Us disc golfers are in a very awesome place in the growth of the sport. We are getting more media attention, more sponsors are taking notice, and tournaments are popping up more and more. With growth comes even more scrutiny with how we are perceived. 20 years ago, we were know primarily as a bunch of hippies throwing frisbees and now we are proving that this can be a truly professional game. With the increased visibility, we need to remain responsible with how we handle ourselves. My biggest complaint is lack of volunteers to help with the small stuff. Most of our courses are still in public parks, funded by tax payers and course maintenance still tends to land on the laps of the clubs that call these courses home. If we do not take care of them, we always run the risk of losing these courses. If people are littering the courses with trash, vandalizing signs, benches, baskets, etc. what would stop the county or city from pulling out those baskets and replacing all of that land, (which is generally a lot of it.) with other park amenities that wouldn't cause such issues? The first step we need to take is self policing. Follow the posted rules of the parks. Respect the property. And leave nothing but foot prints. Obviously this is the best case scenario. The next step we need to take would be assisting with fixing these problems. If we all want to enjoy these courses, we need to volunteer some of our time to help the cause. There is nothing more frustrating than knowing there are fellow golfers that simply shrug off this responsibility but are always the first ones to complain about the problems. When you are being called upon by your fellow DG'ers and ignore the call, I lose a lot of respect for you. I know I cannot be there every weekend helping. I am lucky to get out once a week to enjoy a round. I do however take it upon myself to bring along a trash picker and bucket, a broom to sweep pads, and pair of trimmers to do some course maintenance during my casual rounds. If I am pulling out more then one bucket of trash during an 18 hole round, I get ticked. I am pulling 3 and 4 buckets worth out of some of these courses each time I visit. It makes us look bad if that is how we treat the course. For a while I felt empowered and proud because I really thought it would catch on with others. Me and a friend were keeping it quiet and just went out there doing it without broadcasting our efforts. Feedback was always good, but no one is catching the bug. Today I played a course for the 2nd time in about a week and I pulled out 2 buckets today compared to just a half a bucket the week earlier. It is starting to feel like a wasted effort and I am contemplating just throwing in the towel, but as I write this, it reminded me of what the greater picture really is. It makes me feel better knowing that I could give back to the sport that has given me so much. Now if I could only get through to everyone else.
On a side note, today has been one year since my first post here and I think it has made me grow as a person by seeing how my reflections on the game have been. I will continue to be a better person and hopefully a better disc golfer in time.
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