Does it count?

[headrick-er]

This is just for me, so keep that in mind.

When I play - whether in tourneys, doubles, or practice rounds - I always approach each round as if it mattered. For me, the practice field is where I toss throw after throw striving to get it right. However, saying that, there are, on occasion, some times where I'll empty my bag on the course just looking for that desired line. If during one of these instances, one of the subsequent shots finds itself in the basket, I will not count it as an ace. The reason I don't is that I've had time to see how each shot reacted to my throw, the wind, etc. Based on that, I'm able to shape each successive shot to hopefully get the desired results. To me, that's different than stepping up, visualizing a line, and crashing chains on the first attempt.

Maybe that's why I only have what I consider to be 2 official aces, and a lot of great practice shots.

So Eric, you can put me down as a "no" also in your scenario.

 

[tumpsi]

I'm in this boat. If it doesn't count as a 1 on your "scorecard" - even in a practice round, you're keeping score, not "best shots", so if it's not a one, it's not a true ace.

 

[Eric O]

I guess I'm getting more hung up on the definition of a "practice shot" than the definition of an ace. It's clear that the consensus definition of an ace on DGR is anytime you step up to the tee and throw into the basket on the first and only attempt. What are you guys considering practice shots?

For me, I look at any round outside of a tourney and with no cash or other considerations on the line as practice. This makes up well over half the time I am playing disc golf. Whether I tee off once or ten times on a hole, it's all for fun and for practice either way in a casual round. I have aced in a practice round from my first and only teeshot, and by my definition of "practice" this places the ace in the category of practice shot. It's still an ace, just not one that counted in a tourney. Does that mean if I am playing a casual round and hole out from the tee on my 3rd straight attempt that it is a practice, practice shot?

Sorry to get hung up on semantics. :roll:

 

[Eric O]

Looking back through the responses on the first page again, this is kind of along the lines of where I'm coming from:

Count as what? If you aren't in a tournament, nothing "counts" as anything but practice. I couldn't honestly care less what anyone counts as an ace. I don't really see what the big deal is.

 

[Marmoset]

I would say pat yourself on the back and embolden your subsequent throws on that hole and similar holes in the future.
But don't count it as an ace.
Sorry.

 

[mark12b]

the problem with saying that it's only an ace if it's your "first" shot on that hole is that it implies you're playing a full round. if i am out at the course and play the front nine with no aces, then come back around and re-play the front nine and get a hole in one, it it not an ace? what about if i'm only playing the first four holes over and over?

for the people who think it's not an ace unless it's your first shot off the tee, what criteria do you use to say that it's "first"? if i finish the hole with an upshot and putt, then walk back to the tee and try again, is that enough for a "reset," or do i have to play 17 other holes first?

i agree that an ace in a tournament situation is way better than a mulligan ace where you unload your bag on the hole but either way you're getting from the tee to the basket in one throw.

what if you're getting ready to start a tournament and unload your bag on your first hole before the two-minute warning, then hit an ace when you actually tee off?

 

[Eric O]

embolden your subsequent throws on that hole and similar holes in the future.

I like that part. It is far more to the point than the question of what is or isn't a real ace.

 

[headrick-er]

I guess I'm getting more hung up on the definition of a "practice shot" than the definition of an ace. It's clear that the consensus definition of an ace on DGR is anytime you step up to the tee and throw into the basket on the first and only attempt. What are you guys considering practice shots?

For me, I look at any round outside of a tourney and with no cash or other considerations on the line as practice. This makes up well over half the time I am playing disc golf. Whether I tee off once or ten times on a hole, it's all for fun and for practice either way in a casual round. I have aced in a practice round from my first and only teeshot, and by my definition of "practice" this places the ace in the category of practice shot. It's still an ace, just not one that counted in a tourney. Does that mean if I am playing a casual round and hole out from the tee on my 3rd straight attempt that it is a practice, practice shot?

Sorry to get hung up on semantics. :roll:

The semantics do get messy, but here's how I look at it.

There are outings on the course where I am just practicing, i.e. not shooting for score, simply trying new things out, etc. Then there are the outings where I'm going for a personal best where - instead of playing against someone else - I'm playing against the course. Those are the times I track my personal bests on the course. If an ace happens there, I will count it.

If going by "nothing counts outside of tournaments" what would be the verdict on weekly doubles? If I hit an ace during these, I win cash. I doubt they'd give up the pot if it wasn't considered an ace.

 

[garublador1]

The semantics do get messy, but here's how I look at it.

There are outings on the course where I am just practicing, i.e. not shooting for score, simply trying new things out, etc. Then there are the outings where I'm going for a personal best where - instead of playing against someone else - I'm playing against the course. Those are the times I track my personal bests on the course. If an ace happens there, I will count it.

If going by "nothing counts outside of tournaments" what would be the verdict on weekly doubles? If I hit an ace during these, I win cash. I doubt they'd give up the pot if it wasn't considered an ace.

The word I'm getting hung up on is "counts." Counts for what? If you hit an ace when money is on the line (that's what I consider a "tournament") it counts towards your score or towards winning the ace pot. If money isn't on the line what does it "count" towards?

 

[bcsst26]

I would say that if you go out and play a course and keep score then that round counts. If I decided to go out and keep score and threw a drive and it went in then that is an ace. If I decide to go to the next hole and throw a drive and it is in the woods then I re-throw and hit an ace I would say why didn't I do that the first time and I would not count it as I would go play my first throw and go from there.

 

[cojsmith08]

its a nice/cool/amazing shot, i wouldnt downplay that it not that, but it doesnt count on the scorecard

you cant put a 1 on the card but you can be happy about it

 

[niblick83]

I answered no to the poll question. It's cool to throw a shot in from the tee but if it wasn't your first shot (without some sort of break) then it isn't an ace.

In response to the scenario that Eric O put forth I would probably count it as an ace depending on a couple things: Did I have any intention of playing my first shot or was I just planning to throw one drive as a practice warm up shot? I do this from the blue tee on the first hole at my home course. I get there and say that I will throw a couple warm up shots and then start the round with my third shot. If I aced one of my warm up shots and I was being honest I would not count the ace and then throw my actual tee shot after my warm up shots were done. Same thing as throwing before two minutes is called for a tourney. I would probably consider it an ace with an asterisk. Just couldn't bring myself to consider it a true ace. This particular hole is 330' long and probably plays closer to 375 or so. Any shot from the tee that went in on this hole would be an amazing shot.

From the scenario I can't tell if it was intended to play your first shot and then just throw an extra shot or if it was intended for the first shot to be a warm up shot and then the second shot as the true tee shot. If the second shot is the shot that is to be played then I would consider it an ace. I would only consider this to be true for the first hole of a round and probably only if it is one or two practice throws before the tee-off.

 

[dgdave]

Congrats on the ace. yes I said ACE.

I've hit that basket every way possible and I haven't got one to stick. Its so fun to empty your bag on that hole.

 

[t i m]

Another, similar scenario: What if, because it's a practice round, I'm keeping several scores? My roommate and I used to do this a lot to force different shots and get more practice in a short period of time. For instance, we would play two rounds simultaneously -- one score with all forehand throws and one score with all backhand throws. We would even keep teebox honors as if there were four separate players -- my FH, my BH, his FH, his BH. So if I take two shots -- the first forehand and the second backhand, and the second one goes in, is that an ace?

Similarly, we might be keeping two or three scores in some other way -- one score for our whole bag and one for just a putter, forcing extra practice with a putter off the teebox and for approach shots. Again, keeping separate scores.

I can think of rounds where we each had as many as four simultaneous scores going for the whole round. (say one score FH, one BH, one for UD, one for putters). If I'm playing that way, and my fourth throw off the teebox goes in, is that an ace?

I'd say YES, because I've had this happen -- the logic would be that each throw was the first throw for that particular scoring challenge, and therefore meets that criteria. If you have multiple, simultaneous challenges going, it's as if each different throw is a first throw.

 

[t i m]

One more scenario: what if you are the joker on something like a doubles league night? You throw your teeshot and shank into the woods, and opt to take your joker shot as a reetee and it goes in the basket. Is this an ace? I think it would count in a doubles ace pool, because in that case, you are your own partner...

I can think of a bunch of other different, gray-area scenarios, as well. For the record, I answered the poll as "yes, with an asterisk" (an aceterisk? ). I think that anytime you get from the teebox to the basket in one throw, that is some sort of ace.

The exception I would make is if you are throwing a bunch of discs over and over and over with the SOLE purpose of running aces. There, the difference is one of intention -- if I am essentially PRACTICING ACES instead of PRACTICING THE HOLE, then I don't think that should count as an ace.

Because an ace, almost by definition, is a lucky shot. Most aces are shots that would have blown by the basket or spiked and rolled or skipped far away if the chains hadn't gotten in the way. In general, it's foolish to practice ace shots, since they are incredibly low-percentage and intentionally running aces will almost always hurt your score. Practicing for score is practicing landing as close as possible to the basket -- not practicing ace runs.

If you are practicing for score and get from the teebox into the baset, then I don't care what number throw it is, I would count it as an aceterisk.

 

[Marmoset]

How about this one?

I tee off and nail a tree right in front of me.
The disk bounces back and falls at my feet, the leading edge of the disk touching the front of the tee.
I pick it up and throw it (the same line as I intended for my original drive) and I get it in the basket.
It's like a second shot ace.

 

[Fritz]

Different disc, different throw, it counts.

 

[roadkill1]

Let me answer your question with a question.


Suppose you're playing a casual round and you have a great drive on a difficult hole that very few if any have ever birdied. You're 40' away. You putt, you miss. You try again from the same lie and miss again. On your fourth attempt it goes in.

The question is: would you tell others that you birdied the hole?



I figure you wouldn't call that a birdie because you didn't sink the birdie putt on your first try. Therefore you shouldn't count a throw as an ace if it didn't go in on your first attempt.
The first throw is the only one you would record on a scorecard therefore the outcome of the first throw is really the only one that counts.

 

[trogdor1]

Sounds like you pulled a "Cubby"

LOL!
It looks like most of his aces are on the Rutgers Campus course. Anyone ever play this course?
I have, about 15 times. It is SUPER short with a few trees (that barely come into play on some holes). If my memory is working properly, hole 9 is 90 feet long with no trees between the tee and the basket.

Nothing like jump-putting off the tee pad! :shock:

 

[Solbo]

Different disc, different throw, it counts.

in fantasy land.


it's a mulligan ace. i dont pay out for mulligan aces, only true aces.