Want to Start Crystal Lake League

[wn1998]

Hello All,
My name is Joe Davison and I am the Athletic Supervisor at the Crystal Lake Park District. I would like to set up a disc golf league at our course this summer and would like some feedback on what you think would work. I am looking for advice on the structure of the league (best shot, singles, team etc) I would also like to know the length of the leagues you like and what kind of prizes I should look into. Basicly I would like all the info to start a successful league in Crystal Lake.

Thanks,
Joe

[stpitner]

Rock on!  Crystal Lake sure does get a lot of players (both good and bad), and I bet a lot of them would enjoy something like this.

I would probably recommend 1 round of 18 holes with random-draw best shot doubles.  The league that DISContinuum runs in Waukegan works well with pools of upper and lower-level players to even everything out and it's a good way to help the people in the lower pool learn how to better their game.

I ran a league last year that went 12 weeks from April to June.  For the group of people that came out it seemed to be about the appropriate finishing point when it was all said and done.  There were a couple of people (myself included) that wanted to immediately start another 12-week league, but I didn't get enough interest in it.  Really unless you plan on having overall season awards, you probably don't really need to have time frames other than as soon as it gets warm enough until it starts getting too dark before you can finish.

I think most leagues around here are cash-based entry and then cash-based payout.  I had free entry and no payouts except some trophy discs at the end for the top 4 finishers.  I also gave "perfect attendance" discs to 2 people that made it out to every week of the league.

The best advice I have for the overall course?  Those teepads need some help!  I'd love to see those receive either concrete or rubber tees.  It would help eliminate trying to figure out where you tee from (eg. hole 3, 6, 10, 12, 13, 14, etc etc, pretty much all of them).

Have fun!
Scott

[Chainmeister]

Two summers ago I played league on a Monday night at Lippold and Fred Vroman ran it.  I am not sure if he still does it.

[airspuds]

how bout leasing that land at the intersection of  176  and  14 
for disc golf
it is under utilized or so it seems

[wn1998]

Thanks for the help guys. Do you think a doubles best shot league would be a good start or should I try to add another league as well? I would be looking to start the league in early June, what would be a good day of the week and time to hold this league. Also what is typically included with the league fee's (discs, t-shirt, nothing?)

[CEValkyrie]

Joe,

   Check out the first attachment of this thread. This has our league information and is should be helpful. http://discontinuum.org/forums/index.php/topic,2976.0.html


    I would start 1 league and try to make is work before trying multiple leagues.

Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday are bad day for leagues in this area. With tournament & leagues on the weekends and some rather large local leagues on Tuesday & Thursday those aren't good options. The Crystal Lake league used to be on Monday and started to gain interest for a while.

[DiscGolfSchodt]

A couple years ago we had a doubles league on sat. afternoons @ C.L. it was great because we would get a good amount of players to come over after the Round Lake morning league.

[wn1998]

I was thinking a monday evening league in the summer (June-August) with a 6:30pm start time in June. I was also thinking of trying a Saturday league in the fall (September-October). I would love to do a spring league but our spring brochure went out in December.

[white_rhino]

Joe - Do you yourself play or are you looking to start playing, we could always use a new active member? Especially one with an in who may be able to talk to other Park Districts on Disc Golf's behalf.

[Mike S]

Best shot doubles, definitely.  I have seen a few park districts try to set up a league by having people pay an entry fee up front, for X amount of league dates, with prizes at the end.  This will NOT work if you want to have quality players and consistent attendance.  The average disc golf league is cash entry for $5-7, with a portion of that going into an ace fund and the rest directly back into cash payouts.  I would suggest capping the ace pool, based on how much of the entry fee goes towards it.  We put $1 of a $5 entry into the ace pool- it gets capped at $100 if it gets that high and rolls over into a new fund.

Youre going to have 3 kinds of players.  Advanced AM's/Pro's who play a lot of leagues and will likely win cash often...  Serious players that dont play doubles a LOT, but still bump into the cash from time to time...  And beginner players that might be a little apprehensive to throw down money to play.  You need to gauge what kind of players are coming out and adjust accordingly.

[wn1998]

Joe - Do you yourself play or are you looking to start playing, we could always use a new active member? Especially one with an in who may be able to talk to other Park Districts on Disc Golf's behalf.

I have been out to our course once or twice but would not consider myself an avid disc golfer. I know our course gets pretty heavy use and thought this would be a good way to bring the disc golfer's together for some friendly competition.

Our disc golf course is easily the most used feature in our parks. I would love to get a strong league system running in Crystal Lake and would gladly talk to other park districts and promote the sport for all of you guys.

[CEValkyrie]

Joe - Do you yourself play or are you looking to start playing, we could always use a new active member? Especially one with an in who may be able to talk to other Park Districts on Disc Golf's behalf.

I have been out to our course once or twice but would not consider myself an avid disc golfer. I know our course gets pretty heavy use and thought this would be a good way to bring the disc golfer's together for some friendly competition.

Our disc golf course is easily the most used feature in our parks. I would love to get a strong league system running in Crystal Lake and would gladly talk to other park districts and promote the sport for all of you guys.

Joe,
    Is there any way to get cement tee pads installed out there? I would love to come out and talk about some slight modifications to update the course as well. You have my e-mail and phone # if you want to contact me that way.
Thanks
Brett

[circkml]

I liked the Saturday afternoon doubles when it ran. It was nice to play two courses/doubles in one day and I know a lot of people from fairfield would attend after the morning round.

[wn1998]

Joe - Do you yourself play or are you looking to start playing, we could always use a new active member? Especially one with an in who may be able to talk to other Park Districts on Disc Golf's behalf.

I have been out to our course once or twice but would not consider myself an avid disc golfer. I know our course gets pretty heavy use and thought this would be a good way to bring the disc golfer's together for some friendly competition.

Our disc golf course is easily the most used feature in our parks. I would love to get a strong league system running in Crystal Lake and would gladly talk to other park districts and promote the sport for all of you guys.

Joe,
    Is there any way to get cement tee pads installed out there? I would love to come out and talk about some slight modifications to update the course as well. You have my e-mail and phone # if you want to contact me that way.
Thanks
Brett

Brett,
My email is jdavison@crystallakeparks.org and my phone at the office is 815-459-0680 x228. As far as the league goes. I am thinking of running a Monday Night Random Draw Doubles League to start. Saturdays would be nice but Lippold Park is a Zoo on the weekends. I am looking to start the league Monday June 4th and have it run 8 weeks until July 23rd. I am thinking of a 6:30 start time and we will play one round of 18.

I have looked at how you run your leagues and was thinking of doing the following:

$35 per player for the league
$10/week ace pot that will roll over weekly.
medals for 1st-3rd place
Last week Closest to the pin and putting competition with prizes

I see this as more of a recreational league rather than a competition league. But I am open to your concerns or questions as players.

[Dan Michler]

it sounds like it would pretty much draw just recreational players which is wat u want i guess.

10 bucks/week ace pot?  does that mean i have to put in 10 dollars every week to be in the ace fund?

[WkeBrd3]

$35 per player for the league

What about the people that couldn't commit to the league every week, or the ones who could only show up on a couple of the days?

I think it'd be better if you did a weekly fee.

Just my $.02

[Bruce Brakel]

I think you should give your idea a try and see how it goes.  I think people should always be encouraged to try out their ideas for disc golf competition because you never know what might work.  It is not how disc golfers in your area organize their pick-up leagues, but that does not mean it won't be successful.  The MCCG league is run kind of like that and it has been going for almost 20 years now.  No one really runs leagues that organized in the Chicago area, although the Bevier league comes close. 

The best advice I can give you is this:  Make a flyer and personally hand it to players on the course throughout the month of May, especially on Monday nights, but also when there are a lot of players out there.  Tell them, "We're doing an 8 week league from whenever to whenever on Monday nights.  Here's a flyer."  Disc golfers are not going to see an announcement in your monthly or quarterly parks and rec newsletter. 

Also, you might get more players if the best six of eight count toward your league score or league average, and you need to decide if it is a points league or an average score league. 

[pickax]

For any other sports league (park district or private), you pay upfront for the entire league. Results are based on performance over the entire season. Many disc golf doubles leagues are really a collection of individual events, with maybe a series award. I realize many disc golfers are not uses to this kind of commitment, but if the Park District is going to commit resources (like trophies, a staff member/volunteer to run things, etc), expecting a commitment from the players is not outlandish. For disc golf to continue to grow, the player base needs to expand beyond those that go out for the weekly gambling excursion and reach those that want to play recreationally but in a more organized arena.

[Tenny Schimo Fan]

I think cement tee pads would draw more players to the league and make the course safer.

[smyith]

I think cement tee pads would draw more players to the league and make the course safer.

I 2nd that. But it would also be nice for there to be some kind of warning for the non-dgers cause most of them are clueless as to whats going on and the dangers.