A two-pronged approach to evaluating environmental concerns of disc golf as emerging recreation in urban natural areas

Abstract

Urban natural areas offer a multitude of environmental and social benefits including recreation. As new forms of recreation quickly emerge, managers often make decisions with limited knowledge about the activities, participants, and environmental implications. We illustrate a two-pronged approach to evaluating environmental concerns of disc golf as an emerging recreational activity, which is conceptually similar to traditional golf, but clubs and balls are replaced with discs that go into baskets instead of holes. A media content analysis was conducted to assess public concerns about disc golf between 1995 and 2010, while a biophysical assessment measured disc-golf-related impacts at four courses in central North Carolina, USA. Results of the media analysis suggest growing environmental concerns associated with disc golf, while the biophysical assessment revealed evidence of tree and ground impacts. Managers could use such contextual public opinion and onsite physical data to inform decisions on permitting emerging activities and adopting sustainable practices, to gauge potential conflicts, and to frame communication to the public in ways so as to increase acceptance and compliance.