Tuscawilla Park in Daytona Beach, FL

Smokin' Popes: I put in 18 at Tuscawilla Park in Daytona Beach, Florida this afternoon. After deciding to pass on the courses in Orlando (an hour away; Daytona's 10 minutes), I wandered up. An interesting course. It's in the 90s here with approximately 80% humidity. So oof. I don't know whether I was just bombing shots today or if it's a function of the humidity (possibly humidity makes discs flippier, since there's more air resistance as they fly; also possibly I'm getting a little more snap since my hand and glove is sticky from the humidity?), but I was definitely getting some pop (and no x-step, whatever that is).

However the humidity also soaks your ass, and the rest of you too. Weird playing in this much after getting use to the basically zero humidity in the desert.

This course is flat, and in a nicely manicured park. There is lots of water winding through the park, in pools, and in some ditches. It's all real water, not casual (so penalties apply). As it is the rainy season now in Florida, there's water in pretty much everything, including, as I mentioned, your ass. That, and the piles of palm and other trees, creates much of the difficulty on this course.

I spent about 20 minutes trying to find the first tee, which I eventually did after being hassled by a dude for Jesus. Wha?

So let's start with hole 3, a drive over what I have to imagine is an alternate island green for one of the current holes: you do not want to be in most of this water because I don't know what kind of insane crap is in there. You can get discs back from the edge, but there's naughty moss and lizards everywhere, and word is that alligators could be around, so I'd recommend just not getting it in the water. So, hole 3, as promised:


Not too hard. About a 300' shot, and lots of trees to hit, but as long as you get it over the island green you should be able to par. I have a putt for birdie and do not make it.

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With the water comes the wildlife that wanders around the park. I don't know what kind of bird this is, but it was a little aggressive. Stork?

There are also about 20 homeless dudes sleeping on benches and so on, none in the fairways. None offered to caddy.

There are several very good holes on this course. Let's start with the first, being a signature hole, number 7. Note the awesome hole maps on every tee (both A and B tees have rocks with maps on them: bonus). There are A tees (longer and harder) and B tees. I played the A tees; I'll probably go back to play the Bs next week. There are at least three pin positions on each hole. Which position it's in is designated by the little white buttons on the rock (you can see the bottom half of one of them here). This hole is seriously bitchy:

The pin's in the 3 position, at 329 feet. There's really no way to play this hole safe besides just chipping it 50 feet ahead. You could try to play to the little peninsula on the right, or way to the left, but that's risky in itself:


It's a solid 315 to carry the water, I'd say, especially since the water's on the left, so this would play better for a lefty or a forehand if you got the cojones and the shot. You do not want to miss left. Here's a shot of the green from the left side of the pond:


I kill a drive. Overshoot it by about 30 feet and end up here:


Somewhat sad day. Gettable. I have a reasonable putt, but I miss the reasonable putt off the metal on the top and take a bogey. Too bad. C'est disc.

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How about a shot of a cool palm?

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or a random knife I find on a bench around hole 14:

I think about taking said knife but do not. It looks so clean. And who knows why it's on the paper. I do not ask. I do not tell. I blog it and move on.

Hole 11 is a tough little one. It's 372' in its current position, but you really have no shot (besides some kind of roller because the shrubbery on the right is big and tall and looks like it's waiting for you to try to throw a turnover shot to cut it close):


I throw an easy turnover about 280', just playing it safe. You really have to play it high and left, and there's probably a shot to be had besides a roller that could give you a putt, but I don't see it (no real forehand is going to hold) but you can't put it in the huge woods over there:


It turns out to be pretty awesome actually, leaving me a 70 foot upshot which I chump because I am a chump. Almost hit a 40' putt but no such luck. I am putting a little too high for the first 2/3 of the course. Maybe it's the humidity. At least it's consistent.

Hole 12 is a pretty one, a nice change from many of the front nine. It's probably 330' or so, and there's a nice opening which you cannot miss if you want any shot at par:


Throw it highish and turnoverry. This course definitely punishes bad shot selection or bad execution, which is what you want. It could probably have a little more variety than it has, but with an openish park, there's only so much you can do. (Ask Sean about his Muncie course--it's very good considering the landscape, but when you play a Kaposia or something, or an Elver, with big elevation and tech craziness, it's just fuckin' better.) Either way this is a good hole. It makes it clear what you should do, and anything else fucks you. Anyhow, here's a shot from about 100' out, just where it clears:


This course--and Florida on the whole--is lush as hell. Palms everywhere, and saw palmettos, and cockroaches of course, armadillos, ospreys. Very cool to play here. The humidity is like Alabama but Alabama sucks a lot worse than Florida, I am finding.

13 is a monster. One of the two signature holes on the course (7 is the other one, in my opinion):


Note that the 4th pin position isn't even on the fucking map. It's a bomb hole, definitely, easily 400 to get to the trees and a second shot:



And you can absolutely hit that white veranda structure. I do not, which is good. I kill a drive, maybe close to 370' or so. It leaves me a reasonable (though not easy) second shot:


There's a route. A nice little forehand route, but I chump it. Jesus. Leaving me an assy shot for par. I hit another tree. Frack. Eventually you get up to the basket, which is kind of awesomely elevated on a stump:


which is a nice touch. I chart a 5 on this one. Damn it. Should have totally parred it. But whatevs. 13, I forget what 13 is. 14 is pretty awesome though. The drive's about like a bunch of these, albeit a bomb, except a fucking island green, which is pretty much my favorite kind of green. They're so bitchy. And this one isn't even flat:


I throw a pretty good shot which lands on the green, but then it rolls off. Ass. I take a 4. Luckily I turn on the birdie for the next two holes (15 is a birdie hole, definitely, and I finally chart a birdie). Hole 16 is a bomb, 390 or so. I launch one, and put in a 40-footer for birdie. Sweet. Back to +5.

Generally this course uses its water really well. It's almost always in play. Like on 17, in which the drive is by no means an obvious shot:


and here's the shot of the green:

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I end up bogeying 18 (which shouldn't have been bogeyed), which puts me back at +6, which is a little disappointing. It should be reasonable to play this course at par if you avoid disaster and just hit putts to get some of the easier birdies (which I did not for the most part).

Overall, I'd say 3.0/4.0. Pretty good. Not quite awesome since about half the holes are fairly similar to each other. Definitely worth the play. I'll post a review this evening probably on dgcoursereview.com which is increasingly an entertaining site for me. There's lots of examples of people saying they traveled 1200 miles to get here. WTF? Really? It's definitely different than a lot of courses I've played, but not worth that kind of gas money.

09 Worlds

Play began today at the 2009 World Disc Golf Championships in the Kansas City area. Tee-off was at 8:00 am. The first ace recorded was at 8:01 am.

Catch all the action at the PDGA Worlds Media page.

Two pieces of disc golf information I'd like to juxtapose for you:

1. A couple of days ago, I recorded my longest flat-ground, non-wind-aided, backhand drive of my life: 300 feet, measured to the nearest foot.
2. The long distance throwing event was held at Worlds yesterday. The winning throw for girls aged 16 or under was 324 feet.
   

Some other winning throws:
Men's Professional: 577 feet
Boys 13 and under: 462 feet
Women's Professional: 396 feet
Boys 10 and under: 359 feet

The only category that posted a winning throw that I could reach was the Women's Grandmaster (50 years old and older) Advanced division. 243 feet. Even then, I'd probably need several throws to beat it.

Cedar Glades Park Hot Springs Arkansas

I woke up at the fancy hotel and then ran up the mountain, 7 miles. I didn't mean to go that far but got lost on the mountain. I ran on a rocky trail called the DEAD CHIEF TRAIL. That might be an insensitive name for a running trail, but I don't want to make assumptions.

Then I said, "Denise, let's go play disc golf."

We went here.

The locals call this the "Wildcat Course" I guess because it is in the woods and has a creek, but I have seen much wilder courses in my day.

The course was piney and tight and sculpted and shadow flickering trees and easy signage and well maintained. Each hole had a a clear sign and nice and orderly tee pad. Maybe the course was a bit too "manicured" for my taste.

Denise is playing D golf a bit now. She has several problems in her game, but I fixed most by giving her a Roc and telling her to use it on every hole. Jack Nicklaus once said a new golfer (ball, obviously) should use a 5 iron for every shot. The Roc is the same idea. It worked. Her scores lowered quickly. I am thinking she needs a light Roc, like a 150 if that is even possible.

I like that she plays because I can now work a D Golf course into every trip we take.

This is Denise's first ever par. Notice how many jack-weeds have written aces on the basket. This is because the hole was about 100 feet long. The course had several 100 foot range holes. I almost aced twice with a fucking Rhino putter. I did not appreciate these short holes, though the course tries to justify them by massive elevation, tech routes. I will also say we didn't have to play the short tees, now did we?

Example of elevation and tech below:

Then there is this hole, "The Humbler." 737 feet through the woods, short Tee. Long Tee is 912 feet thru the woods.

I am putting for a 5 here and I miss and so 6 the hole and am Humled. I was disgusted to miss this putt because with the new putting stroke I rarely miss from this close. My scores have certainly improved since I have changed my putting stance, stroke, mental approach, so thanks to all for the video links.

Wow! A lawyer's dream. The park has its own climbing wall!!

S

Bad Ass Day for Sean also Coke is Good

Dinner be organic, yo. Harvested that deer. Grew that sweet corn in the rain gutters of my house. No, no, bought it from a smelly guy with a gray mullet. Dude smelled like a charred piano. He was on the side of the road in a Pinto, the exploding car. You hardly ever see gray-hair mullets. I liked it. Respect.

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Today was one of those weird disc golf days where it all came together. First thing, the weather was all rainbow crystal gavel of hipster girl with NO2 tank and skinny glasses. She dances in circles and sells you two balloons for 5 dollars. She is so alive, so full of self/lightning you can't believe the dude with her (guy is wearing a football jersey and has large head like an eggplant, loud voice like an eggplant, ball cap bent all cheese curl). Then she enters her white van and drives away, so enjoy her while she is in your world. Clouds in the shape of Ethel Merman's head. Trees swayed, breeze breezed, ground grounded, all of that. I even saw a hawk pounce on a Mountain Dew can and crush it like zucchini bread. Our disc golf course has some bad-ass hawks. Wow. I felt high like an index. (Indexes used to be high, bear with me.)

Then I see a bunch of families on the course, a bunch of young kids, a mom, etc. This is why we (me, a grad student at BSU, a gracious course designer who took no fee) built the course. Before disc golf the park was a haven of drug deals and gay sex (not that there is anything wrong with either, but maybe a public park isn't the best venue?).

Can you see the kids? They are way in the back. They are small because they are kids. Kids are usually small. Anyway.

I put two new holes in the ground. The disc golf club hems and haws, while I just go out and put holes in the ground. I don't ask permission. Know why? Because I have the keys to every basket. I don't need permission for a thing. I am the Key Master. If you are ever the Key Master, even as a metaphor, don't give it up lightly. It feels pretty good.

Hole 6 is sweet:

Look at the new hole 6! You can go forehand or backhand, hyzer or anhyzer.

I also put in a new hole 17.

I will get DIY on your ass. I will buy Quick-Crete and bring a level, real honest-2-God level. Check out that big L to R shot. You don't even have that shot because you are a weak-ass and all your discs fall off to the left. Ha. Ha. (or go buy a stingray).

I also shot -5 today, my course record. I told you it was a good day. To each their own.

Coke. Dude, I love Coke.

S

Bryant Lake Park (Eden Prairie, MN)

Photos and commentary below are for the third match in three weeks between the rejuvenated Mark Ehling and myself at Eden Prairie’s pay course at Bryant Lake Park (BLP).

From what we can tell, it is free during weekdays and early weekend mornings, and the standard $3 round / $5 day on weekends.

Mark had played outstanding in our first two matches there in June, while I turned in some dismal performances: 59 to 67 and 59 to 72.

Last week's match (July 3rd) at Bryant Lake Park was a minor classic though.

Conditions:
Temp: high 70s
Wind: minimal
Bugs: nil

My gesture in the below photograph, of course, refers to the hole number, not some delusional sense of self regarding my OJDGR (Official Jag Disc Golf Ranking).



Note: By the way, I will be posting the First Installment of the OJDGR data, culled from the best available information, including Jag posts provided on this site.

While most of the holes at BLP are out of the woods, they are mostly all bordered by woods (unlike say, the pay course in Madison, I forget the name).

The course is listed as Par 60 from the pro tees, though this is very generous (12 3’s and 6 4’s). I would say it is more of a true 56 or 57 tops.

Hole one is a straight shot of 398 feet – though Mark has crossed over two fairways to the right on his drive here. Today we both made par 3 (which is a birdie according to the scorecard, but it's a par 3).




Hole two is a one of the many anhyzer holes at BLP – 305 feet out, though the anhyzer is only very slight on this one.




Mark double-bogeyed this hole to stake me to a 2-stroke lead, probably my biggest lead against him since Madison, as he’s been on a rampage.

Hole 3 is short (246) but a bit tricky – you can either try a long drive with an anhzyer tail or try to sneak through the patch of trees just 30-40 feet at the right. We’ve both done that successfully.




You can get a better view of the gap here. Also, don’t be fooled by Ehling’s Lew Ford Twins jersey. This guy isn’t a scrappy player anymore – he can deliver some real bombs (see Hole 5 below).




Mark bogeyed Hole 3 while I made par again, so now Senior Jag is up 3 strokes on Minneapolis’ lauded new filmmaker (seriously everyone, Mark’s debut film “How To Live Better” is pure cinematic perfection).

Hole 4 is listed at 261, though I think it’s quite a bit shorter – the pin is tucked away between the trees between the two paths.




The hole is noteworthy only if you go right on your drive, then you end up in ‘jail’ below the basket like I did on mine. (I clanked my birdie putt from here):




Hole 5, at 432 feet, is the 4th longest on the course, and is listed as a par 4, though it’s really a 3.4, so I’d round it down to 3. The pin is across the green field, and tucked between the second patch of big trees way down yonder.




Mark BOOMED his drive – which we both reckon was the longest of his life. The disc actually ended up about 20 feet past the pin.




Unfortunately, Mark missed his (birdie, technically eagle) putt, and we both made 3s.

Hole 6 is an uphill, anhyzer hole that’s pretty short (232). The hole is reachable in theory, but if you put too much anhyzer on it, you’ll be in a bunch of trees on the right. If you end up on the left, you face a Cliff of Death. (There are about 4 holes with Cliffs of Death on this course). Basically, you could roll 100+ feet down to the lake.




We both got 3s, so 1/3 of the way through the round I’m at Even and Mark is +3 (counting par 3s).

Here’s a lovely view from the teebox at 7, though in the opposite direction of the pin.



The pin at 7 is 416 feet away, with a Cliff of Death on the left, and placed on the top of the ‘pyramid’ way in the distance. The crappy green anti-erosion matt on the near fairway is super slick, and I have wiped out twice on this so far this year (including on this round, leading to a 6).



Here is a view from the base of the ‘pyramid’ – Mark got up and in in 3 strokes. I had a triple 6 (though listed as par 4). Thus endeth my lead.




Hole 8 is a doozy that has given both of us fits, particularly Mark. This is one of many holes with blind drives. In fact, frequently our second shot on this hole (listed as par 4, 487 feet), is also blind.




Due to the blindness of the shots, combined with the hills, the rough and trees on the right, and the woods and steep drop on the left, we often have to spend 5+ minutes searching for our drives on this hole. We both got 5s on this occasion.

Hole 9 is one of the few boring holes – 309 feet and pretty much a straight shot out at the top of the hill.




I bogeyed it, so, after 9 holes it was Ehling 32, Eric 33.

Hole 10 starts things off with a very fun hyzer downhill, at just 301 feet, so it is very reachable.




The back 9 has 3 true birdie holes, and I finally landed one on this Hole 10 with a 30+ foot putt with my (still very rough) ‘pro’ putting stroke. (Do I look happy?).



(Yes, I've got a boo-boo on my elbow. Not a disc-golf injury, though).

Hole 11 is another birdie hole. While listed at 277, and it seems short enough (also downhill), Mark and I have never reached the pin on our drives (the pin is straight ahead, down the hill).



Hole 12 is probably the most difficult holes in the 300-399 feet range on the course: THICK woods on the left, and a couple well-placed trees directly on the fairway.



Mark bogeyed the hole, which put me up one…a lead that would hold going down to the wire at Hole 18 (foreshadowing…).

Hole 13 is a pesky, pesky 177-foot anyzher, downhill hole. I believe neither Mark nor myself has birdied the hole to date, and I know I’ve bogeyed and doubled it. It is very tempting to anhyzer the drive, but there is zero room for error, as there is thick woods to the right, short of the pin. So, you’re best off just throwing straight or even tailing left, and landing 30-50 feet away for a long putt.




Hole 14 is a 352-foot, not too remarkable hole, although there is a swamp on the left if you shank it, and pretty thick woods on the right as well.




At this point you have to walk about 2 minutes to get to the “back 4” holes which are in a different section of the park.

Hole 15 is an easy par 3 (that we rarely birdie) at 235 feet, though uphill. The pin is basically straight past the trees in the center of the (gravel) fairway.



Hole 16 is a very fun hyzer hole (214 feet). However, if you release late, and end up in the woods on the right – good luck, as it’s another Cliff of Death. Just follow the gravel path…



…and you will end up by “The Rock.” Here you see my drive and Mark’s 2nd shot. We both ended up with 3s.



Which brings us to the “Granddaddy hole” of BLP – hole 17. The hole Ander would love to make his b*tch. At 542 feet (I think this underestimates the distance), the tee is placed on the top of a cliff, from which you descend 114 steps to the bottom (we counted). The pin is across a road, past the green field in the distance, and up a 3 of 4 ‘platform’ pyramid, similar (though smaller) than Hole 7.



If you should ever jag this drive short in John Deere fashion, you will be in the midst of several trees:



This is listed as Par 4, and we both got 4s. So, heading into hole 18, it’s Eric with a 1-stroke lead over Mark.

Hole 18 is long and uphill (434) and listed as a par 4. One of 2 or 3 legitimate par 4s on the course.



Mark shanked his drive a tad right, though rather far, and I was short but straight. Mark then found Aladdin’s lamp and pulled out the approach of his life, landing just 12 or so feet short of the pin. My second shot was decent, but 50 feet out from the pin, landing on more of that erosion mesh.

It would have been smart for me to go up and in for a 4, forcing a tie and a playoff. But...I went for it, and slipped on the mesh a bit and left myself 20 feet. I ended up with a 5, with Mark still sitting at 2 needing to putt in for victory.

Mark had many false starts with his high-pressure putt, as the wind kicked up just as he was about to release. Eventually, he settled down and scooped it in the basket for a victory-clinching 3.

Final scores:

Mark: 61
Eric: 62

Addendum: We played the course yesterday morning (July 12th) at 8 am as well. Similar story, except we both sucked, tying at 68 in regulation (with Eric again blowing a 1-stroke lead on 18). Mark won on the 3rd playoff hole.

Eric’s record vs. Mark in 2009 thus far (for 18 and 9 hole courses): 2-10 (with Mark winning 10 in a row).