What's Holding Disc Golf Back

[martygregwah]

Maybe this thread should be retitled what is keeping professional disc golf back.

And for those of us who aren't who are never going to be professionals at disc golf, I feel the only appropriate answer is "who the [insert your favorite profanity here] cares?"

A lot of people fu%*ing care. You think you're better than me or anyone else because you don't have the same amount of passion for the sport, or because you don't idolize the great players? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

Getting big names involved in the sport would absolutely benefit everyone else, even dicks like you who don't deserve them. More products, nicer courses, more exposure, bigger tournaments, bigger payouts, and more stores that have disc golf merch available just to name a few.

If you want to burn your plastic in the middle of a field, go ahead, but set yourself on fire while you're at it.

 

[superberry]

Maybe this thread should be retitled what is keeping professional disc golf back.

And for those of us who aren't who are never going to be professionals at disc golf, I feel the only appropriate answer is "who the [insert your favorite profanity here] cares?"

I really don't understand all this fascination with some of you talking about disc golf going to "blow up big time" and making references to things that seem only to be beneficial to an elite few. I don't see much in your "big time" that is of any gain to the everyday player. More courses you say? Already happening. I started playing a mere eight years ago and the number of courses available has tripled since then. Meanwhile our supposed big brother sport has actually been in a state of retraction at the recreational level for much of the past decade with a lot of courses being closed down.

I do know one thing. I took up this sport to participate in it, to actually go out and play it regularly, to learn its nuances hands on, to enjoy it with friends, or by myself. For competition, for exercise, for recreation. I did not take it up to idolize those who could do it better than me from behind a yellow gallery rope, or staring at a television at Hooters while a perky 38DD college coed brings me another draft of whatever beer is the official sponsor of the PDGA tour, while watching the USDGC.

That might be some of your guys' fantasy, but as far as I'm concerned, "f--- that s---". The day disc golf becomes that, I'm gonna go out to a field, put all my DG equipment in a pile, pour gasoline over it and set a match to it.

I have to completely agree. While there is a HUGE gap between pro discers and pro bolfers, the recreational bolfers and discers are pretty much the same.

 

[bcr123psu]

If you want to burn your plastic in the middle of a field, go ahead, but set yourself on fire while you're at it.

Take it easy guys. Leave it at a debate and not a flamewar.

 

[smyith]

I feel the only appropriate answer is "who the [insert your favorite profanity here] cares?"

i dont think meecrob fits in your profanity slot.

@OP
couldnt you have just searched for the many other threads on this and re-sparked one of those conversations. this all been said many times before on several forums for several years and always by someone who is clueless to whats really going on. Disc Golf is growing like a weed on steriods. professional disc golf is growing slower but still steady. you wanna help stop suggesting other people do the work and get it done yourself. find some big $$ sponsors, throw a heck of a tournament and show everyone how its done.or whether youre a competitive and non-competitive dger support the companies that support disc, let companies know you are buying from them because of their support of disc golf. theres alot you could do that isnt necessarily alot of work.

 

[deadbody]

A lot of people fu%*ing care. You think you're better than me or anyone else because you don't have the same amount of passion for the sport, or because you don't idolize the great players? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

Getting big names involved in the sport would absolutely benefit everyone else, even dicks like you who don't deserve them. More products, nicer courses, more exposure, bigger tournaments, bigger payouts, and more stores that have disc golf merch available just to name a few.

If you want to burn your plastic in the middle of a field, go ahead, but set yourself on fire while you're at it.

And that is the type of douche response I expected from someone who thinks it OK to steal and destroy his friends property.

I think disc golf has a bad rap, and I'd love to see it on TV, and it will get there in time, but for the majority of us that doesn't matter. I also enjoy ball golf, and play it in exactly the same clothes I play disc golf in, cargo shorts a teeshirt a baseball cap.

Appearance isn't whats keeping disc golf away, apathy and lack of knowledge from the people that telivise sports are. The people who decide what sports get on TV aren't aquainted with disc golf right now, get them to see how cool it is, and how it could be filmed, and it will get onto the TV in some form. Christ it can't be any more specialized than worlds strongest man.

 

[oddjob]

short version?

 

[discmeister]

Thanks for trying to prove a point by inserting Bob Marley lyrics into your post. Good work dude. That's deep.

You response suggests a lack of respect for your fellow DG'ers because you don't like their POV. I don't know about the Indy area but 90% seems exaggerated. In the DFW area, I am always surprised by the number of people of all ages who know what disc golf is.

 

[scarpfish]

A lot of people fu%*ing care. You think you're better than me or anyone else because you don't have the same amount of passion for the sport, or because you don't idolize the great players? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

Getting big names involved in the sport would absolutely benefit everyone else, even dicks like you who don't deserve them. More products, nicer courses, more exposure, bigger tournaments, bigger payouts, and more stores that have disc golf merch available just to name a few.

If you want to burn your plastic in the middle of a field, go ahead, but set yourself on fire while you're at it.

Oooooooohhhhhhh BURNNNNNNNNNN!!!!

So guys, am I supposed to report that to a mod, or make a signature quote out of it. Help me out here.

 

[simpletwist]

Thanks for trying to prove a point by inserting Bob Marley lyrics into your post. Good work dude. That's deep.

Maybe I am impatient. The sport has been around for 40 years and we still can't get past the general perception of the public that disc golf is a hobby for lazy pot-smoking hippies. Worse yet, after 40 years of growth, 90% of people still have never heard of it.

My Marley quote is part of my philosophy and inserted when I joined, not to prove your point. Although my response was nowhere near as eloquent as scarpfish's I simply meant pretty much as he put it. The sport IS expanding, at for some of us an alarming rate. 40 years is nothing in the grand scheme of things. The NFL didn't start out as the spectacle it is overnight. And the NFL has the marketing draw that disc golf may never get. There are almost double the number of courses here in the less than 4 years I've been playing. And far more than double the number of disc golfers. How much has this site expanded in a short period of time? That's could be a great gauge of how the sport IS expanding. Personally I take offense to your narrow minded stereotype. Almost everyone I've met is a hard working member of society. Teachers, firemen, construction workers, factory workers, nurses, carpenters... Me, I'm a retired after 28 years in the service. Not everyone out there is a pot smoker. I've never encountered any inference from anyone on any level that disc golf is a hippy, pothead sport. Certainly the local state officials trying to keep open some parks this past year never mentioned the nasty drug related folks that frequent the courses on those state parks. In fact we were one of the groups positively mentioned by those politicians in the local media. All of the new courses are being built in public parks. So around here at least the negative stereotype you suggest isn't being communicated to our elected & appointed officials.

And Mr. Scarpfish, :thmbup::thmbup:

 

[Chiefstang]

I think it's funny that people think there isn't beer drinking and p*t smoking on bolf courses... I've seen plenty of stupid immature behavior from our "more sophisticated" ball whackers.

All I know is, if I have to start wearing plaid pants, I'm gonna be pissed.

 

[erock216]

Thanks for trying to prove a point by inserting Bob Marley lyrics into your post. Good work dude. That's deep.

Maybe I am impatient. The sport has been around for 40 years and we still can't get past the general perception of the public that disc golf is a hobby for lazy pot-smoking hippies. Worse yet, after 40 years of growth, 90% of people still have never heard of it.

the marley lyrics are part of his signature. good point.

 

[bcr123psu]

So guys, am I supposed to report that to a mod, or make a signature quote out of it. Help me out here.

Signature quote

 

[simpletwist]

I think you might look pretty snazzy in some plaid pants. :gross:

 

[erock216]

welcome to the site OP. i think you will fit in here nicely. for your next trick you should go to the marketplace and start selling CE plastic with no pics and no feedback. good luck.

 

[martygregwah]

Little things can make a big difference. Send press releases to the local papers. One before announcing the tournament and one after with results. Sure, if it gets published it will likely be buried somewhere obscure, but it's better than nothing. How about putting up a banner in the park? A flyer on the bulletin board by tee one doesn't advertise your event to the outside world. The best way to do this would be to have tournaments in conjuction with other major events. Lets say you have a course on a park that is hosting a big holiday festival with cookouts, music, maybe a 5k road race. Have a tournament on the same day and piggy back on the festival's marketing effort. Now you've got an audience in the area, and enough publicity that curious onlookers might stop to check it out.

This is one of the better ideas I've heard to increase exposure. Thanks for the tip Brad. I will bring it up to the Indy Disc Golf Club members.

 

[craftsman]

Why do you pretend like our easy going nature isn't the main force behind our growth?
My state has more courses and clubs then most. What creates that growth is the work of individuals, not collared shirts and smoking bans.

 

[Gonnagal]

opcorn:

 

[smyith]

I think it's funny that people think there isn't beer drinking and p*t smoking on bolf courses... I've seen plenty of stupid immature behavior from our "more sophisticated" ball whackers.

i dont think ive ever played a sober round of bolf. how else could you tolerate all those rules and nose up attitudes? and its amazing how mad they get when your learning and not good at all. at least the majority of dgrs will offer some advice not just tell you to get the hell out of there.

Why do you pretend like our easy going nature isn't the main force behind our growth?
My state has more courses and clubs then most. What creates that growth is the work of individuals, not collared shirts and smoking bans.

good point. the relaxation of the sport is the biggest draw imo.

@marty
your a nozzle dude. you talk about image being important. but you come off as a giant dick, thats not a good image either and will drive away more people. i hope you dont get involved tbh. you'd prolly set the sport back in your area.

 

[DavidSauls]

Whether anything's "holding disc golf back" depends in large part on where you think it should be going. Or can be going.

If you think it can be mass entertainment---which is what national TV and big money pros really means---there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. Personally, I don't think it's possible, no matter what we do. But I'd be happy to be proven wrong. I don't dismiss those who are trying; only those bemoaning that it's not happening.

If you're thinking in terms of a more widespread and accepted participant sport---as someone who's been around long enough to be amazed by the growth, I'd say that's the direction we're going.

 

[craftsman]

As far as sponsorship growth, I feel we should look to our past. Consumption and clothing are our only true big money markets- and consumption is the only one that applys to spectators. Weekend long events at multiplex dgc's with large division offerings and frisbee events would be the only way I see big money sponsorship- and it would be from an alcohol company


I actually had an idea that if one cable company, say attnt, would offer exclusive nationwide on demand coverage of a series of events they sponsor, they could get a lot of subscribtions for less then a run of comercials....