Tuesday, December 15, 2009

More on Aptos and the rest of the Santa Cruz DG scene

Didn't mention it in the last post, but big props and thanks to Jake and his minions for first getting a course approved at Aptos High School, then making it a reality, and finally for continuing to make improvements to the layout, design and amenities.

It doesn't seem that long ago that, during a round a DeLa, I said to someone "Just imagine: in about a year we'll have FOUR courses in Santa Cruz county!" At the time we had DeLa and Black Mouse, but the Mouse was in a state of disrepair with less than 18 holes, and no way for first-time visitors to figure out the layout. Now look at us.

DeLa- What can you say . . . it's DeLa!

Black Mouse- Although the original layout was better, at least the course is back to 18 holes. Plus, thanks to a great volunteer effort (sometimes it seems like elves come at night and refine paths from hole-to-hole), cement teepads are slowly beginning to increase and small signs help people find the next hole. This course is short, and carved into an extremely wooded and hilly 30 acres. A great contrast to the area's other courses.

Pinto Lake- The work to get that course installed (both politically and sweat-of-the-brow style) is a great testimony to why Tom Schot is a member of the Disc Golf Hall of Fame. After getting the first nine completely installed, with cement pads, DGA signs, Mach III baskets, and tons of OB markers, the 'back nine' is well on the way to being completed as well. Reviews of this course are mixed, but no one can deny that it's tough score-wise and endurance-wise, that it's a beautiful bird sanctuary, and that it has the potential to one day become DeLa's predecessor as a world-class disc golf challenge.

Aptos High School- This course is the perfect compliment to the other three. It's the best choice for beginners due to its moderate length and openness, but the elevation changes, design, and wind keep it interesting for more accomplished players. It already has cement pads on all 18 holes, and Jake just announced the planned addition of alternate pin positions. Considering the steady progress they've achieved there, expect those new positions soon!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

First Tournament at Aptos High School DGC


I'm pleased to say that despite rain before, during, and after, the first tourney at Aptos was a success in all ways imaginable. The turnout was great, the whole thing ran smoothly, we started pretty close to on time, lunch was sausage on rolls from Corralitos Market, and the distribution of tags afterward was amazingly fast. Most of all, I was really happy to see how many people paid $40 to play in the rain, with no chance of 'winning' anything. It tells me that people understand that the money to pay for courses has to come from somewhere, and also that more and more people feel strongly enough about the benefits of disc golf to also believe that $40 or even $100 here and there is nothing if it means another glorious frisbee playground. To see pictures, click here.
  • I played with a couple Aptos High students in my group, and the father of another student. None of them was particularly prepared for the weather (no umbrellas, for one thing), but not one of them complained even one time. It was the first tournament of any kind for all three of them, and we had a blast.
  • Speaking of weather, my combination of Sealskinz waterproof socks and Solomon watershoes worked perfectly. Having a synthetic shammy and a couple regular towels allowed me to throw pretty dry discs, too.
  • I started off with seven pars, then birdied seven of the last 11 holes to finish -7. It was good enough to get the #1 tag, so I guess I won the tournament, and that means that I've played in the inaugural tournaments of two courses (Black Mouse is the other) and won them both. What I remember most about the Black Mouse event, though, is the 20-minute walk with Steady Ed from the parking lot tournament central.
  • One of the kids in my group told us that he owns three snakes (one a seven-foot Python!), and this same kid, right after we finish our last hole and start to head back, nearly steps on a large lizard. But this wasn't just any lizard- this thing had the longest tail I've ever seen!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Part 2 of 'Knockin' on the Wrong Door', and the latest on Me!

The main point of my last post, though I rambled away from it, is this: If the PDGA or John Duessler think that getting 7,000 people worldwide to sign up for a live webcast of disc golf's most prestigious event makes more than a tiny ripple in the sea of mainstream media and deep-pocket sponsors, they are mistaken. We're still several levels beneath dog shows and synchronized swimming in terms of public awareness. And this is really just a small example of the larger misconception. I've said it before and I'll say it again: If disc golf ever attains large sponsors and TV coverage, it'll happen from the ground up, not the other way around.

If we find creative ways to get more people playing the sport casually, and more casual players competing in leagues and tournaments, the rest will follow.

Last round (for a while) a good one?
Today, I see an orthopedic surgeon to finally address my shoulder injury. If he tells me to shut it down for awhile, I at least got one last round in. Yesterday was Gregory's b-day, and we met at DeLa for a mid-morning round. The weather was a bit brisk with no wind- perfect for disc golf at DeLaveaga.

Gregory hadn't played for more than a month, and the rust was evident early. No disasters- just drives slightly off and putts he normally drills sliding out the side or just missing high or low. An early highlight was an upshot throw from his back (no kidding) on hole 4 after hitting trees early left. He heated it in the second half, proving that it was indeed just rust and not diminished skills.

And speaking of diminished skills, I made a point of telling G not to expect the game he's used to seeing out of me, due to my shoulder problems. I then proceeded to nearly birdie hole 1, birdie 2 with a nice legal leaning putt (what others call a jump-putt), drive past the basket on 4 (missed the short but technical birdie attempt), and birdie 8 and 8a. After that, pars until bogeys on 12 and 13 followed by a birdie on 15. And the the fun began for BOTH of us.

After bogies on 16, neither of us bogeyed the rest of the way. We had four star frames (19, 21, 24 and 26a) and I finished at -7. Normally that'd be good for me but not great, but compared to how I've felt and performed the past four months, it was amazing! The birdies on 26a were especially delicious. Gregory essentially parked it - not an easy thing on that tricky hole - and I nailed my third legal lean-putt of the round. Maybe I should cancel the appointment today . . .

Thursday, November 5, 2009

knockin on the wrong door


Being at ground zero, so to speak, it was obvious that PDGA communications director and others worked extremely hard to make the first live broadcast (webcast) of a disc golf event (the USDGC) a big success. And I must say, from a production standpoint, they hit it out of the park. I watched the the broadcast team live before and after (and a little bit during, waiting to tee on hole 3) my rounds. But on Thursday, after my round was over, I went back to my hotel room to change and eat, with the intention of heading right back to the course to catch more of the action live. But I never returned that day.

Once I pulled the live feed up on my laptop, I enjoyed it so much I just stayed in my room and watched it for three hours! After all, I can watch disc golf action anytime, right? I thought the course came across as a disc golf version of a manicured private ball golf course (some will say that's a good thing, some won't). The event appeared very professional, with the many spotters with their red and green flags adding greatly to the effect. Looking at the players collectively, the impression was that they appeared more recreational than professional, but I can't say why. I mean, what is a professional disc golfer supposed to look like, anyway? If our sport ever did reach that upper echelon with big corporate sponsors, million dollar purses, and television coverage, what would a professional disc golfer look like? (Warning: Digression Alert)

It's easy to picture a hybrid version of a PGA Tour ball-golfer and our current 'pro' look, with Salomon, Keen, or (New Balance or) Bite shoes, long shorts, dri-fit polo shirt and hat or visor? Or might it look more like Nikko Locastro (the guy in the picture)? He's got three things that give him a unique look: the big 'fro, the tube socks pulled up to the knees, and the fact that often those tube socks are often of different colors. And that unique look may be what gets disc golf the exposure it needs to get over the top.

In terms of awareness, a sport needs to do something noticeable just to get its foot in the door. It's much easier to keep or hold attention that to attain it in the first place. But I digress . . .

My point is that there is a school of thought among some of those involved with the National Tour that if we can just get the sport on TV, everything else will follow. And, led by John Duessler, they trumpeted the webcast as a seminar moment in the development of the sport before the fact. What's more, after the fact they glowed about the fact that 7,000 different people signed up to watch the webcast. I'll admit that the extra fact about those people being in 22 different countries was really cool, but only 7,000 people? I don't think potential 'big fish' advertisers and sponsors are impressed by that number.

I do think disc golf has a big future, but I think it'll likely happen a little differently than that other school of thought. Check back soon, and I'll finish the thought.


Saturday, October 24, 2009

Two weeks after my return from the USDGC in Sow' Care-lina (I was taught how to pronounce it properly by three ladies at the Chile's bar while there), and I still have not thrown a disc. This is almost entirely due to my shoulder issues, but the overwhelming nature of my new day-job has something to do with it as well. I gotta say, even completely healthy addictions can have painful withdrawals.

I drove to DeLa a few days ago to re-pay Mark K. money he loaned me for collector Roc's at the USDGC, and the pain I endured had nothing to do with my shoulder. I was on the outside looking in, driving past holes I've played more than 1,000 times, seeing friends and strangers alike enjoying the warmth of the day and the greatness of golf. Realizing I'd miss the Faultline for the first time in more than a decade made me melancholy, and got me worrying for the first time: "What if my arm never returns to it's awesome and perfectly happy state of average-ness?"

I'm at a point (and I've mentioned this before) where my thirst for competition at the highest level may finally be quenched. I've won tournaments, played in the most prestigious event, and had a stretch (around 2006) where I had at least a 50-50 chance of beating anyone at DeLa this side of Bobby Hill. But my thirst to periodically (twice a week- is that so much to ask?) immerse myself in a round of disc golf is as strong as ever, and right now I can't. It's tough.

As soon as next week I'll finally get the chance to let a doctor check me out, so at least the unknown part will maybe be cleared up soon. But shoulder be damned, I'm going to try to play this weekend. It'll be like a tall, cool drink of water for the guy crawling through a scorching desert. And like that guy, I'll probably gulp it down and wish I hadn't.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Triumph of a 'Younger' Gun

Another new wave of young talent has made its mark on the disc golf scene, with the legitimacy of a major championship to make it official. Nikko Locastro, at age 19 (or maybe 20- I'm too lazy to look it up), charged from four strokes back of former champ Dave Feldberg and three behind reigning champ Nate Doss to win the 2009 USDGC.

Nate was the first to cut into Dave's lead early, cutting the three-stroke lead to one before succumbing to Winthrop Gold's OB rope again and again. Then, after a slow start, Nikko began racking up birdies on hole 4 and never seemed to take his foot off the pedal. On hole 10, a par 4 bunkr hole that makes players choose between trying to carry 430-plus feet to the green with a chance for eagle or laying up short left in the narrow fairway, he missed his first attempt to drive the green, but succeeded the second time, then made the putt for a birdie. Under bunkr rules, he didn't get charged a penalty stroke for the miss, and his resolve and confidence on the tee paid off. Nate, in contrast, missed in his attempt to drive the green, then opted to play safe with the short layup. And it seemed to continue like that the rest of the round. Other tidbits:
  • Josh Anton came from the third card to take third place by shooting a course record 53 (15 under par). He was 15 under par after hole 16, but only managed par on 17 (the potentially round-killing island hole) and 18.
  • I heard tales about the way Harold Duvall tweaks the course each year, and I can't help but wonder what will be in store next year after the top players really carved up Winthrop Gold. There were quite a few rounds where players were double-digits under par and bogey-free or had only one or two flaws
  • I can't help but think of Nikko as the Shaun White of disc golf. His big white man 'fro and goofy attire (unmatched knee-high socks) could end up being a draw as sponsors aim for the 15-25 market.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Quick hits on Day Three

  • Nate closed the gap to one between him and Feldberg, then lost two strokes on 17 and 18 (one each hole, by going par-bogey (OB). So he's trailing by three going into the last day, tied for second with Nikko Locastro. I'll be following them the whole round , happy to be nothing but a spectator tomorrow.
  • After my round today, I went back to my room to change and watched some of the live coverage on my computer. The simulation of a professional ball golf event that the USDGC strives for was eerily apparent in the coverage. You see the manicured grass fairways, the numerous tournament volunteers spotting, with the rd and green flags, and galleries just big enough to call them galleries. My only mixed mixed feeling about this is the fact that I'm proud of the fact that most good disc golf course, in my opinion, don't resemble ball golf courses at all. They wind they their way through woods and over mountainous terrain, not through genteel grassy parks. But still, the coverage was pretty cool, albeit noticeably a nit amateurish. But the people involved did their best, and I was impressed.
  • I almost thought I was watching a telethon, they pitched the viewers for donations so often. I think it almost became a crutch when they couldn't think of anything original to say.
  • On 13, the famous '888' par 5, I can proudly say that I parred it yesterday and might have today, if the clouds hadn't opened up and started pouring on us before I could putt out. When I began to address my 23-foot par putt there wasn't a drop, and by the time I had a chance to putt, it was pouring. Still, my total of bogey, par, bogey on that hole, without ever throwing outside of the ridiculously narrow fairway and island green, was one of the few things I can look to with a modicum of pride.
  • One of the others is the 30-foot, steep uphill par putt on 18 to end my tournament. End on a good note.
  • I got to play with two Finnish players, Kai and Janne, and guys from NC, WV, Georgia (Pete May, a very cool 68-year old with a $600 Stetson hat made from 2o percent beaver, and no one I knew before we started.
  • The two things that make the USDGC special, in my opinion, are the course design that makes great use of OB/Bunkr rope, and the abundance and coordination of volunteers.
  • Although it strikes a blow to my ego, I'm happy to see our sport having grown to the point that probably 50 players have the skills to compete at the top level. The blow to my ego part is the fact that I'm no longer in the same area code as these guys. But I'll get over it. The cool part, though, is that at its core this is still golf, and having the raw skills to win an event like the USDGC and actually doing it are two very different things. I watched plenty of guys throw as far as Nate, and routinely can 35-footers like they were 20-footers. But to win the USDGC, they need to pull off these feats with a level of consistency that just amazes me.
  • I don't think I've seen one tye-die shirt all week
  • Watch the live webcast tomorrow if you can. It should be epic.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

The Fan Experience

So far, my USDGC experience has been from the player experience, although I'm stretching that definition a little bit. With rounds of 85 and 86, I've felt much more like the guy that got to play by helping run the Masters Cup than the guy who missed qualifying by a stroke three years in a row.

But after finishing my 8:00 AM round by Noon, then grabbing some good Carolina BBQ (actually, it's OK but nothing special, in my opinion), I headed back to to the course to follow Nate around during his round.

I sheepishly admit to feeling a little bit of shame, thinking that everyone knew I was either a spectator and nothing else, or a player that sucked enough (relatively speaking, of course- this is the USDGC) to have a tee-time early enough to be done already. But I really enjoyed the spectator experience at this event, and the difference between the USDGC and any other event I've ever experienced is quite noticeable. Volunteers are everywhere, including a very impressive number of grey-haired, non-playing disc golf aficionados. It got me wondering- what is it about other part of the country I've been in where older generations seem to get it about the benefits of disc golf, even though they don't play themselves? Are they simply more supportive of their younger relatives? Do they possess wisdom that their counterparts in California do not? Maybe tomorrow I'll ask a few questions and get to the bottom of it.

Since I happened to be in South Carolina during the USDGC, with time on my hands, I decided to follow Nate's group and support ol' Bobby Hill (along with his Mom and Stepdad Mark K.) in his effort to defend his USDGC title. And being the narcissist that I am, my thoughts of these top-ranked players kept coming back to what a gap now exists between me and they world's best. At first the thought is kind of a bummer, but then it sort of justifies spending three hours walking the same course I just played to watch someone else play. I mean, why would someone do that if not to see things done I can't do myself?

Nate is in third place right now, 15 under par and five behind the lead. Some of the shots I saw him execute (and the others in the group) were simply amazing to me. The arm speed they generate makes it clear they are dealing with a whole different deck of cards. And that makes it quite fulfilling to be nothing more than a fan- for a while,anyway.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

I was tied for the lead, and then the tournament started

The warm fuzzy feeling I got from being part of this event - the USDGC - was actually potent enough that it still hasn't completely worn off, even after a first round where I nearly averaged a bogey per hole. As a matter of fact, I wasn't really keeping track, and was shocked when I added it all up. It didn't seem that bad! Feldberg and Schwebbee both shot -9 fifty-nines to grab the first round lead, but players are lined up behind them, including Nate at -5.

I got to play with a good mix of guys today- Kai from Finland, US Am champ this year Blayne, and Al 'Sugar' Shack, an acquaintance from my days hanging with Michigan dg-ers a decade ago. Everyone was upbeat and mellow, which made things more enjoyable for certain.

I wish I could blame my hideous +17 on the fact that the course is designed in such a way that it's more difficult for people that can't throw 400-plus feet. While this is true (as it is for any course with reasonably long holes), Winthrop Gold provides ample opportunity for a player to shoot par, as long as he/she can throw 300 feet. The design is great in that regard, and even somewhat friendlier to left-handers. So no excuse there.

I also wish that I could say that my injured shoulder is the cause of my high score, but that really isn't true either. Only on the par 5 hole five, where I made the ill-fated decision to try unsuccessfully three times to throw over a large expanse of water in a way that my arm can't handle right now, was it much of an issue. Every other time my feeble arm came into play, I had another option that I opted not to opt for. So no excuse there, either.

But tomorrow at 8 AM presents another opportunity, so we'll see. But I'm running out of excuses.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The day before

As I type, it's Tuesday night in Rock Hill and I just returned from the players' welcome banquet. If I didn't already have the sense that this is a special event, I do now. It feels pretty cool to be a part of it, and I'm surprised how many people I've met over the years that still remember me, despite the fact that my touring days days are mostly in the past.

Most notable from the meeting were a couple slight rule changes just for this tournament. For one, there is a bolder statement about displaying balance after a putt from 10 meters and in. At the USDGC this year, you need to demonstrate balance on BOTH FEET before advancing. Also, there are no warnings for falling putts. Instead, on the first instance the player has to re-throw, and take the worst of the two throws. After that, he/she incurs a stroke penalty, must re-throw, and then take the result of the re-throw.

I also liked Harold Duvall's phrasing when he addressed the issue of calling penalties: "If you're sure, always call it, and if you're not sure, never call it." I agree 100 percent.

On a (to me) comical note, I met a guy with the last name 'Bachman,' and it instantly occurred to me that his name lends itself to the best disc golf name-pun ever. It can take several forms, but if I was in his group and he turned over his drive, I'd say 'Bachman turned over his drive,' or call him the 'Bachman drive turner-over.' He got the joke right away, but said he'd never heard it before. I guess that, where he's from - Utah - they're not big BTO fans.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Monday Qualifying

The United States Disc Golf Championship is molded after ball golf's US Open in several ways, but today's news relates to a difference rather than a similarity. Ironically, neither event is 'open' to anyone who wants to participate. You have to either qualify or get in on some type of exemption, of which there is an extremely limited supply. For example, former champions get in for life, and in the USDGC if you finished in the top 20 the year before, you're in.

To determine the rest of the field, both events have a series of qualifier tournaments around the country. But the USDGC reserves five slots for anyone willing to show up at the course and pay $20 per attempt to post one of the five lowest scores. Right now, according to usdgc.com, the five best scores today among hopeful qualifiers range from 63 (5 under) to 67. That is proof that there are plenty of capable golfers that would like to play this event every year but do not get in.

Here is the part I find really interesting. You can try as many times as you like on Monday to qualify, as long as you have the cash. And if you encounter disaster on the first hole, or anywhere else, you can abandon that round and get back in line to plunk down another $20 and start again. I asked the starter why they allow that kind of disruption to the other players in the group (kinda annoying when the other members of your foursome suddenly call it quits mid-round). His polite reply (because everyone is so very polite in the South): "Monday qualifi-uhs generate a lot of money for the purse." That makes sense, I guess.

If you are interested in seeing some pictures of the course in sequential order (for the most part), click here. I accidentally had a weird effect set on my camera, but you can still get a sense of each hole.

To see pictures of the wet and rainy Monday qualifying action, click here.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Winthrop is Golden

This morning I finally got to see the course for myself, and this afternoon I finally got to play it. And it wasn't until playing it myself that I was able to fully appreciate it. This course really is the result of some great course design.

Winthrop Gold is known to be long and exacting, with its "10,000 feet of OB." But after playing all 18 holes, I'm happy to say that a player who can barely throw 350 feet could break par here. Can break par here.

I'm not saying it's easy, no, no-o-o-o-o-o. Even though the terrain is mostly manicured grassy, many of the holes have just enough slope to complicate shot choices. OB lines don't just run more or less parallel to the left and right of the hole. Often, they are used to define a hole, transforming a wide-open area into a vicious, narrow, 90 degree dogleg right (hole 10). And don't even get me started on the the bunkr! However, this course is quite fair.

Using myself as a good yardmark to prove (or disprove) the bold assertion above (about weenie-arms being able to break par at Winthrop Gold) I'd have to say that only holes 5 ( a 1000-foot par 5 with a large stretch of water to cross at the end of the hole) and 13 (the famous '888' hole) are tough to par mostly because of length. On the rest of the holes, if you can throw a 250-foot upshot close enough to get up-and-down - and if you have the discipline to throw to spots rather than follow the instinct to huck it as hard as possible on a 900-foot hole - you can break par. I'm telling you, you can.

Now, all that being said, practice is different than tournament play and it's always easier said than done when it comes to doing the logical thing in golf. But still, it's a great course and great tournament that requires precision shots, consistent putting AND 500-foot drive potential to win, yet requires only the first two to break par and finish in the cash.

Like a polite - but devestating - right cross

Finally, after 11 years of speculation, stories, pictures, and video, I got to see the Winthrop Gold course for myself. And as is usually the case, the reality didn't match up perfectly with my preconceived notions. Pretty close, but not exactly. Here are a couple things that surprised me a little:
  • Based on the online caddy book (course map), I expected more of the holes to be 'wooded'. In reality, almost the entire course is nice, mowed grass, and most of the trees you need to play through have high canopies that make it so you're just dealing with the trunks.
  • On the other side of the coin, the OB on most of the holes increases the degree of difficulty much more than I thought it would. In some spots, my feeble arm forces me to advance my disc 200 feet or less (when I need much more) to ensure I don't stray across an OB line.
By way of analogy, I can compare Winthrop Gold to a heavyweight boxer that uncharacteristically doesn't look, sound, or act imposing. So you go into the fight thinking you've got a shot, that maybe you won't get as seriously mauled as your opponent's 52-0 record with 45 knockouts would indicate. Then the bell rings and you get hit with that first devastating - but polite - right cross. That's the first impression I got from Winthrop Gold. Now, the question is, will this insight help me at all?

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Level 20 in disc golf is usually Hole 13

Is it just me, or do a disproportionate amount of disc golf courses feature a design that makes the thirteenth hole the most difficult? My home course is DeLaveaga, and number 13 there is the legendary I-5. It's probably why I've always noticed this odd . . . phenomenon . . . coincidence . . . or maybe it's the opposite of a coincidence. Maybe it's part of the course designer credo.

At my little local short course, Black Mouse, the longest hole by far is number 13. But before the course was reconfigured to pacify a science teacher, number 13 was the trickiest**. An uphill 290-footer that forces you to throw way around a gnarly tangle of Redwoods and brush, it's still the toughest par for me on the relatively easy course. Go figure. I know I've made the same observation at countless other courses, too, but one in particular is on my mind.

Hole 13 at Winthrop Gold - site of the United States Disc Golf Championship next week - is known as 888. Because of the length. But it's a par five, and the course includes a par four that is 900 feet. So length isn't what makes this hole the toughest of what is a parade of challenging holes. Much like 13 at Black Mouse, this hole is hard because it barely gives a disc room to breath, from tee to basket.

Without yet seeing it in person (that'll change next week), but based on the caddie book and descriptions by numerous people that have (including current chap Nate Doss), here's an idea of how it plays:

A narrow strip of tree-studded fairway bends slowly to the right, eventually running into a dead-end 800 feet away. At that point, the basket is about 150 feet away in the middle of an island green. The hazard on this hole is called bunkr, and landing on the wrong side of the red bunkr line incurs no penalty stroke. However, you must throw again from the original lie. So if there is a shot that really gives you problems, you might pile up some strokes.

Standing on the tee, you see a wall of low-hanging trees on the left and a parking lot on the right, divided by a 3-inch curb and the aforementioned bunkr.
  • The first task is to break through or go over that line of trees, without crossing over the bunkr line that defines the other side of the fairway.
  • You then need to keep between the two roughly parallel bunkr lines that are maybe 50 feet apart, while dodging trees strategically placed throughout
  • Depending on your power and your risk-taking personality, there are numerous opportunities to reach the island green from between the trees, starting from around 400 feet away from the basket, 500 feet from the tee. I'll most likely have to cover 600 feet of that skinny fairway before I can take a shot at that green.
I have a feeling that my respect will grow for this hole after I've actually played it.



**NOTE: I just contacted the designer of both Black Mouse and DeLa, HOFer Tom Schot, to ask him if there was some secret course designer rule involved, and he said there was no such rule, so that's that. But now he'll begin seeing tough 13's everywhere too.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

USDGC- Be careful what you wish for

Since it debuted 11 years ago, playing in the USDGC has been first a wish, then a dream, then a goal, and finally an obsession of mine.

For the first few years, I wasn't even cashing in Masters Cups and Faultlines regularly, and my scores were usually 20 strokes off what I'd need to qualify for USDGC. So it was kind of a 'maybe someday' kind of thing. Then I began to figure things out on the course, and eventually I'd make getting one of those five qualifier spots in the Masters Cup one of my objectives. By the time my player rating peaked at 999 (arg!), I had missed qualifying by either one spot or one stroke (or both) three years in a row. So last year, as my age hit 42 and my distance seemed to diminish a bit, I decided to bite the bullet and find another way to get in. I served as an assistant tournament director for the Masters Cup this year, and Daviar graciously gave me his spot.

Be careful what you wish for.

Tee off in Rock Hill, South Carolina is now nine days away, and my throwing arm is not just sore and feeble, like usual. It's got something seriously wrong with it, and I don't know what it is because I won't see a doctor until after I return (because he/she might tell me not to play, and obsessed people always play).

So now I'm committed to playing this course that is long, exacting and, according to all the stories, potentially demoralizing- without my 'A' game. And everything being relative, my 'A' game in the USDGC is realistically a 'B-minus' game at best. But I do have a plan, and if I can pull it off I might even make the cut or even beat more than half the field. Hey, a guy can dream!

I'm going to try to post some entries in the coming week, but they'll most likely be about things other than me and my game (we've heard that before, you say).

Wish me luck. Or better yet, wish me endorphins.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

It takes a disc golf village, and . . .

So I've had this book idea for a couple years. I want people to know 1) Golf is a great game- perhaps the greatest game ever invented; 2) The version of golf that most people are familiar with - the version with clubs and balls - has numerous limitations that keep most people from ever experiencing the greatness of golf, and; 3) There is another version of the great game, and this version doesn't have any of the limiting factors of the original version.

I've got a few thousand words down that I'll likely use, but most of the work has gotten done during the past three months, during a forced vacation (I enjoyed it immensely anyway) from my normal vocation. Now I'm back to work again in the field that brings home sufficient bacon for my family to live in Santa Cruz (mortgage banking technology), and the book project necessarily takes a backseat. My simple-minded plan is to keep the project alive by using this blog to present the material for the book to those who read DeLa Blahg, most of whom I'm sure share my passion for the sport. So please, consider posting replies to my entries. After all, it takes a disc golf village to enlighten the world. Stay tuned for more.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Day Four on the DL

DL being the Disabled List, for those who don't follow baseball.

I put myself on the disc golf DL four days ago, after shoulder pain of unusual intensity and resonance, and haven't thrown a disc since (Well, that's not true. I threw two putts from 15 feet today to test the water, and didn't like the results). I feel forced to sheepishly admit that, having grown accustomed to throwing discs throughout the day, every day, I think I'm now going through withdrawals.

It's bad enough having to remind myself that I can't play every time the urge pops up. I also have to lay off putting at home, and I have a basket right between my house and office. Every time I walk between the two and see the basket, I realize it has been way longer than normal since I've thrown a disc.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Jump-putting to Conclusions

My old shoulder injury returned with a vengeance last Friday while playing a round.
  • I finished the round, because I have an obsession with finishing rounds
  • I kept an appointment to play early the next morning - even though I had to play right-handed most of the time and ended up shooting +21 - because I had been looking forward to it for days
  • I tried to apply the basic instructions I give to beginners to myself, throwing right-handed. I learned (again) that knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things.
  • Hopefully I can restrain myself and stay off the course until my shoulder at least regains its most recent level of 'serviceableness' (sp).
Didn't follow the worlds very closely once I realized that Natron wasn't going to contend for his 3rd Worlds title. But when I saw the final leaderboard, one thought came to mind: None of the former Worlds or USDGC champs was at or even near the top of the standings. The closest was Feldberg, finishing 13 strokes off the lead.

Since I've never played any of the KC courses, I'm speaking from a position of relative ignorance. But based solely on the observation I just made, I'm guessing that maybe the courses collectively put too much emphasis on distance and power. I'm guessing that these Worlds' were more about the physical than the mental, and that adversity mostly took the form of long, grueling holes. How else do you explain a leaderboard of almost all 'young guns' who can throw 500 feet all day without wearing out? And when is the last time a Worlds or USDGC ended with Ken Climo, Nate Doss, Dave Feldberg, Barry Shultz, and Stevie Rico all 13 strokes or more off the lead? Look it up (because I'm too lazy to do it). I'll bet that hasn't happened since 1991, when Climo won his first Worlds.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Whistler's Bend in Roseburg Oregon

A few months ago my wife wanted me to plan a camping trip in somewhere in between Santa Cruz and Portland, Oregon, where her brother and his kids live. I remembered hearing that Roseburg in Oregon had two good disc golf courses, I asked around and found out that the longer course with Mach III baskets - Whistler's Bend - had excellent camping right there in the same park. And then later, when I asked some Oregonians about the course during the Master's Cup, I found out that a great river for rafting and swimming - the Umpqua - bent around the whole park like a horseshoe.

I told my wife that I found the perfect place, mentioning the proximity to both our homes', the hot showers, the playground, and the river. And oh, by the way, a funny coincidence . . . the park has a disc golf course! She was thrilled for me, as demonstrated by her closed-lip smile.

Last weekend the time for the trip finally came, and we managed to get there in about 10 hours with two little kids in the car. Not bad. The weather was very unseasonable warm, with highs of 100 and lows of 60 or so. It made my plan to do my disc golfing early in the morning even more appealing. Here is my review of the course, in short-attention span bulletpoints:

  • As advertised, the baskets are nice Mach III's and the teepads concrete. But there are only teesigns and holemaps on some of the holes. None of the holes on the longer, more spread out back nine have signs. But most of the holes do have little wooden arrows pointing to the next hole, which helped quite a bit.
  • Also as advertised, the front nine was more wooded and shorter, and the back nine was almost completely wide open. There were trees in the grassy, hilly back nine, but I don't think any of the came into play in my two rounds except the steeply uphill #13.
  • The facilities are great, even for non-campers, and I found the first hole without a problem. It's right by the group campsite, where we stayed (I swore to my wife that I had no idea), and the 'first-come, first-serve' sites are by hole 14, Whistler's 'Top of the World' shot.
  • Speaking of hole 14, which I think is 600-plus feet (or maybe 700 from the extended tee I was told to look for and found), I found it to be fun and challenging in one sense only: It's always cool to chuck a disc 700 feet down a big hill. But there were absolutely no trees or any kind of OB forcing me to take a certain route. I suppose a less-skilled player would find it challenging to throw straight long enough to clear the foliage that covered the first three quarters of the fairway, but anyone with decent power should be able to get to the large open green with little problem. Birdie or par every time unless you three-putt.
  • On the back nine, almost ever hole (except #14, ironically) was exactly the same to me in one sense: It was long enough that I couldn't reach it, but short and open enough that upshots for par were fairly routine. I realize that players with longer arms than me (those that can throw 450 in the air) would get a few birdie looks that I didn't get. And typical recreational players probably have longer upshots due to their shorter drives, making the second and third shots more interesting. But my range is fairly average for 'serious' players, and I thought most of the holes on the back would've been more fun if they were either 50-150 feet shorter or longer (I'd prefer a mix of the two).
  • I'm normally a critic of water hazards where you can lose a disc, since - to use a ball golf analogy - discs for us are more like clubs than balls in the sense that they are not simply replaced by another one identical to the one lost. But I have to say that I liked holes 7 and 9 at Whistler's Bend. Both baskets were in locations close to a sheer 70-foot drop-off, with the gorgeous Umpqua River below. Hole 7 is a 400-footer that requires placing the disc in the right part of the fairway, then an accurate upshot for par. Hole nine is a wide-open gradual downhill hole with a medium-width fairway; narrow enough that you must take a straight-at-it approach if you want a chance at birdie. Problem is, when you go straight at the basket on a downhill hole with a drop-off 20 feet behind, your distance control is of the utmost importance. My most gratifying drive at Whistler's Bend was on this hole, where I put my Aftershock within 10 feet (short). Another reason I didn't mind the water hazards: The one time I went over the cliff - on #7 where my drive landed initially safe then trickled over the edge - I was able to scale down the cliffside and retrieve it from the narrow beach. If the river was running higher, though, it probably would've slipped into the Umpqua before I even peered over the edge.
  • Check out all the pictures I took there by clicking here

Saturday, July 18, 2009

One of the unique appeals of disc golf

My preference when playing disc golf is to play with one or two other players, but I don't mind a foursome or sometimes a fivesome. Anything more than that though, in my opinion is too much. In fact, I'd rather play alone than in a large herd, and I often do just that.

Today, in fact, I opted to get a quick round in at nearby Black Mouse rather than not play at all. And while out there, I realized that disc golf (or to specify, disc golf at DeLaveaga) is kind of like a good hike combined with a great sporting interest. I've heard ball golf described as 'A Good Walk Spoiled,' or something like that. I know that quote is a tongue-in-cheek thing, but it still stands in sharp contrast to how I genuinely feel about disc golf:

"Disc golf is a good hike made better".

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Baskets on the move

It's July 8th in Santa Cruz . . . do you know where the baskets at DDGC are?

After a bunch of recent placement changes, here's the current layout (with changed holes in red):

1- Long left
2- Short right
3-
4-Long
5 - Short
6- Short
7- Short
8-
8a- Right
9-
10- Long
11-Short left
12- Island
13-Long
14- Semi-short left
15- Short
16- Left
17- Closed
18- Long left
19- Short
20- Straight
21-
22-
23- Classic Right
24- Short
25- Long
26- Short
26a-
27- Semi-long

At first glance this layout should provide the opportunity for lower scores than the previous setup. Holes 6, 7, 14 and 20 all become much more birdy-able, and most of the other changes make for shorter holes as well. But if my two rounds since the change are any indication, scores may not drop much if any.

For starters, hole 1 in the long left is really tough now. Not only does the drive require decent length and accuracy on a steady uphill slope. With the downed tree rootball now blocking the right side of the green and tree trunks on the right, up-shots are challenging as well unless you really get your drive up there. Good luck!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Self-serving note about putting

Somehow or another, I started a habit yesterday of putting with my abdominal muscles flexed. I noticed as I was practicing that it kind of locked me into the putt and also helped remind me to maintain good posture.

During my solo round this AM, I remembered to do the same thing out on the course, and I made every single putt (except a clanker on 21) en route to a -4. I might be onto something, and will certainly be sticking with this new discovery for the foreseeable future.

July 4th Monthly
Before I took off this morning, the monthly run by Mark K. got started. Mark had everyone do the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, which I thought was pretty cool.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Visualization, Water, and Aces

Good round this morning. Ended up -5 at DeLa with seven birdies, two bogies, and a par on 13. I even passed toughest point (13) in the quest for a bogie-free round before throwing two bad shots in a row on 16. My special moment (there is almost always at least one in a round at DeLa) today came on 26, when I was able to tap into the 'whole other level' of visualization on my birdie putt (more like an uphill, around-the-tree throw-putt). I actually saw a sort of red streak that started at my lie, went throught the basket, and continued on past and out of sight. It was a low-percentage chance, but I knew it was going in before it even left my hand. If anyone ever learns how to tap into thaqt level of visualization on every shot, they will be hard to beat.

Water Hazards
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that water hazards that cause a player to lost a disc forever are ridiculous? I mean, it's not like ball golf where all you lose is a ball. In disc golf, the disc is like the ball AND the club for a stick-golfer. And what kind of sense would it make for someone to risk losing their favorite 5-wood? If it's a stream where you can easily retrieve your disc, that's a different matter. But designers should resist the temptation of placing baskets near the edge of lakes or deep rivers.

Aces
I've ranted on this before, but I believe we do the whole ace-thing backwards in disc golf. If someone cards an ace, that person should count their lucky stars (they are almost always an accident, if we're honest with ourselves) and buy the people in his/group a drink. The ace is reward enough itself!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Disc Golf in a Vacuum- one small facet thereof

Disc Golf in a Vacuum(TM) is the catchy phrase I've come up with to describe the bundle of ideas about the mental side of golf that make up my disc golf philosophy. It means many different things in different situations, but in general is all about embracing, appreciating, and learning from each shot we attempt. Before, during, and after. In a vacuum, there are no 'pars,' or 'rounds' or even 'holes.' There are only shots. Look in my archives for more entries along these lines. For today, though, the discussion focuses on the word 'focus'.

What does it mean, to focus in golf? For me, when I'm able to use my logical brain to pick a shot strategy, then keep my thought sequence exactly as I wanted according to my strategy, I feel I 'focused well' on that shot. But it was one thing to realize that focusing on my shot would be a good thing, and another thing to actually do it. It took time; conditioning if you will. I had to train myself to monitor my thought process and weed out those either non-essential to executing the shot, or downright detrimental. And it requires constant vigilance. I still have many instances where a second after releasing the disc I know Here is a quick breakdown of what I think should be going through your head as you set up and throw, and what definitely should not:

Should go through your head
First of all before the thought process of the shot begins, you must already have decided and be committed to your shot. After that, all your shots should be limited to those that help you execute the shot at hand. Simple, huh? But I think this discussion is defined better by the next category: what you should Definitely Not think about.

Definitely Not
  • Don't think about bad things. Negative thoughts have a proven track record of failure in athletic endeavors. In golf terms this means don't think about possible consequences - once you've made up your mind on how to execute a shot, think not a second longer about the why's and where-for's. Also, don't think about past missed shots.
  • Don't think about the shot before you in any historical content whatsoever- unless it involves positive affirmation (along the lines of 'I've made this shot before and I can make it again'). Don't think about how long it's been since you hit a birdie putt. Don't think about the fact that you haven't gotten a par on hole 13 for two years.
  • In short, when it comes time to execute the shot, strip it of all external value. It's just you, and the basket, and the slope(if any), and the wind(if any). There is no context but the present context.
That in my estimation is focus, and it's also one element of Playing Disc Golf in a Vacuum.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

disc golf video games

Disc golf nuts have probably heard about the fact that the new Tiger Woods 10 for the Wii includes the ability to throw discs at baskets on famous ball golf courses. But did you know the PDGA is working with a game developer on a Wii game that will include actual existing disc golf courses? And did you know that the first couse the developers are building is DeLaveaga?

You probably didn't know that last part, even if you had heard or read the rest, because I just got it straight from the game company myself. I don't know about you, but the ability to play disc golf at DeLa on my TV is reason enough to go out and buy a Wii. Supposedly you'll be able to control the angle, spin, and power with some new type of controller that has just been released. Yipee!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Less Time Makes for Better Golf

I ran a round at DeLa yesterday, in exactly the 1:15 time I was aiming for. The main goal of staying on the fairway was achieved, and the +2 overall score wasn't great, but wasn't horrible for a running round. The score is mostly attributable to the hospitality of the threesome I encountered on the third hole. Sure, I was -1 after my birdie on 3, and -2 after another birdie on hole 5, but that's as low as I got.

Scores aside, though, the one thing that caused me to think in depth was the effect of 'rushing' through a round versus taking ones one with each shot. I know that there is the possibility that running between shots for an entire 28 holes of golf on a hilly course can carry with it the fatigue factor, but I'm discounting that element for now. I'm more interested for the moment with the thought process of analyzing one's lie and shot choices, the time it takes to do that properly, and whether doing it quickly or deliberately produces a better outcome.

I read a book awhile back called Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell. It explores an innate ability humans possess to make snap decisions subconsciously. It also makes the case that we're often better off going with that first 'gut instinct' instead of following the path of research, reason, and logic. Much can be taken from that book and applied to this discussion, and I think golf (both versions) is a great testing ground to prove this theory correct.

When I'm playing a running round and in a mode where I'm trying to minimize mistakes and score well, there is little time to think about anything except what to do on the next shot and how to do it. Starting at the first tee, I throw, run toward my lie, hastily drop my bag, take my stance, then throw again (or putt). Then I run to the next tee, and do it all over again. I literally do all the mental preparation for the next shot 'on the run'. As far as I can tell, this seems to have no negative affect on my score, and it eliminates the risk of several mistakes that golfers make on the mental side of the game:
  • Overthinking in general can cause us to change our minds when we shouldn't. Think of how many times you've overthought, blown a shot, then exclaimed something like "I should have gone through the window on the right like I wanted to!"
  • The more time you spend thinking about a shot - especially when it's your turn to throw and you're at your lie - the more opportunity random thoughts have to creep into your mind. And whether they're negative impressions (gotta miss that tree), pressure-causing ponderings (I haven't gotten a birdie all day!), or totally unrelated musings (the Giants better not lose again today), thinking about anything other than the execution of the shot at hand will lessen the chance of success
  • When you're at your lie, physically ready to throw, with disc in hand, the quicker you throw the better. Often times, when I see someone spend a good deal longer before a putt than normal, I know they're going to miss even before they throw. I call this stagnation, and I think what happens (aside from what may be going on mentally) is that our bodies are cued up when we get set, and after too much time goes by fatigue and/or stiffness sets in.
So I think I've come up with a pretty good hypothesis- the fact that there is nothing to be gained by taking a long time thinking about a shot, and many possible detrimental affects. Now I have to find a reliable method for speeding up the process even when I'm playing a normal-paced round or tournament. Any ideas?

Friday, June 5, 2009

Masters Cupp 2009: Three Weeks Later

I didn't bother to blog after my third and final Masters Cup round, because- let's face it . . . who wants to write about how they saved their suckiest for last? The tournament itself was epic, however, and as a major contributor to the volunteer effort I found that rewarding even if my own performance was not.

After shooting +4 the first round and +2 the second round on the ultra-tough layout, I was tied for 8th out of 38 players. I figured a decent round on Sunday would help me climb a few notches, and that even third or fourth was within reach. Instead, my drives continued to be just a bit off-target, which at DeLa in the long layout usually means trouble. But being the optimist that I am, I have to say that simply by sticking to my gameplan I managed to grab the last cash spot in an NT event without being 'On' even once for the whole 84 holes. Consider these stats: Only four birdies, but no missed putts inside 30 feet, no double bogies or worse, and no mental errors where I decided to go for something with low odds. Basically, I was playing for par on everything, hoping to take the birdies when they presented themselves (which unfortunately was not often). I ended up with a +8 on the final day, dropped to 14th place, and didn't feel much like writing about it until today. So let's get to the good part!

This year's Masters Cup was one of the best. We had a handful of aces when most years there aren't any, including TWO in the lead group on the final day. Even though Nate Doss didn't win again, he was right there until the end, and the winner, Greg Barsby, is another NorCal homeboy that's been playing tourneys since he was a kid. Marty Hapner won the very tough Grandmasters division with a score that beat most of the Masters. The weather was as perfect as it was foul for the Am weekend, and the whole vibe just seemed in tune all three days. Plus, I get to play DeLa all year long. The Masters Cup is more like that thing I do once a year. But I'm sure I'd be writing something different if that third round was a -2 instead of a +8!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Masters Cup 2009: after 56 holes

First of all, we're down to the last 28 holes. One more round, and so far no aspect of the tourney has been a disappointment. The weather continues to warm (if anything it's been too warm), with wind a non-factor today. The course - despite the gorgeous conditions - isn't giving up outrageously low scores (less than 20 percent of the Open division is under par). And the final round features a top group of Greg Barsby, Nate Doss, Nikko Locastro, and Ken Climo, all either -12 or -11. Within striking distance are Josh Anton, Kyle Crabtree, Stevie Rico, John Child, and Dave Feldberg.

I't be great to see Nate Finally win on the course where he grew up, but more than anything I'm looking forward to a close finish no matter who wins. Now on to what really matters. Me! : )
Show all
I'm at +6, tied for 8th in the Masters division (35 players), 12 strokes outta the lead.

I can play better, but with only three birdies and nine single bogeys I'm at least sticking to the gameplan and not giving strokes away. Not too many, anyway. What's hurt me more than anything else is not birdying the three shorts holes on the course (8a, 17, and 21) except for one on 21. But all in all, considering the game I've showed up with Friday and Today, +6 ain't too bad. I've hit every putt inside 30 feet except one, so now all I have to do is get a few of those looks for birdie rather than par! Now it's time for a hot tub, another beer, sleep . . . then 28 more holes.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Masters Cup 2009:

The pro Masters Cup starts tomorrow, and I feel like I have two persona's this year. While I've played in the event for many, many years, this is the first year I've been involved in running it in a major way. After all this time, and finally seeing what's involved in pulling off a major tournament like the Masters Cup, I felt guilty.

For those that don't know, some serious volunteer hours get put in to pull off an event that spans two 3-day weekends and includes more than 300 players. Unlike other courses, we get no assistance from the city or county when it comes to course maintenance, so all those lumpy hillsides that get mowed and weed-whacked are mowed and weed-whacked by volunteer disc golfers! Add to that the coordination with sponsors and the PDGA, communication to players, assembly of the players packs . . . . . I could go on and on, but you get the picture. People like Daviar, Stan Pratt, Marty Hapner, Katie Beckett, the guys at DGA . . . they deserve tons of credit.

Anyway, it makes this year feel different than years past. But it's Thursday night, and my volunteer work should be done now. From now until my last putt on Sunday, I'm just another competitor. And like all the past years, I have a strategy to get my best game to show up for three straight 4.5 hour rounds on three straight days. Here it is, in a nutshell:

  1. As always, focus on nothing but what it takes to execute the next shot. All the other stuff - the score, the magintude of the event, what the other guys are doing - only detracts from the shot at hand.
  2. Stick to my gameplan of settling for par on most holes, picking up birdies where they present themselves. No matter how things start, or what unforseen disasters occur, I'll stick to the plan. Last year I was cold for three straight rounds, and by sticking to the plan I still cashed.
  3. Treat my old bones with care. Ice the arm right after the round, soak in the hot tub Friday and Saturday nights, limit the alcohol, and get enough sleep.
We'll see how it goes, but the key is #1 above. I play my best when I'm totally absorbed in the moment, in the shot. I need to play disc golf in a vaccuum.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Am Masters Cup Pictures

I now have the pictures I snapped online for your viewing and printing pleasure. Here is the link:

http://frisbeebrain.shutterfly.com/masterscup2009-amweekend

Monday, May 4, 2009

Masters Cup 2009

The Amateur weekend of the Masters Cup just concluded, and I was up at the course helping out for most of the three-day event. I learned plenty watching the Ams (all but eight of them, who DNF'd likely due to the rain) play three rounds that took 5-plus waterlogged hours to finish. By the way, none of the DNF'ers were women, despite the fact that they're getting around the course in more throws on average than their male counterparts.

I also got a reminder that there is a whole other (albeit lower) competitive level to our sport, and they take their games as seriously as those of us who plan in Open divisions. In fact, in some ways they're probably better at keeping things in perspective than us, since no disc golfer yet has been able to make a true living playing the sport. What I saw was a group of people that were able to play with a burning desire to do well, but quickly settle for having a good time while on vacation when Plan A fell through. The only really despondent souls I came across were locals, and I've been there before. You look forward to the big A tour event on your home course for months, and when you don't do well, it sucks. The best I ever finished in Santa Cruz as an Am was 8th, I think, even in the year (1998) that I won several times in the NorCal series. Playing a PDGA tourney - especially one as big as the Masters Cup - takes a whole different approach, but that's a subject for a different day. Some other observations:

  • Am and Pro events different in several ways. One is how long the rounds take. Am rounds take longer because the players need more throws to complete the round, in turn because they are less skilled. But they also don't know the rules as well, which leads to discussions about rulings and more fun stuff. And now with the newer high-tech plastic, they can throw their errant shots further as well!
  • We've always tried different things to lure Am players into the 'Pro' ranks . . . how about round times? I think if the Open players had played this weekend, the rounds would have been between 4.5 and 5 hours, rather than between 5.5 and 6 hours.
  • I watched many throws over the course of three days, and had the oppontunity to give many eager listeners tips on DeLa. What I was this weekend reinforced my belief that - for someone of my skill level and questionable power- playing for safe par on most holes is the best way to ensure a good, strong placing.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Disc Golf on Maui

I don't have time to write all I'll eventually want to write about this great disc golfing experience, but I do want to at least share the pictures I took with those who read DeLa Blahg.

The people that get to play this course regularly are to be envied. The scenery is incredible, the terrain varied, the design varied and interesting, and best of all, it's isolated. And the homemade 'tire-baskets do a great job catching discs.

If you're like me and love playing disc golf courses wherever your travels take you, you'll love Poli Poli- if you can find it. It's the perfect combo of beauty, challenge, and uniqueness (ocean views, quirky baskets and surreal orange-lichen covered trees).

Now check out these pics:

http://frisbeebrain.shutterfly.com/polipoliinmaui

Friday, March 27, 2009

old school discs

What's the oldest disc in your bag? For me, it's a 180-gram DGA 'Disc Golf Disc' #1, which was factored by Steady Ed himself into a less stable #4. I bought it from Steady Ed at his warehouse in Freedom, CA after getting a little tour of the facilities. I'd guess it came out of the mold in the late 80's or early 90's, and I bought it around 1997 or so. I paid Ed $20 for that disc, and a few others like it!

And it's not in my bag for nostalgic reasons, either. I only use it as a roller, and it's useful because I can start it off almost like an airshot thrown into the ground and it will stand up and eventually turn over. On #6 I actually put hyzer on it- it's that understable. At DeLa, I use it as my driver on #6 (remember I'm a lefty), and I regularly use it for the tricky 2nd shot on I-5 (hole 13). The second-oldest disc in my bag might be my 'beat putter,' an Aviar from an early 90's tourney at DeLa with a Jamba Juice stamp.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

stream of consciousnessu

played Dela today, with Alan. we started on Hole 7, and right from the get-go i was agitated. it's such a common emotion for me when i've been out of town for a few days, looking forward to playing, and feeling fully deserving of some disc golf. it seems that at such times I also expect to birdie every hole (except those I ace), and that doesn't always happen.

In this case, I noticed right away that for some reason my release was a little off, and it resulted in me scrapin' by to be at par until hole 13, then +3 afterward. It was one of those holes. I ended up -1, and considering the sometimes windy conditions and medium-difficult layout, that's not so bad for 28 holes at DeLa. But the philosophical discoveries on this day prevailed.

First of all, on hole 18 I had to admit (sheepishly) that part of my frustation was due to the fact that Alan was beating me by six strokes. Even though we (as opposed to the years past) make a point of being less competitive, it's still there. we both know it. And that makes the frustration all the more acute. Anyway, I mentioned to him then that I needed t0 take my own advice and enjoy the other aspects of the experience when the scoring part isn't there, and that helped. Even though I didn't get another birdie until 21 I did end up doing better by caring less about the score. Once I focused on the nice (but windy) day, and all the other things I had to be happy about, I played better. Imagine that.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Pinto Lake has me yearning for more (punishment)

I've only played the first nine holes of Pinto Lake CDGC three times, and my score has gotten worse each time. This is mostly due to the fact that I'm only now fully aware of all the OB that exists on almost all the holes, but still . . .

There is also the frustrated mindset that many of the holes play much tougher for a left-handed backhand thrower, but that's nothing new. I often go through that rationalization when confronted with a new course or hole location (like DeLa's new spot for hole 6's basket), then get tired of whining about it and go about solving the puzzle. So join me as I analyze each of the nine holes and try to learn from my numerous mistakes. After carding a +7 yesterday with, let's see, four OB strokes, many are fresh in my mind.

Hole 1
One adjustment I made already was to throw my lefty hyzer far to the left and let it fade back toward the fairway. That worked well yesterday, leaving me with a 70-footer for birdie (which I missed).

Hole 2
Yesterday I tried to play it safe by throwing a mid-range down the middle and landing it short of the fence and creek. Being left-handed, however it trickled right at the end and ended up a couple feet into the OB road on the right. I guess I have to throw something with even less fade, and maybe keep it lower.
Hole 3

Not sure how to attack this hole yet. The fairway slopes down from right to left, and a wall of trees 80 feet from the tee offers no gap to aim for larger than 10 feet. It seems that drives that don't get cleanly (and somewhat straight) past this wall will very rarely result in a par. And even those that do must contend with a narrow, tree-happy fairway and a steep green eager to suck discs away from the basket. Looking at the hole map at left, the red sqares show the OB along the left and the basket is in the upper-right corner.
Hole 4
The layout of this short hole forces me to do something I very rarely do- throw a sidearm shot off the tee. So far, though, so good, as I've had birdie putts every time I've played it.

Hole 5
Although three holes of these 9 holes use fire roads as part of their fairways, 5 and 7 so far give me fits. On both these holes the terrain slopes from left-to-right with the right side including OB lines. I don't think it's a whole lot easier for right-handers, but when I throw my lefty drives they have to be perfectly straight, accurate, and flat. Too much hyzer and they will fade right and go OB; turn it over or just miss left, and the disc (with its lefty spin) will hit the steep hillside and aggressively spin back across the road and end up OB. And on this hole the road-fairway climbs slightly and curves to the left, with the basket up and on the left guarded by a steady wall of trees.

Hole 6
This 320-footer is comparitively benign, and has no OB to contend with. But all along the right side of the fairway and behind the terrain slopes steeply into nast schule. Except for that, though, it's wide open.

Hole 7
Almost as nasty as hole 5, this par four road hole presents a more difficult drive in terms of keeping it in bounds. The drive is downhill to a flat landing area (making smooth landings less likely), and the OB on the right seems to creep in even closer than on hole 5. After that, though, at least the basket is on the road itself and visible from the entire fairway.

Hole 8
This sub-2oo foot hole presents some challenge due to trees guarding the basket and a fairway that crosses a mini-chasm, but compare to the rest of the course it's quite a G-rated reprieve.

Hole 9
Maybe the toughest par three on the course, or at least as challenging as #3. The dogleg right is sharp enough - with OB on both sides - that throwing a full-strength hyzer doesn't follow the contour of the hole. So far I haven't gotten any kind of a realistic look at the basket after my first shot.

So now, armed with this reflective analysis from yesterday's round, I went out today with a bit more of a gameplan. I threw many more mid-range discs as drives (on all three road holes at least), and in general, and tried to value placement much more than distance. The results were on the whole positive, although #5 and #7 continue to frustrate me and I still went OB twice (drives on #7 and #9. I was shooting par until a very frustrating double on the last hole that hit a hidden high branch of an early tree and trickled a couple feet OB on the left.

Score-wise, here's the rundown: #1-par 3, #2-par 4, #3-par 3, #4-birdie 2, #5, bogey 5, #6-pr 3, #7-bogey 5 (P), #8-birdie 2, #9-double bogey 5 (P). So the strategy worked, but I still have some figuring and learning to do before I'm shooting par or better here on a regular basis. As much as I always talk about perfection in golf being a life-long persuit, this course should offer ample opportunity. And humility.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Putting practice, indoors, without a basket

I travel fairly frequently for my job, and I end up spending a decent amount of waking hours in my hotel room. Even when I'm in places that have courses near enough to get in a quick round, I usually just scurry around the course, note it's highlights despite the fact that it's no DeLaveaga, then split. When I'm on the road, I rarely get in any putting practice at all.

So one time I pulled out my putters in the hotel room, wedged myself in one corner, and aimed for a reading chair in the opposite corner. It worked- sort of. Trouble was, the discs would often bounce off the chair and loudly smack the wall, Worse, after a couple beers they would sometimes miss the chair altogether and slam the wall like the fist of an unrequited lover. Inevitably someone front desk would then call and ask what the hell was going on in my room. I needed a better mousetrap.

So this week I'm in 'the OC,' and I brought with me an adjustable pull-up bar I bought online for $15. I wedged the bar between the walls of the entryway, then draped a hotel towel and part of the bedspread over the bar. After positioning myself as far away as possible (maybe 15 feet), I aimed at one small part of the bedspread pattern and let fly. And guess what? It worked! The discs hit the linens draped over the bars (silently) and fell to the ground (almost silently). So while this exercise doesn't give me the absolute resolution of seeing a disc come to rest in a basket, I still get to practice the motion of extending my arm exaggeratedly toward the target. That particlar element is important to my particular consistency, and although I don't know the muscles involved, I'm sure it improves muscle memory and even exercises the muscles themselves more than turning the pages of a book or fondling the TV remove in my hotel room.

There is a thin line between dedication and obsession. Feel free to join me as I straddle that line.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Santa Cruz vs. San Jose Match Play Results

The first of hopefully many team match play events in Northern California went well today, with Team Santa Cruz prevailing 8-2. It may seem like a sound whoopin', but a closer look at and understanding of the numbers will show that the matches were all pretty close.

First of all, there were 16 total match points being contested. Each singles match was worth one point, for a total of 8, and the doubles matches were worth two points each- also totaling 8.

During the matches, each hole is worth a point, and players keep playing out the entire match even if someone wins the match with holes left to play (example, a player/team is 3 up with two holes to play). So with all that in mind, here are the scores:

Open
Shasta Criss tied Manuel Fernandez 4-4
Chris Foss defeated Christlus 8-2

Shasta/Chris Foss defeat Manny/Christlus 7-4

Masters
Jon Baldwin defeated Shannon Carson 6-4
Jack Trageser defeated Thom Magraw 5-4

Jon/Jack tied Shannon/Thom tied 4-4

Advanced
Nick Garcia defeated Eric Kopit 7-5
James Pendergast defeated Assaf Sadeh 7-5

Nick/James tied Eric/Assaf 1-1

Am. Masters
Gregory LeBaron tied James Brennan 4-4
Ed Baskirk defeated Mike Miller 4-3

Gregory/Ed defeated James/Mike 5-2

According to my shaky math, the total by hole-points was Santa Cruz 58, San Jose 46.

So now it's on to the re-match in San Jose sometime in the near future. A couples side-notes:

  • Manny Fernandez turned his ankle halfway through the doubles match, and Christlus has to play odd-man with one extra shot on each hole the rest of the way.
  • Gregory Lebaron aced hole 21 during the doubles match, after his partner shanked his drive first.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Match Play Gets some Play in Santa Cruz

We're trying to start small with some 'club vs. club' match play this Sunday at DeLa. The Hellyerites (or Hellyerians?) are bringing a team over the hill Sunday to compete in a match play event against us Santa Cruzans for 18 holes of singles and 18 holes of doubles match play. When San Jose team captain Mike Miller mentioned it to players from other clubs at the recent Otter Open, he heard repeatedly 'we want in,' and that's exactly what we hope this eventually becomes: a four or five team club vs. club annual or semi-annual event.

For now though it's just two 8-player teams (2 open players, 2 masters, two AM-1's and two Am Masters players). If you're interested in checking it out, we're planning to tee off around 8:45 AM on Sunday. For those that don't already know, match play is a form of competition where (in the singles format) a player from one team goes head-to-head against someone from the other team. Rather than cumulative scoring, though, each hole is worth a point. It's like skins, but ties on the hole don't carry over to the next hole. So if two players in a match both get pars on the first five holes, then player A birdies hole 6 and player B pars it, player A now is "Up 1" in the match. It's especially challenging since normally in golf we condition outselves to try to block out what the other players are doing, in match players we make shot decisions based in large part on what the other guy just did or might do. Match play also lends itself well to the team concept, which should make Sunday both fun and interesting.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Pinto Lake CDGC- The Course and the Community

The new course in Watsonville's Pinto Lake County Park - or at least a temporarily nine-hole version - is now officially open, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday, March 1st. Each hole has a concrete teepad, Mach III basket, and sweet tee sign with a color map of the hole. Turnout at the Grand Opening was excellent considering the rainy conditions, and attendees includes an encouraging mix of die hard disc golfers (from as far away as SoCal), local community members, and even county officials and some of California Conservation Corps members who worked on the course. It's hard to find the words to describe how stoked I am about this course, but I'll try. It really comes down to two things- the course, and the community.

The Course
When I started playing DeLaveaga is the late 80's, it was the only disc golf course with baskets within 100 miles. And except for Berkeley, there were no other courses in the Bay Area or Central Coast. And it stayed that way for quite a long time. And then other courses started popping up in Monterey, San Jose, and eventually right here in Santa Cruz County. But none of these courses even approached DeLaveaga's combination of challenge, beauty, variety, and professional tees and baskets. The Oaks course at CSUMB Monterey probably comes closest but still falls short in a number of ways. Around Santa Cruz we're blessed to now have Black Mouse and Aptos High, but I still choose DeLa 90 percent of the time because, well, if you have a choice between driving a Rolls Royce and a serviceable Ford Taurus, which you gonna choose?

The point is, if the first nine holes and designer Tom Schot's description of the longer, more open back nine are any indication, Pinto Lake Championship Disc Golf Course is going to rival Dela on all fronts. Also, for those that don't know, Tom designed DeLa 25 years ago and is in the disc golf hall of fame. Usually a masterpiece can only be topped by the author of that masterpiece.

The Community
To me, Pinto Lake is potentially a symbol of disc golf as a unique and appealing sport. Golf is a great game, possibly the greatest game in the history of the world. But due to socioeconomic limitations and to a lesser extent degree-of-difficulty barriers, a large majority of the world never gets to experience the game of 'stick golf'.

Enter disc golf. Affordable for everyone, easy to learn, and a sport that definitely brings divergent groups together rather than separate them into the haves and have-nots, can and can-nots. I see this in the near future being illustrated at Pinto Lake as much as anywhere on the planet. The course will initially attract a majority of seasoned disc golfers as they hear about the incredible challenge that Tom Schot has built into the design. But local kids will become a bigger and bigger part of the equation as they look for something to do while their parents play on the adjacent soccer fields in adult leagues (which are a big deal in Hispanic-dominant Watsonville). Then some of those kids will get better in a hurry, and grow older and stronger, and all the while their families and friends will hear about their new obsession.

Pretty soon we'll see disc golf spreading through an entirely new demographic group in Santa Cruz County, and then that group will mesh with other divergent groups that already play the sport . . . and I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm just glad we now have plenty of courses from which to choose. I've got a feeling we're gonna need 'em!


Bonus Info: Tom told me that the 'back nine' holes will likely be spliced into the existing nine between holes 3 and 4 or maybe 4 and 5. That means the holes now know as 4-9 are likely to eventually be changed to holes 13-18. Or something like that.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Here's one thing I thought I'd never, ever write: Black Mouse DGC was too crowded today, so I headed to DeLa. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha---ha---ha. Ha. Obviously that was a very ironic situation, since the lack of crowds at peak time is much of what makes Black Mouse great in it's own right. But today around 2:30, Sof and I ran into a veritable traffic jam on that little course - which doesn't take much - removing all of its secluded charm.

So we recognized that neither of us was likely to have fun, and we split for DeLa. At least there, the crowds don't grind play to a complete halt! We hooked up with Jacob and later Tom, and even though we only played 19 holes before dark closed in, it was great.