Worlds updates

[dobbins66]

I really enjoyed my first Worlds, probably because I got to play in it

I played a great blend of courses -- Kilborne, Angry Beaver, RL Smith, Winget, and Hornets Nest.
I shot above my rating in 5 of the 6 rounds, averaged 24 points better than my rating.
I only had a couple regrettable holes:
-- first was hole 15 at Kilborne; the longest hole on the course, but a circle-8 never helps. Thankfully this was early in my first round(the squares are where I started the round(RL Smith was hole 1 both times)) -- after this blowup, I started playing the GOLF part of disc golf more conservatively, and it really helped my score.
I put the drivers away and stuck firm to the Comet, Buzzz, and Leopard. Stayed in the fairway, limited my OB, and scored when the opportunities came. Made a LOT of confident putts with my Wizards, a couple long putts with my Comet, and stayed positive regardless of the things out of my control(heat, humidity, other people's tantrums, etc).

Second was a 5 on hole 9 at Hornets Nest. What can i say, the tall basket got to the tall guy, and a couple rollaways later I had the dreaded handful on what should've been a 2 or at worst a 3. (That's not me in the pic, the only pic of the green on dgcr)

The player's meeting probably wasn't necessary, and the player's party wasn't great/food was warm but that's it, but pretty much everything else was great.

Thanks to my caddies -- half of my rounds were caddied, a truly big help! TheOtherBill(Kilborne), bergdawg(Angry Beaver), my girl Nikki(RL Smith), and Connor Jones as a walking witness and motivator for my last two rounds.

I tried to thank every volunteer I saw. I shook hands with and talked to some of the great people that have helped make Charlotte Disc Golf one of the world's meccas for this sport.
Thanks to the PDGA, the volunteers, the city of Charlotte, The CDGC, and the players. Hope to make it to KC next year

Looking at your scorecards is crazy similar to how my week went. Angry Beaver I also carded a 63 (3 OBs), also played Hornet's Nest with a 61 (round felt terrible with 2 bad OBs and finishing the last few holes in a downpour). You played RL with a 54 & 56 while I carded 54 & 56 at Sugaw, Three OB's each round - Played this place terrible and it cost me. Reedy Creek twice and Winget is what saved me some, Good rounds and limited OB (2 total).

Keep it in play and you should score well (13 OB penalties for the week means I didn't!), Multiple bad drives and a few bad luck moments with the OB's cost me a few positions.

Thanks to any and all in Charlotte who helped get these courses ready. My first time playing in NC and really enjoyed it. Played many of the courses blind and it showed in my scoring but no complaints, it is obvious the amount of work that was done to get some of these ready. My favorite was definitely Reedy - Loved this place. My least favorite (mainly just because I played it so bad!) was Sugaw.

One other side comment : Man you guys have a lot of Bees on the courses! Got stung once turning in a scorecard and that bunch at Hole 2 at Reedy could be distracting while putting.

Great time and thanks again Charlotte!

 

[BennettUA]

Keep it in play and you should score well (13 OB penalties for the week means I didn't!), Multiple bad drives and a few bad luck moments with the OB's cost me a few positions.

I was VERY pleased with how well I stayed in-bounds, as this was my main focus off the tee and from the fairway for placement shots to the green.

Hole 15 at Kilborne, if you've played it, the green is a penninsula surrounded by OB and thick trees in front of said OB. I threw a bad shot and EARNED the OB though.

Hole 17 at RL Smith got me both rounds -- and it's a LEFTY HOLE! I wish the OB was just the creek, not the 15 feet from the creek to the basket that could be a great putting spot, but still, I should've pured those shots long up the hill past the basket from the tee, and I did not.

Only 3 OB penalties on courses with OB all over the place, I'm happy with that

 

[BennettUA]

Here's hole 17 at Smith from the tee:

And a better shot of the green. The OB isn't marked in this pic, but it does extend up near the bridge -- on dry land. I just wish the creek was the only OB, but that doesn't change the fact that I KNEW what was OB and didn't make the shot, no one's fault but my own.

 

[chopz33]

guy on my card aced this hole...forhand flick Star firebird...no chains, blasted the chains, no skip

 

[spikodelhyzer]

17 is short though, it's like 250' or something. You can get a turn over mid there or flick something so its really not that hard. Although I don't really like OB that can come into play on dumb roll-aways like that hole or 16 there or 8 at Angry.

 

[the_lung]

First time ever playing the hole, Chuck Kennedy, Bill Newman, and I all deuced #17 at R.L. Smith for a star card on Sunday morning, and we're old men.

If you ignore the OB and don't let it mess with your head, it's an easy turnover / sidearm / lefty hyzer. :thmbup:

 

[1978]

My score on #17 in 2 rounds, 10!!! 10!

2nd round there, before the semi's, I parked it 20' highside ace run. Got nervous about my last 2-5's there splashed a putt out with my floppy Vibram x-link putter, it ROLLED, circle 5! 2 to 5, thats Carolina DG. A layup wouldnt have put me in the finals. Making that 2 would have. I'll think about that for a while.

 

[Green Aarrow]

I shot 67 (HN), 52 (Kil), 55 (RL), 55 (Wing), 65 (AB), 58 (RL) over the week. Hornet was inexcusable, but I played Winget and Angry Beaver blind. Shot 2 rounds rated in the 800s, but also shot my first 1000-rated tournament round and the other 3 were well above my 917. I putted pretty well most of the week and cashed for the first time in 3 tries at Am Worlds.

My only OB all week was hole 9 at Angry Beaver, a bad rollaway on my second shot after a conservative drive onto the island. I only had two 6s for the week (12 @ HN and a non-OB 6 on hole 5 @ RL) and no blow-up holes.

Aside from not making the semifinals, I'm very happy.

 

[Disc Golf Live]

First time ever playing the hole, Chuck Kennedy, Bill Newman, and I all deuced #17 at R.L. Smith for a star card on Sunday morning, and we're old men.

If you ignore the OB and don't let it mess with your head, it's an easy turnover / sidearm / lefty hyzer. :thmbup:

Good that you guys got out and had a chance to play some golf. Epic work all week by the crew. Kudos. I was back home in MI by 4:30 am sunday and had time for a nap before starting my usual 9 am round.

 

[atl scott]

My score on #17 in 2 rounds, 10!!! 10!

2nd round there, before the semi's, I parked it 20' highside ace run. Got nervous about my last 2-5's there splashed a putt out with my floppy Vibram x-link putter, it ROLLED, circle 5! 2 to 5, thats Carolina DG. A layup wouldnt have put me in the finals. Making that 2 would have. I'll think about that for a while.

You didn't make the comeback putt either? SMH

A guy on my card hit inside the top rim of the basket on this hole (ace run) before his disc somehow jumped up and slowly rolled out of bounds.

At least HE made the putt for a circle 3.

 

[atl scott]

I played so pathetically at worlds that I have been playing nonstop since it ended to try to get rid of that feeling. Sunday was Renny Gold, Sugaw, and Kilborne. Provided a different kind of pain. Finally starting to play some decent golf.

My condor was the only reliable disc in the bag all week.

 

[#19325]

Pumped to see Illinois represented again in the MA1 Division. Congrats to Spencer Wilkin and Steven Jacobs!!

 

[jtreadwell]

Hmm, that sounds like a personal problem. Over 1000 people showed up for this event and I'm pretty sure a good chunk of them knew that they weren't going to walk away winners.

I don't know why you insist that our top pros plight in making a livable income is some sort of tragedy. They chose their station in life. They can choose to get a day job like the rest of us if its no longer working for them. Its not the responsibility of the masses to subsidize their income with some fee, no matter how nominal the sum, going towards an event they have no intention of playing in.

We all know that you are against the sport getting larger/more mainstream from your many past posts on the subject, so I'm not saying this to sway you're opinion as you clearly cannot be swayed. That being said, if it's not feasible for pros to play big tournaments and have a shot at some decent money, we're never going to see more pros, never going to see a lot of the best hidden talent come to light, and never going to get big enough for sponsorships to improve things for the professional circuit even more. I get the appeal of less crowds and a more "exclusive" disc golf group, but I also feel that the sport needs to attract some money or we'll be overrun. What I mean by that is that the sport is still growing, but mostly with less serious players and the number of courses being created isn't going to be able to keep up. With more money for prize pots, there will be more participation, more pros to attract spectators and sponsors, and more visibility for the sport. You will still see more chuckers, but you'll also see an influx of new players who aspire to be like the pros. Without the dream of making a living playing disc golf, why try to be a pro? With more serious players you'll see an uptick in course quality and quantity because lets face it, how many chuckers go on to build a disc golf course? More courses equal less crowds at the old ones where the oldtimers roam and remember the glory days of disc golf when mentioning it meant you were a hippy and the Roc was a newfangled high speed driver.

 

[mashnut]

It's great to say that all we need are bigger payouts, but I have yet to see a plan that I think will really accomplish that without taxing all the lower level players to pay the top few. The huge gallery at worlds this year (huge being relative to other disc golf tournaments) is a great sign, but that was for a free event. How many paying spectators do you really think we can draw, even at our best and biggest events? Those 2000 people in the gallery still aren't enough to attract a big sponsor.

 

[Scoot_er]

It's great to say that all we need are bigger payouts, but I have yet to see a plan that I think will really accomplish that without taxing all the lower level players to pay the top few. The huge gallery at worlds this year (huge being relative to other disc golf tournaments) is a great sign, but that was for a free event. How many paying spectators do you really think we can draw, even at our best and biggest events? Those 2000 people in the gallery still aren't enough to attract a big sponsor.

Even though I would argue the higher level players pay way more on average I digress.

How about just $1 per Pro entry.....even though my plan was for the money to go to AM and Pro Worlds

 

[Discette]

There is a Worlds Champ that did not beat the whole field, the Master's champ beat the Open champ. And everyone played the same courses back then. I never see mention of that anywhere on the Internet though so I guess we're not supposed to talk about it.

We can talk about it.


It was the 1988 Worlds in Cincinnati. John Ahart was the Open Champion. However, the Master's Champion, Rick Voakes, actually shot a lower score playing the same courses. Had Dr. Rick played Open instead of Master's, he MIGHT have been the World Champion. It is still just a maybe. Who knows if he would have played as well against the top Open players. He would have been playing with different players at different times, so we will never really know if he could have shot the same score playing in Open.

 

[tallpaul]

Dr. Rick rulez...that dude is sooooo good.

 

[giles]

I think it is a lot easier to shoot well when you have the confidence that you are the strongest player in the field. It is a lot easier to make a putt that you don't need to make than it is to make a putt that you absolutely need.

 

[scarpfish]

We all know that you are against the sport getting larger/more mainstream from your many past posts on the subject, so I'm not saying this to sway you're opinion as you clearly cannot be swayed.

You must have me mistaken for somebody else. As far as I'm concerned, the sport is already mainstream. That accomplishment came about because of proliferation of courses, and more readily available discs for sale. A culture of athlete worship towards our top players had nothing to do with it.

That being said, if it's not feasible for pros to play big tournaments and have a shot at some decent money, we're never going to see more pros, never going to see a lot of the best hidden talent come to light, and never going to get big enough for sponsorships to improve things for the professional circuit even more.

Dear God, you mean to tell me these guys will have to go be accountants, lawyers, salespeople, schoolteachers, construction workers, truck drivers, or work in some other profession that has an actual use value to society, as opposed to being the best person who can fling a chunk of plastic at metal baskets? We can't have that now can we?

I get the appeal of less crowds and a more "exclusive" disc golf group,

I don't.

but I also feel that the sport needs to attract some money or we'll be overrun. What I mean by that is that the sport is still growing, but mostly with less serious players and the number of courses being created isn't going to be able to keep up.

Umm dude, in spite of this problem you perceive, courses are going into the ground at a rate of almost one per day. I will admit in certain markets they're not going in fast enough, but that's a problem you solve with user fees, disc sales, hole sponsorships and sources of revenue that people are willing to spend money on. Those funds should then go back into the courses. It is a completely separate issue from our top pros not being able to make money on tour.

With more money for prize pots, there will be more participation, more pros to attract spectators and sponsors, and more visibility for the sport. You will still see more chuckers, but you'll also see an influx of new players who aspire to be like the pros. Without the dream of making a living playing disc golf, why try to be a pro?

I don't know. Why don't you ask the local pros in your neck of the woods, the ones who are never going to be the next Climo or Doss, why they keep at it for years on end in spite of the lack of money available. I guess its because they love the game, and love the competition.

With more serious players you'll see an uptick in course quality and quantity because lets face it, how many chuckers go on to build a disc golf course?

How many top pros go on to build one? I'd suspect that many of our most credentialed designers were never one of the big dogs on the tourney circuit.

More courses equal less crowds at the old ones where the oldtimers roam and remember the glory days of disc golf when mentioning it meant you were a hippy and the Roc was a newfangled high speed driver.

Again, I don't see what that has anything to do with lack of money on the PDGA tour. Apples and oranges.

 

[ViolaBouquet]

A lot of talk about pro payouts being higher. Looking at the numbers it does not seem like there is any ripping off of players going on. Either they need to limit how many people get paid, or raise the entry fee to $200+. I think it is fine.... but that's just the Am3 talking.