Throwing over roads and walking paths. (thoughts)

[GALLOW1217]

Not a good idea in my opinion. What about cars and people?

 

[Roc1Time]

Never aim at anything but baskets! When I aim at trees I usually hit them.

 

[Hippy]

Even when I don't aim at the trees, I hit them!!

 

[GALLOW1217]

At my home course, on the second hole you have to throw over a walking path from the tee box. This could have been avoided by moving the tee box across the path.

 

[bazillion]

Sylmar had a lot of walk-crossings but nobody cared because the course was laid out in a corner of the park where not many people went in the first place.

Now that it's been redesigned, I believe that walk-crossings are fewer (and mostly accidental, griplocks and so forth) but still nobody cares, for the same reason.

 

[valkyrie]

Never aim at anything but baskets! When I aim at trees I usually hit them.

I alwyas aim at the basket, my problem is i hit every tree, pole, bench, table, fence.... in between me and the basket (some times even if its not in the way)

 

[mashnut]

It always bothers me a little when a course plays over roads and paths when it could have been avoided. It's no fun to sit around waiting for people to walk through or having to worry about hitting random cars/pedestrians.

 

[silvereagle2150]

Not a good idea, in my opinion. I even dislike throwing close to roads without a fence or tree line as a barrier.

As an example: Woodsen Park in Oklahoma City is notorious for being...rough...at night, and even hostile during the day. I met a guy the other day who told me he was throwing there and the wind hyzered his disc more than he expected, blowing it into the street lining the fairway. An SUV pulled up, grabbed the disc, and drove off.

Yet another example why discs and roads don't get along...besides the obvious hit-and-run scenario.

 

[Countchunkula]

Danger! I find whenever an object is in my field of view, it draws my eye. This can be a problem as my eyes leave the target on the reach back, and then focus again when I come around. Everything happens so quick, if there is something in front of the target, I am likely to focus on it. If my aim was better this would be a bigger problem.

 

[prerube]

I get annoyed when you throw over a well used road, throw blindly over a road, and throw towards a parking lot. I even get a little nervous throwing by the highway at Monroe Community College, even though there is a large fence and your throw would have to be BAD!

Walking paths and biking paths don't bother me unless it is at a very popular park and there is heavy traffic.

Another thing I don't like is when baskets are placed infront of picnic tables (or picnic tables are placed behind existing baskets) and you have to worry about taking out a family and thier Picnic basket

 

[davetherocketguy]

Having any hole or fairway anywhere near a path or road is a very bad idea. Isn't there some design standards regarding this issue? Some distance minimums from crap like paths and roadways?

-Dave

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE !!!!! To be avoided at all costs, you start knocking cyclists and pedestrians down with golf discs you're asking for the parks dept./local gov't to pull the course.

You can share the park with others, just do it at a SAFE distance.......

 

[scarpfish]

Alongside these hazards is every bit as bad, really it kind of depends on the traffic that the road or walking path is carrying.

My home course has to deal with both, but the road is a backside park road that loops around the ball golf course (essentially the DG course and a small playground nearby are the only things it goes to) so it carries little traffic.

The walking path is also the back end of its loop and it comes into play on five holes. As long as your path is clear, you're good to go, and rarely you have to wait on anyone. Problem is that on two of the five holes, the walking path goes over the other side of a flood levy and you can't see it. Too much to the left and you may nail a pedestrian or biker you can't even see.

You can kind of see the last of the walking path as it goes over the levee. After that it runs parallel to it.

I've dealt with worse walking paths with significantly higher traffic. Namely these two:

Oak Park, Wichita, KS - Hole 13 (also in play on 10-12, and 14). Walking path atop levee to the right. Next to the short tee.

Crestview Park, Topeka, KS - Hole 1. This is often crowded on a nice day.

 

[wolito]

Unfortunately a must in some cases

I don't enjoy throwing over such obstacles, but unfortunately it is part of the deal in having disc golf courses in parks. If it can be avoided, then that is the fault of the courses designer, but sometimes you have to take what you can get.

 

[DavidSauls]

I don't enjoy throwing over such obstacles, but unfortunately it is part of the deal in having disc golf courses in parks. If it can be avoided, then that is the fault of the courses designer, but sometimes you have to take what you can get.

Yes.

Sometimes it's not the course designer, either. I know of parks that put in paved walking paths AFTER the disc golf course was established.

 

[mmyersdisc]

Hole 5 at Rum Village plays next to a main street...normally you can time it alright and be ok, but with the way the hole is set up you basically have to hyzer it around trees and over the road...if there aren't any cars we will skip it off the road and hope for an ace...the basket is probably about...60ft away from the road under a big pine tree...its actually a fun hole...we have had quite a few discs ran over though...oh well gives them character right? haha

 

[simpletwist]

It's afact of life for many. It can be a safety concern. My home course has one hole that runs along a road that has a fair amount of traffic. And there is a well used walking/biking path too. But the course was established in 1980 and there doesn't seem to be any danger in getting it pulled. I would like to see some signs though alerting the cars, bikers, and walkers.

I think we need to assume half of the responsibility and be mindful in multiple use parks that we are not the only ones to use the park. As the sport grows so will the dangers to others.

 

[Dave242]

Being close to main roads and having any chance of discs going onto it is something to be avoided.

I have no problem throwing over park roads (not main roads) and sidewalks, but they need to be in the first 75-100' of the fairway so that you can clearly see and plan for traffic when standing on the tee. The fact of the matter is that lots of courses would not exist if designers did not take this approach.

 

[Cgkdisc]

The main issue when roads or paths must be involved is visibility. The thrower needs to be able to see vehicles or people who might come into the potential flight path after release. No blind paths or roads that might be in the flight path - ever. It's a judgment call, but if the traffic on the road or path is above a certain amount, it shouldn't be in play for the design. Roads and paths running parallel to the flight path should be avoided and/or the traffic count on them must be even lower than if the path or park road (never a main road) crosses the fairway ideally near the tee versus near the basket.

 

[pokamitch]

Sylmar is way overboard with the paths. They are all over a disc golf exclusive area and they are all OB and most are OB on the opposite side of the path. It is pretty lame since the paths are everywhere and no other park users are present on the course using them. I need to add this to my review now that I think about it