Sunday, April 23, 2006

Pure Pwnage


Yesterday was definately a day of firsts: first time Wes and I have ever kept track of our scores at Acorn, first time we had ever joined up with that many people to play a round, first time I have ever been out-driven by a 12 year old, and first time I have ever heard Wes call me naughty names.


So a couple of days ago, I was sifting through old emails, trying to lighten the load in my inbox, when I happened across a spreadsheet used to keep track of scores and averages for our disc golf class last fall. I ended up adapting it to suit our purposes, allowing us to keep track different stats. For instance, we can now see our averages for any one hole or be able to calculate our handicap.

I was pretty excited to get some scores up, so we decided to really keep score for the first time in awhile. In fact, this was Wes's first time ever keeping score. But apparently we suffer performance anxiety, judging by the number of unnecessary errors we made. I ended up going +2 after 3 holes. I was not happy. Then, around hole 6, we hooked up with another group of 4. It was a busy day and we figured we could romp through the course in just as much time together, and that way, it'd hopefully save some time for those behind us.

The group we jumped in with were pretty cool cats. The foursome included a father (Big Steve), his two sons (an adult and the aforementioned 12 year old), and a friend of the older son. Each could hold their own around the course. In fact, the older son could unleash one of the longest forearms I've ever seen. The added pressure of capable companions did little to decrease our performance anxiety, though it began to manifest itself in different ways in Wes and myself. Wes, admittedly, had difficulty staying focused while I, somehow, began to play more consistantly.

For Wes, it took him awhile to calm down and realize that nobody really cared much about performance. But after a shaky start, he began to settle down and actually had some of the better drives I've ever seen him make. And though the scores don't really show it, Wes has definately improved, even from the beginning of the season.

As for me, I believe I already mentioned that after 3, I was sitting on a +2. This is not a good thing as the front nine are usually the holes to buffer your score with in lieu of the back nine, which is much longer and has more difficult holes. I was able to birdie 4 and get back to +1 and carried that through the front nine. Then disaster. I shanked my next two drives into trees not far from the tee box, giving me consecutive bogeys. But I got one back on the next hole, putting me at +2 after 12. Blotched on 15 but got it back on 17 and then lost it again on 18. And even though the round didn't seem very stellar to me, I ended on a +3, which just so happens to be the best score I have ever posted from all back tees. After I realized this, I was pretty stoked.

My goal for the season is to get to evens with Acorn, a very plausible goal for the season. Mark it!

Splash, Turn, Twist,
~Doug

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Silverview: Take Two...


And the wind continues to be the bane of all things disc. It seems that everytime I head out for a round to practice my drives, the wind decides to practice being a tornado. You know you probably shouldn't be out playing when you have to power-putt from ten feet out just to avoid the effects of the wind. Meh, I suppose I'll be able to survive. After all, my scores haven't been terrible in spite of the wind.

Really the only other negative part of this round was the loss of a dear friend, the Champ Orc. On any other day, the throw would have been solid, but my arching hyzer was only exacerbated by the wind, pushing her into the woods (and more than likely the stream 10 meters into the woods). I suppose its not a huge loss. If I really need an overstable driver, I always have the Champ Beast. But its the principle of the thing.

But the round went well overall. Highlights included Pappy's great putt-and-approach game, and a drive I parked on a hole covered in vegitation (with a Discraft XL, no less).

Farewell Brave Warrior,
~Diggs

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Crazy Week


My arm is going nuts. I only really started playing last week, around Tuesday. I also played Wednesday (the round my roommate Will ditched my disk on). No disk on Thursday, but Friday, with my new Champ Beast in hand, Will and I did a little driving practice and ripped off about 50-60 drives in a relatively short amount of time. I followed that up with rounds on both Saturday and Sunday... oh, and Monday too. Tuesday was a much needed rest for the arm. I picked it up again on Wednesday. Sorry Pappy, I know we were supposed to go, but I couldn't do it after 4, so I went before. I haven't been very kind to the arm lately, and this is my formal apology to it.

But this has resulted in some very appreciated results. I was playing fairly crapily until about Sunday. During that round, a new course for us that was in White Bear Lake, things started coming together. My drive was acceptable, but I started throwing my approaches and putts with more confidence and things started to go much better. Then, come Wednesday, I was pulling about +1 on Acorn's front 9, which for me is a good thing. It was really windy though, and I wasn't able to maintain throughout the entirety of the round, finishing at a respectible +5. An interesting side note... Beilby also played that day, and despite 10 birdies on the day, only finished with a -3 (a testament to the wind conditions that day). That means that our rounds were only an 8 stroke difference. This is a significant difference, to be sure. However, this is much better than the 14 strokes I'd normally calculate to our difference.

I am happy about that...

dream a little dream,
~Diggs

Friday, April 07, 2006

Round with the roomie

Ok, so my roommate has been interested in the sport ever since I took him last fall. And so Wednesday, in lieu of a cancelled meeting, we took advantage of the great weather and hit up Acorn. Some parts were quite muddy and the wind was definately affecting the discs, but it was an all-around successful round... until hole 9.

This hole is notorious for claiming wayward discs and has again proven its evil capabilities. I drove without incident (except for landing in a random collection of rain in the middle of the fairway). But my roommate, who had only gone once prior to that round, pulled it high, causing the expected rainbow of a shot that on any other hole would result in heading to the bushes. But to the right of hole 9 is a pond, though I think would be considered a lake in Minnesota (they have to get their 10,000 lakes somehow). Thankfully, I was foreward thinking enough to have given him a Discraft for the day. Though I regret the loss of any disc, my feelings towards a Discraft is less like lossing a best friend and more like putting a dying dog out of his misery. Its unfortunate, but it has lived a long enough life and lacks the ability to do much.

My roommate felt a mite bad about it, though I reassured him that it was just the discs time to go. And unless the discs eventual finder has enough integrity to call the number on the back of the disc, its definately a goner. But he was inconsolable... not really, but he bought me a new disc anyways. To replace the Discraft Crush (which ironically replace my Pro Starfire), he bought me a Champ Beast. I think I came out ahead on the deal

Dream a little dream,
~Diggs

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Silverview Pictures


Joslyn's first time disc'n...cute

Pappy is pointing to the catcher.

Doug throws a disc.

Lovely afternoon for some disc.

Pappy is strong.

Doug is working it.

Highlights of Silverview


On Tuesday, Digs, Myself (the mid range king) and my significant other went for a disc golf outing. I decided to try out a new course for us all. Silverview, in Mounds View, MN. It's a short little 9 hole course. Great scenery, beautiful disc catchers, and challenging pin placements. I enjoyed myself. I could have played a little better but overall for it being my second offical outing of the spring. I was happy.


Sunday, April 02, 2006

1st Tourney...?

Alright, so I was bored this weekend and was looking around the PDGA event boards and a tournament came up for next weekend. The biggest drawback to this tourney is that its in Des Moines. However, it is on a Saturday and we also know people in Ames, if not within Des Moines itself. The great thing about this one is that its a doubles tournament that takes place in two rounds. The first is a best disc, kind of like the one we played with Delzell, Harcum and Hott Todd this fall. The second round has the team throw alternatively, one then the other. We could play in the intermediate bracket ($40/team) or a recreational bracket ($20/team).

My preference would be the recreational bracket, but that's just me. If both of you want to go, I'm sure we could pick up a fourth somewhere. Anyways, the schedule for the trip would probably look like this:

Friday: leave for Ames/Des Moines and hang out for the night
Saturday: leave early for registration in Des Moines w/ a 10am tee-time
after the tourney we head back to Ames and hang out w/ our respective friends
or we can hang out in Des Moines
or even leave to head back to the Cities
Sunday: if not already back, bust it back home

Let me know if you'd be up for it.

Keep Truckin'
~Doug

p.s. we are in double digits for posts already!