Weekend experience & DG Image

[jenb]

One of the things I disliked about ball golf was all the snobbery and course control. For example, the first law firm I worked for had an annual golf scramble that was mandatory for associates to play in. You'd think someone would have told noobs like me not to wear jeans, or that course control would have said something about people wearing jeans in the parking lot before we went out on the course, but no. Instead, the course control dude kicked me off the course in the middle of the round (I wasn't the only one either). In later years, course control would come by and heckle the groups for playing too slowly, and do it in the most insulting manner. Why would anyone pay to put up with that sort of thing?

So one of the things I like about disc golf is the general lack of snobbery, lack of course control, and mostly down to earth people. Of course, sometimes things go to far in the other direction, but I still prefer it to the alternative.

 

[sloppydisc]

I didn't expect this turn into a critique of my parenting skills. It's not like I left my 10 year old playing at the swings. My daughter is a junior in HS and will be going off to college soon. Regardless of what college she goes to she'll see more than this. The fact that she made the comment gives me some confidence that she has the right value system.

I just wanted to point out another example of why DG has the image it does.

Wasn't trying to critic your parenting skills. You know your kid better than me. I was explaining my total distrust of the average American citizen. Especially my fellow disc golfers.

 

[sloppydisc]

We're far from the jet set. I grew up with a lot of poor people back in the hills of WV and my wife's hard working blue collar family here in VA have exactly the same values. Value systems don't come from money.

My new signature!!! Thank you.

"Value systems don't come from money".


Nice

 

[Sadjo]

I didn't expect this turn into a critique of my parenting skills. It's not like I left my 10 year old playing at the swings. My daughter is a junior in HS and will be going off to college soon. Regardless of what college she goes to she'll see more than this. The fact that she made the comment gives me some confidence that she has the right value system.

I just wanted to point out another example of why DG has the image it does.

I don't think this is a critique of your parenting skills. Most that are responding in a negative way mostly likely don't have kids. When you're not a parent or a not involved with your kids' lives you just don't understand what raising a child is like.

I was a bit crazy and a bit wild before I got married and had kids. Now that I have kids I still want them to play and enjoy Disc Golf. Can I shield them from some of the jack*$$es that play this sport? Maybe. However I would rather be able to be with my kids when they see someone acting the fool and use it as a teaching moment than shelter them from anything that doesn't measure up to my family's value system.

 

[DavidSauls]

It's easy to dismiss poor behavior in public parks as merely an offense to those of us with different standards of conduct. But the effects can go far beyond that.

Whereever there's a course in a public park, disc golfers of all persuasions should want a good relationship with the parks department. And the parks department answers to many constituencies, including the other park users and people who live in the surrounding neighborhoods.

It's not just the threat of having the course pulled that is a concern. If you're meeting with the parks department and requesting that they do something for the course---or sometimes, that they don't make changes that diminish the course---they're more likely to support the disc golf course if they haven't been dealing with complaints from other groups.

And if you're meeting with a town to ask that they give you 30 acres of parkland to build a new course, it really helps if they're happy with the disc golf courses they have, or are getting good references from other parks departments.

So your opinion or my opinion of what conduct is acceptable or laws or sensible isn't the last word on the subject. I don't know that there's a solution to the poor behavior of other golfers and doubt addressing them will make a bit of difference, but I can't dismiss them as harmless, either.

 

[bergdawg]

Did you at least crack a window for your daughter when you locked her in the car?

 

[Future_Primitive]

It is the dirty side of the sport we all hope to avoid, but have zero control over. Some people just like being ignorant, inconsiderate and just plain selfish. Mostly they are the minority, but they tend to stand out and draw attention to themselves, so we all get lumped in with these types of low lifes. Heck, just look at this thread, you pulled in 3 certified DGCR trollz, probably the same percentage as a typical day at any course. Low in numbers but high in attention needing.

 

[The Hammer]

So what do you think about ball golf?

Just curious.

Because 50% of them are coke heads that are worse then disc golf

Where do you get your "facts"? 50% of golfers are coke heads, huh? Obviously you've never been a golfer.

 

[Terry 44]

Serious players or not, they should have enough self respect and common sense to act as a civilized human being in public. I don't understand why DG (and other niche sports) often have a following or image portrayed by a few "losers" which ruin it for everyone. You tell someone you DG and you will get an automatic drunk/pothead no job hippie etc kinda look, when all reality our sport is FAR from any of those things, but people often remember the bad/ugly. Boils down to the simple principle we all dealt with as children and how others can ruin something for everyone-- still exists no matter our age just some are too ignorant to take notice not to mention have a lot of maturing to do.

This makes it seem like its a few potheads that make the image bad. So why is DD having a tournament called the Glass Blown Open? Really? I don't smoke pot anymore, but I did in college so I'm not some square saying pot is bad. It is bad in public and especially during rounds in a tournament. Smoke before you get there, smoke after. Maybe you have a problem if you can't wait an hour to toke up. This should be a grass roots sport, but not a GRASS roots sport.

This is my opinion, nothing more!

 

[AndyJB]

Man this thread is just pure gold.

I like how its turned into a parents vs. Childless individuals debate. I agree with the OP, and I can Devi etly see how its different for me (my daughter is 7) as opposed to someone without kids. I also play softball, and man, you wanna talk about bad behaviors? We get out there, dip, drink and act a team of fools. Like the t-shirt says: my drinking team has a softball problem. We don't smoke plants, but still...point is, this is far from a DG problem.

Its one of those things where its been going on so long, its just way easier to avoid it or accept it than try to change it. I guess we, as DG enthusiasts, have to decide if we want to really push for change and get rid of the 75% (or more) of players who spend the money on the high speed drivers and whatnot at the risk of milking our hobby. So many questions...

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Heres the thing, we live in America and are free to do as we please but the lack of respect which many my generation and younger have for everything from their elders, public works, nature, life in general is just ridiculous.

Do want you want as you please but don't $*&#@ with my rights, family, or others personal enjoyment because you are more interested in your own-- its as simple as that and this country would be a hell of a place if more people embraced their own life and respected what was in front of them-- before its gone!

Drinking, smoking, swearing, acting a fool will always been frowned upon but exaggerating the image by being a POS person is what kills the image of a sport, group or whatever and that only takes 1 person to do unfortunately.

No one is perfect nor should they even try to be but they should try to perfect themselves and become someone with meaning, not someone searching for the meanings of everything...

 

[keltik]

I'm not surprised this happened at J street. Hell one time Bro D and I were playing a doubles charity event there and the other team on our card broke out smoking equipment before we even teed off (before 8 am). This was back in November and I haven't played much golf since the holidays so I'm not sure about the police presence there.

Johnson street is a rough crowd. High Point is a rough city. Virginians need to be careful when they come down here. but kudos for sheltering your little girl this much.

 

[bergdawg]

I just keep coming back to the conflicting desires of some DGers that want it to be a respected "sport" and try to convince local parks that DG is such a great family activity versus those that don't see a problem with drinking and "smoking" in public.

I started this just to share a particular experience but I will say that more often than not whenever I participate in a DG "event" I've observed quit a bit of the original hippie culture coming out.

I don't want to seem like a "sheltered" elitist and don't mean to make generalizations but I don't know how else to say it - you can't act like "hippies" or "trailer park trash" and expect the mainstream public to take you seriously. DG just needs to decide what it wants to be when it grows up.

Really? I've seen very few real hippies on the course. Being a hippy does not mean you smoke pot.

 

[Dave242]

More pay-to-play courses will help people who want to be able to segregate behaviors.

 

[ru4por]

I am sorry the OP found a life experience less than pleasing. But, I am always curious why breeders feel it is almost always societies responsibility to conform to their families concept of proper behavior. OP, do golfer need to be a certain race or religion as well. I realize the hyperbole, but my point is raising your daughter is exclusively your responsibility. Leaving her anywhere, letting her go anywhere will certainly expose her to elements you consider unsavory. And if swearing and pot smoking is the most unsavory she encounters, most here would likely agree she has made at least some wise choices in where to hang out. I am not one to flaunt drug or alcohol use, spew foul language or generally disrespect anyone, but it is not my, nor your, place to modify others behavior. If it is outside your exceptable boundaries, call the authorities. Be the adult and only take your child to environments that conform to your idea of appropriate. No person in society has a thread of responsibility to your child. End rant, I hope you do not let the behavior of some, be it at a disc golf course, hockey game or some of the high society soccer parents, stop you from blending with all people. It should be a good learning opportunity, opposed to a negative experience. Good luck with your disc golf and parenting careers.

 

[mndiscg]

Here's a plan: Make nice DGCs with high greens fees for those that don't want to see riff-raff and let the riff-raff keep overrunning all the free public parks that are the heart and soul of disc golf.

This thread is useless. A total b1tch fest. If you want to do something about this 'problem' go do something about it instead of talking to people on here who probably have similar opinions to you.

 

[bergdawg]

Here's a plan: Make nice DGCs with high greens fees for those that don't want to see riff-raff and let the riff-raff keep overrunning all the free public parks that are the heart and soul of disc golf.

Sweet, can't wait for you to provide the land, baskets, concrete, and all the necessary amenitites. You'll have to have a staff on hand to prevent walk-on players, so it will need to be profitable, probably going to need a grounds crew, as well.

 

[Terry 44]

I am sorry the OP found a life experience less than pleasing. But, I am always curious why breeders feel it is almost always societies responsibility to conform to their families concept of proper behavior. OP, do golfer need to be a certain race or religion as well. I realize the hyperbole, but my point is raising your daughter is exclusively your responsibility. Leaving her anywhere, letting her go anywhere will certainly expose her to elements you consider unsavory. And if swearing and pot smoking is the most unsavory she encounters, most here would likely agree she has made at least some wise choices in where to hang out. I am not one to flaunt drug or alcohol use, spew foul language or generally disrespect anyone, but it is not my, nor your, place to modify others behavior. If it is outside your exceptable boundaries, call the authorities. Be the adult and only take your child to environments that conform to your idea of appropriate. No person in society has a thread of responsibility to your child. End rant, I hope you do not let the behavior of some, be it at a disc golf course, hockey game or some of the high society soccer parents, stop you from blending with all people. It should be a good learning opportunity, opposed to a negative experience. Good luck with your disc golf and parenting careers.

^ completely missed the whole point of the thread. But keep trying!
The whole kid thing is a point of reference for his story. Oh and laws may be written for a reason. Drinking and smoking on a state park course is against the law. I have played courses on private lands and am not stomping my feet cause people want to drink. He is talking about the sports image, an image that should be important to all serious disc golf players. Memphis has taken out most of the public basketball courts because of bad behavior. Do we want to keep our courses or not?

 

[Kp0c]

I'm not sure I understand the people who find the behaviour of certain people innapropriate on disc golf courses.
To me, it has absolutly nothing to do with disc golf, like nothing at all.

Just picture yourself a free ball golf course, where there would be no marshall patrollng. I think you'd see exactly the same stuff described by some as innapropriate (cursing, yelling, shirtless, drunk, smoking weed, etc.)

So the solution to not have this is to make P2P courses, with people responsable for the course on site, with a set of rules, and possibly even marshall.

I doubt disc golf has reached this point yet...

 

[Craig639]

This kind of thread makes me want disc golf to go back to being an obscure fringe sport where you can do what you want on the course and not have to worry about someone posting about the bad image on a message board.

Oh no! Someone took their shirt off in public...and we're not at the beach!