Gripe No. 70: Hard, disc-chewing bases at the bottom of baskets

I don’t complain much about baskets. If you put a gun to my head and forced me to tell you what my favorite one is, I’d probably go with the Dynamic Discs Veteran. It looks great, catches great and my all-time favorite course features 18 of ‘em with all-white bands – absolutely stunning.

But for as many people as I’ve heard rave about them, I’ve heard just as many claim they’re the worst-performing permanent baskets a course could ever voluntarily stick in the ground. DGA, Innova, Prodigy, Latitude 64, etc. Take your pick, because it doesn’t matter much …

Pin opinions vary.

That’s not to say I don’t have basket beefs, though. After all, this is a “gripe” post. Incredibly, however, one of my main issues with baskets has far less to do with the way discs react after coming into contact with their chains and far more to do with the way they’re installed.

Here’s a prime example:

Note the oversized, all-concrete base at the bottom of the basket.

These things aren’t all that common, which is good, because …

They devour discs.

When my discs smash trees, bushes or baskets, should any damage occur, I’m not mad – this is simply part of the game. The aforementioned “trees, bushes or baskets” are required for real, meaningful play – there’s no escaping them. In fact, without them, things would be, well …

Boring.

But you know what’s NOT required?

Cinder-blocks at the bottom of baskets.

Leave the lock alone.

It’s doing just fine.

I understand that rocks, blocks and concrete slabs might serve some sort of aesthetic purpose, but this is disc golf – not Fashion Week in Milan. What they end up doing is unnecessarily grinding the plastic off approach discs and putters, the latter of which – most commonly comprised of softer, more baseline polymers – serves no other purpose than to run rim-first into things.

Give it a break, dude.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

This includes not getting cute with the bases of disc golf baskets, of course. Sure, on the Pro Tour, this microscopic slice of real estate serves as a prime canvas for advertisers. But your local parks department isn’t on the lookout for sponsors – they’ve got taxpayers for that kind of thing.

Is there no escaping these monstrosities in your area?

Try this two-tiered solution on for size:

• Putt well.
• Approach poorly.

It’s silly, but sound.

Keep your plastic safe.

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Editor’s Suggestions:

• What’s ‘army golf’ in disc golf? (it’s demoralizing)
• Don’t let disc color determine which golf discs you buy
• Disc golf: Don’t wait until you’re ‘good enough’ to compete

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