Who in Santa Cruz Doesn't play Disc Golf?!

The only bummer about disc golf in Santa Cruz is the fact that we only have one course. DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course is so crowded these days, the parking lot is mostly full even at supposedly non-peak times. For instance, on a recent Wednesday at 10:30 AM many holes seemed occupied as I drove in, and by the time I finished my round the parking lot was mostly full. Another example: I used to start weekend morning rounds at 7:30 and was almost assured of an empty course in front of - and usually behind - me. These days there are usually 10 or more cars in the lot by 7:30 (1/2 hour after sunrise right now), and 30 or more by 9:00. It's great news that so many people in the area have discovered our great sport, but there is also nothing like a round of golf with DeLa all to oneself. The really great news? Hopefully by this time next year we'll have new courses at Aptos High School and Pinto Lake in Watsonville. When you see flyers requesting support for these new courses, please help in any way you can. Remember, the more people that play these new courses, the less traffic (and wear-and-tear) at DeLa.

A good bag-tag match

I played a great back-and forth match for tags against Gregory Friday. Our scores were nothing special, but the match was close the whole way and the lead changed hands three times, with the better tag (my #10) in play right up until the last shot on hole 27. The first movement came when I double-bogey'd hole 5, getting my upshot stuck in one of the smaller trees that guards the basket. Then, on holes 8 and 8a, two bogies for Gregory and a birdie for me flipped the script and gave me the lead. Fast-forward to hole 19, where Gregory began a hot streak that turned a two-stroke deficit into a one-stroke lead after birdies on 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, and 25. We both had long birdie looks on 26, with G going first. But he fell hard out of 'The Zone' inexplicably throwing his disc into a tree right in front of him. He bogey'd to fall back into a tie, meaning he needed one more stroke to take the tag. On 26a, I threw first and threw within 25 feet to the right of the basket. He put the pressure right back on me by basing his drive, making me sweat out my birdie putt (it went in, but shakily). On 27, his desperation super-long birdie attempt failed (but it wasn't short) and my tag was safe for another round. We tied at -3.

Good bag-tag match II

Two days later, Gregory and I played for tags again. It seemed like it would be another down-to-the-wire affair, and for most of the round it was. The thing I really liked about this round was the clean-ness. Until Gregory bogey'd 11, we were both bogey-free. In fact, I finished bogey-free (unless you count my double on 13). He built a two-stroke lead with birdies on 3 and 6, and I continued a recent trend of no birdies on the front holes (none until a nice one on 10, in fact). We both picked up birdies here and there, and after his on 19 we were tied. I jokingly referred to the holes to follow as the 'Gregory Holes' since he's been hot on the finishing stretch. But it was my turn this round, as I nailed birdies on 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, and 26a to finish -7. Gregory didn't keep pace, and ended up -1. Still, for most of the round he had me looking over my shoulder.

Pin Placements

This section of DeLaBlahg will eventually contain detailed descriptions and multiple photos of every hole at DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course, but for now I've at least listed the current basket locations as of 5-26-2008.

Hole 1 Short

Hole 2 Long- Cliff

Hole 3 -----

Hole 4 Long

Hole 5 Short

Hole 6 Long

Hole 7 Short

Hole 8 -----

Hole 8a Right

Hole 9 Short

Hole 10 Long

Hole 11 Short/Left

Hole 12 Canyon

Hole 13 Long

Hole 14 Middle

Hole 15 Long Right

Hole 16 Long Right

Hole 17 This hole is closed

Hole 18 Short Left

Hole 19 Long

Hole 20 Right

Hole 21 -----

Hole 22 -----

Hole 23 Right

Hole 24 Long

Hole 25 Long

Hole 26 Short

Hole 26a Short

Hole 27 Long

Big Sur Royale

I finally got the chance to play the Big Sur course I'd heard others rave about for several years now. Surprise, surprise . . . they were right!

The Course: It's almost a given that when you take a landscape that includes Redwood trees, soaring mountains, and a bubbling river, then add baskets, the experience will at least be visually stimulating. But I want to give the Monterey Disc Golf Club credit for designing a course that had a great variety of shots and was really fun to play. Of course, I may be a little biased considering the course is quite lefty-friendly, but I heard nothing but positive comments from the other players as well. We played flat holes, downhill holes, uphill holes, and holes that were mostly wooded and also mostly open. The river came into play on maybe 4 or 5 holes, and even on the water holes discs could be retrieved. The teepads were pretty solid, all in all, considering they were natural and temporary.

The campground: A little pricey, but waddya expect? It's Big Sur, and the facilities and ammenities matched the gorgeous natural surroundings, so I thought it was worth it with or without the disc golf. The place also has a good restaurant, tavern, and store, so if you want a quasi-camping experience this is a good fit.

The tournament: I came back with several general impressions when this tourney was over, but the most prominent was that Fun really did seem to rule. My best explanation for this was the fact that, with nearly 60 of the 74 participants in Amateur divisions, this was for the most part an Am tourney with a small Pro contingent. I've been playing in the Open divisions for so long now, I forgot how different the atmosphere is when Am players get together. These are people that are here more for the experience, fellowship, and partying than for the rush of competition. I think people still have a good time at Open tourneys, but their primary focus is on playing well- even before and between the actual rounds of golf. I experienced a little nostalgia for those more innocent Am days, even though back then I was one of those players that was more into winning than anything else.

My personal experience was limitied to the 4-person Open Master group of Marty Hapner, Mike Brown, Steve Thomas, and Mike's ever-present dog Skippy. Merle Witvoet, who used to live with Mike, nicknamed Skippy 'Two-Stroke,' and I can understand why. Skippy didn't dart around like some dogs do when discs are thrown, but he didn't stay out of the way, either. Even though the dog didn't really bother me too much (I was enjoying the laid-back atmosphere too much to be uptight) he really should not have been on the course during a PDGA-sanctioned event.

In some ways this event was excruciating, because I didn't feel like I was playing good golf, and yet I was always within a few strokes of the lead. I guess I was aware that I was right there with a chance to win, but didn't deserve to be. Finally, with three holes left to play, I birdied to take the lead over Mike and Marty. But Mike was not to be outdone, and he matched my birdie on the next hole, then reeled off another on the hole after that to tie it up. Then, on the last hole of regulation, he stepped up on a difficult river hole and drove to within 20 feet. I had to do likewise to force a playoff, and I did . . . whew! We basically traded mediocre throws for the first couple playoff holes, and I won it on the third with a nice long jump putt for birdie.

If you haven't played in this event, I suggest you do. If you've never played in a PDGA tourney, this one would make a great first tourney experience.

Twist and Shoot

How to shave strokes off your score by opening your mind and twisting your body (and I'm not talking about meditation or yoga).

I know it?s a stretch (that was truly an accidental pun), but whenever I have a shot that is difficult and requires me to throw through and around things, I purposefully think of the old game Twister. You see, I?m willing to contort myself any which way to get the best chance at the best shot for the situation. Otherwise, I might get lazy and sometimes try to execute a slightly lower-percentage shot just because it?s ?easier? to get to. But more to the point, lazy or not, I think we often don?t see all of the options on each shot. Ours brains tend to focus in on the most obvious choice and settle for that. You can save strokes simply by opening your mind enough as you size up each shot to see all the options in front of you. For me, this is where the game Twister comes in.

When I have a tough lie, I picture myself keeping one foot behind the marker and stretching the other foot out in different directions. Then I check out the possible routes from each position, from the skip-shot I release barely inches off the ground to the floater aimed at an opening between branches. Switch foot, repeat. Often just by doing that, or even picturing myself doing it, I see a route or and/or an angle I didn?t see at first. Obviously, it takes practice to the point of intuition to be able to do this in 30 seconds or less. But if you, like me, are not gifted with scary skills or distance, it's worth it.

Angles
If you're not yet open to opening your mind when considering all the different openings for your throw (whew!), consider the following about how much difference a few inches can make:

One of the great and unique challenges of disc golf - as opposed to stick golf - is the amount of potential obstructions between you and the target. Even when you?re close enough to putt (and especially at DeLa) you?ll find yourself with low hanging branches, tree trunks, bushes, etc., close to where you want to throw.

When this happens, try to imagine the line your disc typically follows on the throw you plan. Hint: putts almost always have more arc than you think, so keep that in mind. If it seems likely it will hit something, try to change the line by stretching out left or right, or moving up or down. Especially consider going down to a knee or even sitting down to putt (if the putt/throw isn't too long). Changing your release point by even a few inches will change the angle and line of your shot significantly, maybe allowing a legitimate run where before there was none. And if you're good at geometry (I'm not) you'll know that the two inches difference at the point of release can become two feet of difference after the disc has travelled for 20 feet or so. You may have a low ceiling that forces you to throw the disc on a lazer beam-like line in order to keep it high enough to get in the basket, and those shots tend to be 'do-or-die' attempts that zoom their way into 30-plus foot comeback putts. By getting down on one knee, both knees, or even into some kind of sitting position, you've bought yourself the few inches necessary to go for that putt without risking an extra stroke if you miss.

If you compete in tournaments or just enjoy besting your friends, employing this advice is an easy way to save a couple strokes per round. Just remember: Twist and shoot!?

Originally Blahged Friday, July 28, 2006- Updated October 25th, 2007

DeLa Sunrise

This morning I experienced the very essence of the type of round I enjoy most at DeLaveaga. Teeing off just after sunrise , we played a completely-devoid-of-other-humans round, in perfect conditions. It was a nice bonus that I shot at least average (-4 and clean), and Assaf came within one stroke of his personal best of zero par. He noted that for the second round in a row he avoided any double-bogies or worse, an objective I always tell Am players to focus on.

We took some pics in addition to the one above, and they can be seen (maybe) in my santacruzdisc.com gallery.

I'll be playing in the Big Sur Royale event this weekend, and will hopefully have some Blahg materials and photos to post. I wonder if my broadband card or wireless will work there??

Disc Golf Etiquette

In the world of disc golf, many players are unfortunately not even aware of the 'etiquette' concept. I'd guess that most players have had no exposure to ball golf prior to discovering disc golf, and everything about our version of the sport is more casual. Most courses have no pro shop, no marshal, no tee times, and feel much more like what they are: a public park where people can come, go, and do as they please.

However, anyone familiar with ball golf knows that etiquette is a big part of that game. Golf is a self-officiated game, with no referees, umpires, or the like to point out when a player has broken a rule or committed an infraction. But 'golf etiquette' is specifically concerned with the unwritten rules that have less to do with the scoring part of the game and more to do with respect for the other players in your group and on the course.

According to Merriam-Webster, etiquette is defined as 'the
conduct or procedure required by good breeding or prescribed by
authority to be observed in social or official life'. In the ball-golf
world, this translates to a universally-understood group of social mores that all serious competitive or even learned recreational players observe. The more casual nature of disc golf means that the rules of etiquette for our sport will differ as well, but we still have to act within unspoken but generally agreed-upon mores.

I personally enjoy a disc golf setting that simulates this aspect of ball golf as closely as possible, and if you're reading this Blahg odds are that you treat your rounds of disc golf as more than just tossing plastic for a couple hours as well. If that is the case, please read the non-exhaustive compilation of disc golf etiquette guidelines and let me know what you think. Tell me if you agree or disagree, and if there is anything I overlooked (which I'm sure is the case).

In general:

• Groups should be no larger than five players. If you must play in a herd, be very sensitive to smaller groups behind you and go out of your way to offer to let them play through.
• If you notice that a group behind you is waiting for your group, offer to let them play through. Everyone should be able to play at the pace they desire if possible.
• If you notice a player on a nearby hole getting ready to throw or putt, and see that you are in their sight-line, stop moving and talking until they release their disc.
• If possible, try to grant the requests of other players, however ridiculous they may seem to you (like "don't talk to my disc" or "don't stand directly behind me-even if you're 15
  feet away". It's always easier to just take the high road and
  let it go.
• One big difference between ball and disc golf is the fact that it is common for disc golfers to start on a hole other than Hole #1. This is okay, but if you do 'jump on' in the middle of the course, take notice of the groups on the preceding hole(s). It is bad form to start on, say, hole 7 if there is a group putting out on hole 6. That group will suddenly have to wait behind a group that just jumped on, and that ain't cool. If you do 'jump on' in the middle of the course, try to find a spot where you don't interrupt another group's flow.
• If you feel compelled to share etiquette tips with others, make sure to pick your words and tone carefully. Most players are not 'rude' on purpose, but out of blissful ignorance. They don't consciously plan to aggravate you. And they may be disc golfing for the first or second time ever, so try to enlighten them with a smile rather than scold them with a scowl.
• If you see an errant disc disappear into the rough near you, from another hole, take the time to give the unfortunate thrower an idea of where to look for her/his disc
• If you find an abandoned disc, attempt to reunite it with its owner. Ask the groups ahead of you if they left a disc behind, then either turn it in to Lost & Found or call the phone number on the bottom.
• Some obvious ones: Pack ALL of your trash, including cigarette butts; pick up and remove your doggie's doo
• Speaking of dogs, keep your dog on a leash, and don't bring a dog on the course at all if he/she is likely to bark uncontrollably or chase random discs

Within your own group (these are subjective, depending on what you and your playing partners find acceptable):

• Stop moving and talking when another player reaches the teepad. He/she may not seem ready to throw, but everyone has their own pace and focus strategy and deserves silence and stillness when it's their turn. Same goes for putts and to a lesser degree upshots, since you may be standing far apart in the middle of a long fairway.
• Stay perceptively behind the disc of whoever is out (the player whose disc is furthest from the hole). This one is obvious, but also easy to violate.
• Don't talk about someone else's game unless they bring it up.
• Don't talk about your game too much.
• Don't talk too much, period. Unless your regular group likes to talk nonstop, of course, in which case- gab away! But keep the volume at a level that doesn't force other groups to listen to your banter.

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm eager to hear feedback from others.

Ace on hole 15

The view from hole 15 at DeLa (to the left, over the canyon) is pretty almost any time, but especially on a clear day, in the early morning. The backdrop was crisp and clear there today as we arrived at the halfway mark of our round, with Gregory and Assaf both giving me a run for my money (or in this case bagtag) once again. I think at that point Gregory was at +2, I was at +3, and Assaf had rallied back after a rough start and stood at +5.

I had the teepad, and promptly threw one of my most recently-purchased gummy Beasts a few feet from the pole. Assaf also put his close enough for an eventual birdie, and Gregory strolled from the place where we nornally wait our turn to the tee. As he walked over and then went through his back-healthy routine of simulating a left-handed drive (for spinal balance), I commented on the wisdom (or lack thereof) of a remark I had made in the beginning of the round. After Gregory had thrown a so-so drive on #1 and hit an early tree on his upshot, I said out loud " I think Gregory is gonna be a pushover today. He has visions of sugarplums dancing in his head." (Gregory is dating a new woman and seems quite enamoured). Anyway, I think Gregory used it (the comment- and maybe the woman too, come to think of it) as motiviation, as he played a very tenacious round and led most of the way.

As Assaf and I recalled my comment and how Gregory seemed to be feeding on it, he launched his drive. From the place we were standing - under the oaks to the left and in front of the tee - the disc is visible for the begiinning of the shot, then disappears for most of its flight. For that reason onlookers typically glue their eyes on the basket area waiting for the disc to reappear. I saw the red cobra emerge from the left, then slam the chains and settle in the cage maybe one second later. Assaf and I went crazy, and Gregory seemed stunned into momentary paralysis. We had to convince him it was in.

So that was pretty cool.

And then, as if there was still a little magic in the air, a father-and-daughter twosome played with us on 16 since it was their last hole. Dad nailed a 130-foot par 'throw' from a spot near the right pin placement. And that was pretty cool, too.