For one thing it's voluntary right? So how do you get people to come and do work for free on their normal time off?

We just has a big conflict today between the people who play Sunday doubles (a club event) and our presedent who sceduled a work day today.
Maybe we shouldn't have scheduled a work day today? I dunno but even if there isn't any scheduled play not that many people want to come out and help.

So what to do....we still have stuff that needs to get done. How do you motivate people to do free work? :p

food

don't schedule work when there is pre-scheduled play

work in the morning, play in the afternoon

oh, and food

It's funny, some people will want to help no matter what, while some always say," Well, what's in it for me?".
At my local course, the workday is just a big cluster**** with everyone wanting to dictate to everyone else what to do. I pick up other players trash and move dead branches every time I play. Thats my contribution.
If you find a way to actually get people to go to a workday and get stuff done, don't keep it a secret, we all want to know!

We've found a few things work:

-- take the baskets out of the sleeves when you are working
-- have food and refreshments
-- make sure you have enough tools and gloves
-- if you can raise the money offer free stuff for x hours of work (you can see what we have been doing to build our course here in SF although it's maybe more complicated and expensive than what you feel like doing:
http://www.sfdiscgolf.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=211
-- make sure you know what needs to be done before you start
-- deputize a few people to be in charge
-- don't let a few peoples' negative grumbling paralyze you -- do a CTP or some other golf-related activity as a reward for those who volunteer
-- make sure it's well publicized

Beer... No not for sale silly.... If you bring it , they will come . If you invest 100 dollars in a keg, your work day participants will flock to your work day. If people show up that did not work, make sure they take care of the mandatory 10 dollar donation for the course fund ;). You should cover the cost of the keg that way...

Also, work day plastic.... All your hardcore members will have closets full of plastic they do not throw.. Step 1 :Get some plastic donations from your members.

Step 2 : Give that plastic to the people that showed up for the work day...

You could also offer discounts for club merch... Joe Blow disc golfer put in eight hours on a work day.. He get's 20% off of club merch for the rest of the month.......

Or my favorite............. The Funkytown Flyers Club here in Ft Worth will be starting a little incentive program...
I am calling it the " Frequent Flyer Miles " .... Real simple , for work day participation, club events, etc.. You allocate " Flyer Miles "... At the end of the year, those miles can be redeemed for club merch. , they can also be used to assist in determining the Club Member of the Year...

Give people a reason to want to be involved ... A clean park is nice, but you can not hang that up on the wall, or show it off to your buddies ..... Just my .02

<font color="blue">ALSO </font>

We've found a few things work:

-- take the baskets out of the sleeves when you are working <font color="blue"> A little unfair to the casual players, but it will make the work day go a whole lot faster </font>
-- have food and refreshments
-- make sure you have enough tools and gloves <font color="blue"> Crucial, work smarter , not harder. That 150 bucks for the bobcat rental will go a long way </font>
-- if you can raise the money offer free stuff for x hours of work (you can see what we have been doing to build our course here in SF although it's maybe more complicated and expensive than what you feel like doing:
http://www.sfdiscgolf.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=211
-- make sure you know what needs to be done before you start <font color="blue"> 20 chickens running around with their heads cut off is not very productive. REMEMBER : SOME PEOPLE NEED TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO </font>
-- deputize a few people to be in charge <font color="blue"> SEE ABOVE COMMENT , CANT STRESS THAT ENOUGH . </font>
-- don't let a few peoples' negative grumbling paralyze you -- do a CTP or some other golf-related activity as a reward for those who volunteer
-- make sure it's well publicized



<font color="blue"> I really liked what this post had to say. Alot of really good points. Try and get your local Police Department involved . I am sure they have labor detail where you live. What better way for a bunch of convicts to spend the afternoon.. Cleaning up your park... Best Wishes </font>

For one thing it's voluntary right? So how do you get people to come and do work for free on their normal time off?

We just has a big conflict today between the people who play Sunday doubles (a club event) and our presedent who sceduled a work day today.
Maybe we shouldn't have scheduled a work day today? I dunno but even if there isn't any scheduled play not that many people want to come out and help.

So what to do....we still have stuff that needs to get done. How do you motivate people to do free work? :p


I think you just have to find the dedicated individuals that are willing to help. If the casual golfer is calling a certain park his home course then you have to ask if there is trash on the ground does his house look the same way. I believe if its your "Home Course" then treat it as such and lend a hand to the guy that runs everything. Just my .02

This is what our club did for our work day...

We entered everyone who came into a drawing for some sweet discs that were donated and we had a scheduled doubles match after the clean-up. Some people showed up to help for a few hours, some showed up to help about an hour before we started the doubles.

HOWEVER.

I did get the most bang for my buck by setting up something with the County Sheriff's Jail Day-Release. The sherrif showed up with 7 guys from the County Jail. They cut down trees and hauled the timber off. They were happy to not be in jail for the day and were glad to be in a park. I was with them and we got a tremendous amount of work done before the rest of the club showed up.

It's a good thing you were there with the inmates when they were cutting. That happened at my course and they cut so much stuff it made alot of the holes way easier. When I got to the park one of the guys said (after he asked for a smoke), "With all those branches gone now you can see the baskets!"

Yikes!

I would not want multiple people with chainsaws on the course unless they knew what we wanted...

Brian P. of the LODGA's had a good idea. Out of the club fund. Buy Breakfast taco's start @ 8:30. And also buy an 18pack of cerveza for after the work day @ 12:01. Jim Bob said that.
The 12:01 thing, not the beer.