As I was laying out a course, I noticed that many holes could easily be played from the "wrong" tee, except that the tee pad is pointing in the wrong direction.

If all the tee pads we circular, a 9 hole course would have 81 different (thow not all playable) tee/hole combinations. This would exploit a small open piece of land to the max.

What would be the pros and cons of using 12 foot diameter circular tee pads, instead of the usual directional rectangles?

Each pad would have a preferred direction of throw indicated, pointing to the "right" hole.

Weirdness would be a disadvantage.. :D

Cement would cost about twice as much as a 5x12 pad and building the frame would be a bit trickier.

One con that immediately comes to mind is the extra cost for the concrete. 48 square feet to fill (4' X 12" rectangle) vs a little over 113 square feet for a 12' diameter circle. For the cost of 9 circular pads, you'd have enough concrete for 21 4' X 12' pads. Seems like a waste to me.

I have to admit though, the concept is intriguing.

--Josh

As I was laying out a course, I noticed that many holes could easily be played from the "wrong" tee, except that the tee pad is pointing in the wrong direction.

If all the tee pads we circular, a 9 hole course would have 81 different (thow not all playable) tee/hole combinations. This would exploit a small open piece of land to the max.

What would be the pros and cons of using 12 foot diameter circular tee pads, instead of the usual directional rectangles?

Each pad would have a preferred direction of throw indicated, pointing to the "right" hole.



Snappy remark #1: I've often commented that if we could throw at slow play ahead, and get strokes off our score for drawing blood, we could get our game on TV. This concept could accomplish the same result.

Snappy remark #2: If the legal standard where you live for the unaware player to overcome governmental immunity is recklessness, this design would give a personal injury attorney something to argue.

In your own backyard, go for it!

I like it. :cool:

hmmm, i like the idea... very ingenious

Fly Pads get the job done the fastest,so we can play.Discsus throw from a circle and spin.If you dont know where you are going, any road will take you there.

I like the idea and have played on a course with 10-foot circular pads. They were sweet. Two White Tee Ball pins could be set at the front (like on BG courses). I suppose that you could create them so that they could be moved around the pad. The pad was covered with Astroturf as well and completely flush with the surrounding ground.

Note: This was a play to play course with sand traps, ponds and lots of elevation and a club house.

if would be good for a course designed with many alternates. but seems like it would be a problem with high travel courses.

: ) :

What's the point of sand traps on a DG course?

If the tee-pad wasn't concrete it would help with the erosion and ruts that occur on natural pads from people running, twisting and planting in the same areas over and over again. Also to cut costs, instead of a circle you could use an octagon, with each flat side being a potential tee-direction. It would work out nice for lefties and righties to get a good run-up. Personally I like the idea, if executed with caution, it could really make use of smaller plots of land...

Thanks to everyone. The hypothetical (so far) course would be lightly used, and would be on a small (10 acre) piece of land.

I "found" both a blue-ish and a gold-ish 9 course (both a little short to be worthy of the color, but too long for rec players) among the planned red + white tees and 9 holes. That'll be enough discs flying around, without circular tees.

If you just can't get enough speculating, see the thread on "What if the funds didn't run out?"

I like the idea of circular teepads. Yeah the cost is definately a factor but think of how it could change the game. The course wouldn't have to be set in stone the way they mostly are nowadays. You could customize your favorite course to keep it more interesting. Moreover, you would have more throwing options off the tee. Since you can tee off in any direction you can worry less about those run-ups where, on a rectangular tee, you find yourself stepping across the width of the pad more than its length (I hope that makes sense). Less chance for foot faults and I've noticed--at least at my home course--that the area around the teepad is designed for the thrower to step down the length of the pad. Any other path means you usually have to take a small step up. Puts a little more emphasis on timing your X-step right. Circular pads would eliminate that.

I would have to say that circular pads would be really sweet. Everyone is right about the run up. Its alot easier to throw all the angles and lines on a hole if you dont have a specific box to throw from. Also much easier to move baskets if there were diff pin placements because there is no being thrown off by where the pad points :Dn Also would be good if you ever wanted to completely change the layout of your course.

Id love to play on some circular tee pads :D

I think this is a novel idea... Only problem I see with this is people playing out of order on holes. Say you design a 9-hole course that has all kinds of combinations. What if 5 groups gather to one tee to shoot many different holes? Then you've got a wait, and arguments on who should go first, etc. Not to mention multiple groups putting/driving to the same basket.
I think if this sort of thing were implemented, a new set of etiquette rules would need to be created. Unless you're going to be setting a certain route, and posting the course route somewhere so everyone knows how it's laid out at any specific time.

I think this is a novel idea... Only problem I see with this is people playing out of order on holes. Say you design a 9-hole course that has all kinds of combinations. What if 5 groups gather to one tee to shoot many different holes? Then you've got a wait, and arguments on who should go first, etc. Not to mention multiple groups putting/driving to the same basket.
I think if this sort of thing were implemented, a new set of etiquette rules would need to be created. Unless you're going to be setting a certain route, and posting the course route somewhere so everyone knows how it's laid out at any specific time.



Also works when playing the course in reverse.

Circle pads are dope :mad:

What's the point of sand traps on a DG course?



I'm not to sure about that. I've always likened thick schule in disc golf to a sand trap for ball golf. maybe that's what he meant?

I've thought about an 18-hole course using only 10 baskets. One in the "center" of the property, and the other 9 surrounding it, clock like.

You tee off to hole #1, center basket, then from the "center" basket to hole #2, then back to the "center" basket, which is now #3.

You could have a large, doughnut shaped, teeing area, surrounding the center basket.

Just a thought, as I dream of how I could have my own 18-hole golf course. This obviously would not work for a public course.

Snappy remark #1: I've often commented that if we could throw at slow play ahead, and get strokes off our score for drawing blood, we could get our game on TV. This concept could accomplish the same result.

Snappy remark #2: If the legal standard where you live for the unaware player to overcome governmental immunity is recklessness, this design would give a personal injury attorney something to argue.

In your own backyard, go for it!



So when does the wit start. Or does snappy mean something else in your language.

Queen Elizabeth in Vancouver BC has circular tee pads, but too small for your idea.

I also approve of a wider tee pad. I personally would favor a 6x6 tee pad as opposed to a 4x8. Also you can think of a triangular pad, which sorta lets you tee in 3 directions. Another option is a trapezoidal tee, sorta shaped halfway between the letter "A" and the letter "H".

One problem about weird tee shapes going to different holes is traction and maintenance. Let's say you do a circular pad and sweep the poured concrete so that you have max traction at tee off to the hole. Now if you want to tee off 90 deg left or right, then the sweep-ridges are facing the wrong way and a golfer is more likely to slip.

OR you can pour and then sweep in a cocentric circle so that the traction is good in any direction. Which is good, except that, if you get a lot of dirt on the tee, it's going to be a nightmare to keep clean. If your site is pretty dirt-free, I guess that's not a problem though.

Outa time