#Winning*

Disc golf is supposed to be fun. It is a whole lot more fun though when you're playing well and not finishing DFL (Dead Flippin' Last.) The monthly tournaments held by one of the local clubs in which I participate, are quite challenging. The skill level of the players here is top notch and the course can be an adventure.

As a 789-rated PDGA Member, I was pleased to take advantage of the turnout for this one. Essentially, I am a novice, I play Rec division and really would be over my head against the other Amateurs here. There's a Pro division too, and it will be a long time before we talk about that here. Four players is enough for a card...and a Rec grouping.

The people that you meet

Preemptively, I will note that we had one player that grew frustrated and abandoned us midway through round 2. Cameron, was my main competition, and he brought his son to play as well.

Cameron is new to the sport, like me, and had a brief stretch where he had suffered a broken right hand. His love for disc golf wouldn't allow him to take a break from the game, so he learned to throw left-handed during that time. It would have been better that my counterpart be amphibious as opposed to ambidextrous since we lost a few discs in the water during our rounds. At any rate, he's a smooth, solid player, with the ability to throw with either hand to get out of tight spots.

We had some good conversations as we walked. I look forward to him and his son getting to play with me and mine sometime in the future. Today, he was good company that kept me on my toes. More good people to play disc golf with.

Round One

I'm used to schlepping to the end of a course by now to begin play. We started on 18 and the first three holes went slow for both of us with a couple of bogeys and then a par on number 2.

I made par on 3 and 4, which I had never done before. Cam had some struggles and double bogeyed both, so I was up by 4. He got back one each on 5 and 6. Then I completely came unraveled on 7, where he picked up 3 strokes on me, plus one more on 8. I birdied 9 to get back within one.

I was able to pick up one shot on him at 10 (despite being at the edge of circle 1 in 2 shots and 3-putting) and 2 more on 11 to get me up 2...which I gave right back hacking my way through the trees on the par-5 12th. So we were knotted at 55 when we stepped to 13. That's when I drew XCaliber from my bag and laced a forehand flex to circle 1. Straddle putt for bird and I was up by two after his bogey.

Another forehand on 14, this time with a trusty Destroyer, gave me a chance to make an easy par, which Cameron matched. We took turns bettering one another with a stroke on holes 15 and 17. Hole 16 saw us match impressive drives and I missed a longish putt for birdie as my AviarX3 grazed the right side of the chains...for a 2-stroke lead, carding a 76.

I was pleased with some consistency, save a few holes, and a decent 12-over round. I was at least getting off the teepad much better than previous outings. And then, after lunch...

Round Two

We began at 18 again and it didn't take long for me to lose my lead. Two holes into it, I was one down. Yeah, you read that right.

Then it happened. The shot I had been working diligently on for the last couple of weeks, worked brilliantly. Good grip, smooth X-step with a strong pull and I let my Latitude 64 Saint fly. It was a slight hyzer that I actually got to flip up flat. I released a bit right, but it gently faded back to basket high on the left...and I missed the flippin putt for birdie while he also made par. Ugh!

We matched most of the next 5, with the exception of my bogey on number 4, so I was still down by 2 when my bogey bested his double with some O.B. troubles on the par-5 8th. Then he placed a perfect drive on 9 for birdie while I made par to put me back to 2 down.

Time to make a move. Over the next 5 holes, I would make par on each, picking up 8 shots along the way. To be fair, Cameron was a little distraught about the player that left. They had some playful banter back and forth and when the other player began to struggle, he left the event altogether. But I stayed focused all the way from 10 to 14.

Hole 15 was a struggle both rounds and I gave 2 back to him, but he gave me one back on 16. We finished up by matching pars on the 17th and final hole and I finished with another 76 to his 79.

Keeping Score

I'm not fond of keeping the scorecard for the group, but it's the responsibility of the top scoring player on the card (or randomly for the first round.) I was less frustrated this time though because I had fewer stray shots to keep up with. You know, the kind where you have to stop after your putt, look blankly back down the hole and mentally drag yourself through it again, counting all the strokes once more to rub salt into the wound?

I couldn't ask for better consistency, 39-37-76 and 38-38-76 for my rounds. There's still too many orange on my card with the bogeys or worse. I did manage two birdies and half of the holes I played were par or better.

I really fell in love with my XCaliber and got more control of my Firebirds. I also was able to turnover a few more shots than I had been doing. The shot-making is improving. Still lots of room to grow before the Azalea AM in a little over a week. I'm excited to play with some people that I met at the King's Cup in Kinston in January. I'm hoping to surprise them a little.

As a bonus, with the Rec win, I was able to take home a new Champion Shryke pop top to add to my growing arsenal. That's more Flippin Discs for me.