Hole one's teepad should be moved

[Eric Olson]

First of all, thanks to those responsible for another great new disc course. Because of it's location it will probably see plenty of play. Well done.

Overall the course is functionally laid out but hole one's teepad is a hazard because of the proximity to trees. I have the mangled knuckles, and the tree to the right of the tee has a little less bark, as evidence of this.

[dan]

That made the coolest sound. I thought it was a disc hitting the tree. Ouch.

On a similar note, I think the pad for hole 7 should be moved back a few feet for the same reason. Being a lefty, I have to halt my throw early, for fear I will smack my hand on the tree when I follow through. I'd like to blame someone else for the placement, but I was part of the group that put the teepad there. Good work, Dan. :slapface:

[Adam Schneider]

On a similar note, I think the pad for hole 7 should be moved back a few feet for the same reason. Being a lefty, I have to halt my throw early, for fear I will smack my hand on the tree when I follow through. I'd like to blame someone else for the placement, but I was part of the group that put the teepad there. Good work, Dan. :slapface:
I suggested the same thing on the day of the first work party, and Steve said he'd move it back three feet or so... guess it slipped through the cracks.

[Wog]

I've played there as much as anyone and I've never experienced the joy of smacking my knuckles on the tree on hole one. Anyone else had a problem there or is it just Eric?

On a similar note, not being a lefty I don't have a problem with 7. I have played with lefties and they haven't complained. Any lefties want to speak up?

[Pizzel]

I have never been close to smacking my knuckles on #1 tee pad. It seems to me that there is plenty of room to swing away if you throw from the front left portion of the pad.

Hole 7 is another story. I have come close to smacking my hand a few times when playing in wet weather......but I still like the layout of the hole.

[TreeLove]

If there is even the most remote chance that one could hit their hand, whether lefty or righty, forehand or backhand, and no matter from where on the pad, the tee should be modified. In this case, an injury has already occurred, multiplying the urgency exponentially. Thankfully, these tees are nothing more than a buried 2x4, and are therefore easy to move.

[Eric Olson]

I've played there as much as anyone and I've never experienced the joy of smacking my knuckles on the tree on hole one. Anyone else had a problem there or is it just Eric? I've seen one other guy do it. Obviously after the one time I haven't done it again, but it is still a cramped place to tee off.

[Pizzel]

I've seen one other guy do it. Obviously after the one time I haven't done it again, but it is still a cramped place to tee off.Eric,
Can you please describe the circumstance of how you hit your hand. I am having a tough time visualizing how someone would/could do this.....with out doing it on purpose.

JP

[Sam]

I can totally see doing it following through. I have thought about it when I throw from there. Same with 7 throwing a forehand.

Neither takes away from my enjoyment of this new course and I have found myself going there rather than other local courses, lately.

[dan]

Yep. Like Sam said, it was on the follow through. It's been a while since I've been there, so I don't remember exactly where the offending tree is.

I think I remember pretty well where the tree is on 7, though (and I think it must be close to a mirror image on hole 1). The tree is just to the left, and maybe (?) a little bit forward of the left end of the tee marker (the 2x4 in the ground). Throwing lefty backhand, I can't follow through normally, because I know the tree is right about where my hand will end up after it swings around.

[Wog]

I think I remember pretty well where the tree is on 7, though (and I think it must be close to a mirror image on hole 1).

We want to equally offend righties and lefties!

All we really need to do is move the 2x4 board back a couple feet on both holes. We could probably even do that next weekend at the work party.

[Scott]

I was out there today and specifically looked at both holes.

It seems you would have to have one hell of a follow through to be bothered on hole 1.

I throw forehand on seven and didn't notice a problem at all.

[dan]

I throw forehand on seven and didn't notice a problem at all.

Scott, I assume you are right handed? That wouldn't put your follow through for a forehand in the same place as a lefty backhand throw.

[Scott]

Scott, I assume you are right handed? That wouldn't put your follow through for a forehand in the same place as a lefty backhand throw.

No, it wouldn't. For some reason, I thought the issue people were having on seven was with a RHFH shot. I didn't even try BH there because it is such a natural FH shot.

[Eric Olson]

Can you please describe the circumstance of how you hit your hand. On follow through on a RHBH. Banged the knuckles of my right hand on the tree directly to the right of the tee. Same as the other guy I saw do it later. Since then I have made sure to set my plant foot as close to the front of the tee as possible so the tree is behind me on follow through. So I would suggest moving the tee forward a couple feet rather than backward.

I'll try to be there Saturday if possible to give my input while course maintenance is taking place. Maybe I can get Dan to come with me and help sort out 7 for the lefties. It seems best to address these kinds of things now before permanent teepads are in place.

[TreeLove]

I can't believe people are debating whether it is possible to hit your hand. He hit his hand, the tee must be moved, end of debate. It does not matter if YOU don't hit YOUR hand, it matters if ANYONE can hit their hand. We don't all throw the same way.

[Ol' Bob]

I figure that no one should hit their hand twice (in their career). Kind of like a hot stove thang, eh? It's just that such a hazard should be recognized and avoided, whether on a second shot or on the tee. I think it might be over the line to move a pad if someone is creative enough only to prove it can be done, when it hasn't been an issue for most everyone else. Granted, I've not seen the offending tee pad here. I know it could be done here at Mud if someone worked at it.

[Wog]

I'll try to be there Saturday if possible to give my input while course maintenance is taking place. Maybe I can get Dan to come with me and help sort out 7 for the lefties. It seems best to address these kinds of things now before permanent teepads are in place.

Looks like we have a volunteer to move the 2x4. Just be glad we don't have concrete down yet!

[topdawgy58]

They could not put concrete where hole one anyways its to close to the tress and the roots would crack it in no time.

[Eric Olson]

Hi Bob! There are no teeboxes at the Mud that are infringed on by trees anything like what we're talking about here.

Wog, I'll be happy to help. Wish you were working on the course Sunday instead though. I 'll have to skip out on a basketball game to be there Saturday morning, and I like to play ball as much as I like to throw discs.

[Ol' Bob]

After learning that the concrete hadn't been poured yet, well ding dangit, move the durn spot. We've recently had a problem with trees getting in the way of heavy snows (and losing the battle). My work is cut out for me for the next few months.

[dan]

Can anyone fill me in on what happened with hole 1? I just talked to Eric, who went out to the work party to help move it into a safer position. It sounds like he had spoken with Steve, and that he gave Eric the go-ahead to move it. When Eric got up to hole 1, there were 2 guys there who refused to let the pad be moved, even after Eric explained why it should, and that Steve had OK'd it. They apparently said something along the lines of: "We" decided it didn't need to be moved. It sounds like they were adamant about it.

I don't know who these two guys were, or who "we" referred to. What I do know is that there was agreement that, for safety reasons, the pad should be moved, that the move had been approved, and that there were people there ready to do the work of moving it. Why was it stopped? I'd love to hear the reason. Especially if you were one of the guys keeping it from happening.

[Bullseye Disc Golf.com]

Not to diss the good intentions and hard work of all who have made Leverich a reality...
But I also agree that the tees for hole 1 and 7 are not right.

I'll list a few reasons why.

1) Having to even slightly consider about potentially slamming your hand into a tree on your tee shot is not a good way to make a hole more challenging. It's just plain bad course design. I believe Hole 1 at Timber is a good example of a proper distance between trees and tees. That's about as close as you want to get.

2) What's the point of wasting concrete and labor there when the corner of the parking lot can play as the tee just fine? Spray paint a 4' x 10' box and it's done. Save money, save labor, hole plays better.

3) From an environmental/botanical standpoint, pouring concrete directly over tree roots is kind of a lame thing to do. Not good for the health of the trees right next to the tee pad.

4) Hole 7 next to the trees and building just doesn't feel right. It feels cramped and awkward throwing from that spot. Let's use the 3 car length rule as an analogy. One is supposed to drive 3 car lengths behind the car in front of you for safety and courtesy for the driver in front of you.

Say the average adult's arm length is 3 feet. Having a tree 4 feet from the tee is not far enough away to inspire confidence they will not hit it with their hand. I would say either a tree or building needs to be at least 6 feet if not 9 feet from all sides of the tee pad. The issue here is that the fear of injury should not be a method for making a hole more challenging.

The hole at Milo East next to the bathroom with the tree right at the back of the pad drives me nuts as well. I think that tee should move up by at least 3 feet even though the tree is not in the way of your arm swing.

[mhalbrook]

Just played the first time today, first time playing on a real course (In my late teens-20s we used to play around the church's neighborhood using sign posts, trees, etc as "holes"). I assume these two tees have been fixed at this time? I'm 6'6 so I've got a substantial "wingspan" and I'd have to try and hit a tree with follow through, or maybe it's just cuz I haven't played in 16 years and use a different technique.

[Wog]

We did move hole 7's tee back about 3 feet. That means you would need about a 6 foot arm to hit a tree on that hole. The tee on hole one was moved at the work party that Eric was at. Instead of moving it forward or back it was moved to the left in order to avoid the tree on the right. The minimal distance, from about three feet prior to the end of the pad and from the far right side of the tee pad is approximately three feet.

I appreciate Steve's suggestion of moving the tee to the parking lot. That will definitely be considered when it comes time to pour concrete. I've seen a few playing hole one from the parking lot, or the alternate long position even farther back in the parking lot. All are good tee locations.

[Eric Olson]

Hole one's teepad is poorly located. You don't see teepads at quality courses that are cramped like this. It needs to be moved if you want Leverich to be a decent disc golf course. I tried to give my input during a work party and was rudely turned away by someone who said he was "in charge" of hole one and refused to entertain other points of view. This left a bitter taste in my mouth, so I'd doubt I'll be volunteering my time at Leverich from now on, but understand that placing teepads inside cramped hazards detracts from a hole. Moving it 6 inches to the left doesn't do anything to alleviate this.

[TreeLove]

One is supposed to drive 3 car lengths behind the car in front of you for safety and courtesy for the driver in front of you.

The hole at Milo East next to the bathroom with the tree right at the back of the pad drives me nuts as well.

Actually, it's one car length for every 10 mph of speed. Or, a two-second gap. I know, because I obey neither.

That "treepad" at Milo East is cool, because it's weird, but it sucks, because it is annoying.

[Sam]

That "treepad" at Milo East is cool, because it's weird, but it sucks, because it is annoying.

I actually use it to push off and get a faster run-up. Or maybe it is in my mind that it is faster... but I feel that I have more leverich... er... leverage there.

[Wog]

Thanks for your opinion, Eric. I will continue to consider it as we fine tune the course. Of the hundreds of people that have played the course I have only heard a handful of complaints about any of the holes. I know we will never create a course that everyone loves and I'm sorry you don't love Leverich. Maybe, the next course I have an opportunity to help design will be more to your liking.

[mhalbrook]

I don't think 1 is that bad, now 7, my wife and I played one time and she kept hitting one of the trees on her tee, not really sure how she managed to do it 3 times in a row but lol