Frisbee Golf
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Frisbee Golf in public parks?
–Apr 12, 2024Hello BPN community-
Someone in Oakland has proposed, via official channels ,to create infrastructure in some public parks for "frisbee golf".
Some of us on the board of a park "Friends" group would like to understand this sport/game better.
My impression is that it involves groups of fewer than six people, primarily young males, walking around a large area of open space, throwing plastic disks ahead of them and computing scores by some methodology.
Questions:
- How much space is required? Does the game require large open space, or do the players walk down roads and trails?
- How often do the flying disks clobber hikers? Cyclists? Spook horses? Do off-leash dogs assume that the Frisbees are being flung for their benefit?
- If park trails are narrow and overgrown, can the game be continued without fear that the disks will land in poison oak thickets?
Thank you, from someone who has zero depth perception,
Apr 12, 2024
I'd recommend visiting some of the parks in the EBRPD system or in neighboring cities that have existing courses. I can't speak to horses, but we bike and take our off-leash dog to parks that have disc golf (Aquatic Park in Berkeley and Oyster Point near the Oakland Airport) and haven't found it problematic to share space with the courses. I have never seen a disc hit anyone; if the course is well designed, it shouldn't be in conflict with other paths. The groups we've seen playing at both these parks tend to be co-ed and generally look to be adults in their 30s, but I imagine that may just depend on the time of day/week. (I know UC Berkeley has a disc golf group that uses the Aquatic Park course, for instance, but don't think I've ever been there at the same time.) And yes, if the park trails are not maintained and become overgrown with poison oak, that would be a concern for frisbee players, just as it is for hikers and off-leash dogs. I believe EBRPD just redid the Oyster Point course recently, so it might be worth reaching out to them to understand the cost and maintenance requirements better. I have never actually played, but it does seem like a great way to get younger adults out into the parks (and my teen is very curious about it, too).
I have many family members who play disc, young and old, male and female. East Bay Regional Parks has a fairly new course, they would probably be a good source: https://www.ebparks.org/about-us/whats-new/news/disc-golf-course-now-open. The San Francisco course is very popular as well: https://www.sfdiscgolf.org/golden_gate_park. Also City of Walnut Creek: https://www.walnutcreekartsrec.org/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/78/1920. There are more. Disc is very popular. If you build it they will come!
The best way to get a sense for how disc golf works in public parks might be to check out one of the existing local courses - Moraga Commons Park is probably the closest, but Walnut Creek also has one in Walden Park that's between a park and a busy trail, and there's one at Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline in Alameda/San Leandro. Those are the three I've been to; I think there's also one at Aquatic Park in Berkeley. I'm not a disc golfer, but have been out a few times with my teen/adult kids who play, and everyone we've encountered has been friendly and welcoming, even to my very clumsy middle-aged-mom efforts. And people are pretty kind about returning found discs and just generally being excellent to each other. So, yes, it does attract primarily young guys, but I don't think you need to worry about it attracting packs of roving troublemakers. I think the poison oak would be your biggest issue - discs do go into the bushes/trees on a regular basis (at least when people like me are playing). The amount of space needed can vary (the three courses I mentioned are wildly different from each other in size and terrain), but you need some pretty long, open sight-lines to be able to throw the disc from tee to hole - you couldn't really play in a forest, for example.
There is a disc golf course at Aquatic Park in Berkeley. I walk my dog there regularly. Interaction between golfers and walkers always seems friendly. We pause for each other when needed. The discs do land in the water or in the trees and need to be fished out. Seems to be part of the game there. I recommend you visit the park. Might help you get a sense of how it can all work together.
Visit Moraga on a weekend, there is a frisbee golf course in the Moraga Commons Park. While I have never participated in this sport, I visit this park with my young kids and it's lovely. They have set the direction of the frisbee throwing away from the playground, so I've never seen a frisbee fly in the direction of a kid. I also grew up in another state that had a frisbee golf course at our neighborhood park, and it was quite popular. The users of the park kept it clean and as far as sports go, it's one of the more quiet ones. You won't hear any complaints about noise from park neighbors, and the course still leaves the park green and usable for everyone.
there are 2 in san leandro. I don’t play, but I frequent the locations that the courses are and I have not found them to be too intrusive. You should definitely go check out the new one at oyster Bay. There’s more established course lChabot Park disc golf course that would be good to see too. despite the course they still host a very popular kids daycamp in the same park. 1781 Esrudillo Ave. in San Leandro.