Cold Lampin' Weekend # 3: Preview and random thoughts

At the moment of this post hitting the internet we will be about 30 or so hours from beginning the next greatest disc golf adventure.  We are about to embark on our (count it) third annual Cold Lampin' disc golf weekend, never mind that this year it takes place over a Monday-Wednesday. I dare say that this years trip will be our best yet.  The anticipation has been mounting for months as we finalized our plans to head back to the place we dreamed about in high school. A place where the disc golf weekends started....the legendary Disc Golf Mecca. Highbridge Hills.

A place where one day there will be ten 18 hole courses set upon the single property.  Located in the middle of nowhere close to the shores of Lake Michigan in Northern Wisconsin. Five brave souls will embark on a journey that will undoubtedly strengthen our friendship but also test our disc golf abilities.  It is an area that is unforgiving, arrant throws will be punished with extra shots.  But the one golfer who dares challenge the likes of Highbridge Gold will wind up with the greatest prize. A golden trident that Poseidon tossed out of the Great Lake only to never have it return.

2013 Disc Golf Event

The 2013 Annual Disc Golf Event has been planned and scheduled. The official location this year is a revisit to the disc golf complex in Highbridge, WI. The Highbridge Hills Sports Complex is a mecca of disc golf challenges and entertainment. Most of the other guys were able to attend this trip in 2011 as a bachelor weekend event before Diggs' wedding. They were able to experience what has to be the longest single hole ever and one of the most challenging and technical forest courses around.

One of the fun things to look forward to is staying at the Honka House. Looking forward to that as well.

Honka House

I am personaly not going to miss this for anything. Can't wait for June.

Warm up those throwing arms everyone. Good luck.

www.highbridgehillssc.com

On Phoenixes & Rainy Days: A Highbridge HIlls SC Review, Pt 4... Pt 2

Highbridge Gold and Granite Ridge in Memorium...

First up, Granite Ridge!

Diggs and the King in front of the landmark sign, found on Granite Ridge's course

This is actually Blueberry, but this is a taste of the fog we threw through during the beginning of the round

This is URBWes on the last hole of the course with the fog lifting quite a bit

This was a neat fallen tree left to provide more difficulty

This shot taken in a field after a 300+ foot throw, and you had to hit that tunnel. I faded into the trees on the left and went OB in the creek bed. bummer...

URBWes meditating upon the round. The other fellow always seems to be pointing at something...

And now, Highbridge Gold!

BroLo El Cunado kneeling Tom Joad style next to a tree. I think it is a metaphor. You know? For how the big course brought us to our knees... Righteous.

This was the fun terraced green on Hole #18. The whole hole was terraced in much the same way

Hole #8 Intro for the Longest Hole

BroLo El Cunado being all sorts of man on the pad. I believe he had a triple bogey on this one


BryJohn showing his throwing skills. Dude never plays, but he played this one in sandals. Straight gangsta.

Jiggs showing us the Leaning Dutchman routine

After my first drive on hole #8. Can you see the basket? No? It's about 1000 ft further down behind that clump of trees up ahead. Probably didn't help that my Nuke had a meltdown off the tee

Fin.

~Diggs

On Phoenixes & Rainy Days: Highbridge HIlls SC Review, Pt 4

Pt 4... Stay Gold, Ponyboy (or Money Disc)

We have reviewed the Woodland Bear. We have reviewed Granite Ridge. Now we touch on the big daddy of Highbridge Hills... the Gold Course! We hit Granite Ridge in the morning and Gold after lunch. Play time was approximately 5 hours. That's 5... with a 5. Course length is ~8500 ft. Of the 18 holes, only four are under 300 ft; three are between 300-400 ft; and fully eleven holes are over 400 ft, including the (self-proclaimed) longest hole in the world, Hole #8 coming in at over 1300 ft.

This course was the pièce de résistance of our trip, the source of our desires, and the sun decided to show itself as we began to play. Since this was to be our most anticipated round of disc EVER MRK decided to make things a little more interesting. The winner of the round would be awarded a disc. Not just any disc; the disc with the sweetest name a disc could ever dream of... the Money Putter.

Let me tell you straight out that the best kept course I have ever seen resides in East Bethel, MN and is known as Blue Ribbon Pines. This one is a close enough second. The lines were well laid and well taken care of. To be fair, Jon had just gone out the day before to mow it all down. Jon's good that way. It was just a beautiful course. Gold offers a nice change in elevation; good use of vegetation and stone. It even mixed in a little water, though it really didn't factor into the course much. Gold does everything you hope a golf course to do. As Timmy Gill puts it, it rewards good throws and punishes bad ones.

Only a couple things work against the Gold course. A stage was left in disrepair and disuse after it's initial construction for the World Amateurs played there years before (round abouts hole 18 if memory serves). It just gummed up the aesthetics. Hole 16 was also a bit of a let down. Supposedly an island hole, the water had long since dried up, leaving what had once been (I'm sure) a very comely wooden ring around the island. The ring had unfortunately suffered a breach and the whole thing was in the process of falling apart apparently due to the extreme weight of the soil it was holding up.

Everything else was finger-licking good. Notable holes included hole 2(?) with a nice little elevated putt. I enjoyed hole 18 with it's terraced shots and an elevated green. Hole 10 was a tricky shot choice involving heavy pines. Another hole (of which number I forget, maybe 11) offered a neat little shot over a pond before anhyzering back right into this protected grove hidden within the side of a small hill. Hole 16's island green was a neat idea, even if she isn't as pretty as she used to be. And the most memorable of all was the famous hole 8, the big guy. It looked to be a ball golf hole converted wholesale into the longest permanent hole in the world, a hole that has garnered a legit par 6 from the PDGA. This thing wasn't just long... it was beautiful. Three tee pads in terrace formation lead to a gradual decline in elevation, bracketed on each side by tall pines. This opens up into a breath-taking view of the valley. A few trees line the right side of the fairway before emptying into grove of trees much closer to the basket, forcing a picky hyzer shot that better go as far as you think it will if you want to clear the brush and vegetation or a lay up anhyzer before a short approach and putt. Simply stunning. My only regret is turning over my Nuke WAY too much, crashing it into the treeline on the right and essentially wasting my first two shots on that drive and my recovery shot.

MRK and I ended the round in a tie, but since this was MY bachelor party and I can cry if I want to, I can now gaze upon the Money Putter neatly mounted near my home office, reminding me of that wonderful trip... that wonderful course... Highbridge Gold.

Stay gold, Ponyboy... stay gold

~Diggs

On Phoenixes & Rainy Days: A Highbridge Hills SC Review, Pt 3

Part 3... Like a Rock (or Wet Dreams)

Waking in the morning of the second day, feeling decidedly unlike P. Diddy, one topic pervaded my mind... rain. Why wouldn't it rain on the day I had awaited for years? The storm had began the evening before, and by my waking at 6 a.m. the downfall remained. I won't lie; I was getting mighty disconcerted. After all this time to be hampered by the weather was almost too much to bear. In my mind, I ran through the possibilities, and I imagined we would likely need to relocate back to the Twin Cities for any semblance of a bachelor weekend. But I wasn't prepared to give up just yet.

By the time a normal person awakes on vacation, the rains had abated, and in the young morning, a heavy mist lay throughout the area. We decided to give it a go. By 10 a.m. we were heading out to our first sortie of the day, Granite Ridge. The original plan was to hit up the Woodland Green as a nice little warm up. This changed for two reasons. We had stumbled through most of the Woodland course the day before. It also seemed as if the length of the courses were an unknown factor. The length of them were beyond your typical course, meaning any given round is destined to last about twice as long as the norm. So we decided to reassess our options and went straight for those courses we truly wished to play. Number one on the list was obviously the Gold course, but we were saving that for the afternoon.

While Blueberry Hill was high on the list, we had looked at Granite Ridge as our best option for the morning round. With the fog hanging heavy in the air and water soaking our shoes, we trudged out to the course to give it the "what for". Admittedly, I was a little depressed about the situation and felt none too good about my game that morning. So, as we walked up to hole 1 and saw... well, nothing but the tee pad and haze, I volunteered my services as spotter, hoping to avoid being the first up and embarrassing myself. Hole 1 sloped downhill about 300 ft, a fairly straight shot, but islands of trees forced you to take either a hyzer or anhyzer line to get to the basket. I took my place around 200 ft down the hill, allowing me a pretty good vista of any shot to come down. The problem? I couldn't see the tee pad! I'm telling you... FOGGY!

Standing down there, depressed, wet and cold, I began preparing myself for what I thought would be a very long day. Then, appearing out of nowhere, a disc came hovering overhead, landing somewhere beyond me and to the left. Then another. And each time a disc passed overhead, joy slowly started to sneak in. The soft buzzing overhead and the sensation of discs appearing out of nowhere combined with the beautiful surroundings and great company lifted my spirits. When my turn finally came, my blind shot landed right around the putting circle and I finished with a birdie putt. At that point, I was off and running.

While our experience was greatly impacted by the weather conditions, the round was wonderful! Granite Ridge is a wonderful array of options, providing slightly wooded shots mixed with a number of more open shots. The course is aptly named, noting the large rocky outcroppings. Some elevation change and water comes into play. And since I could generally drive the farthest of our group, I loved the amount of longer, open holes! I have the round scores somewhere and I will post them in time, but in spite of throwing into a creek bed marked OB, I still came within striking distance of par. And for my first time on a course, that was a stinking good round for me. This post is long enough already, but let it be known that for me, Granite Ridge was the best course we played... until the afternoon, anyways!

"... But no one here is asking..."

~Diggs

On Phoenixes & Rainy Days: A Highbridge Hills SC Review, Pt 2... Pt 2

A Bear Woodland Recap in pictures and video...

In an effort to give a better picture of the experience, I thought it might be sweet to include some more tangible expressions of the course. While my memories contain much that was never captured for posterity, I think this could approximate in greater fullness when considered along with my words. I debated including them in the other post, but concern for length stayed my hand. Enjoy this second offering...

The above image is the group sans MRK the cameraman. Solid.

Here's a sweet pic of Jiggs the Jiggalo with some happy rays of sunshine (the last we would have on the trip). From the looks of it, this might be the putt up a mound.

This is a typical vista on the course. Many tall trees, yet some nicely defined lines that really shape the course quite nicely.

This was a great hole (#2 I believe) even if it ended poorly for me. If we could pan to the right, we could see two different alley ways to the right and left. The route to the left gradually doglegs back to the right in a long arch (~450 ft). The route to the right arches around to meet up with the first, leaving an approach when you're done... as long as you have a big arm. And halfway down the right side is a separate arch branching around, approaching the hole from the other side. Really nice set up!

And boom. There you go.

~Diggs

On Phoenixes & Rainy Days: A Highbridge HIlls SC Review, Pt 2

Part 2... Grin & Bear It


Course: Bear Woodland

Time: Friday, late afternoon

Round: Arriving in the mid-afternoon on Friday, we promptly exited the vehicles and, before even finding out where we were staying, got in some putt practice. Eventually, we were able to connect up with John and get situated. In fairly short order, we were heading to the courses.

Our high-minded aspirations had us completing the whole series of major courses over the 40ish hours we were on site. Reflecting back on it, naive... so naive. I suppose we merely hoped for such an outcome, which as you may have guessed by now, did not come to fruition. Anyway, the plan was to hit up the Bear, a newer course that looked densely wooded. Saturday we would ease into the day with Woodland Greens ( a shorter, easier course); roll into Highbridge Gold for the Money Putt competition (winner won the money putter); capping the day off with some Granite Ridge action. The following morning, we would squeeze in Blueberry Hill before departure. One of those rounds we would make doubles, and we planned on throwing Chestnut Grove, the night course, one of those nights.

Well, as it turned out, the seasonal rains caused delays in completing the Bear course. Instead, they played the first 7 holes, then jumped over to Woodland Greens to finish off the round. Turns out it was a fairly nifty set up for those interested in throwing the Bear, though it prevented us from throwing hole 12 located near a live bear cave. Perhaps better that way...

Warning: The following account is admittedly colored by the viewpoint of its author. My experience is forever influenced by playing such rounds through my own eyes. Other authors will most assuredly have their own varied accounts that may differ greatly than my own.

Now I can tell you about how much the round sucked.

At least it did for me. Let us paint a picture. In the picture is a young man on the cusp of the most life-changing experience outside religious. Enter an opportunity to cross off one of the more long-standing bucket list items known to him. He seizes the carp, using the traditional male ritual for such a purpose. The moment finally arrives. What follows can only be described as a cruel, cosmic joke. Suddenly a decade's worth of effort and experience vanishes, leaving the remains of shattered expectations and broken dreams. I played that poorly. To be fair... I may have been pressing.

Regardless, I was about as useful as a "Birdie" putter out there. Others had more positive experiences. MRK played well and Jiggs played outside of his mind! I thought URBWes acquitted himself fairly well, though I don't recall him being particularly satisfied with the performance. BryJohn and "El Cuñado" also did well.

Let us be clear. The issue was not the course, at least the Bear portion. The Bear is a wooded, yet well manicured course that I will be excited to play on better terms. Tight fairways and multiple lines on a number of holes provide a challenging and beautiful experience. The Woodland Greens was a different experience. Not bad just... different. It struck me as just another wooded course. Nothing too spectacular. The Bear's holes were much more precise and lengthy; Woodland much more open. Woodland had a few cool shots (a neat one on a hill), but nothing about the course particularly struck my fancy. In retrospect, Playing just Woodland would have been a wonderful warm up/confidence builder.

Heading back to the cabin after the round, I could have used that confidence. I had hopes that tomorrow would bring a new day, full of new experiences. Then came the rain...

"... the first to volunteer..."

~Diggs

On Phoenixes & Rainy Days: A Highbridge HIlls SC Review, Pt 1

Part 1... The Phoenix Rises (w/ Disc in Hand)

The long awaited review of Highbridge Hills Sports Complex (otherwise known as the disc golf mecca) is finally here! I have attempted to produce this post before. I failed. Such endeavors proved fruitless as my penchant for loquacity met up with the vast raw, untapped wealth of the experience, producing a cacophony of verbiage too great for mortal ears. Planets imploded... light poured forth from the recesses of the universe, rending the very fabric of existence... the universe began contracting and time reversed upon itself (the last one was an actual theory proffered by Steven Hawking. Go figure). Regaining a sense of brevity... TL;DR.

Instead, I have opted for a series of posts addressing key points along the journey. This as-yet-to-be-complete work is beyond me at this point. I haven't a clue how long it will take. Yet, as my wrestling coach once told me, perseverance commands success. We will reach the end at some point!

Our first posting focuses on the past in order to look towards the future. Highbridge began not as a disc golf effort, but ball golf. Land was purchased, investors courted, and plans developed. Unfortunately, the main partner passed away, leaving a man with a deed to 300 acres and no investors. Simplifying matters, the land was eventually re imagined into the disc golf hotbed it is today. For this, we thank Jon.

As elsewhere documented, our crew discovered this gem some years ago in college. Our hopes were kindled, yet opportunity never presented itself. However, as Smokey the Bear will tell you, embers, once kindled, aren't always so easily extinguished. The desire persisted. Finally, with my wedding as the catalyst, we had our excuse to head to Highbridge.

The goal for the facilities is to eventually support ten 18-hole golf courses, with a number of them already in place. Unfortunately for us, time constraints precluded a round on each of the courses. Just as well. Our arms were pretty well fried with the amount we did get to play. Those we did chance to play were Bear Woodland, Granite Ridge, and Highbridge Gold. I imagine each experience will warrant its own post, and the particulars will be spelled out therein.

"Heroes will be heroes..."

~Diggs

The Before & After

In a couple days, I will be heading to the Twin Cities on a mission trip. Therefore, the importance of brevity precludes my complete address of the Highbridge trip at this time. That being said, "Whoa! That was an awesome trip!"

I wanted to review the anticipatory poll put up in June. The question: Which Highbridge course are you most looking forward to playing? The options included the Bear, Woodland Green, Blueberry, Granite Ridge, Highbridge Gold, and the night course. Highbridge Gold won, receiving two votes, Woodland Green received one; and the Bear received one, though if I heard it right, the one who voted for the Bear quickly reversed his vote upon playing it.

This month, we will revisit the trip, inquiring what course you most enjoyed playing. As you may have noticed, our list is demonstrably shorter. Appears as if our eyes were bigger than our arms, or more accurately our timetable. Please think back on it, decide based on experience, layout, etc.

We'll backtrack the trip together (seems I'm not the only one interested in writing up the trip). Harcum, we missed you. You are required to go with us next time! I'm out!

~Diggs

It is Time!

Tomorrow we depart. We six intrepid discers from four states will brave great distances, flooding rivers, and even Wisconsin in our search of disc golfing nirvana.

The destination: Highbridge Hills SC
The task: Golf the whole of all Highbridge's five 18 hole courses and one 9 hole night course from the long tees... in a day and a half
The people: Dear members and friends of the SCDGA
The excuse: My bachelor party
The purpose: Fulfilling a desire of half a decade to explore the bounty of Highbridge
The time: Now!

My fellow discers, we are about to embark on the fulfillment of dreams! This will represent the culmination of this season in my life and the beginning of a new epoch in discing for us.

Gentlemen. It is time.

~Diggs

Double Dipping

I just got back from throwing 36 holes with my man, Jiggs. What with the departure for the ultimate bachelor discing experience a mere week away, we needed to put in some work. And since neither of us had put in a double yet this season, we needed to get going on that.

My first round was pretty solid. I wasn't coming away with the birdies I needed, but I wasn't dropping fours either. It was a nice steady round, necessary for building up the confidence. We rested for about 10 min before starting in again. Apparently upon our return, my muscles decided to take a nap and my accuracy went out the window. We did finish strong however, making me feel pretty good about the trip. Obviously, Highbridge is another beast altogether, with nothing around here comparable in distance or difficulty, yet I think it'll be a great time, all I was hoping for. My DX Wraith is rocking Amadeus, and I can't wait for my arm to get accustomed to the Nuke. All very promising!

I have another round with Jiggs on Monday and I might throw in some putt practice before we go, but other than that, we're ready for the trip! See ya'll soon!

~Diggs

Oh yeah, and I get married in 60 days. Boom!

Discover Wisconsin: High Bridge Hills Edition

I found this neat video on the history of Highbridge while doing some research on the current poll question that it up. Enjoy. It has a touristy feel to it but good futage none the less. I'm getting Pumped!! Follow the Link cause it wouldn't work to embed it right here sorry for that one.

http://kididdel.com/Channels/ChannelView/tabid/66/Default.aspx?rid=hq2dQ9FVTJ6tAQmd1WxW7w%3D%3D