Last week, the Green Splatter Twitter account fired off the following:
Disc golf has lots of teepad snobs.
— Green Splatter (@GreenSplatter) October 20, 2023
Harmless enough, right?
Many of the responses made it seem people thought this was a one-way accusation – not in the slightest. It takes a teepad snob to know a teepad snob. And friends, wouldn’t you know it …
I’m a teepad snob.
One of the biggest beefs I take with teepads is length. There’s no such thing as a teepad that’s too long. You can have one that’s too short, though. And when designed by a parks department that learned what disc golf was 15 minutes before pouring concrete, they’re a common occurrence.
The problem?
Not enough room to work.
The midget teepad reminds me of a “Seinfeld” episode. Long since removed from the house, Frank decides to turn George’s empty room into a pool hall. If he’d taken measurements before buying the pool table, however, he would’ve realized there wasn’t enough room to even play.
Pandemonium ensues.
Granted, not every disc golfer’s run-up is the same …
James Conrad needs an F-16 airstrip, while a guy like Corey Ellis could comfortably drive within the confines of a flower vase. Whatever the case, a longer teepad eliminates the problem entirely. If it’s needed, great – the real estate is there. And if it’s not, simply use what’s required.
It’s one less issue on which disc golfers can blame shoddy play …
That’s always a good thing.
Also, I get it’s expensive to lay concrete. It’s cheaper to stretch a little product a long ways. Shorter teepads help this happen. For something as permanent as concrete, however, even if it means holding off on teepads for sufficient funding, I’d suggest doing things right the first time around. Otherwise, you run the risk of starting over or installing paver add-ons in the future.
* Note #1: On average, concrete costs between $110 and $165 per cubic yard.
* Note #2: Furthermore, labor should set you back between $8 and $18 per square foot.
Meanwhile, in the interim, guys are forced to adjust their throwing styles, change surfaces when driving for distance and fumble their footing when attempting to mount a teepad mid-throw. Worst of all, they’ll let you hear about it, complaining to ANY living entity within earshot.
Here’s an ideal-teepad scenario:
- Between five and six feet wide is great.
- Between 10 and 12 feet long is awesome.
And if the above is 100% out of the question, remember:
Long and Narrow > Short and Wide
If your local club can swing it, do it.
And if it can’t, there’s no shame in waiting.
Regardless, here’s the good news …
Everyone throws from the same teepads.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
Editor’s Suggestions:
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