A little Skin(s) in the Game

I played in my first Skins Match on Sunday. I will start with this...I wasn't even supposed to be there. Let me take that a step further...I have never played as well I did at The Castle on Sunday. Never. Never, ever, ever. Maybe it was because, hey, I wasn't even supposed to be there. I'll set the stage...

Called up 

We have several local clubs in our area, and the New Hanover Disc Golf Club, has great members, leaders that care, lots of people that volunteer and love the game, and monthlies at both Arrowhead and Castle Hayne. The former is frustrating if you don't birdie everything or at least make pars, the latter, requires patience and your complete focus, else your head may explode. My parents were both teachers, so I'll put it this way: Arrowhead is like going to recess and Castle is like taking the SAT. And I wasn't signed up to take the SAT.

Players in each monthly earn points based on their finish at each event. The top 4 finishers at the end of the year (Women's, AM, Pro) compete in a skins match at the earliest convenience with a TD to preside over the event. There were fewer events this year and I only was able to play in two at Castle. I still was able to finish in a 3-way tie for 3rd, with ties broken by lowest club bag tags. I ended up 5th.

There is a contingency, however, that if a player voluntarily gives up their spot or cannot make the event, the next player steps up. That's how I got in. So, 2 days before the AM Skins Match, I got in, to play "Castle Payne" with Sam, Trey and Deron, all gentleman I had the pleasure of playing with before. Just not in this format.

They call me B.O.B

As the last player to be included, I got to start 4th or back of the box, so to speak. First tee jitters are a thing and I had them, a little. I have envisioned my perfect tee shot for hole one thousands of times, practiced it several dozens of times...and hit it once. Today wasn't it. You are used to my recaps of rounds, so let's get to it.

Sam had the best tee shot of the group. But we're Ams, so we scrambled along the 377-foot par 3 and I believe everybody but me was in on the push at 4. I would have been a typical double-bogey. I was hopeful about the next hole.

Hole 2 has a steep drop off directly behind the basket, OB all along the right side to a green guarded by trees. It's listed anywhere between 244 and 277 depending on where you check, all I know is that it was designed for my BioFuzion Emac Truth. It's been in my bag for about a year and half. I can flip it up slightly or get a little turn, but it's basically point-and-shoot with a slight finish left (RHBH.) Sam yanked his a bit right and Trey released early before Deron threw a great shot and ultimately left himself about 25 feet short, downhill death putt from between two guardian trees. I've worked on this one a ton too and today, I got it. Parked. There's no such thing as a death putt in skins. Deron banged chains and I tapped in for the push.

I counted on my DD Bounty for hole 3 after most of the group left me a little window. I was able to get the flip I wanted and I got a good bit down the hole, just a shade left off the fairway. All I remember is that Sam went longer and lefter (lefter?) of me and ran it to leave an edge of circle putt from the brush behind the basket. I should have laid up closer. Sam made it nerve racking by making his putt, but I made par for another push.

 

The tee shot at the par-4 4th, has the widest variety of options, most of which are sketchy at best. Bark beaten off the two large pines just in front of the tee pad tell the tale of suffering disc golfers over the years. Trey was the only one to make it out alive. After hitting the trees (both of them,) I played to my strongest shot...recovery. And made it count. I was at the top of the hill and just needed a soft turnover from my Zero Medium Pure to make par, and likely, take the skin. Early release. I think we all were putting for 5, so that was a push as well.

We scattered all over on 5. Sam got the worst tree kick and the rest of us scrambled for pars. Sixth time's the charm, right?

Deron got held up earlier than he wanted after going to the right, with some branches perhaps saving him from going deeper. Sam and Trey released early going to the left, pinching them off well short on the dogleg left par 4. If I get my Lat64 Sapphire flat, instead of a little too much nose up, I would have been in perfect position. I couldn't complain. A little left off the fairway. I had been in that spot before. Forehand touch shot on a Justice to get around the corner while the rest of the party scrambled. This hole usually eats me alive. I guess I was about 150-160 out with a straight shot. I love my Zero Medium Tattar Moonshine Pure. Dead on...ish. Twenty feet short and a shade right, but I had a par look, which is unusual for me. I made the putt, taking the first skin...well, six skins actually. But I had only won one hole.

Second Six

Now, as Ams, we were playing for vouchers, and I was in for $18 worth at $3 per hole. This next set was worth 6 bucks per hole, and Deron wanted some of that action. But I led off by pipping my Lat64 Gold Line Maul, hyzer-flip, turning over and carrying to the top of hill, my best shot EVER on that hole. Deron hit the gap as well. Sam hyzered out early to the left, I think, and Trey's forehand stalled out after the initial gap. I'm ecstatic to make a par here, but I had a long birdie look. A few approach shots later and Deron was almost under the basket with his second shot. I never would have run this in tournament play, but this was attack mode. I ran it. It kept running...a good 30 feet past. I think I was the last chance at the push, but my gamble was not to be overcome. Deron had played the best option and took the $6 skin.

Hole 8 is the 700-foot par 5 that snakes along a creek. Many a disc has been lost in the abyss of murky water to the right after an unfortunate tree kick. Deron had the best tee shot, getting around the corner. I believe Sam was nest best; Trey took the inside line and I was lucky to not lose my Maul after getting held up early. I would have been putting for 7 and not in on the push at 5 or 6, but it was a push nonetheless and we moved to nine.

Decent tee shots on 9, but Deron and I got the best of the other half with long birdie looks from just past the gully. I either grazed chains, or was really close. We all pushed at 3s for par.

My Sapphire was just about perfect on 10...if I didn't catch some branches at the right side of the fairway. Sam was in fair position as well. I think I had the best look though for my second, but some decent scrambles from Deron and Trey put the pressure on and I yanked my Felon on a forehand, catching some scrub trees and failing to fade and skip where I needed it to be. Sam's second shot left him a long birdie look from maybe just outside circle 1. Sam and Deron tapped out to solidify yet another push, so no need for Trey and I to putt out.

 

I tried to get too cute on 11, but got a fortunate tree kick almost right back out of the mesh of tangled woods in front of me. Sam went further left than I did and got into some trouble. Deron recovered after his tee shot and Trey had the best position of anyone. Sam's recovery shot didn't go so well, hitting first available and kicking back, almost onto the short tee. This hole is almost always a blur to me, but my recovery and Trey's second shot, gave us the best chance to score. Deron and Sam got pinned in the trees to the left on the inside of the dogleg left finish to the hole. Sam even tried a grenade to get out and stick it on the green. It had good height. Moving on...Trey and I made good approaches and pushed this one with a couple of 4s for par.

Hole 12 was painful. Not just because I hit the trees just across the bridge and it kicked back OB. I honestly don't remember every shot, but Sam was in great position, then got caught up on his second. Trey scrambled around the first corner of the double dogleg par 5 and had a birdie look from the uphill side of the ditch from about basket high. Sam had already gotten to about 30 or so feet passed the basket with a birdie look himself. After Trey missed, Sam ran the heck out of that thing, hitting plenty of chains, but on the left side and just enough momentum on his putter to hit the top of the cage and flip over onto the ground. I think I was the only one not in the push on that one. And so ends the second set.

The tree giveth

Entering 13, we had pushed another 5 skins. Deron and I had each won a hole each, with mine simply being 6 skins by the build up. We were now into the third set where each hole was worth $10 and the total available for the hole was $40.

Deron still had honors and piped the gap, going a little long left. This hole is listed as somewhere between 270 and 290, again, depending on where you look. It's tough to appreciate from a picture. The only shot that I can see for me here is my Oakley Lucid-X Felon on a forehand flex line. I didn't hit my line. It did get skinny early, make it over the water-filled ditch, gently kiss a tree on the left-hand side of the fairway, and fade nicely to 20 feet left of the basket, darn near dead on the distance.

I knew it was close and I was so excited that I truly can't remember who did what. I just knew that Deron had a long look and all I had to do was focus and bang it home. I thought the pressure would feel less when Deron missed...but it didn't. I blazed the left side chains and my Classic Blend Judge dropped to the ground. After a lengthy par-save miss from Sam, Deron had about a circle's edge come-backer to save his par. He nailed it. I dropped in and one more skin built up.

Number 14 normally sets up well for me with a forehand Felon, but I yanked it. Deron was a little out of position as well. Sam had a great drive that cut the inside line on the corner and Trey was was in clean position to make a run. Both were aggressive going for the long birdies, but settled for pushing with pars.

Deron released a touch early on 15 and went left. It was Bounty time again, but I got it nose up and it faded out into the trees and brush long of the turn in the fairway. Trey went left as well and Sam yanked to the right. Trey scrambled out and ended up near my tee shot. I think Sam had taken his 3rd before I took my second. I grabbed my trusty Felon, straddled out right to one knee and shot the small gap out, flexing through some trees in the fairway and getting to some long run potential. I came up short, but it was good enough to get me a tap-in, eight more skins and $60.

I had the box now on 16. Emac Truth. All day here. I got it out on a little too much hyzer, going leftish, hitting a tree a good ways down, still spinning, hitting a tree on the far right side of the fairway and and bumped to the left, somehow getting myself to a long, circle 2 look. That ended up being the best drive out of the group. But Trey and Sam recovered, Deron had a long run from the far left side, from maybe 90 feet or so. I just blew my approach by. Trey and Deron pushed with par and we moved on again.

My Sapphire didn't fly so far on 17. I squared up the first available tree in the middle of the fairway. Deron launched his Lat64 Saint (which I traded him for a Harp that I hardly ever use) into a perfect spot (kinda.) Sam and Trey were much better than me off the pad, but I recovered with a flex forehand to get back into position to save par. I don't remember all the details of this hole either as the distraction of the pond in the fairway took the spotlight here. I think Sam was the only one who didn't have to take a throw from ankle-deep water. I know that Deron and I putted for 4 and I think everyone was looking at par on that one. Pushed again.

Finish strong

The final hole was now worth $36. I have been both successful and not-so-much with a backhand turnover and the safer forehand play. I decide to go with the backhand. Despite a late release, I got a favorable nudge and roll courtesy of several branches, onto the fairway. Deron got quite a bit further, but was pinched on the right side for his approach. Sam tried to huk his onto the ball field directly through the trees on the left side of the fairway. Trey got a little inside and ended up along the water-filled gully on the right side of the open field. Sam recovered with a thumber to get out, but still ended up pinched on the right up near Deron's drive. I sawed off my Felon and fell short in the brush, but I was still around circle's edge. We were all scrambling a little bit, Deron missed his par. I was on a knee again, flinging my Judge through a gap in the brush and missing the 3. Sam was in the woods again on his 3rd. Everything else is blurry again because of what happened as Deron and took our putts for fours.

 

We were both between maybe 15 to 20 feet, with Deron being a bit outside of me. I'm not sure what occurred, but somehow Deron just yanked it right side chains and it fell to the ground. Now, I have seen pro players walk up to the basket and pull chains apart that get tangled from the previous player's throw. It's a pro move. One I could learn from, because 2 of the chains got together, one hung up on the other and I could see this little X where they came together. I guess I was thinking that I was so close, I could just dump it over the cage dead center and there wouldn't be any problem. For some reason, I just kept on into my putt. But I couldn't take my eyes off the little X...and I hit it. I literally hit the exact spot I was looking at, and it just hit the chains, fell onto the edge of the cage and flipped over.

 

Trey yelled to Sam, "you're still in it, if you can make it," but he didn't. Deron and I tapped out, both shaking our heads and we went to the first playoff hole.

Overtime

In playoff skins, if you're not part of the push, you're out. Long story short, it only took bogeys from Deron, Sam and I to move onto hole 2. I stepped up and ripped the Emac Truth like last time, a tiny bit lower and it only snuck into circle 1 around the edge. Deron bested me this time with a park job. I missed my run and he took the last 3 skins and the 36 bucks that went with it.

 

Thanks to Brandon for being the TD. Thanks to the gallery (Randy and Matt) for having fun with us during the round.  I had a great time with a great bunch of guys, especially, since I wasn't even supposed to be there. And to be fair, I only won 2 holes. Deron won one in regulation and capped the playoff with the other. It's unfair to look at the final tally where I had 14 skins and Deron had 4, when you consider all of the pushes, it just happened to make my 2 wins count for more. So it really was closer than it may appear if you were just taking in the end result. I must perform better off the wait list. Keeps me from overthinking.

I do make a lot of recommendations for beginning players when they shop at Cape Fear Games, so the validation certainly was nice. It didn't hurt either that Deron is one of our CFG Sponsored players. Did I mention that I wasn't supposed to be there?

Just the beginning

I ended up with $78 in vouchers to spend in the club store and I never get tired of new plastic. I don't need it all, per se, but I like it. One of the the things I selected was a pinkish Z Buzzz with a foil stamp from the 2020 Azalea Am presented by Cape Fear Games. As I am writing this, I checked the foil again and I am just now realizing that it's a money stamp. It's not all 100s, but Franklin is definitely in there.

So, let's start 2021 off right. If you're reading this, you have the jump on the competition, because I am going to be giving this away on my Instagram, @flippindiscsgolf, sometime soon. It doesn't mean anything if you don't have a little skin in the game. I must be crazy, but it's a totally Flippin Discs thing to do.