Grand Baggers

Here are some pics of the Grand Masters, I think these are from Friday afternoon. Sheila and I were hanging out at Dretzka Original Hole 17.

Send me the pic and the names if you want me to add the names to this: splendid@umich.edu!






Below: (left to right) David Frazer, Richard Sheets, Neils Johnson, Larry McCourt








After I finished my round, Sheila and I went out and spent some time just watching those who were still playing, and took some photos. I am just putting a bunch of the pics up here, mostly without comments, as I promised some of the guys I would make them available.

Dineen Park, Milwaukee

I uploaded the text for this post as we drove past downtown Chicago at 8:,22 am on Sunday, July 29, 2007. (One and a half hours into the return trip.) The uploading of images is slow with my wireless card, but I will be sending in several, below, as connectivity permits.

The Dineen disc golf course was originally a par 3 ball golf course, turned into a public park. So it is more open than most of the courses I am familiar with, and that gave me problems because I am used to perceiving distances and angles in a more closed environment, with fewer options for approaching the target. For example, both Pete May and Rob Lee use a very effective hyzer curve drive on throws up to ~300' in length. They are very accurate, but only work when there are no obstacles on the right-hand approach. (Like a lot of the holes at Dineen.) I, on the other hand, throw much straighter toward the basket, but the straight shot takes more energy to go the same distance (I think.) and is less forgiving if you don't precisely hit your line. (I know!)
Above is the lead card, Saturday morning during the semi-finals at Dineen. Left to right, Rob Lee, Terry Calhoun, Chuck Hornsby, and Pete May. Note my great disc golf cart! I purchased it for $15 at a yard sale in Ann Arbor on the Fridy before the worlds. If you look closely near the bottom of what you can see of the umbrella pole, you will recognize Ken Climo, in bobble-head form. Terry Miller, the worlds TD, has a number of sets of bobble-heads (Climo, Barry Schultz, and Des Reading) left. They are available on his website, Lifetime Disc Sports
Six days earlier, Ben, Sheila, and I had practiced Dineen. You can see below, that despite being a very open course, there are enough trees to provide decent challenges on approach and for putts. In the first image, Sheila made this putt (above) on Hole 3.

In this image, Ben misses his putt on Hole 4.
Finally, here Sheila is standing on the tee for the ~500' Hole 8, typical of the Dineen longer holes. Very wide open with primarily the distance, the wind, and some slight elevation changes as challenges.
Dineen is a beautiful course, and as Pete noted, the designers did an excellent job of keeping the playground areas, water, and pathways out of play - resulting in a great job of mixing disc golf with other public activities.

Just before we left Ann Arbor, Ben had noted a news article about our neighboring township, Pittsfield, purchasing a par 3 ball golf course to turn into a park. That township has, in the past been interested in disc golf, but the properties it owns have some environmental issues as well as clearing and construction cost issues. We'll be at the first public meeting about the uses of that park this fall!

I'm Number Two!

Darn. Rob Lee is the champ, and he deserves it - he played excellent, steady golf, and made some great shots when they counted.

I began the day tied with Pete May for first place with Rob Lee 2 strokes down in second place. But my shoulder injury really hurt me. We began on Hole 16 of the Dineen Course and I parred it and Hole 17. Then I dropped my drive at the pin on Hole 18 for a deuce.

After that, I had birdie putts (mostly short ones) on Holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and missed them all. In fact, on Hole 4, I 3-putted for a 4! All a matter of not being able to bring my shoulder up on the putt. I also missed birdie putts on several other holes, as well as went OB on the long one. Not a great round.

Despite that, I shot a +1 and Pete May shot a +4, but Rob Lee shot a -4 and all of a sudden was 2 strokes ahead of me, with Pete 3 strokes behind me. And only 9 holes to go!

I was in such pain that some Michigan and Ohio friends said I needed something call "Hot and Icy" to put on my shoulder, which was actually everything from my right hip up to my shoulder now. So, Sheila and I ran out between rounds and bought some at a pharmacy. Boy, was it HOT! I think it helped cover up the pain mainly because it was so hot and painful that it spread the pain around. So, the back pain hurt my morning round, but was not a factor in the Final Nine!

On top of that, I took 1,400 milligrams of Ibuprofen! Still had some pain going, but by the time the Final Nine for us began at 1:10 pm, I was hopped up and excited.

I have to say that we had the most exciting Final Nine I could have imagined. It began on Hole 1 of Dretzka New (DN), an open field 440' hole. Remember, I started out 2 behind Rob Lee for first place. Unfortunately, I attempted a backhand roller and was so pumped up I hit a tree just 40' off the tee, just to the left of the tee area. My approach went past the pin, but was too long, so I took a 4. Now I was 3 strokes behind.

On Hole 2 of DN, an easy 240' straight shot, Rob threw a huge hyzer that must have won the tournament elapsed time in the air and parked his disc under the basket. I got air under my Z-Storm and went too far left. He got a 2 and I got a 3. Now I am down 4 strokes.

Hole 3 of DN is 325' and there is an OB road running along the right-hand side of the fairway. Everyone else took the safe route to the left, setting up for easy 3s. I gambled with a drive along the road that landed just 10' from the basket and got the 2. Now I am 3 strokes behind the lead.

The next hole, Hole 1 at Dretzka Original (DO) is one I had hoped to get all week. It is about 325' with the first 250' across an open field, but you have to hit a 30-40'wide gap and get an additional 75' in through the woods to the left to pin the basket. I threw an amazing drive that landed right at the basket for a 2. Rob was in the woods to the right, but managed to approach safely and get the 3. So now I am 2 strokes behind, again, like we started.

And, of course, I am quite re-energized.

The next hole, #2 DO, is about 290' down a woods tunnel with the pin placement slightly right and out of sight. I threw a Comet right up the middle, leaving myself a 40' putt. Rob threw into the woods on the left, but was able to get his approach out for a 3. Me, too, darn it.

Hole 3 DO is about 265 up a tight woods tunnel, slightly right, but the pin is about 30' out into an open field. I threw into the right side of the woods about 60' short. Rob also threw into the right side, maybe 40' short, but his disc bounced out into the fairway. Mine did not.

I managed to get an extreme anhyzer throw out to hit about 15' left of the pin, but the disc them rolled 60' let and under some low branches. Amazingly, I hit the keeling putt for a 3 and we stayed at 2 strokes different.

Hole 4 DO is fairly wide open, just a few trees, but forgiving if you go right or left. I pretty much parked the throw, about 15' right of the pin. Rob threw long and right and I thought I was going to get a stroke closer, but he his a great 60-footer for birdie. No change!

Now there are two holes left and 2 strokes separate us. The 17th DO hole if 319' down a tight woods tunnel with a right-hand twist at about 50' feet. I flexed by Z-Storm and it flew right down the middle, turning when it needed to, and landing about 25' short of the pin.

Rob threw into the right side of the woods halfway down and could not get a good second shot out. His third shot was about 10' from the pin, which meant he was going to get a 4. I had this 25' putt for a 2. Darn. It hit chains left and bounced out. One stroke remained between us with only Hole 18 DO to go.

That hole is 325 from inside the woods through a wide short tunnel to a basket behind a couple of guardian trees. My drive almost caught the turn, but was into a severe headwind and landed 60' left. Rob was about the same distance right. We each took a 3 and Rob Lee ended up with the 2007 PDGA Amateur Senior Grandmasters World Title. Whew!

Those who walked in our gallery with us thought they had been well entertained. More, with pics, later. Dinner first.

Surveying the Grand Masters Field

After our rounds were over, Sheila and I spent some time on the Dretzka Original course watching and meeting with the grand master field as they played out their final regular round. Below, Sheila, perched up in a tree (Yes, she's going to be 50 next year.) by the tee area for Hole 17, watching a group hole out on Hole 3.

[Blogger is having issues with images tonight, I may have to post these later.]

I took a lot of images of putts, drive, and folks on the same card. I am posting a bunch here and hoping that people will use the comments to tell me who most of these people are. Note that if you click on an image you will see a larger version, and than you can right-click on that to make your own copy. This is your copyright permission to use them as you wish for any non-commercial purposes.

We Have a Horse Race!!!

Okay . . . when we started the day I was 2 strokes behind Pete May (GA) and Rob Lee (TX), who were tied for first place. Here's what that group (minus me) looked like at the end of the day after we finished Hole 13 at Dretzka New. (Left to right: Hornsby, Lee, May)

By lunch, I was in first place - alone - and Pete and Rob were tied for second place, 2 strokes behind me.

At the end of the day, Pete and I were tied for first with Rob 2 strokes behind us and Chuck Hornsby 6 strokes behind him. Here are Chuck (left) and Rob (right) surveying our first hole of the afternoon, #14 at Dretzka New. As you may surmise, this is a very tight woods hole of about 260' with a constriction about 100' out that has so many trees in it that getting past relies on a good drive and a bit of luck. [The white birch trees are just left of the narrowest part of the f airway.] I did not have that luck. I hit an early tree and richocheted hard left. I also failed to get past the trees on my second shot and was thinking a "5" - not a good start. Instead, I hit a 1.5' gap, 10' in front of me with a forehand roller (Z-Storm) and made it up the undulating, stump-strewn fairway to have a 6' putt for a 4. Whew!

Sheila ended up in sixth place in Masters Women and, thus, does not get to play in the finals tomorrow. Bummer. But that means I have secret weapon - Sheila as my caddy!

Eight of us Senior Grand Masters play in the semifinals at Dineen tomorrow at 8 am, and then four of us in the finals at Dretzka at about 1 pm.

Chuck Hornsby will again be on the leader card with Pete, Rob, and I, as he shot the "hot round" of the day with a -4 at Dretzka New. Here he is in the morning, struggling with, but making, the putt for a birdie on Hole 14 at Dretzka New.

Uh-Oh!

Rob Lee took the lead from me today. I just could not make a putt. He's got a 3-stroke lead and I am still 1 stroke ahead of Pete May. We play Dretzka Original and New tomorrow. I sure hope I can get my putting on!

Sheila played really well today. She got a 4 on the longest hole at Brown Deer, and in front of a huge gallery (Hole 7). I got a 5 on it, after approaching short. She's well within striking distance to make the cut for the final 9 holes in Masters Women.

From Sheila:

I much prefer courses like Brown Deer over the others here because my strengths are in play. I don't have much of an arm (lucky to throw 2oo ft), but I play better on technical courses. Lesli Younger and Babette Martin were on my card and I truly enjoyed playing with them. Babette had some awesome drives but unfortunately missed a couple of putts for pars. Lesli, who is used to playing on Washington state courses with wooded fairways, managed to hit more than her share of trees off the tee. Thumbs up to my fellow Michiganian Lisa Harbour for shooting the hot round at 69. I shot a 70 and feel pretty good about that. Hole 7: took three hard drives to get it 2/3 up the hill still about 175 ft short of the basket and a little left. Trees on the right and some rough on the left inside a fence. As a forehander, it was a tough shot to try to get my throw to go out left and come back to the basket for a good chance at a putt. I made a last second disc chance and put my Z-Storm right into the basket with a gallery at the check-in station all cheering. What fun! Babette's caddy, who doesn't play dg and is from the South said, "This is what I drove 11 hours to see."

Hanging On to the Lead at Dineen

Whew! Sheila and I ended the day as exhausted as at least I have been for some time! I am hanging onto the lead. Sheila is just a couple of strokes out of second place but the leader in Am Masters Women is crushing the rest of the field. Her goal is to make the final four!

Hero of the day: Tim Kieffer, spotting on Hole _ at Dineen, which has a dense left-hand brush area that contains water and has been marked out of bounds. It's a tough, 540' hole requiring a precision 300+ drive into a narrow, pinched waist with the OB to the left and some dense bushes to the right. Below, Chuck Hornsby and Tim Kieffer, celebrating the return of Chuck's primary driver.

Chuck had thrown deep into the OB and when Tim went charging into the brush to find his disc, we heard bushes crackling, then silence, then a loud yelp of pain. I yelled, "Are you okay, do you need help?" Then Tim came running out, pursued by a cloud of either hornets or yellowjackets. Despite being stung many times, he then went stealthy back in and retrieved Chuck's disc. Thanks, Tim!In the first round at Dineen, I was on the card with (below, right to left, Rob Lee (TX), Howard McIntyre (NC), and Chuck Hornsby (GA). I shot a -2 and Rob moved one up on me by shooting a -3. He had been 5 strokes behind and was now only 4 behind me.
In the afternoon, Rob and I were joined on the lead card by Dennis Webster (AZ) and, of course, Pete May (GA). I had gained another stroke on Pete that morning, but he had gained enough on the field to move up to the lead card. (And he started the round wearing a pink placard saying "Lead Card" on his forehead, tacked to the long, black-haired wig with 2-foot long pigtails he had on his head. (Playing with Pete is always fun.) Left to right, below, that's Pete, Dennis, and Rob. It looks like we are still the lead card complement tomorrow morning. Behind us, off Hole 13, a group of Asian folks who were playing an interesting game, spinning tops with sticks and ropes. They were at it all day long!


The top spinners were right up on the 10-meter circle for the target. On my final drive of the day, my disc drifted left and landed among them and we were aghast when one of the picked it up and threw it under the basket. Of course, my "buddies" wouldn't let me take that lie; however, the top spinners understood that we needed the spot I had really landed on marked, and they did it for us very graciously.

Both Rob and Pete moved up on me in that afternoon round, though. I shot even par, Rob shot a -2 and Pete shot a -4. So I ended up the day still in first place, but precariously, with Rob 2 strokes behind me and Pete 5 strokes out.

Tomorrow we play the toughest course here in Milwaukee, the Brown Deer Course. Sheila, Pete, and I went there and walked it, throwing some drives, to experience the layout after our second round at Dineen. We were joined by a nice young man from Illinois named Jason. Sheila just walked, Pete and I just threw drives only, and then only on the wooded holes. But, of course, Jason played the entire 18 holes, including the three (I think) 600-700 foot wide open ones that Pete and I declined.

By the time we were done, we were totally tired, but Pete had spotted a nearby bar with a table tennis set-up and was thinking of finding some "marks." We'll find out today at 11:30 how he did.