Assignment Two Revised

Disc Golf In A Community

Running Head: DISC GOLF IN A COMMUNITY


A Valuable Investment Worth Making

Charles Nehonsky

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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It Is A Bird, It Is A Plane, No It Is Disc Golf

When I was in the military I had a lot on my mind that usually included stress and

frustration, which is part of the job. I was driving around one day trying to clear my

mind, so I decided to go into the park that was closet to where I was stationed. As I was

walking around all of a sudden I realize that smaller size Frisbee kept flying through the

air. I asked one of the individual what they were doing, they said to me, “Playing disc

golf, Want to join?” From then on I was hooked into this sport that was not only

challenging and fun but also a relief from the day-to-day issues I had to deal with. As I

dived further into this sport I realized it was a much larger organization then I had

realized. As I grew as a player, I became more dedicated to understanding why this sport

was so intoxicating. How it seemed to make my stress and frustrations lose their hold on

my mind. Disc Golf is a sport that can affect a player in multiple ways. It is also

something that every community could benefit from investing in. America is run by

preying on the stress and work ethic of individuals in the world. That is part of life, but

the one thing that is unfortunately not part of life is activities that can help release some

of that stress. That is what disc golf and more specifically, a disc golf course in a

community can do to improve an entire area.

Digging Into Disc Golf; Literature Review

As we look into the sport of disc golf and its effects on a community, we first need to

understand the history of the sport, how it is played, and disc golf courses. Before we can

look into the research of those main areas you need to know some key terms and rules.

Terms

Mandatory - An object or objects that the disc must pass in a designated manner. A

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mandatory function to limit the allowable path the disc may take to the target. (PDGA

2012)

Lie - The spot on the playing surface behind the marker, upon which the player takes a

stance in accordance with the rules. It is a line 30 centimeters in length extending back

along the line of play from the rear edge of the marker disc. The lie for the first throw on

a hole is the teeing area. A drop zone is also a lie. (PDGA 2012)

Marker (or Marker Disc) - The mini marker disc or the thrown disc at rest, either of

which may be used to indicate the lie from which the next throw is to be made. (PDGA

2012)

Mini Marker Disc (or Mini) - A small disc, not used in play, which may be used to

mark the location of the lie. (PDGA 2012)

Obstacle - Any feature of the course that may impede any aspect of play. (PDGA 2012)

Out-of-bounds - An area designated by the Director of the tournament from which a disc

may not be played, and within which a stance may not be taken. The out-of-bounds line

extends a plane vertically upward and downward. The out-of-bounds line is part of the

out-of-bounds area. (PDGA 2012)

Hole Out - To successfully complete play of a hole. (PDGA 2012)

Par - As determined by the Director, the score an expert disc golfer would be expected to

make on a given hole with errorless play under ordinary weather conditions, allowing two

throws from close range to hole out. (PDGA 2012)

Putt - Any throw from 10 meters or less as measured from the rear of the marker disc to

the base of the target. (PDGA 2012)

Teeing Area (or Tee) - The area bounded by the edges of a tee pad, if provided.

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Otherwise, the area extending three meters perpendicularly behind the designated tee

line. The teeing area is also a lie. (PDGA 2012)

Tray (or Basket) - An open-topped receptacle into which the disc may fall or be thrown.

(PDGA 2012)

Birdie – making it in the basket one throw before par. So if the hole was a par 3 and you

made it in 2 then that would be a birdie. (Nehonsky 1)

Eagle – is making it in the basket two throws before par. If the hole was a par 4 and you

made it in 2 shots (Nehonsky 1)

History

Disc golf was founded in 1975 with the first pole-hole course in Oak Grove Park,

California. (Siniscalchi 44) Disc golf is similar to throwing a Frisbee but requires more

skill to throw further distances. The length of the holes varies from as little as 100 feet to

over 500 feet, although most holes are between 200 and 400 feet. (Oldakowski 356)

There are many different divisions a disc golfer can be in, but there are two major classes,

which consist of a professional class or amateur class. (Nehonsky 1) Disc golf is played

within clearly specified boundaries. Play begins at a tee box and ends at a basket.

(Oldakowski 357) There are par 3, 4, and 5 just like regular gold and that is based of

those distances from the tee pad to the basket. (Nehonsky 1)

Disc Golf Courses

The geographic tradition of human-environment interaction is also quite applicable to

disc golf. Disc golf courses are generally designed to have a minimally disruptive and

invasive effect on the existing environment. (Oldakowski 358) The fairways are dotted

with obstacles but instead of sand traps they are bushes and trees. (Capelouto 2005)

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When constructing a disc golf course you must look at making hole that has a high risk

and reward value, or greater the risk of a bad shot to a good shot is the challenge that

players love.(Houck 29) There are some negative effects to the environment according to

Sylvia Trendafilova such as tree damage. Due to the essence of disc golf and considering

the environment in which it takes place a concern is the tree damage caused by discs

when they hit trees during the course of a game. (Trendafilova 5)

Community Benefits

There are also some huge benefits to theses courses. A disc golf course has the

ability to change your community it many positive ways. The course in Santa Cruz,

California., was once an illegal dump and haven for ATV use. Thousand of tons of trash

were removed from the site during course creation, and the course continues to sustain

itself as trash-free. (Siniscalchi 44) In other local parks around the country, where courses

were constructed, there has been a benefit of decreased crime. For example, a course in

Richmond VA, vandalism can be deterred by bringing “good traffic” in the park to push

out the “bad traffic.” (Siniscalchi 44) Not only does building a course effect crime but

also can affect the health of the individuals of the community. According to the American

Therapeutic Recreation Association, recreational therapy is comprised of carious

activities used to enhance client functioning. When used appropriately these activities can

improve physical health, strengthen emotional regulation, and decrease negative social

behavior.(Powell 4) For a community that doe not have a course there can be large

interest to have a course that is often unknown to the parks and recreation. In the study of

Kershaw County Parks Department, which set up a portable course during Labor Day

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weekend to help measure interest in the sport. During the weekend more than 200 people

visited the course. (The American City & County 18)

Economic Benefits

Not only is disc golf a great community activity that can help with the overall

health and appearance of the town but there are economic incentives. Arguably the

number one factor to developing a disc golf course is cost. Fortunately, courses are easily

constructed, costing a community about $500-$1000 per hole. Although that may sound

expensive, this is a mere fraction of the cost involved in the creation and maintenance of

a lighted tennis court or full-size regular golf course.(Siniscalchi 43) There are also way

that can even turn a profit for the community like the indoor swimming facility near a

course outside of Washington, D.C., has annually sold about $12000 in disc for several

years.(Kennedy 36) There are also tournaments that can bring in additional revenue

depending on the size, popularity of the tournament and course. For a disc golf

championship tournament to be played in a community, the estimated economic gain

from this one event is $1.8 million to the community.(Siniscalchi 45)

Reason To Pay Attention

We have now learned about what a disc golf course can do for a community and

the effects it can cause. We also have investigated the history of the sport, but where do

you go from here? As an avid disc golf player myself I have a special interest in this

subject. The line of inquiry will focus on the construction of a premier disc golf course.

Furthermore it will evaluate the affects on a community and how it will effect the park

management of the community.

Constructing A Masterpiece

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A premier disc golf course would be a course that has the appeal to new players

all the way to professional players. This course needs to be challenging while

incorporating the beautiful views of nature. Constructing a premier disc golf course has

many different challenges that you have to take into account. The first is obviously

location. As Siniscali suggest in, Disc Golf Can Bring Personal and Community Benefits

to Rural America, the best spot for a disc golf course is almost anywhere including a

dumping ground. So going off of this line of reasoning you have to look deeper into the

land a course will be placed on. All of the obstacles on a disc golf course are natural

object such as trees, water, and elevation of the land. The best type of land will have all

three of those obstacles evenly spread throughout the course. Now making a difficult

course is not the only reason for these obstacles because a premier course needs to have a

visual appeal to the players.

Once the land has been located and picked, then the design of each individual

hole and tee pad needs to be decided. To be appealing to a player you do not want to have

holes that are all long in distance or short in distance. When Oldakowski talked about the

hole length having a wide spread of distance, primarily between 200 and 400 feet, this is

a great starting point. Most of the hole should be between those but having a couple of

hole exceeding that 400 feet mark will attract the best players in the world. The course

layout will. Incorporating out-of-bounds and mandatories is absolutely necessary to

challenge the player, remember Houck’s statement of “high risk and reward value.”

Community Interest

Constructing and figuring out all the details for a disc golf course directly affects

the players that play it but the biggest effect will be seen outside of players and courses.

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The community that a premier disc golf course would be constructed in will have many

positive benefits and very few negative effects. The biggest negative effect was outlined

by Trendafilova Cyber Journal, is the effect on the trees and land. As a disc golfer I had

never thought about this hazard, (the trees of getting hit by flying disc could affect its

growth) but I personally have never seen a tree die from getting hit over and over again

from a disc that weighs less than half a pound. She has a valid point, but the fact of the

matter is this is a small issue, which is outweighed greatly by the good.

Benefits to the community for a premier course come in many forms. The biggest

benefit for a course is the economic boost your community will receive. Siniscalchi stated

that a community had an estimated economic gain of $1.8 million when I major PDGA

event came into town. Now these type of event can bring that type of money which is

outstanding for everyone around this course but on average these major events only come

roughly once per year. The great effect will come in holding smaller tournaments

monthly at this course that will make players want to come in from nearby cities to play.

That can lead to sales in food from local restaurants and even hotel reservations can

increase if the players are staying longer then one day. There is also a ability to sell disc

golf equipment at local stores. These stores do not have to be sport stores, as Kennedy

showed with setting up a store inside a swimming facility. A store owner could gross

more then $12000 annually in sales of this equipment. That number would be much

higher in regards to the course, a premier course, we are talking about because of the

attractiveness this course would bring to the community.

Another large benefit for the construction of a premier disc golf a course in a local

community is for physical and mental health benefit. According to Siniscalhi study

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individuals play disc golf for four main reason of exercise, social interaction, enjoy the

outdoors, and for a challenge of a sport. Further with that Powell discussed how being

outside and being active could decrease stress and mental fatigue. Being physically active

is great for the individual but it will also correlate to a more social and healthier

community.

No Problem for Parks and Recreation Department.

As talked about it multiple articles such as, Issue and Trends and Making Space

for the Disc Jockey, the added stress to park management is minimal at most. Courses in

community with a strong interest in the sport mostly have clubs associated with that area.

These clubs will have volunteer days to help clean and maintain these courses. This takes

added stress of the budget off the parks and also the work that needs to be done by

employees. Parks even have the opportunity to increase its budget, as Kennedy stated,

they can sell snacks, charge for parking, or even a fee to use the grounds. This will

greatly enhance every visitors overall experience at the park, with a small source of

internal income that can improve one other areas of the park.

So Why Should This Even Be Considered

So why should a community even consider investing time and money into a

premier disc golf course? The to main factors are economic boost and overall health of

the population of that community. How many cities and small communities are going

through financial hardship or even filing for bankruptcy? More than there should be

giving that our economy is getting better, but these communities do not have something

that is driving people to get out of there houses and spend money. A disc golf course is

the perfect sport to encourage economic growth. With these courses you have people

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buying gas to get to the course, spending money on drinks or snacks during their round,

and most of the time going to a restaurant to eat something after a tiring 18 holes. Unlike

traditional golf were players are spending all their money on green fees, buying

expensive clubs, and expensive equipment, disc golf is an extremely cheap sport to the

player. This is allowing the player to spend their money on items that will help out the

community as a whole not just at one place.

If economical reasons are not enough to convince the community to invest, then

how about the physical health of the people and the overall happiness it could bring to a

family. We live in a country that has a very high obesity rate compared to the rest of the

world. With a course in a community it would bring a fun, active, and outdoor activity to

children, teenagers, and adults. When talking about improving the happiness of a family,

it would give them an activity that is suitable for all ages. Most families want to be more

active, especially if they have children. They want to spend time enjoying each other but

in today’s world that can be an expensive task. Lets take a second to compare disc golf to

go to the movies for a family of three. Movies you are going to spend at a minimum of

$10 a ticket and lets say that is all you spend money on. So you just spent $30 total for

about an hour to two hours of time together. Now with disc golf you are going to spend a

minimum of $10 per disc. Each family member should have their own disc so again that

is a $30 expense, however that money will not only last for an hour or two but it can last

you hundreds of hours for family fun. So again the question is why should this even be

consider, and simply put: a disc golf course can enhance, improve, and grow every aspect

of a community from a whole group all the way down to the individual.

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References

Capelouto, S. (2005, April, 22). Disc Golf Fans Ditch Clubs For Frisbees [ Radio Broadcasting Episode] Day to Day. Washington, DC: National Public Radio.

Houck, J. (2014, January). It’s All In The Risk. Disc Golfer, 29-30

ISSUES & TRENDS - County partners to build disc golf course. (2001, January, 01). The American City & County, 116, 11, 18.

Kennedy, C. (2007, January, 01). Making Space for the Disc Jockey: Introduce or expand disc golf offerings at your park. Parks & Recreation, 42, 1, 34-37.

Nehonsky, C. (2014, February, 14). North Carolina Disc Golf: Assignment One English 1102, 1-6

Oldakowski, R., & W, M. J. (2013, July, 01). Diffusion of Disc Golf Courses in the United States. Geographical Review, 103, 3, 355-371.

Powell, M. L., & Newgent, R. A. (2008, January, 01). Disc Golf Play: Using Recreation to Improve Disruptive Classroom Behaviors. Journal of School Counseling, 6(2), n2.

Professional Disc Golf Association. (2012) Official Rules Of Play: Basic Rules Of Play, Section 802. Retrieved from http://www.pdga.com/rules/official-rules-disc-golf/802-basic-rules-of-play

Siniscalchi, J. (2005, January, 01). Flying Saucers Catch the new trend in rural parks that makes use of natural settings and is fun for the whole family-the sport of disc golf. Parks & Recreation, 40, 1, 42-47.

Trendafilova, S. A., & Waller, S. N. (2011). Assessing the Ecological Impact Due to Disc Golf. International Journal Of Sport Management, Recreation & Tourism, 835-64.

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Addendum

This page is to show pictures of hole layouts from around the United States. Using these images you can start constructing an idea of a premier disc golf course.

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Disc Golf In A Community 13

Disc Golf In A Community 14

Assignment Two Revised

Documents

Transcript of Assignment Two Revised