Public Perception of Disc Golf

[chris717]

Who cares what people think about our "Sport". I think most people think we are hippies because we relax with our beers&pipes while enjoying the game in the great outdoors

I myself love the way disc golf is at the time, when we start getting the spotlight and it becomes a known sport 2 everyone. People will just start playing for the money............=No Fun

 

[optidiscic]

all of you who are promoting drug/alcohol use obviously have never had anything to do with getting a course put in a public space....I would think you have had more to do with getting a course pulled

 

[jrawk]

you disc golf isn't a hippy sport? ... that's it, i'm selling my stuff.

 

[biscoe]

hippies... yuck...

 

[notBOB]

 

[optidiscic]

some guys get it and keep their pastime not so blatant...its the guy who packs a bowl on a picnic table within full view of non-DGers with his tye dye shirt and his discs that say 420 on them and who thinks since he is disc golfing somehow substance abuse is legal...more annoying are the drunk yahoos who get loud and piss on every bush in an open field.....I've done my share of stupidity but being involved in the process of getting a course put in a park with opposition...these guys make me cringe

 

[chris717]

Here is Nate showing the pros-cons.

 

[Fishy]

sweet, in before the lock! cause I see this is devolving into a "weed is not a drug, why are you persecuting us for breaking a law" vs "wtf? are you kidding me? we are trying to get good image" debate

 

[chris717]

sweet, in before the lock! cause I see this is devolving into a "weed is not a drug, why are you persecuting us for breaking a law" vs "wtf? are you kidding me? we are trying to get good image" debate

Relax....... :hfive:opcorn:

 

[Cinque]

Here's a more interesting thought to consider:

Will Disc Golf grow up "clean" in other areas of the world without the historical ties that the sport has had here in North America? (is that happening now?)

Will (or does) Nordic disc golf inherently have a better shot at reaching what most of us espouse as our goals of legitimizing the sport? Or in New Zealand,continental Europe, South America, Asia/Japan?

OR, does the sport inherrantly draw in participants who will, on their own, without local/historical existing DG culture be drawn to the same end traits? is it because people that are drawn to DG are also often drawn to x,y,z, etc..?

Or is it fated because of the appeal (or accessibility) to a lower socioeconomic group? (cost of participation factors?)

If Disc golf started gaining traction in a remote location without historical ties, and there was a high cost to participate... would things be vastly different? or much the same?

You're right. This is an interesting thought. I remember a comment on a forum from someone outside of the U.S. who was wondering what this whole hippy thing was about and why it was related to disc golf. It stuck with me, because the disc golf stereotype is so ingrained in the U.S. that I was surprised to find out a fellow player outside the country had never heard of it.

Now I'm wondering how the sport is being perceived in Japan. Italy is home to some tournaments, although I never hear of main-stream pros attending. How is going over there? Philo, Feldberg and GG recently got the sport some exposure in Barbados. It will be interesting to see how that evolves.

 

[Royal Hill]

Now I'm wondering how the sport is being perceived in Japan. Italy is home to some tournaments, although I never hear of main-stream pros attending. How is going over there? Philo, Feldberg and GG recently got the sport some exposure in Barbados. It will be interesting to see how that evolves.[/QUOTE]

Speaking of Japan - look up the concept of "park golf" in Japan. It ties to one of my comments, but may be more tied to cultural norms than anything else. "Park golf" is a golf variant occurring in Japan where the holes are short, a specific one-club, or one "park golf" club plus putter is used. Courses look to be in more public accessible areas, and almost a hybrid between mini-golf and a shrunken par 3 golf pitch and putt course. I'm imagining by inference that this sport is significantly less costly than golf. It's the "Golf" concept accessible to the masses, with low cost, and higher community interaction. Essentially, many of the draws and traits we often apply to DG.

I've also got to imagine that its likely nearly the most courteous, friendly, clean, substance-language-temper free version of golf the world has ever seen.

In that cultural environment, I would propose that disc golf would have developed the same way, had DG originated there.

 

[sidewinder22]

I don't know about y'all...but I didn't even know there was tournament disc golf until about three years ago and I had been playing regularly for 2 years. So I can't imagine many non-dgers know there are tournaments and such. Hell I didn't even know that disc golf existed until I played it the first time.

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

I don't know about y'all...but I didn't even know there was tournament disc golf until about three years ago and I had been playing regularly for 2 years. So I can't imagine many non-dgers know there are tournaments and such. Hell I didn't even know that disc golf existed until I played it the first time.

Just along the lines of what I was thinking. I know many of us remember not that long ago when we were this "public". We can see this if we look at any of the "What got you started" type threads, we relive the stories of what it was like to learn about this wonderful sport. Think about how you were introduced to this sport, it must have presented a good image to you personally that you didn't think "oh, this sport is just for hippies" (unless of course you are a hippy and got that perception and that's why you joined). Whatever your first perception of the sport was is the "public's perception." As we introduce the sport to others, it can't hurt to keep this in mind.

 

[Danger]

I think the public perception of disc golf doesn't exist. I think they believe Happy Endings actually made up the sport to make fun of it. If anything, they are angry that we are throwing plastic at all of those wonderful Al Pastor Barbecues scattered around the park.

 

[eegor]

I think the public perception of disc golf doesn't exist. I think they believe Happy Endings actually made up the sport to make fun of it. If anything, they are angry that we are throwing plastic at all of those wonderful Al Pastor Barbecues scattered around the park.

Cool post... and right on!

 

[notBOB]

^for me it was another thing to do outside for free besides skateboard and cause ruckus elsewhere. i knew it was a serious sport tho, my buddys dad, who is a badass an dwon many tournys, introduced us to a few discs and taught us a thing or 2 right off the bat. i didnt start takin it seriously myself til several years later tho, i thought it was kind of ridiculous at the time, really simple and funny watching people get super serious about it. i guess it kind of carried over even now that i take it seriously. i still think its simple, and thats prob why im decent at it.

 

[eegor]

I like it the way it is. I can go to a course and the first tee is usually open and waiting just for me. I can have a nice day at the park and play a cool game. Do I really care about whether the game I love to play is respected? NO. Disc golf is personal time for me. I connect with like minded people that love to play and want to play well (in that order). I don't want it to be popular with the "trendy people". I don't want it to be a place to see and be seen. I just want to have fun and get some exercise.

I quit worrying about what other people think about the things I do a long time ago. It's my life. They can have theirs (worrying about how other people feel) and I'll have mine (having a good time).

 

[barneco]

Disc golf is cheap and unorganized which is a magnet for losers.

This is the most succinct and profound statement I've ever read on the subject.

 

[baja]

I didn't care what people thought of DG until I didn't get a job because I mentioned that I play it. Someone in the meeting said ewww and that was it.

 

[Clempson13]

I didn't care what people thought of DG until I didn't get a job because I mentioned that I play it. Someone in the meeting said ewww and that was it.

ouch