Many people think that pay to play disc golf is the way of the future, and many think that it should always stay free and available to everyone. One of the best things about disc golf is the fact that it is very inexpensive even to pay to play. It doesn’t have to be one or the other; there is plenty of room for both pay to play and free with good and bad reasons on both sides of the argument.
On the good side of free courses the main benefit is, it’s free. Because of being free it allows people that have never tried disc golf to see if they would like to play, without spending any money to find out. It also gives you a place to take the kids out and play and teach them how to play, and it also keeps the sport available to people who just don’t want to pay to play, for whatever reason.
On the down side of free courses is the abuse and vandalism by people who are not really into the sport or are too stupid to figure out you don’t destroy things for fun. Everyone who plays has seen the broken and missing signs, the stolen baskets the trash all over the course, etc. Some people don’t respect things that are free.
Example, a nice 9-hole course opened up at Bunker Hills Park in Blaine Minnesota last fall, they had really nice signage and trashcans all over the course when it opened. After 3 weeks several of the signs were missing or broken off and there was trash all over in the woods, these things happen much less on pay to play courses, and if the local disc golf clubs didn’t spend their time and money on course maintenance, it would be much worse.
The only negative side of the pay to play courses is that you have to pay, but the cost is very negligible. I have seen courses that were from $2 up to $10 per day to play. The $10 per day cost is Highbridge Hills in Wisconsin, if you have played there you know that it would not exist without being pay to play, and look at what you get for $10 a day.
One of the big positives of pay to play courses is you don’t have to worry about walkers, bikers, or kids playing in places that you are throwing, which is a problem on many courses in city parks. It’s frustrating to the players, and it can be dangerous to the other park users. The other positive of pay to play courses is the extra’s you get for the money. The majority of the most challenging top courses are pay to play because of the added cost of having a top course.
A new course complex being constructed as I write this is Castle Rock, being created by Timmy Gill, a Minnesota resident a local tournament director and Discraft sponsored pro who disigns disc golf courses and runs Par 72 disc golf. Castle rock will be a pay to play complex with similarities to Highbridge, multiple courses, camping, etc. You can’t get courses like this for free.
Other pay to play courses around the Twin Cities are Blue Ribbon Pines, Elm Creek, Bryant Lake, and Highland Ski Area course. These courses are all in the top courses in Minnesota. I play most of my disc golf at Blue Ribbon Pines, I can go there in January and the tee pads are ice and snow free and dry, and the fairways are plowed when there is enough snow, just a couple of the many extra things you’ll never get on free courses.
The bottom line, there should always be free courses, they are a low cost way to use public park space and give people who don’t want to pay to play to enjoy disc golf, but for the small cost that you have to pay to play, there is no doubt that it is worth it. Check out Disc Golf News for all the news on disc golf everyday.
Comments
Great article! I'd really love to go to that Highbridge Hills. Looks beautiful there.
I've never played, but suddenly I want to. Good article.
Pay to play is cool and only cool if we all pay..to the casuaral golfer it means nothin. We all want to experience theses grounds and deserve to see it. teachers should set up sjop to truly show whats right many of us would love to learn and enjoy a brew at the same time
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