On the proposed #11, I have to agree with Rick's concerns. If you get through the tunnel to the crest of the hill, then you have a pretty good view of the basket and the path. You may have to wait a ...
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On the proposed #11, I have to agree with Rick's concerns. If you get through the tunnel to the crest of the hill, then you have a pretty good view of the basket and the path. You may have to wait a while if you see someone coming, which can be frustrating and lead to bad shots, as well as the temptation to throw before the path user is out of harm's way.
The real danger, however, is if people don't reach the top of the hill, because they catch some trees or don't clear the hill itself. Then not only will they be unable to see the path, people on the path won't be able to see them. The flight line is challenging enough that many players will take 2-3 shots to get over the hill. That can lead to quick throws out of frustration, without taking the time to hike up the hill and see if anyone's coming. Like Rick, I think an injury is very likely if not inevitable -- but I'd say it wouldn't even take an injury to jeopardize the course. If some important person or spouse comes around the corner with a baby stroller and a disc goes whizzing by, that may be bad enough.
I tend to be pretty aware of what's going on around me, but I actually failed in that respect on my 3rd shot on #11. After a good tee shot, I had pulled my approach far to the right of the basket, and was about 50-60 feet away on the wrong side of the path. I was so focused on my shot that I didn't notice a pedestrian coming from the left. Luckily he saw me and stopped, but I didn't see him until I had let go of the disc. I wouldn't have hurt him on a shot of that length, but he could easily have been annoyed and gotten a negative impression of disc golfers.
I think it might be possible to move the basket to the southeast, so as to avoid the path and yet preserve the challenge of the tee shot under the trees. If it were just over the crest of the hill, it would be visible from the tee, making it easier for new players to navigate the course. It wouldn't be very long, but the course already has a lot of long holes. I think it could use a few more holes that are reachable in one shot.
#12 has problems, too. It is possible that a single pedestrian going clockwise around the path could force you to wait, for quite a while, on both your approach to #11 and your tee shot on #12. That kind of situation makes it tempting for players to throw when they shouldn't. As we walked from basket 11 to tee 12 on Sunday, a couple with a stroller was just rounding the bend by #11 basket. They slowly made their way across the line of flight -- and then stopped for a couple minutes just 10 feet to the right of the gap in the trees, to make some adjustment involving the kid in the stroller. They had no idea that they were in our way, and our group was not exactly pleased with the additional delay.
I also think there could be a potential problem with the proximity of the #12 basket to the #13 tee. Normally that wouldn't be an issue, but in a tournament situation if the course were crowded, an overshot to #12 could cause delays for people waiting to tee off on 13. Probably not something that would happen very often, but it occurred to me while we were playing #13.
I appreciate the effort and creativity that went into this, as well as the interest in making the course flow better. I am also impressed as hell with the baskets that you guys made for those holes. I just think the holes need some more adjustment, for the good of the course as an ongoing enterprise. We have to account for the worst case scenario, even if it seems very unlikely, rather than just hoping for the best.
