By Darren Dolezel — RattlingChains.com Staff
Why do people feel the need to throw their waste on the ground?
I’m seriously sick and tired of seeing all sorts of garbage spread throughout disc golf courses and everywhere else. When I have worked all day and want to unwind, I usually head outside, take a walk and try to enjoy nature and my surroundings.
Ugh... finding stuff on the course is ugly! After this photo, crushed and in the golf bag to get rid of later.
It stinks to look at a beautiful countryside and see garbage on the ground. I’m an environmentally minded person and I don’t throw my trash anywhere other than where it belongs — in a garbage can (or, on the floor of my truck).
As usual, the weekend comes and I can’t wait to grab my bag of discs, a couple of granola bars, something to drink and head to the local course. I get there, warm up and head out.
It doesn’t take long before the excitement wears off.
Near the first tee, I see candy wrappers, empty cigarette packs, soda cans and so on. I get another few holes in and I see beer bottles and more wrappers. The more holes I play, the more garbage I find. I have a pocket in my bag that could be used for disc golf items, but instead I use it for garbage.
Usually by the end of a round, that pocket is loaded with trash, which I put where it belongs — a trash can.
This is a normal occurrence, too. If it was one-time, I could look the other way and chalk it up to a rare thing. But it’s not. And it’s not just one disc golf course. It’s many.
There is an old saying — “don’t crap in your own yard because it stinks.” These courses were put in the ground with a lot of care, so why is it that people need to mess up the beautiful parks?
Not everyone is a litterbug, I know. And I know many disc golfers pick up litter when they see it on a course. But many also walk right by without thinking twice. If you see it, pick it up. If you see someone chuck something on the ground, confront them.
Maybe courses need more trash cans. Maybe people need to think about what they carry with them, knowing there might be trash.
There’s an outdoor game I also participate in — geocaching. It’s a technology based game where one uses a GPS unit to find things that people have hidden throughout the world. We have something called “Cache in, Trash out,” with the idea being if we are hiking to find one of these items, take any trash we find out with us.
Maybe it’s time to have the same sort of thing with disc golf and we can call it “Chains in, Trash out.” That way, we can do our part to try and keep this world beautiful.
Darren Dolezel is the resident creative guy at Rattling Chains. He often finds odd objects to turn into items useful for disc golf. He’ll share these items occasionally at Rattling Chains. He also detests litter in natural settings. If you have an idea you think Darren should try, e-mail him at: darren [at] rattlingchains.com.
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Thank you for this. I can’t believe how many folks just throw their garbage on the course. It makes me sad that folks don’t take care of the park that we play in.
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Agreed! One a small 9 hole course in Portland there are white paint buckets that are used for trash on every hole. I still find trash thrown around.
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What really annoys me is when the waste is NEXT to the trash can! It’s sad people are motivated enough to get outdoors to play a round of disc golf and then disrespect the course and other golfers by leaving waste behind. I like your slogan “Chains in, Trash out”!
Vandalizing the hole signs is another pet-peeve.
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For whatever reason Bud Light is the predominant beer can thrown on the courses in San Antonio. Bad beer and bad habits by its drinkers. Extremely irritating.
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Once a month I end up taking a full trash bag of can, bottles & other trash out of my home course. I’ve bitched at a few players that I have caught throwing their beer cans on the course. Cigarette butts are the worst.
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Appreciate this post and all that go with it… don’t forget the pooper-scoopers, too. Had to correct some 11 year old kids wanting to throw their ice cream wrappers in front of a target last week — and they were playing! Have to say our course is watched pretty well and we have a pretty conscientious bunch of guys and gals. I’m pretty proud of our local players. It just takes caring and being considerate, and honestly, I don’t know how to make people care or be considerate. Peer pressure works a lot of the time, but ignorance and apathy is a challenging problem. I’d sure like to hear how others have relieved this problem.
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Uh-OH, I hope that is not my can!!!! Looks like something that might have been left laying on my course at times. They always get picked up though. I have played a couple rounds with Darren, and he does pick up alot of trash as many of us do. It is not always the Disc Golfers throwing the trash, but I do feel that most trash in parks does get picked up by Disc Golfers. Let us all be a bit more concious and take a bag along when we play, and pick up as we go. Thanks Darren.
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Donnie — this was picked up at a course near us in New York! 😉
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Great article, Darren! People should apply this, not just to disc golf courses, but everywhere!
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I picked myself up a small trash can with a locking lid today to put in the bed of my truck each month I m going to weigh the garbage before I empty it to keep a running tally of how much trash I remove from the courses in my area
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I carry one or two plastic bags (grocery store, Walmart, etc.) and leave any course I play cleaner than I found it. Maybe others will follow …?
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