This November 21 the Aussie Disc Golf community will come together in an event that will span the nation. Despite the best efforts of the coronavirus to keep us all apart, this is something that can unite the Aussie Disc Golf tribe. The Aussie Disc Golf Day will be a multi-venue virtual tournament which, depending on restrictions, will be played at a course near you. Results will be tabled Australia-wide and ranked according to PDGA rating for your two rounds on the day. Prizes will be awarded in every division.
We intend keeping the events small, local and at club level to avoid both unnecessary travel and large gatherings. Any given city may have multiple tournaments depending on who is keen to run them.
Every player will receive a collectible, first run, custom stamped, all-Aussie designed and manufactured disc
If you don’t see an event near you to choose from in the drop-down list. Don’t worry, it just might be that your local club hasn’t organised theirs yet. Just select ‘non-Playing participant’ from the drop-down list and we’ll add you to your local event when it’s registered with us.
Event fees will be minimal. If your event is cancelled due to a change in Covid-19 restrictions in your area, you will be issued a partial refund but you get to keep your disc.
Living in a part of the country where you are almost certain that restrictions will prevent an event, but want a disc anyway? Register as a non-playing participant and we’ll get you your disc.
Want to organize an Aussie Disc Golf Day event in your area? Send an email to competitions@australiandiscgolf.com with the venue and name of your event and we’ll get you started.
Unfortunately, the good progress that had been made in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia has been reversed in some locations. New South Wales has published a list of hotspots where community transmission has been confirmed. In Victoria, stay at home orders have been reinstated in some areas.
It is important that you check if these more restrictive
orders apply to you.
These state that you must not attend an event if you:
· have a
confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19
· have been in
contact with a known or suspected case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
· have been told
to self-isolate by a medical authority
· are unwell or had any flu-like symptoms in
the last 14 days.
Most areas still require people to practice social
distancing including avoiding large gatherings, maintaining 1.5 m between people
and limiting travel.
It’s especially critical that you check your local
guidelines if you are planning on travelling between centres to play
tournaments or league days (Sydney to Newcastle for example).
Disc golf is unique in the way it connects people. Unlike
many other sports, the social activity doesn’t stop when the field of play is
entered. Also, all levels of play – casual to highly competitive – usually
occur among the non-playing public. We’d like a code of conduct that more
closely suits this unique social context. A code that represents all of us in
Australian Disc Golf. We think it would serve a few purposes:
It would assist in explaining the culture of our sport to other potential stakeholders (such as local government).
It would help educate the many newcomers to our community on their responsibility to be good representatives of the sport in public and good custodians of the parks that we play in.
It would give us a more explicit set of boundaries around anti-social behaviour: on the course, off the course and online. What constitutes an acceptable way to treat other people in disc golf is obvious to nearly every one of us. Nearly – unfortunately, there are a very small number of people who didn’t seem to ‘get the memo’ about this somewhere in their development. We need to be clearer and more direct with these people about how to act toward other disc golfers if they want to stay in our tribe. We’d like to do what we can to keep the Aussie disc golf community as safe, respectful and inclusive as possible.
It would be our code. Something about Aussie disc golf that says ‘this is us’. It isn’t intended to duplicate the PDGA players code; we want to expand on it for the environment of Australian disc golf and to cover the out-of-competition and off-course behavior that our rules of association require us to address.
So we’d like to hear from our members. Submit any comments
or ideas you have for our code to secretary@australiandiscgolf.com.
We’ll use all of these submissions to help us write the new code.
Disc golf in Queensland is about to change in a big way. We had a chat with Queensland Disc Golf president Aaron Moreton about the huge weekend they’ve got coming up in Brisbane.
Picture – Bradley Adams
So this weekend might just be the biggest weekend in Queensland Disc Golf history. Tell us about what is happening.
We are celebrating the completion of two new disc golf courses in the Brisbane City Council catchment (BCC). A 12-hole course in Rocklea and an 18-hole course in Carindale. Both courses with large teepads and signage. No doubt it will be a weekend that we will look back on with a smile.
Take us back to the beginnings of the new courses. How did the process start?
Two courses, two completely different stories…
The Rocklea course had been in the pipeline for some time. We were hoping to upgrade the existing course at Fehlberg Park, Yeronga, which had been our home ground for 13 years. Council however had flagged that course as unsafe due to population growth and increased foot traffic. As sad as it was, we did acknowledge this growing concern. Simply put, Fehlberg Park was to be removed entirely once we identified a suitable replacement location. After a bit of ‘back & forth’ we ended up with a 12-hole course in a beautiful park only 5kms away.
“Strike while the iron is hot”…..
During the final design stages at Rocklea I received a phone call from a lady at Brisbane City Council. She worked in a different department with a different purpose – to activate parks in Brisbane to promote a healthy lifestyle. She had heard of me through her dealings with others at BCC who were involved with the Rocklea course. I’ll never forget that first conversation with her, “we might want to install another course or two, could you meet me to explain what exactly Disc Golf is”. At that point in time she knew nothing about our sport, but after a 15 minute meeting with me at Yeronga, she was onboard.
The process of getting a disc golf course in the ground is never smooth. What hurdles did you hit on the way?
Obviously COVID-19 played its part and at one stage threatened to derail the Carindale course entirely. As expected there were numerous ‘robust’ conversations around public safety, course design, flora and fauna protection, hardware quality and available space. Hurdles that were slowly overcome but took considerable patience and effort. Most recently we have had complaints from residents – people by nature are resistant to change. On the other hand, we have had complaints from residents that the existing course at Yeronga is being removed – sometimes you can’t win!
What lessons can you share for other people who are keen to get courses developed in their area, in how to overcome some of the common hurdles?
If you plan to go down this path put your marathon shoes on, this ain’t a sprint. I have been ‘running’ for some 200+ hours and can only just see the finish line. My tips include:
Communicate professionally in all its forms – you and the sport will be judged on your early interactions
Stay positive and pivot as needed – a ‘no’ today doesn’t mean a ‘no’ tomorrow
Be reliable – no one likes having their time wasted
Show flexibility and open-mindedness – you’re probably not going to get everything exactly how you had originally envisioned
Respect the process – slow progress is better than no progress
Respect the people – and there may be a lot of them to respect!
Patience is critical – even the slowest stream can cut through rock over time
Diplomacy is really important. Smile and say thanks – people are more likely to help us if we show gratitude
Oh, and learn to explain what Disc Golf is in under 20 seconds – you will be explaining it more than once.
What personal lessons did you take out of this long process? What would you do differently next time?
As it stands, I am proud of the outcomes I have achieved. Some things I can control, and other things I can’t. Where possible, I have gotten what we wanted. If I had my time over I would like to get everyone in the same room at the same time so we can iron out all potential issues from the start – easier said than done though!
What overall attitude, or spirit, does the sport need, particularly in how we approach local government to tell them about the sport?
I think as a collective we are quick to sell the sport, but slow to sell the benefits. We must not forget that 99% of people do not know what our sport is. Nor do they care about learning about it. So, we should inform them of what our sport can ‘give’, rather than what we ‘deserve’.
What do you think the two new courses mean for disc golf in Queensland? How will they help the game develop?
Massive would be an understatement. The sport is already booming locally, and these new courses will only add fuel to the fire. I dream of 1000 regular players within 12 months across South-east QLD.
What is the feeling for you now? Having been the point-man for the development of these courses and having been through the ups and downs of getting them in the ground.
Initially when I heard they were going in it was excitement. But as I have had time to reflect and dealing with delays due to the pandemic it is more relief.
I’m sure you’ve had some help in all of this too. Who would you like to thank for that support?
Three key areas of thanks:
The Councillors who bought into the sport and my vision. Without their approval the courses would not proceed.
Internal BCC employees, namely Sarah and Dean for being the voice of Disc Golf within the council chambers.
Bruce McNaughton and Stephen Kearney. My go-to minds throughout the journey.
After a few long chats with the ADGC Tournament Directors from Geelong Disc Golf, we’ve reached a mutual decision to cancel the 2020 Australian disc golf championships. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the restrictions followed, it was clear that, if it were to run at all, the nationals would be severely impacted: there’d be a much smaller field, no (or very few) interstate players, no major sponsors, none of the communal gathering of disc golfers that have come to symbolise the nationals, and very little connection with the Inverleigh community.
This last issue became the tipping point for the decision.
For the Geelong Disc Golf Club and Inverleigh, it would have been an
opportunity missed. One that wouldn’t come around again for at least seven
years. We reached a point where we feel that disc golf in Australia would be
better served by running an alternate event this November and holding the next
Australian championships in 2021 in Inverleigh.
Planning is now underway for a nation-wide event involving
tournaments run in different places across the country simultaneously. We will
not be crowning any Australian Champions in 2020, but we’ll still have a day
that celebrates our sport.
All Australian disc golf competitions including local
leagues and national tour events have been cancelled since March. However, as
government restrictions on participation in recreation and sport are currently
easing, it is now time to prepare for the resumption of competition.
Given that Disc Golf is a non-contact sport played outdoors
using a player’s discs and that play occurs in small groups of 3-5 players per
hole, these guidelines outline the steps needed to start leagues and
tournaments again. As each state is easing restrictions at a different rate,
the main requirement is that events are run in accordance with local government
orders.
Sanctioning
the event
ADG is considering application for event sanctioning in areas where restrictions have been eased to allow sport to resume. Sanctioning will not be approved until restrictions are lifted in the area the event is to be held. TDs wishing to run an event should follow the steps outlined in the Checklist for TDs in order to have their event sanctioned. Where sanctioning is provided for an event it is important to still be prepared to respond to changes in your area due to the need to manage a local outbreak. The event proceeding will depend on restrictions in place on the day of the event.
Requirements
for Participation
Players, officials and
spectators must not attend an event if they:
have a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19
have been in contact with a known or suspected
case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
have been told to self-isolate by a medical
authority
are unwell or had any flu-like symptoms in the
last 14 days.
Participants must be:
ADG members with up to date contact details
recorded.
willing to work with contact tracers should they
be diagnosed with COVID-19 following the event.
Before attending the event, participants should assess their
own risk considering their age, medical conditions, situation and contacts.
Strategies to minimise the
risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19
The following strategies are to be followed by participants (players, officials and spectators) at the event. TDs can also download our social distancing rules for disc golf and distribute this to all participants prior to the event.
Maintain group size below limits set by State Government directives. This includes before, during and after play.
Take a “get in – play – get out” approach
Practice social distancing of 1.5 m
Wash or sanitise hands on arrival and departure from event.
Keep a record of who you play with.
Minimise physical contact with the Disc Golf Basket
Avoid touching other participants equipment including but not limited to discs, minis, towels, drinks, food, stools, bags or prams (sorry, carts)
Remove your disc from the basket prior to other players holing out.
Ensure tee box is clear before entering.
Follow hygiene measures- cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing with tissue or elbow, wash hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, avoid touching your face, avoid touching others eg no high fives and avoid touching others things.
Carry your own hand sanitiser, water and food. Public water fountains and shared water coolers should not be available.
Check event website or facebook site to keep up to date on how the event will run
Some changes are needed to the
way events are run to ensure they are safe.
TD to retain a record of names and contact details of all participants (players, officials and spectators), including player groupings eg via Disc golf metrix.
TD to have hand sanitizer available for players to use when they arrive and prior to leaving.
Use Tee-times, flex start or ‘go straight to your hole’ shotgun starts to avoid entrants gathering.
Avoid gatherings of participants
Move players meetings to an online format (eg facebook live) where practicable.
Post tee times, hole assignments and scores online
Move award ceremony to an online format where practicable.
Use electronic scoring systems.
Collect payment and registrations online
Consider using electronic vouchers as prizes and doing payouts by electronic transfer.
Ensure any toilet facilities have soap or sanitizer available.
Communicate with players about how the event will run, using the event website, facebook page or mailing lists. TD’s may wish to use our social distancing rules of play to spread this message.
As a self-refereed sport disc golfers are experienced at knowing
the rules and playing by them. We expect these new steps to be upheld in the
same way in order to protect our diverse community.
All ADG sanctioned events are
suspended from today until 18th May 2020. This includes all A, B, C
and X tier tournaments and leagues. ADG will be reviewing this situation and
extending the suspension if needed.
Any government restrictions
will supersede this statement.
The ADG tour events which are impacted by this suspension are:
The Stony Creek Revival
Baw Baw Alpine Disc Golf Classic
Yeronga Memorial
Sunshine Coast Open + WGE
Victorian Disc Golf Open
South Australian Open 2020
At the moment these events
will not be rescheduled however this may be a possibility later in the year
depending on how the situation progresses. We have placed the ADG tour on hold
until we are better placed to make a decision about whether it can continue.
The Annual General Meeting of Australian Disc Golf (inc) will be held on
Thursday 31st October 2019, 6:30pm at Mount Gambier Golf Club (235, Attamurra Rd), SA.
This is in conjunction with the awards night and players meeting being held at the same location. The agenda for the meeting and the financial statement can be seen by clicking the links.
At the meeting we will be electing the ADG Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of competitions, Development officer, Communications officer and State representatives for the ensuing year. As per the ADG Rules of Association, written nominations for the above positions must be received by me, the Secretary of Australian Disc Golf (inc) by 5.00pm Wednesday 23rd October at secretary@australiandiscgolf.com
A Special Resolution to adopt new Rules of Associationwill be tabled and voted on during the meeting. The new Rules of Association have been updated from the previous version to reflect changes to the incorporation model rules put out by the WA government (Associations Incorporation Act 2015). A summary of the major changes:
“Oversee Australian Disc Golf tour” added as objective of the organisation
Voting age set to 15
A member can only be a proxy for up to 5 other members
Specifies that we were not formed or carried on for the purpose of securing profit for our members from our transactions
Sets out rules around forming subcommittees.
These changes will require a 75% majority to pass.
If you will not be attending the meeting you may vote by proxy. You can complete the proxy form online at proxy form
The AGM is a great opportunity to hear what has happened in disc golf around Australia in the past year and what is coming up in the year ahead. Following the official parts of the meeting the floor will be open for general discussion. You can bring items up at the meeting or send our board secretary Emilie Cameron an email with any agenda items you’d like added.
Australian Disc Golf received the very pleasing news last week that Michael Canci was to be the 2019 recipient of AFDA‘s Rob Hancock award. One of only a small number of disc golfers to do so. A long-standing selfless servant of flying disc sports who is currently applying his thoroughness to keeping the Perth Disc Golf Club administratively in line, Mick is just the sort of community minded individual who deserves such an award. Well done Mick.
