I don't understand DGCR reviews/ratings

[chris deitzel]

Put it back on. It's an awesome course, on incredible property. It was years ago when I played it, and reports are that it's greatly improved since then.

And Mando's a great guy, other than when he's on DGCR complaining about DGCR.

One of my favorite disc golf moments happened at a tournament. After we finished the guy on my card shakes my hand and says "you're not at all the a$$hole you come off online as".

Why I never take anything posted on the internet too seriously. Face to face interactions are what matter. And Sugaree and Mando were nothing but great to me.

 

[ru4por]

This confirms my fear that some are relying on players having UDisc when they design a course. This is bad for new players who haven't reached that level of App-centric life in disc golf, and also for guys like me who want to get away from the hassles of electronic life while discing.

Also, it creates more of the comic scenes I often see, where a group of players is wandering around with their heads down, using a glowing rectangle as a divining rod, while ignoring the obvious trail or even the giant wooden arrow pointing the way to the next tee pad.

I don't have a cell phone, but if I did, I would agree. I disc golf to get away from electronics, phone calls, responsibilities, my job, my wife (sometimes) and many of the other stressors of life.

Even better is when the cell phonidians miss a hawk, deer, turkey, mushroom, fall colors or cool beetle.

 

[zenbot]

As an aside, I'm got a nastygram from a course designer because I blasted his course for poor flow/no tee signs. He told me to use UDisc to find my way around. This to me is unacceptable; I will cling to the old-school rules that if I can't show up and find my way around the course without a map or a guide, that is a problem.

I've gotten more lost using UDisc on multiple occasions than I would have with just well made teesigns and a map. GPS isn't always reliable.

 

[wolfhaley]

That makes no sense to me as I played it a few months ago and had one of the best disc golf experiences of my life.

He was referring to a course over by KC, not Sugaree. :thmbup:

 

[dndelli]

As an aside, I'm got a nastygram from a course designer because I blasted his course for poor flow/no tee signs. He told me to use UDisc to find my way around. This to me is unacceptable; I will cling to the old-school rules that if I can't show up and find my way around the course without a map or a guide, that is a problem.

This would rub me the wrong way. That designer is basically saying that using UDisc is a prerequisite for navigating their course with ease and that players using the DGCR, Disc Caddy, or similar score keeping apps are SOL.

Plus, I would rather be able to walk around a course without burying me face in my phone screen trying to figure out if I am walking the right direction. Not to mention I can recall a few instances where the Next Tee sign was pointing in a different direction than UDisc was telling me, because the trail looped around, I assume to prevent some sort of erosion issue or keep players away from an area they weren't meant to be.

 

[The Shide]

I've only used the U-disc navigation once, at Northwoods Black, and it was off by more than 100'. Ended up wandering around looking at basket and tee sign numbering until I figured out where I was supposed to go. The place I got lost was near where the two courses border one another.

Small sample size for sure. For all I know it works everywhere else. I usually don't have trouble figuring out where to go, so I don't have the opportunity to test.

U-Disc is great for many reasons. However, it does have a "+/-" of "X" when it comes to navigation, due to whatever causes cell signals to not be quite so precise (trees, buildings, etc). Which explains why hole distances are never really exact.

 

[nothinbuttree]

NEXT TEE SIGNS--Those corrugated plastic yard signs are in the neighborhood of $5-$7, for a 14"x18" sign. That could easily be cut into 4 sections for a smaller 'next tee' sign, with an arrow pointing in the right direction. They are easy to move to in the event of multiple basket placements. Not sure how long they last in the weather (maybe use decal letters instead of permanent marker?), but I cannot imagine the cost for 18 to be higher than $50-$75.

Anyone have experience with these?

 

[JuanA]

I'm a big fan of the arrows you see on baskets at some courses.

The basket is already there...why clutter up the scenery with more signs?

 

[davetherocketguy]

I know this is a tad off topic but the attached is a good illustration of why UDisc (and any other location based app) needs to have its locations provided to you taken with a grain of salt. This is a photo of me standing ON the tee pad and look where UDisc is putting me on the screen. Is this an issue? Maybe - maybe not. However, this proves in my mind that we put way too much faith in the technology in our pockets to provide "accurate" distances and locations. It could say that your throw is 250' when in reality it could be as much as 280' or as low as 220' - especially in the woods in the middle of summer. Is that significant? You tell me.

So yes, tar and feather any course designer who thinks UDisc is an acceptable alternative to proper signage.

Edit: As I recall...I believe we estimated that UDisc had that tee location about 20' off.

 

[chris deitzel]

The people who taught me how to design courses taught me that the first rule of course design is that you do not have a course if you do not have tee signs.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

As I recall...I believe we estimated that UDisc had that tee location about 20' off.

I've had similar experiences with U-Disc. Standing on the tee, but it's saying I should be 30 ft away. Just the limitations of the technology/equipment.

 

[HyooMac]

I know this is a tad off topic but the attached is a good illustration of why UDisc (and any other location based app) needs to have its locations provided to you taken with a grain of salt. This is a photo of me standing ON the tee pad and look where UDisc is putting me on the screen. Is this an issue? Maybe - maybe not. However, this proves in my mind that we put way too much faith in the technology in our pockets to provide "accurate" distances and locations. It could say that your throw is 250' when in reality it could be as much as 280' or as low as 220' - especially in the woods in the middle of summer. Is that significant? You tell me.

So yes, tar and feather any course designer who thinks UDisc is an acceptable alternative to proper signage.

Edit: As I recall...I believe we estimated that UDisc had that tee location about 20' off.

This is all true....but the basket position (and distance to the basket) being displayed is based on the mapped location in uDisc, not on GPS.

I only bring this up because I've mapped a few courses in uDisc, and it's possible (though really touchy) to get the mapped length to match up with the actual length, by matching it with other sources (like signs, rangefinder, wheel, etc.). I just find that a lot of courses aren't mapped all that precisely - so the stated length in uDisc differs from actual.

Now, you add that variation to the GPS showing your location w/i 10 or 20 feet of where you're actually standing on the tee - and you've got a problem...

Yeah I know - use your own eyes, use a rangefinder, etc. But courses without signs or otherwise published lengths are the worst, because you're really set up to be misled by the technology in your pocket.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I'm a big fan of the arrows you see on baskets at some courses.

The basket is already there...why clutter up the scenery with more signs?

This (or taping/painting a spoke, etc) works much better fo courses that don't have rotating pin placements.

 

[txmxer]

It took me a really long time to find value in harr0140's reviews. He and I just were not on the same page in how we looked at courses, and it took me a lot longer to figure out what he was talking about than I'd like to admit to. Mashnut to a lesser degree, but they both had fresher eyes to disc golf than I did. I was old-school "Benches? We don't need no stinkin' benches!" After a bit I started to realize that yes, being able to find your way around the course is a good thing so maybe lack of tee signs should matter.

Tallpaul could write my reviews for me, though.

As an aside, I'm got a nastygram from a course designer because I blasted his course for poor flow/no tee signs. He told me to use UDisc to find my way around. This to me is unacceptable; I will cling to the old-school rules that if I can't show up and find my way around the course without a map or a guide, that is a problem.

How many Newman's do you give it for course navigation?

 

[wellsbranch250]

sorry to add to the continued thread drift. I've been painting rocks. versatile and cheap, but need maintenance. probably close to 100 of them out on the course now.

 

[elmexdela]

sorry to add to the continued thread drift. I've been painting rocks. versatile and cheap, but need maintenance. probably close to 100 of them out on the course now.

your own private course

 

[wellsbranch250]

your own private course

I'm not sure if this was a question or statement. Regardless, it is my private course. at first i was only having one group at a time, so navigation wasn't an issue. but recently ive been doing multiple groups. plus the basket locations are always changing and the course is still being constructed and there are 3 or more tees on seven holes. it would be super confusing without navigational aids. no one ever plays the same round. its literally a different set-up every weekend.

i use udisc to navigate new courses i play, but i prefer to not have to bring out the map every ten seconds. I appreciate it when courses go the extra mile and put arrows below baskets, or have the painted spoke or use other navigational aids. As ru4por and dndelli also noted, i also like to not bury my face into phone my when playing. I want to immerse myself into the natural environment as much as possible.

 

[dmoore1998]

I'm not sure if this was a question or statement. Regardless, it is my private course. at first i was only having one group at a time, so navigation wasn't an issue. but recently ive been doing multiple groups. plus the basket locations are always changing and the course is still being constructed and there are 3 or more tees on seven holes. it would be super confusing without navigational aids. no one ever plays the same round. its literally a different set-up every weekend.

i use udisc to navigate new courses i play, but i prefer to not have to bring out the map every ten seconds. I appreciate it when courses go the extra mile and put arrows below baskets, or have the painted spoke or use other navigational aids. As ru4por and dndelli also noted, i also like to not bury my face into phone my when playing. I want to immerse myself into the natural environment as much as possible.

Interesting idea. I've been thinking more about how to do the same with my own course. I have tees marked currently with flags only (no pads). At any given time I've got 10-13 baskets in play, for 18 holes. I can't really put up signs for the current hole and number it, or give signs to the next teebox, because today's #3 might be next month's #7. It hasn't been an issue yet as it's mostly single groups, or 2 groups where the 2nd group follows mine. Been toying with how to do some fun league stuff as a break from normal league, and need a better way to navigate than forcing everyone to use UDisc (or to have a million UDisc setups for each variation) when I've got a full course.

 

[nothinbuttree]

I'm a big fan of the arrows you see on baskets at some courses.

The basket is already there...why clutter up the scenery with more signs?

I like these too when they work, but I guess I have seen too many of these that no longer point in the right direction. I was thinking more of wooded courses for these, where there may be multiple paths leading away from the basket. A 'next tee' sign placed away from the basket at least gets one walking in the right direction. It's low to the ground, and far less conspicuous than the actual basket/tee sign/teepad. The best approach may be an accurate tee sign map which shows the direction of the next tee, but darn if I don't forget half the time to check that when teeing off.

 

[JuanA]

...The best approach may be an accurate tee sign map which shows the direction of the next tee, but darn if I don't forget half the time to check that when teeing off.

I agree and ran into a good example of that in Wyoming. I had seen signs like this before, but these were very well done. Like you said though, you have to remember to take a look before you leave the tee pad.

It may be hard to see, but the black arrow on the map shows you the way.