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Disc Golf Courses - Environmental
Impacts of Disc Golf
An integral part to the disc golf experience
is the sense of place we develop from hurling
plastic into the air spaces between and around
trees, hills, and other various obstacles. The
setting in which we play is a fundamental part
of the discing experience. The very essence of
disc golf is throwing a round of disc golf in
a beautiful natural setting; it is a fundamental
pleasure of the sport. As we play, however, we
need to be aware of the ways that we affect the
land, the plants, and the animals that share our
course with us.
In many cases, disc golf has resulted in significant
environmental improvement. Disc golfers have cleaned
up tons of garbage and refuse and made courses
out of former illegal dumps, and disc golfers
have spent weeks clearing non-native vegetation
so that they could use a specific location. De
Laveaga Disc Golf Course in Santa Cruz, California
is a great example of this. Before the disc golf
course was located there, it was a frequently
used illegal dump and illegal four-wheel drive
playground. Disc golfers cleared away thousands
of pounds of debris, and their continued presence
has resulted in nearly no new dumping and far
less damage from four-wheel drive vehicles since
the installation of the course.
Background Information Regarding Environmental
Effects of Disc Golf
It is far better to anticipate, plan, and prevent,
than it is to fix or repair.
Existing Courses
The PDGA strongly recommends that existing disc
golf courses have a maintenance program in place.
This is becoming increasingly important as the
popularity of the sport soars and usage of the
more popular courses continues to increase. There
are many ways to accomplish this goal, but the
three most frequently used ways are:
- Establish a volunteer maintenance program
using existing disc golf clubs as the core volunteer
group.
- Acquire funding from the entity in charge
of the land where the course is located. Sometimes
park and recreation districts will be willing
to fund maintenance activities.
- Fund a maintenance program by charging players
a nominal fee to play the course. This is a
controversial subject, but it will be detrimental
to the long- term development of disc golf if
existing popular courses show heavy impacts
from the thousands of players that use them.
Goals of a disc golf course maintenance
program:
The overall goal of a disc golf course maintenance
program is to lessen the impact of disc golf to
a given area. Measures include a whole range of
things; from physical structures such as trails,
bridges, and trash receptacles, to subtle changes
in course design to steer people away from sensitive
areas and player education. In addition to keeping
baskets, tee signs, trash receptacles benches
and tees in working order, the maintenance program
should:
- Establish easily recognized well-maintained
trails that draw foot traffic away from other
areas.
- Replant appropriate areas with native vegetation,
or cover with wood chips, bark, gravel or other
soil protector.
- Control weeds and other non-native vegetation,
preferably without chemicals.
- Take measures to protect sensitive small
trees and shrubs. Use stakes to protect the
trunks of small trees, and replant some new
trees every year.
- Preserve the aesthetic value of the course
through the use of ground covers, steps, planting,
etc.
It bears repeating the first rule of mitigation
and maintenance: it is far better to anticipate,
plan, and prevent than it is to fix or repair.
This brings us to our next topic; building and
designing new courses.
Learn More >
Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
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