For the love of the sport. A place for DG enthusiasts to share their thoughts.

Archive for October 16, 2012

Urban Atlanta’s Perkerson Park: Course Review

Posted by randomtiz


This past weekend I got a chance to play a course down in the city called Perkerson Park with a few friends. I really enjoyed the course layout itself, but as we finished, we each had mixed reviews. I’ll give my review.

I first came across this course a few months ago in a listing on DGCourseReview.com. I was doing a local search trying to figure out what all courses were located within an hour radius of where I live. Perkerson Park came up as one of them and also had one of the highest ratings of any within my radius. So I’m thinking Why haven’t I heard of this place before?. With a rating of a near 4 out of 5 on DGCourseReview, I thought Man, I’ve got check this place out! So, research I did…

Let me preface this by saying I’m not that familiar with all the different suburbs of Atlanta. After reading mixed reviews online, I was curious about where in Atlanta this course was actually located and it’s surroundings. The reviews online talked about how nice the park and the course layout was, but there were several concerns with the people that frequent the park. I even read where someone said that they carry a taser with them to the park…Now I’m thinking Oh gees, do we need to bring something? or yet even play?. We give it a shot. How bad can it be in broad daylight?

We get there a lil earlier than the others and we sit in the first parking lot for about 10 min. There’s a good bit of people around, maybe a reunion or birthday party. From the car, I’m not seeing where the first basket could be. I check the website on my phone and realized I need to be in a different gravel lot. We pull out and around to the next entrance which had the gravel lot. A lot less cars down there. In that first lot, I wouldn’t say I felt unsafe, but indifferent maybe.

So anyway, we get out and you have to walk down the creek about 300′ to the practice basket and trail for Tee #1. They had a really nice large, flat area with a practice basket and large stones marking 10′, 20′, 30′ and 40′ distances to putt from. After a bit of flippin’, we head up the short trail to teepad #1. Hole #1 is pretty sweet to start off the round. Picture this. You’re teeing off from halfway up the hill in a cutout in the trees. You’re roughly 30′ up teeing off over the creek, through the clearing and up the hill on the other side to a basket nearly 360′ away. Nice!

This large creek (trickling stream) bed runs through the park and comes into play for the first four holes and 11 and 18. I love how open and large this park is. There are trees in the open parts, but it’s not dense and the mature trees are spread nicely down/across the fairways for obstacles. After the first 6, you start into the woods where the fairways get tighter as your technical games comes out.

The course consists of mostly longer holes with the shortest only being around 240′ and going to the signature Par 5 Hole #18 at a hella-long 850′! I had a great time and never once felt unsafe once we actually got onto the course past the parking lot areas. I would definitely go back and play again with a group. Either way, I wouldn’t play the course alone. Play in a group.

You can tell how hard the crew works to keep this course up as best as possible. The landscaping, lines, and pin placement is excellent. I know they constantly work every Saturday mornings on the course using all 100% volunteer labor. There’s still lots to be done and they do only have carpet tee pads and temporary signs for now. I’m listing it as a con for now, but I know this park will be Awesome when it’s finally done. =)

PROS:
-Great layout and terrain. Loved the elevation changes and long open fairways.
-Enjoyed the Fall weather/leaves changing color.
-DG Course not crowded at all.
-Excellent balance of open and wooded, tighter fairways. Really tests your skills requiring a variety of shot types.
-Nice park in general! I hope they can keep this park up and going!

CONS:
-Surrounding neighborhood/area
-One of the trashiest courses I’ve played as far as garbage, shopping carts, baby strollers, baby cribs, random clothes lying in the woods/creek beds along the course. The park itself is really nice, don’t get me wrong. Just needs cleaned up in the woods.
-Temp signage; one was missing. I wish they had the Par listed on them. I had to constantly check my internet to see what DGCourseReview.com had each hole listed as.
-Carpet teepads; I know they’re working on getting concrete teepads.
-Hole #14…where is the basket? We couldn’t find it. Threw down fairway through mando, then ended up throwing 90 degree to the right across the creek to basket? Later realized this was Hole #17 basket. Do they share a basket?
-There is a good bit of walking between some baskets to the next teepad. We spent some time trying to find where the next holes were. Better directional arrows would help.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I say, GO PLAY IT! (midday, with some friends)

-jt


PDGA divisions and ratings

Posted by curly2284


DIVISIONS:

Class Division Name Code Ages Minimum Rating
Amateur Advanced MA1 All Any (Required for 935+)
Amateur Intermediate MA2 All < 935
Amateur Recreation MA3 All < 900
Amateur Novice MA4 All < 850
Amateur Advanced Master MM1 40+ Any
Amateur Advanced Grandmaster MG1 50+ Any
Amateur Women Advanced FW1 Any Any (Required for 800+)
Amateur Women Intermediate FW2 Any < 800
Amateur Women Advanced Master FM1 40+ Any

If you are a PDGA member and have a rating you can easily see what divisions you qualify to play in by comparing your rating to the following chart. If you do not have a PDGA rating then you can determine your approximate rating a couple ways. The best way is to compare your score at a previous tournament to other rated players at that tournament. If this is your first tournament then you can compare your average score at a course with previous tournaments at that course. To find this information you can go to www.pdga.com use the search function for the course. However, it is important to note that normally a course plays more difficult during a tournament due to additional OB lines, slower play and the pressure of competition.

RATING SYSTEM:

Now on to the rating system. The PDGA rating system calculates each player’s skill level and also the difficulty rating of each course played in PDGA events. Your Player Rating is a number that shows how close your average round scores are compared to the World Class Par (WCP) of the courses you’ve played in competition. Players who average WCP on courses played will have a rating of 1000. If they average even lower scores, their rating is over 1000.Most competition players average scores higher than WCP so their ratings range somewhere between 700-999. Every 10 points equals one throw on an 18-hole course. If you average 5 throws over WCP, your rating will be 950. Everyone has a few bad rounds. The system uses at least 85% of a player’s best rounds relative to the course WCPs from PDGA events that have been entered into the system.

Hopefully this sheds some lite on Ratings and Divisions. I personally use this as a guide im still only an 800 rated player but I will go to a tournament and compete even if it doesn’t have a novice division. I really enjoy playing rec division as a challenge, You will never be better if you don’t play against better opponents.

~stephen


Hello Everyone! Want To Build Your Own Quality Basket?

Posted by destinjames


I’m proud to now be apart of Dogleg Disc Golf!

My name is Destin and I’m originally from the Ann Arbor area of Michigan, but currently reside in Marietta, GA for school. I’ve been playing DG for about 5 years, and love every facet of the sport. 

Back in 2010 I designed and built my own basket. The cost was less than $100, and the feeling of using your own basket beats buying one any day; and it truly works just as well as a basket at the park.

Below is my original post I put on my own Michigan Blog a couple years ago. I hope everyone can use the information to make their own backyard basket!

It may not be worth it to spend a lot of time making your own basket when nowadays a portable basket is not much more more than the cost of this basket, but I certainly want everyone who views Dog Leg Disc Golf to have this option.

And always remember that all questions are welcome!

Enjoy the Greenleaf Basket! Named after the road it was designed and made on.

Destin

 

——

 – Original post: 2010 –

*** THE PICTURES BELOW MAY BE TOO HIGH OF RESOLUTION FOR THE BLOG FORMAT!! CLICK THE PICTURES TO BE DIRECTED TO THE MAIN SOURCE. THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO VIEW THE PICTURES! ***
 
You can probably figure out a lot just from the  pictures (pictures are below… if dimensions are cut off, click ’em), but here is a bit more detail.
 
The top piece is a PVC cap that fits over 2″ PVC (the hole is 2″). I  suggest a cap that isn’t hollow. It gathers too much water.
 
The wood piece is treated plywood. The thickness is to your liking. I  suggest 1″, this is what I used. Make sure it’s treated! Cut and sand the way you prefer. The diameter of the wood is 23″.
 
The opening between the top and basket is 22″.
 
I have 24 chains. Screw eyelets hold the chains. My chains aren’t as heavy as they could (or should)  be, but they seem to work just as well as a Mach III. From the pictures you can tell the gauge. A trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s will tell you the  right chain to buy. I suggest Home Depot since I was able to buy the  length I needed off of a roll; not already packaged. 12 chains on the  outside–17 links, 8 in the middle–16 links, and 4 for the inner–15  links. When constructing you will know the proper length–just make it  look like a disc basket!
 
The basket is a whiskey barrel liner bought at Menard’s (23″ opening, 5  or so inches deep.. perfect measurements are not too important. Just  want to keep those discs in!). If you don’t have a Menard’s in your area, call around and ask if they have whiskey barrel liners. These  liners are cheap and perfect.
 
Once you get one, cut a hole the size of the outside diameter of the PVC in the middle. drill or puncture holes all over (1/2 inch or so) to make sure water doesn’t gather. As long as your holes aren’t larger than  a disc, you’re all good!
 
PVC couplings were used above and below against the barrel liner. This  was for easy breakdown and hold of the liner/basket.
 
A bolt was driven through the bottom coupling into the 4-way splitter…  I think there is an actual name for the splitter, but it escapes me  right now!
 
Four 45 degree angle pieces were used to connect to the legs.
 
The legs were cut at a 45 degree angle on a saw to insure flat stabilization.
 
ENDING MEASUREMENTS:
 
23″ DIAMETER TOP/PLYWOOD (1″ TREATED)
 
23″ BASKET/WHISKEY BARREL LINER (HORIZONTAL OPENING)
 
22″ CATCH OPENING (WHERE THE DISC HITS! … THIS IS BOTTOM OF PLYWOOD TO  TOP OF BASKET)
 
10.5″ BETWEEN BOTTOM OF  BASKET TO QUAD LEG-SPLIT
 
30″ TOP OF BASKET (BARREL LINER) TO GROUND
 
OVERALL: COMPLETE BASKET SHOULD BE APPROX. 52″ TALL
 
 
This isn’t the best way to show how to make a well made basket (and  trust me it is a great basket!), but it’s the best I can do at the  moment.
 
If you have ANY questions email me! I would be more than happy to share thoughts on a wonderful  homemade recipe for a just-as-good-as-the-park disc golf basket!
 
Happy Huckin’,
 
Destin
——
This first picture is the original basket that was a bit too tall, and with an unstable wood base. The directions above are for the pictures following the initial picture. I posted the initial picture to get an entire view of the basket.

Continuation of Whats Going On

Posted by curly2284


Theres a few items to add to Jts list.

-New Park in Jasper. More on this after wednesday

-Mango Classic. Full review of b-teir tournament and Blue Angel Park Courses in Pensacola Florida

-Grip and rip group formation

-Custom Shirts And Signs in Jasper Alabama now have discraft disc, and bags in stock.

-A few members who have tournament directors pdga standing. What this is and why you would get it.

-Trussville Alabama dg course’s closed.

-Been asked this question a lot lately, Pdga division breakdown, what each class is and how you are ranked for tournament play.

and theres quite a bit more…

~Stephen

 

 


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