Wooden, Bamboo, Rope: Homemade disc golf baskets?

[pepe]

Stick and I are busy trying to get a course(s) going on the Peninsula. One of the apparent impediments are the metal baskets, which the open space district doesn't like. Has anyone heard of a design for a basket made from wood, bamboo, rope (as a chain substitute) or from other natural materials?

[Tim]

I haven't seen anything like that. It seems kinda silly to be honest. This is a sport that has standards and don't they have specs for baskets out there that make us an official place if we follow them? Then I'd ask if we care about it being an official place. (I don't personally...) But why go against our sport's standards? THis isn't McLaren right?

[Stick]

This is for Pulgas Ridge. The only reason the Open Space lady can gives us right now for not having a course is metal baskets. Goes against some agenda they have.

[pepe]

I wrote the planner at the open space district back to further explain the situation at Pulgas Ridge, which has a 25 acre off leash dog area. Clearly, this area isn't the most critical of places to protect for the OSD, and upon her reply, we may actually go out and meet there (just wrote them back...). If they give us the green light, which would be amazing, then perhaps we could further convince them that the metal baskets aren't a big deal.

[joegraham]

Reasons for metal: Standard in the sport, visable, durable, less prone to damage vandalism, and easily movable/removable, needed for tournaments that bring income to the area by visitors using local resources. There are PVC plastic pipe baskets by Dr. Fred, but are probably less desirable from some one who wants natural materials.

[bizzle]

in hawaii the have bamboo baskets....they kinda look like windchimes, but you could tweak the design to have a bottom cage? i dunno, a new space to throw plastic is definately needed, if it's not up to standard, then you don't have to play there

[Stick]

I think people are missing the point here. So read carefully. We don't need reasons why we need metal baskets. We need baskets made of some natural material,not metal or pvc. they don't care about standards for the sport and I'm sure they don't care about tournaments. Your more than welcome to go and argue with them. Until then we need places to play. If the only way to get our foot in the door with this group is with wood baskets then we're going to use wood. Maybe we can get metal baskets after they get use to the sport.
So back to the original question. Can anyone out there build WOOD baskets? No mtal, no pvc, and I 'm sure vandalism isn't an issue yet.

[ben]

Stick, here's a link to a picture of the "bunkajins" designed by the Hawaii Castaways disc golf club - http://hcdc.us/Bunkajin.htm

There's also an email address where you can ask for more info, presumably on materials, plans, etc. They look like a step up from the standard tone pole, and from looking at them it seems like you could build them out of wood, bamboo, and rope, with no metal needed.

Thanks for putting in work towards possibly adding a new course to the Bay Area... keep us posted please, especially when/if you need help with basket or course construction.

[les swift]

Looks like they shouldn't be too difficult to make; or get a price for purchasing from that club in Hawaii. Lots of great courses started out tone...

[pepe]

Yeah I saw those too. I think they could be improved, if necessary, by having a bamboo basket underneath the wind chimes. I'll forward this on to the planner at the open space district so that she can have a peek.

[Tommy Likey]

Parrel beads from boating supply companies could replace the chains...

[uofc2003]

I live in Menlo Park and am interested in the what's happening in re dg on the peninsula. I'd love to be involved and help out since I'm currently an underemployed attorney stuck 1/2 way between Marx and Hellyer. my email is uofc2003@yahoo.com.

james.

[pepe]

James: the number one thing an unemployed menlo park attorney can do is to go to your city's rec and park department, perhaps in person, and see if they're amenable to the creation of an 18 hole course at bayfront park.

[joegraham]

Holy crap! Just saw this on discgolfersR.us Check these wooden baskets out. http://www.kodakgallery.com/davenbetseyponto/main/pine_builders_baskets

[joe.moore]

At the risk of inuring the Wrath of Stick, I wonder if you can address the metal basket issue from a different angle. What is root reason why they are balking at metal? My guess is that metal isn't the underlying issue, but instead unnatural, industrial look of the baskets is the issue. A cold, galvanized, chain-filled metal cage is contradictory with natural beauty of a Peninsula park. Nobody wants a pretty park dotted with eye-sores. If we built wooden-bamboo-rope-wind-chime baskets and painted them bright silver they would veto that, too. If this is indeed the issue, maybe we have some other options. Here are some that I though of:

Use regulation baskets, but disguise them: could real baskets be covered in a natural material like wood, bamboo, rope, etc? The poles could be placed inside hollowed-out tree limbs tree trunks, the baskets wrapped wrapped in something natural or more visually pleasing. The baskets (especially the chains) could also be painted in earth tones so they blend in better; it might make it hard for us to see them but it's a compromise.

Build baskets with a natural or Bay Area theme: Anderson Valley Brewing Company (http://www.avbc.com/tour/disc-golf/) has a disc golf course and built baskets using old wine barrels, bicycle wheels, and other materials consistent with the Bay Area's reputation. This might be more palatable to the parks people and even gives them an opportunity to involve local artists and craftsmen to built their own take on a natural or Bay Area-themed basket, given the PDGA-regulation dimensions as a basis; I'm thinking of the popularity of the "Hearts of San Francisco" sculptures here in SF or the painted cows in Chicago. Parks people love getting the community involved.

What do you think?

Here are some photos of AVBC's baskets: