Brodeo 3

Tampa/Orlando March 2016

Just returned from our 3rd Bros disc golf weekend. I never blogged about the first one because I was crushed under the weight of the greatness of that trip and just couldn't get started. This most recent trip was also great so I'm going to just dive in and document it while it's fresh in my memory.

We were late in planning this trip. The thought came to life in late January and we started debating on a locale via email. The first idea was phoenix, then Vegas was sounding better, but we finally settled on Tampa because it had better disc golf options than vegas and flights were cheapish. I just want to say, the disc golf in Tampa was better than I ever imagined.

Mike Malmborg was going to come, but commitments came up and he couldn't. It ended up being all the Songer Bros and Bro in-laws plus papa songer. So from oldest to youngest that's:
Steve Songer
Rex Harris
Casey Songer
Jake Songer
Joey Hale
Jake Hanks

It was nice having an even number because almost every round was a team scramble. We stayed at a house south of orlando because the airBNBs were way cheaper there due to the glut of empty houses in the disney down season. It was less than $150 a night for a four bedroom house with 6 beds (two of them king), 3 1/2 bathrooms, a pool-hot tub, and a game room. The mini van was also super cheap at less than $100 for five days.

I couldn't resist looking at the weather forecast a couple weeks before the trip. I think it's foolish to do this because you can't do anything to change the weather, and you just worry yourself. A couple weeks out, it looked like we might have a couple days of light rain, but it turned out we had zero rain and sunny skies with highs approaching 80 every day of the trip. It was actually even more pleasant than that because the air was very dry for Florida and there was always a nice breeze cooling us off. We couldn't have asked for better weather.

So I had played the two Orlando  36 hole complexes before and liked them, especially the lower rated Gordon Barnett north course. However, all we knew about the tampa courses were their ratings from discgolfcoursereview.com. Four of the tampa courses were four star rated and there were almost 20 courses right there in Tampa.

After playing the tampa courses, I can't imagine that there's a better town in the entire world for disc golf, especially in the winter. The quality of disc golf here is largely due to one thing, the amazing trees. Each course in Tampa that we played had it's own unique mix of trees. So even though all these florida courses are somewhat flat i hardly missed the elevation. Here's a quick review of each of the Tampa courses we played:

Picnic Island

This was by far the highest rated course we played. I half expected that we would end up spending most of our time in Tampa at this one course. By the end of the trip, I don't think anyone would have picked Picnic Island as their favorite. I think it has a high rating because the signage is excellent, there are mutiple tees and pin placements, there are lots of interesting par 4s and 5s and it has great views of the beach. So it is a great course and I don't have any complaints about it's design and installation, but I think we preferred some of the other tampa courses because of the following:
many of picnic's fairways are carved out of thick, short, jungly foliage. This stuff grabbed a lot of our discs, in fact, the trees were full of rocks from previous disc golfers trying to dislodge their plastic. Luckily Hanks brought a disc gator, a grabber mounted to a collapsible pole about 15 feet long. We had to rescue at least a dozen discs. At one point one of the rocks stuck in a tree came loose and fell on Hanks head right as he was walking by. He bled quite a bit out of his forehead until we found a cloth to put pressure on the gash. I think most of us agreed that this dense rough is not as fun to play in as high canopy forest with a bare floor. Not only because of lost and stuck discs, but it's nice to play in the shade and watch your discs curve around tree trunks.

Cliff Stevens



This is the home course of the champ ken climo. This is a more open park style course with lots of water shots. The front nine was our first look at live oaks. These middle-earth looking trees have branches that arc down to the ground like rainbows, sometimes even touching the ground before curving back upwards. Really great tree for framing tunnel shots. These trees, along with other trees in Florida are draped in this cool weeping moss stuff. Don't know what its called. Really liked cliff Stevens, but not as much as I liked the next course we played.

4X world champ Paul McBeth and buddy playing cliff stevens with old school discs
part 2 features a cameo by some Mormon Missionaries




 



Taylor Park

This was my favorite course. I think what I liked most was the soaring pine canopy on the last half of the course. This course had a great variety of trees, hole lengths, tight vs. open, some elevation. Beautiful park. I didn't hurt that we played this course at sunset and we had some great views of the lake and our first sighting of a gator. This course had some really nice signs with a hand broom hanging from each tee sign to clean the tees. But the signs were a bit too ornate. They were crowded with images of wildlife. This combined with a swirly buccaneer font made them hard to read. Didn't necessarily detract from the experience. Just an observation. Keep signs simple.
Great variety of holes here with just a couple holes bringing water into play. One con of this course is that the walking paths cross some of the fairways so you spend some time waiting on pedestrians to tee off.

Cypress Point

I didn't see any cypress trees on this course, but there were a few by the parking lot.  What I did see a lot of were palm trees. This was the only course we played that had palm forest canopy. Loved it. However, sometimes it was so dense that the shots were just poke and hope. This course also had my favorite par 4 and 5 holes of the trip. Favorite because you had to make it to a landing zone to set up your next shot. These holes make for exciting swings in the score. Loved cypress. Cons of this course were the walking paths like Taylor park and that it was the flattest of all the courses we played. Liked this course so much I would have given it second place had it not been for the next course we played.

22nd Street Park

Not a very appealing name for a park. This one wasn't even on my radar for the trip. I'm not even sure how we ended up here other than it being  close-ish to Cypress. We pulled into the dusty parking lot and spotted the first tee pointing out into a treeless expanse of grass. It looked to be a real loser. The 1000 ft first hole took us across the grass then down into a river bottom canopied entirely by towering live oaks. These oaks had to be at least three times the size of the ones at cliff stevens. This made for a unique course that was under a canopy but quite open because the giant oaks were spaced hundreds of feet apart. Definitely the coolest forest I've been in. The holes had a nice feel to them also. The fairways were gently curved. No scrambling through bushes. It was an unexpected and underrated winner of a course. It might not be a ratings champ because the 18 holes share nine baskets. But I never felt like we repeated a hole because of the different tee placements and it wasn't crowded even though it was a Saturday afternoon. Magical course. Can't wait to play it again. We finished up this course then it was farewell to Tampa.

Orlando

The first and last days of the trip we played just in Orlando. While there arent as many courses there as in Tampa, they are still top notch courses. The other bros played the 9 hole airport course while waiting for my flight to arrive so I can't comment on that one, but here's a quick summary of the two complexes (36 holes each) we played.

Turkey lake (bill Frederick park)

This is the highest rated (the newer t2 course) of the Orlando offerings. I prefer Gordon Barnett north. I'm not sure what it is about t2 that didn't win me over (as much as Gordon Barnett north at least). I think it might be the low ceiling on many of the holes. What I did like was  that the short tees were nice and short and the par 4 and 5s were interesting. We actually saw a wild turkey. This park has a lot to do. You can camp or rent a cabin that fits 10 people for only $45. It's just minutes from universal studios so we might have to consider staying there on our next Orlando trip. Got kicked out at closing time, 5 o'clock so we still haven't played the back 9 on the original course.

Gordon Barnett

The old course is a more open park style course with some OB streams. Great course. I like grassy park courses more than I thought I did. The north course has a fair amount of grassy park but much of it wanders up into some hilly woods (where hole 8 is located, the hole I love to hate). This course has the most elevation out of any course on the trip. We got to play these courses twice all the way through on the trip. The north course is a contender for best course on the trip. It has a crowning feature that is rare in disc golf, a true island hole and even better, it's hole 18. Why does that matter? Because even if you have a four stroke lead going into 18, if you miss the island twice and end up with a 6 and your opponent shoots a 2 (both of which could happen quite easily on a 320 foot island hole), you are now tied for the round forcing a dramatic playoff. It's also nice to have an island hole at the end so you can take a few fun shots and then wait for the missed shots to float ashore without interrupting your round. We didn't have any dramatic reversals of fortune on this hole (jake parked his first drives both rounds from the long tees to preserve his leads) but we still enjoyed the tension of possibility.

                                                         Gordon Barnett North Hole 9

                                                       Gordon Barnett North Hole 10

                                                              Short tee on hole 18

Wrap up

Hard to put in words how much fun this trip was. Of course the disc golf was fantastic, but it's also just a great template for spending a ton of time with some great bros. We walked, talked, dined out and drove around for 5 straight days and I enjoyed the last round as much as the first.

Stats

This is hard to believe, but Rex swears by his GPS app that we walked 60 miles on the trip (closer to 50 for me because I missed airport park on both ends of the trip).

16 rounds of disc golf.

250 holes played

That means at least 1500 tee shots

Aces: zero
Three bros trips, thousands of tee shots and still no aces. Amazing.


Notable happenings 

Jacob lost his Apple Watch at Gordon Barnett. We retraced our steps for the day, but couldn't find it. The next day Steve found it on hole 8 out in the open, but past the dogleg towards the basket. We had a fantastic celebration (way better than celebrating an ace right? Steve said that he had asked to find the watch in his prayers.

The debates. Trump. Super entertaining. Nuff said.

English Bishop. The bishop at the ward we visited had a great english accent. Ive never listened to the announcements so intently.

Good Ideas

Disc gator. Not only did this thing get a bunch of discs out of trees at Picnic Island, it also fished a bunch of discs out of the water for us. It came in handy way more than I imagined. Thanks Hanks.

Hot Tub. It was so nice to soak our aching bodies and tell stories in that tub. We used it at least twice a day. I think all will agree that a hot tub is now a requirement for future bros trips.

Birdie Bag. or some other brand of powder to help keep a consistent grip. I was borrowing Jake's on every tee during some of the warmer rounds.

Food

Jake and Rex had the idea of just eating fruit and cereal for breakfast. In the absence of a master chef like Mike Hale, this is definitely the way to go. It was a quick, easy way to start the day. I loved eating out for lunch and dinner. The best meal, of course, was when Steve treated us to Longhorn Steakhouse because he got word that he sold a big painting. The rest of the meals were just a blur of fast food and buffets, but totally guilt free because we were walking 12 miles a day.

                           This gas station subway ended up not having anywhere to sit and eat
                              On the plus side, the iraqi gentleman working there gave Jake the
                                good news that his investment in a million dinar was going
                                         to make him a millionaire in dollars very soon,


Cramming 

I haven't been playing disc golf nearly as much as I used to, there were a few months last fall that I didn't play at all. I didn't want my rusty skills to mar the trip for me, so I crammed in some driving, upshot and putting practice during lunches and in the evenings the couple of weeks before the trip. It paid off. My drives were as good as they ever were, I was even driving close to 350' on a good shot. I was worried I had lost that distance forever.My upshots were better, but my putts were way better than they have ever been, especially the first couple days of the trip. I even hit a few out of the circle putts. It was really encouraging to finally see some putting practice pay off.


Next Time?

I vote we go to Tampa/Orlando again in two years, January or February of 2018. Any Takers?

Thou Shalt Not Covet My Wife

So my wife gave me my birthday present tonight and I was thinking, "Please be a disc. Please be a disc." Well, my present was a homemade birthday card, but I have to say it was a couple notches better than a disc. Have a look.

The cover

  
Imagine you, your bros (the oversized heads in these pictures are literally my bros or brothers in law), and 4 full days of disc golf at the number one rated disc golf course in the world.

That's right. Get ready to lose some plastic in the pristine lakes of Selah Ranch.

and to lazily cruise around in a cart like a ball golfer, saving all your energy for slingin' plastic.

You'll be bunking in the Corral House after the sun goes down. (Actually, we'll just be taping lights to our discs for night rounds.)

 

 Prepare to joy puke your face off . The Bros of Joes weekend will be held March 7th-11th

So I did indeed joy puke my face off. I was totally shocked that this had all been arranged behind my back over the last couple of months. Katie called my manager and arranged for me to be off work. She made sure my church responsibilities were covered and of course she invited my disc golfing brothers and reserved the Corral House. I am most shocked that so many brothers are flying out, almost all of them have been playing disc golf for less than a year. This is easily my greatest birthday present ever. Thanks Katie. You are the best!  Also, thanks to my sister Kate for lending your photo shop expertise.

Analyze my Drive

This is my first video session analyzing my drive. There was a good headwind so I had to throw on a hyzer and throw a bit higher than normal. These are the best looking three out of about twenty drives. From watching this, the biggest thing I think I need to work on is my follow through. It is very abrupt and I don't rotate on my heel much, or at all. Please add your constructive criticism.

throws at sea isle park from katiehale on Vimeo.

Calvary Crusaders Bag Tag Challenge

Top 10 reasons you should buy a Calvary bag tag

10. They are Zing Minis
 9. They are a 2 mini set that fit together to make a container
 8. They come with a mini carabiner to easily clip onto your bag
 7. You will gain automatic admission to the elite Calvary Crusaders disc golf club
 6. They are only $10
 5. All ten of those dollars go straight toward buying new Calvary baskets
 4. Get that "I helped grow disc golf" feeling.
 3. The Zing micros smell like candy.
 2. Help encourage friendly "bag tag" competition between area disc golfers
 1. All you need to do to have the #1 tag is be the first to buy one (they will be sold
     numerically starting with #1)

Bag Tag Challenge Definition, Suggestions and Rules
 
Definition

Bag Tag Challenge is a way to encourage friendly competition between a group of disc golfers. Numbered bag tags are sold to players. The goal is to get the lowest tag possible by challenging other tag holders to a round of disc golf, best score gets the lowest tag. One player can challenge another player, or a group of players can pool their tags together and redistribute them according to their scores at the end. What do you win? Your name in the history books, endorsements, etc..

Suggestions

Always have it with you when playing, either clipped to your bag or in your mini pocket.
Update your tag number on facebook or circle3.org to keep players excited about the tags.
Challenge other tag holders at any course or as part of any tournament (you can challenge someone who is not on the same card as you).
Agree on all rules of the challenge at the beginning of the challenge (for example, players keep same tags in the event of a tie or play one hole sudden death playoff).

Rules

Any challenge (between tag holders) in person must be accepted regardless of tag numbers unless
the challenged player does not have the time, or did not have the intention of playing at least 9 more holes.

A challenge to play doubles does not need to be accepted, however, doubles play can be accepted if all involved are agreed.

A player is not required to accept a consecutive challenge from the same player.


That's all. I am trying to keep the rules simple and fun, but I just cooked this up. Let men know if you think something important has been overlooked, or if you have any amendments that might make this more fun.



 

Good News and Bad News

     This here is my first disc dye job. It is nothing special when you have seen the work of some experienced disc dyers, but I am really happy with how it turned out (the good news). It was a bit of a trial run in preparation for dying a disc for my sister's birthday.

     Why the taco bell logo? I like to imagine that taco bell is my sponsor. On Fridays I get off work early and when I can I go disc golfing on my way home. But not without powering up first with a delicious $2 meal deal from Taco Bell with a cool refreshing Baja Blast soda.

      Though this dye job may look simple, it is actually a very complicated process involving acetone, xacto knives, masking vinyl, light box, transfer tape, dye, and alcohol (not the kind you drink). Why all the fuss? The finished product is a unique disc with a personalized image that will never wear off. Art you can throw (haven't you always wanted to throw art?).The images (called stamps) that are on a disc when you buy it wear off and they are not unique. There is a dedicated sub-subculture of disc golfers who create immaculate multi-color dyes. After seeing some of their work, I have a hard time imagining that they actually go disc golfing any more. Their discs look like they would take all of their free time to create. Very cool stuff. Here are some samples.

So what is the bad news? My Taco Bell disc is basically unthrowable. I threw it for my first time yesterday and it immediately dives left (overstable) and spikes into the ground. It is supposed to be a Katana (which is not an overstable disc, I already have a couple Katanas and I really like them). This is a mutant disc. It is either mislabeled or it was malformed. I was really looking forward to putting this disc in my bag but it looks like it will probably end up on a shelf in my garage. Now I know. Before you dye it, throw it.

Disc Golf Vs. Ball Golf Episode 2: Time

     Disc golf takes less time to play than ball golf. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, and most importantly, an average disc golf hole is only about one third as long as the average hole of ball golf. The holes are shorter because golf discs only go one third as far as golf balls.  While a hole's length in disc golf is measured in feet, a hole of ball golf is measured in yards. Consequently, a round of disc golf only takes about a third as long as a round of ball golf.

     Another reason that disc golf is faster is that you don't need to spend time studying the green as in ball golf. You just need to check the wind, line up your putt and go for it. In fact, you only have 30 seconds from the time you reach your lie to make your putt, but I have never seen this rule enforced because it is rarely an issue.

     One more reason that disc golf takes less time is because you usually don't have to wait behind other groups. Most courses I have played have only had a few players on the entire course. This is not always the case, but in my experience it is almost always the case.

    Since it takes less time, disc golf is a much more accessible sport for most people. If I have a spare half hour before work or on my lunch break I can play nine holes of disc golf. It is a much better sport for a family man in my opinion because it doesn't take me away from my family as much. Plus I end up taking my family along with me some of the time (they don't share my passion for disc golf, but they humor me).

Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden

  

    You may have heard the recent news that Condoleeza Rice and Darla Moore were admitted as the first female members at Augusta National Golf Club (where The Masters is played every year). I think this is an opportune time to discuss the name of disc golf's older brother, Golf.



Experts speculate that Condoleeza and Darla are really
 just using Augusta National as a stepping stone to
gain admittance to the Kinderfarm Disc Golf Club which is at
an undisclosed location probably somewhere in the
Rocky Mountains.





     You may have heard that Golf is an acronym that means Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden. Though this acronym fits nicely with the sport's history of sexist exclusivity, it does not seem to be true. After some exhaustive research (wikepedia), I have learned the true (maybe) etiology of the word Golf.

     First, the aforementioned acronym is actually a backronym. Which means it was made up and assigned to a word that was already in use. Be suspicious of any acronyms assigned to things that have been around for awhile, since acronyms were not really part of the vernacular until the mid 1900's when words like scuba and laser started popping up.
     The history of golf is a bit murky since similar stick and ball games appear to have been in existence for millenia and across several continents. The earliest documented reports of such a game come from China.
     The exact origin of the word golf is not certain, but the most accepted theory is that the scottish word is descended from a dutch word (and a dutch stick and ball game) meaning stick or club. Makes sense. Another explanation is that the word could have been descended from any of a number of similar sounding continental words meaning to hit or strike (the golfish word cuff is also descended from these). So Golf is probably named after the clubs used in the game, or perhaps named after what you do with those clubs (hit the ball). Appropriate name.
    However, this does make the name disc golf a little bit funny because there are no clubs involved nor is there any hitting (except for the far too common disc hitting a tree trunk).
    Still, disc golf is probably the most appropriate name for the game. In two words the game is described such that someone unfamiliar with it understands what it is. It is golf, but played with discs (frisbees). I like the name disc golf. It does not presume too much. A name like ultimate does presume too much. The name implies that it is the final evolution of sport, the end all. The name reveals a certain inferiority complex. If you really think your game is the best, you don't have to name it such, you just describe it. Any ideas on a better name for ultimate? Is there a better name for disc golf?