.

All of which exacerbate an already bad situation. Doesn't matter if the player and/or designer are newbs or Ken Climo and John Houck's love child: the alternate layouts make a bad situation worse. PDGA member or not, I see the alt layouts as even more irresponsible than the "normal" layout, and increasing the risk of injury.

I don't think I ever implied either the player or designers were chuckers, simply irresponsible.

 

[coupe]

I don't think I ever implied either the player or designers were chuckers, simply irresponsible.

Didn't say you did; simply pointing out that most of the comments that opine about the identity of the thrower assume that it was a chucker, but that the existence of the alternate layouts and the fact that they were designed by PDGA members, call that assumption into question.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

^ fair 'nuff.