Is this hypocrytical?

[Skittle68]

My friends and I play disc golf in a public park, where we just have targets marked on trees with two pieces of white tape. You try to get the disc to the tree in the least number of throws possible. Anyway, my boyfriend designed this course 5 years ago, and now this guy wants to come and put baskets in, and make it a public course with signs, and set tee boxes so anyone can come and play. We play across the park, and then back, using the same targets from different tee boxes so that we have 18 holes, but with a public course it would end up being a short, 9 hole course. So not only will putting baskets in destroy 9 of our holes, every course I've ever seen has issues with erosion, garbage, people breaking off branches in their way and killing trees, drinking beer, throwing cigarette butts everywhere, and the biggest issue is that this is a pretty heavily trafficked park- lots of picnics and families. If there are people in our way, we always skip the hole, or change the spot we throw from (almost every hole on our 18 hole course has an alternate tee box for that reason). I bet a lot of disc golfers will think that the park goers should get out of their way because "it's a disc golf course." I can see innocent bystanders getting hurt. Am I being hypocritical?? There is a parks and recreation meeting tonight about it that I plan to go to, but I'm worried that they will say we just don't want to share our course. Unfortunately everyone else in our disc club either has to work, or is out of town so I have to go by myself and represent how we all feel about it. That's why I'd like to hear an outside opinion. I'm not very good on the spot, and I'd like to have an idea of how people are going to respond, and whether anyone is going to agree with our point of view, or if they are going to think we are being selfish.

Oh, another thing that bother me is that this "disc golf dude", as he calls himself, plans to use the 9 holes up the park that my bf designed, and we have been playing for years, but when people ask who designed the course, the answer is going to be, "Chuck, the disc golf dude", or whatever his name is. It bothers me because mike put a lot of work into it- the course has been evolving and getting better for 5 years. He drew out maps and really put thought into it. So anyway, a little feedback/suggestions/devils advocate would be really helpful . Thanks all!

 

[CharlieD]

Gosh, it is a tough one. I totally see your point, but how can you preven making it into public park, it is public park now probably, is it not? So you have been lucky enough to use public proparty for 5 years for yourself to begin with. Now it's time to share. I'm sure there are more details to all of this. I would at least demand recognition of the fact thqat it was your boyfriend design and his idea, then maybe it will be easier to come up to terms. I hate to share though. So I am not the one to talk.

 

[Addie]

Have you considered contacting the Parks Department to run interference for you? The down side to that suggestion is that they may remove all markings that have been placed or they may make up new signs that cannot be removed by anyone. They might just recognize your rights to this site for this game. After all, it is a Public Park and subject to rules laid down by the Parks Department. Good Luck.

 

[Skittle68]

Gosh, it is a tough one. I totally see your point, but how can you preven making it into public park, it is public park now probably, is it not? So you have been lucky enough to use public proparty for 5 years for yourself to begin with. Now it's time to share. I'm sure there are more details to all of this. I would at least demand recognition of the fact thqat it was your boyfriend design and his idea, then maybe it will be easier to come up to terms. I hate to share though. So I am not the one to talk.

If it was someone of the board of parks and recreation that wanted to put baskets in, I would agree with you, but it's just some guy. The citizen patrols in the area agree with us. It would probably end up being a problem. It's really the only park in the area people can go have bbqs and things like that, and having a disc whizzing by your face every 3 minutes would discourage normal park activities. Those things fly 300-600 feet, and have sharp edges. I've been hit by one that was only going 30 feet and I had a big black bruise. I really don't know what the board thinks about it, actually. They might just be humoring him with the meeting, or they might think Lincoln park is the perfect location. I plan to point out that chester bowl would probably be better because it's used more for winter activities like cross country skiing, and not used as much in the summer. Then the disc golf dude could design his own course as well.

 

[Skittle68]

Have you considered contacting the Parks Department to run interference for you? The down side to that suggestion is that they may remove all markings that have been placed or they may make up new signs that cannot be removed by anyone. They might just recognize your rights to this site for this game. After all, it is a Public Park and subject to rules laid down by the Parks Department. Good Luck.

The meeting tonight was organized by the guy who wants to put baskets in. His goal is to convince the board of parks and recreation that's it's a good idea and get permission to do so, AND he is going to try to convince them to offer funding. At the very least he will try to get permission and raise funding himself. He will probably need about $2000. We have the citizen patrol on our side, and I'm pretty sure at least one of them will be at the meeting, but I don't know for sure. I don't think they would go so far as to tell us we can't play in the park (that would be a little crazy to say no throwing your frisbees in the park lol), but the fact that there are no baskets keeps the trouble makers away. We offer to show anyone who asks how the course goes, and we also inform them of our self-imposed rules, such as no breaking branches, pack out what you pack in, and if you hit a bystander you are banned for a month (that's never happened so no one has had to be banned)

 

[CharlieD]

I think if you just ell them the whole story, like you told us they really should take your side. I hope. I wish you luck.

 

[sparrowgrass]

Just speak up and make your voice heard! Maybe write out a cheat sheet so you don't forget your points?

You have me convinced!

 

[Addie]

If it was someone of the board of parks and recreation that wanted to put baskets in, I would agree with you, but it's just some guy. The citizen patrols in the area agree with us. It would probably end up being a problem. It's really the only park in the area people can go have bbqs and things like that, and having a disc whizzing by your face every 3 minutes would discourage normal park activities. Those things fly 300-600 feet, and have sharp edges. I've been hit by one that was only going 30 feet and I had a big black bruise. I really don't know what the board thinks about it, actually. They might just be humoring him with the meeting, or they might think Lincoln park is the perfect location. I plan to point out that chester bowl would probably be better because it's used more for winter activities like cross country skiing, and not used as much in the summer. Then the disc golf dude could design his own course as well.

The fact that there is a potential for injury is reason enough for the Parks Department to nix the idea. Make this your strong point. They don't want to be open to a lawsuit.

 

[Skittle68]

I'm so sad. The baskets are for sure going in. 6 of the 9 holes are identical, or almost identical to holes that we already throw, and the guy who "designed" it is some guy that my bf took through the course last year, and the holes he had in mind at the time are NOT at ALL like the ones he is talking about now. He claims that it's just a case of "great minds think alike" and that they just had similar ideas for where good tee boxes would be. He has a sponsor for every hole, so the baskets are already bought and paid for, and he has volunteers to build steps in the spots where erosion is an issue. He thinks the disc golfers will police each other as far as littering, etiquette, and waiting for pedestrians to pass by. They just shut down a near by disc golf course because of damage, to the trees, erosion, and garbage. I brought that up, but of course no one wants to listen. Oh well. I'm moving, but I'm sad for all the other people that play our course who won't be able to anymore.

 

[Dawgluver]

You know what, Skittles, at least you tried, and gave it your best. That's all you could do, stick up for something you believe in.

 

[Skittle68]

You know what, Skittles, at least you tried, and gave it your best. That's all you could do, stick up for something you believe in.

True. It's so disappointing though. I'm especially disappointed that he won't even admit that his course was inspired by my bf's design. Oh well. After mike showed him our course last year, he completely disappeared, so we thought he was just some yahoo with pipe dreams. Turns out he just didn't want to work with us. Most likely because he wanted full credit for the design.