NW Courses and trash strategies - data gathering, not rant.
 

It's been a while since we've had a trash centered thread (looked)
but most interested in data gathering the trash strategy breakdown for our NW region and by course. I wasn't excited about a poll, as it doesn't associate the answers with the courses, which seemed the most important. Nor does it speak to the success level of the program.

I believe that trash management is close to being an unwinable game, but some strategies pair better with some courses. (I don't think there is one right answer for all, just a wise solution for each case)

I know we're regularly talking about it ourselves quite a bit over in our club area, so I wanted to draw in the collective.

If you feel comfortable in knowing the strategy for a regional course, feel free to contribute -

Styles:
- Pack in-pack out only
- Selected location cans/bags
- Every Tee can/bag

Pick-up: Volunteer or agency (e.g.parks dept)

Success: Yes, no, medium.

I know, everybody loves a great rant story about inconsiderate jerks, but I'd be encouraged by success stories if you have 'em. Whats's worked (for a particular course situation or set up) and why.

thanks,

B Thornton
West Sound Disc Golf Association, VP

Course:

Style:

Success level:


extras:

NAD park

Bags/can every tee

pick up by Volunteer monthly steward assignment (can then delegate or arrange)

Success: really good at lowering on ground course trash
mod/good at maintaining intact steward program

Fairgrounds DGC

Bags every tee

pick up by single steward assignment (can delegate for form helper team) and "global effort" by doubles events

Success: good at lowering on ground course trash
Moderate with occasional notable lapses in bag haul out.

Notes:
Hilly terrain makes haul out more of a labor than a flatter course.

Corbin Park Disc Golf Course - Post Falls, ID

Random garbage cans at holes that are easy for city officials to get to from the road.

Works well when cans emptied regularly but probably needs daily in summer.

Works OK. City also on occasion has an employee go out and pillage the aluminum cans out of the garbage - which makes up 90% of the messes - and the city employee collects cans for a given period of time then cashes them in and the city holds a BBQ for its employees with the money they raised from recycling disc golfers beer cans.

Collection doesn't always happen though.

I feel, and have pushed for an adopt a hole program where our club members sign up to take care of individual holes. If you had enough people signed up for each hole with frequent players I think this would help a lot.

Cherry Hill Park DGC - Coeur d'Alene, ID

Random garbage bags scattered throughout course. No set schedule for pick up. Looks horrible. Club usually does it. Poor system.

Fredericksen Wilderness Park

Dedicated pack in pack out only

periodic self policing, garbage collecting rounds by some

Success: Generally favorable with volunteer garbage round ups, but gets overwhelmed in early summer peak season. Catches up quickly if mobilized.

Notes: Pack out only is a set in stone desire from day one by this park to not attract bears or raccoons. Accessibility and terrain makes collection point and tee pad collection a non starter.

Gwillim and a buddy came down to meet and play one of our local courses, They packed out more trash in their bags than disc's. They were stomping through brush way out of their way to pick up a can or wrapper.

1% must clean up after the 99%... Just how its is. Sad but true. Also 1% do 90% of all the work in parks... So THANK those 1%ers as you play through.

Cheers 1%ers :cheers:

Cheers 1%ers...

Somewhere, my brain just exploded...

White River
Parks dept picks up the cans in the major park areas

Even tho there is garbage cans every 3 holes, there is still a major trash issue here.
I play every morning and fill 3 plastic store type bags daily, and there is still garbage everywhere.
Tom Bontempo gives out small bags during fund raiser tourneys, for random garbage pickup.
I pick up what i can, but more help would be nice.

NAD park has the cleanest park I have ever played at. Been there more than 30x and I only seen 1 soda can in the bushes. So how are they doing things?? My guess is a good club :-)

On a side note, I know a few of us put a trash can in the back of the park, hole 7, and we the locals removed the trash. However that trash can was taken by??? And this is an area of major littering. Why that trash can was taken I dont know? But I dont have the extra $$ for another one.

sorry, this isn't going to conform to your requested system... it's just gonna be what i think 'cause, yo, that's how i roll.



personally, i'm happy to pick up garbage that is not mine, maybe carry it for a hole or two and then put it in a conveniently located can... but i don't have room in my bag to carry someone else's garbage and it screws with my game to have to carry a garbage bag. yes, i seriously said that. it's my princess complex rearing it's ugly princess head.

i think that's gonna be the best bet to keep a course clean. lots of garbage cans that are magically emptied on a regular basis.

I must be a princess, This is sort of how I roll too.

The Magically emptied garbage can is where the rub is. Noone really wants to do it and those who do(THANK YOU THANK YOU :bowing::bowing:) are probably getting tired of a thankless job.

Ultimately I believe there needs to be a garbage can at every tee pad. And an agreement with the park dept./caretakers to empty them on a regular schedule.

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:
Thanks for the morning laugh Sam, for those who know you this is funny as all ......

What we have found here at Horning's is that you need to have a can/bottle can at every other hole, and a trash can at about every third or forth hole. Even with that though and a can in sight we still have some losers leave their bottles at some tee pads or on the course. For some folks it does not matter what you provide, they just don't give a damn, which is sad on so many levels.

I will say that for a park that does not have someone out there a great deal picking up the containers, you would need a can/bottle can at every hole and a trash can at every other hole. That will take care of most of the trash, though like I said, there will still be a few that it just does not matter, they don't care, something happened in their childhood that helped make them A-holes:shooting:.

Big buckets? little buckets? bucketless?
 

This is an interesting issue that has drawn on since the beginning.
The Migratory Habits of Trash

As someone who has collected litter and emptied many a bucket
There is no good answer, YET!

Tying this into another thread ..."whats the best way to grow the Sport"

My answer. That every DG be encouraged to play by 5 rules.(even the most casual of rounds). Saying this is not a Pdga event is not except-able.

Rule 1 Pack it in Pack it out
Rule 2 Don't break shit
Rule 3 Don't advance in front of play
Rule 4 Play behind your mark (not in the neighborhood)
Rule 5 No Falling putts

As we play our home courses (each of us can recognize newbies) we should go out of our way to first introduce ourselves and share this simple vision.

Yauger Park (R.I.P)
Woodland Creek Park
Evergreen State College


We are happy to help the parks/ City/ State with picking up litter, but I will never vote to let our club take on scheduled trash responsibility. It's a disaster waiting to happen, as there is too much liability. What if someone dumps a meth lab on the property, I don't want our club responsible for cleaning that up. As long as we provide the course, the city/ parks will be responsible for the trash. We write it into the contract.

Lake Stevens Disc Golf Course

Pack it in Pack it out!

There are 2 garbage cans near the parking lot for people to unload their bags, but nothing inside the course. The city will take care of the 2 garbage cans. It has been staying pretty clean lately. We keep garbage bags near hole 1 for the "occasional very cool person" who will carry it with them to clean the course during a round.

I personally think it looks trashy to have a bucket by each hole overflowing with beer bottles and cans. It seems if the park stays clean, people are better about packing their stuff out.

The groups I play with will always have a garbage bag to pick up any strays. Our rule is whoever drives closest to the pin on that hole, carries the bag for the remainder of the hole. It makes it kind of a pride thing to be able to carry the bag. I have played with Gilby at LS and he never had to carry the bag because he sucks.

The gentleman keeping everyone's score written down & official gets what's called "Scorekeeper Exemption" and does not have to carry the bag as long as he's keeping score & doin his part.

We have the last off the tee carrying the trash bag (or so called 'briefcase'). That way any practice shots or mulligans have a price. We give the scorekeeper exemption as well as having a 'three carry' rule with a similar exemption.

I found that the nets that the turkeys come in are the best bags to have - light weight and retains a minimum of spitoonage of the trash getting packed out.

Peace.