With a little effort from 2 or more people you can accomplish a lot. Funds for local projects can be obtained thru league play or small tournaments. Once modest funds are obtained then it�s the personal involvement of the local disc golf community that gets the job done.

1. Obtain GPS coordinates for the pad on Hole 1. While you are at it use the GPS to obtain distances from pad to basket on all of the holes. First time visitors to your local course could get the exact location from your clubs� website and not have to wander around the park asking strangers where the heck hole 1 is.
2. Participate in league play. Some areas are blessed with a large number of enthusiastic disc golfers, and some areas are not. Once in awhile play at that smaller park�s club gathering to help them get that new basket for Hole 1b. I try to play at all of my local parks now and then.
3. Install those instant tee pads made from recycled rubber. These provide a safe pad over an area that would otherwise be covered with an old carpet and sand or just grass and sand. Sand and debris are easily swept clean and the rubber pad provides a non-slip surface. Larger clubs probably have cement pads, but these rubber pads can instantly give you an alternate pad position.
4. Cut the grass on the fairway. A trimmed fairway is a safe fairway. I also hate looking for my disc in the tall grass and weeds when I am only 10 feet from the basket. If the course designer didn�t intend for there to be a grass hazard of sorts, then trim it. Trimming the grass reclaims the fairway from the rest of the forest. Grab a partner and move a small log or 2 aside to make it safer and a more fun hole to play. Sometimes a fallen tree can add new character to a fairway. When it doesn�t try to make the course as safe as possible.
5. Wear a disc golf shirt. Tournament shirts and disc golf shirts in general, are great conversation starters. When that person behind you in the express line asks about the shirt give them the quick 10 second description about disc golf and where you play. Tell them to watch for the kid that can throw 500 feet while they are there. Always be ready to SUPPORT THE SPORT.
6. Vote. I know I said 5 things, but consider this a bonus. Let your county commissioners know how you feel about green space and why disc golf is good for the community.

This is just a small sample of what you can do for your local disc golf course. Disc Golf is good for the community and civically aware Disc Golfers are good for Disc Golf.

7. Stop littering. And if you aren't one of the ones that litters (as I'm assuming most people who read/post here aren't), dedicate one casual round a week/month to picking up litter at your course. Carry a garbage bag with you and pick up all the litter you see (not counting cigarette butts or you'll be there for a year), and you'll be amazed at the difference it makes. I know I was. :)


sleepy

i take a slower paced approach to the litter. one piece per hole. if i have one already in my hand or bag waiting for the trashcan at the next hole, i'm full. if don't then i pick one up if i see one. no one person need be responsible for every piece... we all just need to do a little.

As far as litter goes, around here we occasionally play "trash bag golf". It can be doubles or singles, either works. Basically while playing a casual round, whoever is on the back of the pad that hole carries the trash bag and everyone picks up trash as we play. The park staff is more than happy to provide all the bags we need. When we fill one, we drop it by the next trash can where either the park staff or one of us comes by later and gathers them up.

6. Vote. I know I said 5 things, but consider this a bonus. Let your county commissioners know how you feel about green space and why disc golf is good for the community.



Get just a little more organized, so that you can go to local government agencies and boards representing a solid group of people.

Last spring, in a presentation to the Ann Arbor Parks Advisory Board, the recommendations of which the Ann Arbor City Council almost always takes, I was asked how many members the Ann Arbor Club has. I replied that in any given year there end up being a few more than 200 dues-paid members, and that over several years that probably represented 400-500 people who were at one time or another club members.

One Parks Board member said, with shock: "You've got a bigger base than the Sierra Club." (Which is quite influential with that body.)

The next time I am asked that question, I hope to have solid numbers instead of a guesstimate, but the point is that if you can say you represent an organized body of a couple hundred local folks, people will listen to you with respect.

BTW, we got permission to put a 9-hole course in Bandemer Park near downtown, on the Huron River. The city is going to spend something like $30k on it.

That is a great success story. If we don't get better organized here in SoFla then the 5 parks in the 3 counties is all we are gonna get! We are expected to get another 1.5 million people in the next 5 years. Disc golf is threatened by this. We need players.
South Florida needs disc golf - South Florida just doesn't know it yet.

For those courses with a strong local following , start an adopt a hole program. If 1 or 2 people take responsibility for litter control, graffiti control, eco-control ( fallen branches, mulch errosion, etc ) and asthetics, you might be suprised how spiffy the course looks next time you are out there . This system is almost self regulating. I will explain....
If you have a list of all the people responsible for each hole , and one particular hole is filthy, everybody knows whom to shoot the dirty looks to . Peer pressure works everytime ! Even better, if you post that same list and a little info about the adopt a hole program, you will educate the casuals @ the course whom might have otherwise thrown their litter on the ground. As I said, almost self regulating .

Good relations with the park personel are a must. When you really need a favor they are more likely to help if you are on a first name basis with these people.

Good relations with the park personel are a must. When you really need a favor they are more likely to help if you are on a first name basis with these people.



Yep. The Ann Arbor Club sometimes orders some extra long-sleeved t-shirts or sweatshirt merch for some of the park folks, for our Halloween tourney - glow in the dark artwork on black. They really like that.

3. Install those instant tee pads made from recycled rubber. These provide a safe pad over an area that would otherwise be covered with an old carpet and sand or just grass and sand. Sand and debris are easily swept clean and the rubber pad provides a non-slip surface. Larger clubs probably have cement pads, but these rubber pads can instantly give you an alternate pad position.




Where do you get these?

Two places that I know of.

Fly Pads (http://fly18.com/pads.html)

Launch pads (http://www.disconcepts.com/LAUNCH%20PAD.htm)

The most important part is the tee preparation prior to installation. If the tee is not prepared properly, no rubber pad is going to do well.

Why fly18.com of course.

Two places that I know of.

Fly Pads (http://fly18.com/pads.html)

Launch pads (http://www.disconcepts.com/LAUNCH%20PAD.htm)

The most important part is the tee preparation prior to installation. If the tee is not prepared properly, no rubber pad is going to do well.


Yep.
In Ocala there were several pads installed for the Ocala Shoot Out. The locals took the time to prepare the ground and then finish with the Rubber pad. After a big rain you may have to re-install the pad.