Sunday Snow Throwers

We had a long long winter but that is what kept this league going for 12 weeks total. My plan is to do the same 12 weeks next year but move it back to the first week in December so we can finish befor ... show more ›

We had a long long winter but that is what kept this league going for 12 weeks total. My plan is to do the same 12 weeks next year but move it back to the first week in December so we can finish before the tournament season kicks off.

Here are the divisional winners:
Open:
1st Place: Paul Johnson
2nd Place: Steve Held

Intermediate:
1st Place: Mike Harrington
2nd Place: Jeromy Morgan
3rd Place: Matt Atherton

Recreational:
1st Place: Pat Brah
2nd Place: Greg Weber (the only person with perfect attendance at all 12 weeks)

Unrated:
1st: David Whiteside (who also hit the $63 Ace Pool . .. also his first ace ever) That will keep him coming back!

See you all tomorrow at Manic Mondays at 6PM at Valley View. Let's have some great spring weather for the next league!!!

I played Valley View yesterday, put some salt down on a handful of tees that had some snow pack. After today they should all be clear and we should be in great shape for Sunday's Finale'. I am excited ... show more ›

I played Valley View yesterday, put some salt down on a handful of tees that had some snow pack. After today they should all be clear and we should be in great shape for Sunday's Finale'. I am excited to bring this league to a close and move on to better weather! Don't forget Monday 3/25 is the kick-off of Manic Mondays at Valley View. I hope to see many of you there. We will be headed to Quaker Steak and Lube afterwards to announce the winners and handout the trophies.

I was happy and surprised to see 18 people for league this week with it being a last minute change of plans (due completely to weather and course conditioning). Dineen might actually be my least playe ... show more ›

I was happy and surprised to see 18 people for league this week with it being a last minute change of plans (due completely to weather and course conditioning). Dineen might actually be my least played course within 20 miles of my home and it is actually the closest to my home. However I have come to appreciate its value as a good late winter course when we lose Dretzka and Estabrook. I actually only played 1 round in the last 2 years prior and it was a doubles get together, so I didn't realize I had picked up significant distance since I had last played here. I can actually appreciate the course a little more and if it was summer and there was good footing on the concrete I might appreciate it even more. SO I WILL NO LONGER TALK DOWN ABOUT DINEEN.

Anyways . . . .on to the action.

Ace Pool was not hit again this week so we will begin the final week at $49 plus whoever pays in next week.

In Open we had 4 players lead by Steve Held (E). Shooting only one stroke behind was Paul Johnson (+1).

In Intermediate Jeromy Morgan (+2) inched 1 point closer to me in the overall standings and will need to beat me next week with a couple people in between. I shot a (+4) for second place, and newcomer Warren (+5) ended in third for the final funny money spot.

In Recreational we saw Mike Wright and Dan Sinkey (transplants from the Unrated Division) tie for the lead with (+5). They battled it out for the extra half point and it apparently went 3 holes. Following close behind was Nick Wilcox with his (+8) and the two top players for the division lead Pat Brah and Greg Weber had another battle for points and ended up tied at (+11) to split the final funny money spot. You gotta want it!

In Unrated we only had 1 player again and David Whiteside (+12) has passed ahead of the guys who left the division.

We had a monumental occurrence of having two Juniors at the same league week. Sam Doebert came out ahead this week but Miles Sinkey was only 3 throws behind. I would love to see a junior division established so please do not be afraid to bring your kids down the road. They are the future of our sport so let's start them young!

See you at Valley View next week . . . the weather looks like it should be just fine and we will likely have nice clean concrete tees out there which would be an added bonus. If the course is unplayable for any reason, we can always go back to Dineen.

I am finishing the trophies this week so we will definitely head over to Quaker Steak after league so I can announce the winners and hand out the prizes.

DON'T FORGET IF YOU WANT A PIECE OR ALL OF THE ACE POOL YOU BETTER SHOW UP TO LEAGUE NEXT WEEK. IF NOONE HITS AN ACE DURING THE ROUND WE WILL BE DOING SOME SORT OF COMPETITION FOR THAT ACE POOL MONEY. ANYONE WHO PAYS IN NEXT WEEK HAS A SHOT AT THE CASH. I MIGHT EVEN SPLIT THE POOL UP FOR MULTIPLE PAYOUTS SINCE IT SEEMS SILLY TO LET A CTP WINNER TAKE ALL OF THE MONEY RESERVED FOR ACES.

I am headed to Dineen tomorrow hopefully with the man chasing me only 4 points behind Jeromy Morgan. We are going to analyze the tee situation and if they are worth cleaning we will do so. If they ar ... show more ›

I am headed to Dineen tomorrow hopefully with the man chasing me only 4 points behind Jeromy Morgan. We are going to analyze the tee situation and if they are worth cleaning we will do so. If they are currently too much work to get clean we will simply spray paint a line somewhere with flat snow and no frozen slushy footprints and perhaps put flags in the ground. I just can't trust that all the flags would stay put. EITHER WAY League is at Dineen this week no matter the conditions because it will be the best course regardless. I will post my finding but I hope that it doesn't discourage people from coming out. We only have two weeks left to earn valuable points to try and take home the handmade (at least hand assembled) customize trophies. I hope they will be a coveted trophy for many years to come of the Sunday Snow Throwers League. I've thoroughly enjoyed this league even though I was gone for 3 weeks.

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!! Sunday Snow Throwers has been relocated to Dineen Park on 65th and Keefe Avenue (Just east of Appleton) because Estabrook baskets have been pulled for the spring thaw. Thank Greg K ... show more ›

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!

Sunday Snow Throwers has been relocated to Dineen Park on 65th and Keefe Avenue (Just east of Appleton) because Estabrook baskets have been pulled for the spring thaw. Thank Greg Klein for his effort to pull those baskets to protect the course conditions and be happy that course has someone dedicated to preserving it.

Dineen on the other hand is one of the best courses to play in the late winter early spring because it has such good surface drainage, concrete teepads, and rarely ever gets played.

We will play this week here and hopefully be able to finish up at Valley View on 3/24.

Well . . . what more can I say. 11 people and myself still showed up for Sunday Snow Throwers this week. There were two GLDGC board members who were out playing before we started and I heard a couple ... show more ›

Well . . . what more can I say. 11 people and myself still showed up for Sunday Snow Throwers this week. There were two GLDGC board members who were out playing before we started and I heard a couple people out there behind the league.

I do not expect many more rounds to be played at Dretzka this year but I know there will be a lot of people out looking for their lost discs.

In Open we only had one player this week Brad Rathkamp who had a really solid (-9) for the conditions or anytime for that matter.

In Intermediate all of the division contenders were there but the only one to really capitalize for some significant point movement was Jeff Doebert who shot a respectable (-2). Two new-comers Aaron and Adam Schultz tied at (-1) to share second place and getting the last funny money was Jeromy Morgan (E). If only I had hit that 5' putt with my bag on and umbrella in my hand on the first hole, Jeromy and I would have tied. Oh well . . . that will teach me a lesson. I can no longer say "I have never missed a 5' putt in my life."

In Recreational we had Dan Sinkey shoot a (+2) to take the divisional win this week followed by points leader Pat Brah (+5).

In the Unrated division we had David Whiteside winning again with a (+9).

Next week is Estabrook and I sure hope that things are cleaner and less wet for next week. if for some reason Estabrook is unplayable next week I will have to come up with a different plan.

Brian Williams of Dyeluted Discs has asked me to carry some of his customized handcut dyed discs. I can only take cash for them because they are his discs but if you are into dyes please let me know and you can take a look through his high quality stuff.

Check Brian's facebook page for more details . . . https://www.facebook.com/DyelutedDiscs?fref=ts

Despite the 8-12" of snow on the ground (I honestly thought it might be around 4-6" by now) we still had 21 people show up for league this week. The Open points are becoming more plentiful as we have ... show more ›

Despite the 8-12" of snow on the ground (I honestly thought it might be around 4-6" by now) we still had 21 people show up for league this week. The Open points are becoming more plentiful as we have had more pros show up the last few weeks. We also have had a few players move up from Unrated to Recreational after remaining in Unrated for 3 weeks to establish their approximate scores. Recreational and Intermediate remain good sized divisions each week and the division contenders are becoming more apparent. That doesn't mean someone 10 or more points away cannot make a charge because you never know if we will have 5 or 10+ people per division show up next week. Keep reaching for those points as we play the last three weeks. I will be taking photos of everyone whenever I can so please try not to let it bother you, consider it preparation for when you go pro and have the TV cameras around you. These photos will be used for the trophies so smile, look happy, or give me a wave.

Next week is Dretzka (3/10) again so that we can get it played 1 more time before the course gets closed, then Estabrook (3/17) on Saint Patrick's Day, and finally wrapping it all up at Valley View (3/24). I will plan to head to Quaker Steak and Lube again on 3/24 to handout prizes and announce the winners. I hope to have the trophies done by then, but I need to get photos of all of the contenders before those will be done.

We had no ace this week so the ace pool will be at $21 for next week.

In Open we had another excellent turnout of 8 people. Scott Slauson had a hot round of 66 (-15). He was pushed by Steve Held who was only 1 shot back with a (-14). Those are some great scores gentlemen. Just a couple strokes behind them is the division leader Paul Johnson (-11) and Mark Peterson (-10). Taking the last cash spot is Todd Farnham on his first visit to Sunday Snow Throwers with his (-9) ice shooting everyone, those are some great scores.

In Intermediate Jeff Doebert came out with a solid score of (-2) for the win this week. Following Jeff were Matt Atherton and Jeromy Morgan with (-1)'s. Taking the final spot for funny money was Christopher Jante with a round of (Even). I lost a disc on #8 which cost me 3 throws most likely . . . but while I hung around in the parking lot afterwards I got a call from Bob King (an avid disc golfer who plays with his daughter all the time). He found my disc while he was looking for his and another friend from their group. So my DX Destroyer (definitely the disc I can throw the farthest) came back to me . .. it's nice to see good people still exist. Please always try to find the rightful owner. if there is no name and number please post on the GLDGC Lost and Found page on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/274132802693841/?fref=ts that you found a disc on a particular hole and make the rightful owner identify it. Remember to be a good person is all I can say. I am thankful for 2 good people today so I had to make mention of it in here.

In Recreational, we saw Mike Wright (recently moved up from Unrated) shoot a (Even) for the win this week. Pat Brah (current points leader was able to extend his lead over his closest competitors by taking 2nd with a (+2) and JD Cottrill shot a (+7) for third place to take the last of the funny money.

In the Unrated division we had two people show up and David Whiteside was rewarded for his patience with some funny money for his (+7). Just 2 strokes behind him was Mark Mittag (+9). I hope to see these two guys battle out the Unrated division in the following 3 weeks.

Thanks again for coming everyone, it was a beautiful day today despite the deep snow and the colder temperatures when we started. See you next week and lets all be hopeful this 3-5" of snow fore-casted for Tuesday melts before next week Sunday.

I am considering a final week PREPLAY for the final week of Sunday Snow Throwers to be allowed on Saturday. I will be there to take peoples money and check them in and I will be there at the end of th ... show more ›

I am considering a final week PREPLAY for the final week of Sunday Snow Throwers to be allowed on Saturday. I will be there to take peoples money and check them in and I will be there at the end of the round to collect scorecards . . . the reason for this is that there is a big tourney at Rollin Ridge on Sunday the 24th and I do not want to keep those interested in completing this league from finishing in week #12.

Please check out my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DiscGolfX and vote . . . I will listen to your votes and my decision will be based completely on your votes.

You guys and gals are awesome . . . we keep setting attendance records and you have definitely given me the enforcement needed to run another winter league in 2013-14. I am even enjoying the turnout I ... show more ›

You guys and gals are awesome . . . we keep setting attendance records and you have definitely given me the enforcement needed to run another winter league in 2013-14. I am even enjoying the turnout I am going to find a way to make this league the full 12 weeks even if we are unable to get back to Dretzka again on 3/10.

Let me first get the Ace Pool out of the way . . . Paul Johnson stood behind the tee on #11 joking about running for aces since he had just missed his birdie putt on the short 140' Hole #10. He asked "What's the ace pool at?" to which I responded "about $30". He let that DX San Marino Roc go with a touch of hyzer and it stayed just outside those little Buckthorn trees on the right side of this 190' hole with a slightly elevated basket. His hands were in the air virtually the whole time and as soon as it started to fade a touch, we all knew he had just called his ace! It was beautiful and definitely worthy of a payout. Congratulations Paul . . . sorry Dave Nelson . . . it looks like you will not be getting that disc back from Paul since that is now his second ace on your old disc.

In Open we saw 11 attendees including some highly rated Pro players. Mark "The Shark" Peterson (Our GLDGC President) showed up and took home the win with a (-10). I suppose it helps that he did design the course.Steve Held ended up in second on the day with a pretty solid (-8). I got to watch the battle for third between Casey Connors (-6) and Paul Johnson (-5) but Mike Finley (-6) was able to tie Casey for third from another group. The final cash spot went to Tom Jenkins . . . our WI Tour Director and all around good guy. He is a recent (past summer) transplant to the Milwaukee area from Appleton and a welcome addition to our local scene. Thanks to all the new people for coming, I hope you had a little fun out there today.

In Advanced we had only one person again Peter Ralph who shot (-4).

In Intermediate we had another good turnout of 9 people. Greg Klein and I (Mike Harrington) tied for the divisional win with (-4). We can play it off next week if you want Greg or just split the points. I will leave that decision up to you. Jeff Doebert ended up in 3rd with his (-3). Jeromy Morgan and Chris Daskam tied for 4th with rounds of (Even Par). Thank Chris for the Cheetos next time you see him. People were bashful and didn't want to take them before the round but after the round they became a popular item.

In Recreational we had the highest attendance we have had too with 7 people. Dan Sinkey moved up from the Unrated division and proved to be competitive in this division too, tying Darrin Ferguson for the win (-1). You two can play that off next week if you are both there or you can split the points. Taking 3rd this week was Steve Harmeyer (+2) and Greg Weber got some more funny money for his (+6). Greg is one of the guys who talked me into running this league whose game is improving. He is getting some funny money every so often now, something he was striving for in the Discin In The Dark Fall Glow League. Congratulations for stepping up your game Greg and thanks for talking me into running the league. I never would have thought we would get 32 people on a Sunday morning in the Snow.

In the Unrated division we saw 3 people including Mike Wright who won the division this week with a (-1). Mike will be moving up to Recreational division since he has played 3 rounds in Unrated and has established what division is most suitable for him. I wouldn't be surprised if Mike and Dan SInkey elevate to the Intermediate division for the next league sessio as their scores are right on the cusp of the two divisions. Taking second this week was David Whiteside with a (+6).

We also had our second Junior of the season Sam Doebert show up. I have seen Sam play over he last year and he has certainly imade improvements. Talk about a kid with confidence, he has it and if you are not careful he may just beat you. Watch out over the next couple of years.

I hope everyone had a good time regardless of their scores . . .it was certainly a beautiful day out there today. Now we just have to hope that snow melts into the ice underneath by next week, or Dretzka will be a tough walk.

As I said at league I am hopeful to play this coming week at Dretzka and then the following week at Dretzka also. I cannot say for certain until a few days before, but this extra snow we just got might actually help keep Dretzka in the ground a little while longer. My plan would be to play:

3/3 Dretzka
3/10 Dretzka
3/17 Estabrook
3/24 Valley View

That would be 4 rounds at each of those 3 courses which I think would be an ideal test of everyones skill for the season.

I have to say thank you's again to Mike Ellery, Scott Slauson, and Matt Atherton for covering for me while I went travelling around the country. I literally put over 6000 miles on my new car. I was ab ... show more ›

I have to say thank you's again to Mike Ellery, Scott Slauson, and Matt Atherton for covering for me while I went travelling around the country. I literally put over 6000 miles on my new car. I was able to play 93 courses in 20 states along the way including one of my goals by hitting a course in each of these states that I hadn't played in before: MD, NJ, DE, PA, CT, MA, NY, RI. That brings me up to 30 states played and 553 courses played. I do have a serious goal of having played all publicly accessible courses in WI by the end of 2013, so if you want to travel up north of Eau Claire with me on some weekends I would welcome some company while I complete that goal. It will take a couple weekend trips up there, but I just have to hope that not too many courses go in this year or my venture will be tough to accomplish. I definitely want to encourage all of you to get out and play different courses. I am so excited everytime I step up to a new course. There are so many cool unique things out there to see, and I hope you will travel a little bit to see what is out there.

As for league this week, I am thrilled that we were able to get 26 people (WHICH IS A NEW WINTER LEAGUE RECORD) to come to league this week. Thanks for welcoming me home with such a large group of great people. it was nice to meet a few of you newcomers to the league and I hope we can keep you coming back. I want the leagues I run to be fun and enjoyable and not just about competition.

In Open we had 6 people: Paul Johnson had a great round for the winter with (-11) to win the division. Casey Conners was not far off with a (-8) and Robert Bawden and Mike Finley tied for the last cash spot (-6).

This week marks the first time we had an Advanced player. So far all of the Advanced level players have been playing in Open. Peter came and shot a (-7). Sorry we couldn't get anyone else to play in that division Peter.

In Intermediate we had another great showing with 10 players. I came back to my home course refreshed and read for a good round. I ended up with a (-8) to win the division this week. Chad Niezgoda was just shot behind with a (-7). Drew Detzner and Jeff Doebert shot (-6) and Shawn Fallon and Greg Klein also tied for the final FM spot with (-5). This new layout is proving to be a good challenge and also a way to separate the Pros from the rest of the field, something that I factored into my decision making when I put those new basket locations in the ground last fall.

In Recreational we had JD Cottrill shoot a solid (-5) to win the division and Pat Brah (The Points Leader) take second with his (-3). Greg Weber hung right in there to bring home some funny money too with his round of (E).

In Unrated we saw Dan Sinkey shoot a (-1) but David Whiteside was not that far off that pace today. Thanks for coming back David, hopefully we can get some more people for the division.

We also had our first Woman this week with Sondra Kirkland shooting a (+4). Thanks for coming Sondra, I thought we were going to have another woman, this week too but they didn't make it. I hope to see you and Shawn again.

We also had another first . . . a Junior player. Miles Sinkey came to play today even making his dad pay for the ace pool He had high aspirations of taking home that $126 ace pool. While he didn't get the ace, I am sure he had a good time. Valley View is the perfect place for juniors to begin playing competitively because it is short enough to be fun, but still challenging enough to make them think a little bit.

We did get two aces this week, which was my prediction. Ben Habanek (who hadn't played disc golf since November) hit #6 with a nice smooth hyzer shot. Peter Ralph made it worth his while even though he was the only Advanced player this week by hitting #5. I heard it right in front of us. Ben hit his ace just a couple minutes after Peter so we knew we had a two way split. I played with Ben so the joke the rest of the day was chipping into the pot. a 3 way split would have cost Ben and Peter $20. Ben had a good attitude about our jeering th whole time responding by saying if I get another ace I get 2/3rds of the pot. Touche' Ben Touche'

Next week is Estabrook and then Dretzka will follow on March 3rd. I will make an announcement here as well as on Facebook regarding the additional weeks of 10-12. We will have to be flexible in case the weather turns great and the courses turn into a muddy mess. We are here to have fun and promote camraderie, but we have to respect the course conditions. So let's just be happy the winter was not too rough this year. Wait what I am I saying, you guys had some cold temperatures and bad weather while I was gone. Well either way the league pushed right on through this winter without issue. Thank you all again for your loyal attendance.

Please go to the Facebook Event page and vote on how you would like to wrap up this league? I promised 9 weeks but we have the potential to play 3 more weeks if the weather is cooperative and the ... show more ›

Please go to the Facebook Event page and vote on how you would like to wrap up this league?

I promised 9 weeks but we have the potential to play 3 more weeks if the weather is cooperative and the courses remain in the ground.

http://www.facebook.com/events/289268277865759/

If you do not use facebook, please send me a message here:

Right now we should be just fine playing Week 7, 8 and 9. Week 10-12 would be taking us all the way until March 24th. Should we make this a 12 week schedule or just stick to the originally scheduled 9 weeks? I definitely wanted to only play those 3 weeks if we could get an equal amount of rounds at the 3 courses we used. What are your thoughts?

Should we play 3 more weeks, one at Dretzka, one at Estabrook, and one at Valley View so the league is consistent and even among those three courses?

Should we add 3 more weeks and play Dineen for all 3 weeks?

Should we add 3 more weeks and play 1 week at each of 3 new courses such as Wales, Miniwaukan (Mukwonago), Milwaukee Sports Complex, Spassland, etc etc etc?

Should we just stick to the 9 week league and skip the worst part of winter when the courses get wet and sloppy?

Well everyone, I am leaving Norwich, CT at 5:30 PM tomorrow, spending one night on the road and then I will be home late on Saturday. I am hoping the weather is nice so I can get in a few more courses ... show more ›

Well everyone, I am leaving Norwich, CT at 5:30 PM tomorrow, spending one night on the road and then I will be home late on Saturday. I am hoping the weather is nice so I can get in a few more courses to round out my 32 days on the road. I am excited to return home and to this league. Right non I am sitting at 87 courses played with 2 more tomorrow for sure. I had realistic expectations of 60-75 courses for this trip but was able to play a lot more early on. It's a good thing because the last 5 days of the trip I have only been able to play 5 courses. Add in the effect of my bad back for the previous week and my courses played took a big hit. I am not disappointed with the 90+ course total, but it could have been much more if my back and the weather cooperated. Maybe next year I will do better heading to the SW where the weather is never bad in winter.

Acepool is up to $101 plus whoever signs up this week.

I will for sure be able to provide everyone their funny money by the end of league, but will try to have it all done for when people check in, but that will depend on what time I get in on Saturday night/Sunday morning. Perhaps a trip to Quaker Steak is in order to give me a chance to catch up with everyone and be sure everyone gets their vouchers.

I will be placing some orders for the Firm Laces from Vibram along with some of their new apparel.

I will also be looking to get some of the Prodigy discs in stock but still have to get myself setup with an account.

I had an order come from Innova with some discs and a few other assorted things while I was gone. I am hoping Mike Ellery will be able to bring that along with him if he comes to league, otherwise I will be sure to pick it up before Week #8.

I would also like to get a re-stock of my Dynamic Discs stuff because those were pretty popular.

I also am going to place an order for some of the new driver by MVP called The Shock.

If you have anything specific you are looking for please let me know so I can see what I can do. I should be setup with all of my accounts by the time summer rolls around so I should be able to always carry a little bit of everything.

See you all on Sunday!!!

Well the weather wasn't much better for me while you were suffering through 10-15 degrees this week. I had 25 degrees and some light snow to deal with, oh and the 35 MPH wind. Either way this is the l ... show more ›

Well the weather wasn't much better for me while you were suffering through 10-15 degrees this week. I had 25 degrees and some light snow to deal with, oh and the 35 MPH wind. Either way this is the last week I will be gone. Next week 2/10 is an off week due to THE BIG FREEZE being played. Please support the local club and play in the event if it isn't already sold out.

In Open Scott Mushall shot a very solid round of 77 (-4) on the 27 hole layout followed by newcomer Casey Connors 84 (+3).

In Intermediate we had 6 players which means I have some points to makeup when I get home. Jeromy Morgan had a good round of 82 (+1) to win and overtake me in the points standings. Ben Lynch finished in 2nd place, and Greg Klein and Matt Atherton tied for 3rd each taking home some funny money.

In Recreational we had two newcomers show their competetive spirit. Darrin Ferguson 91 (+10) took the win and John Reisweber 94 (+13) tied regular Pat Brah for 2nd place.

In Unrated we had 4 players with Mike Wright taking the win with a score that would have taken 2nd in Open 82 (+1). Dan Sinkey was a few throws behind.

There was no CTP this week so all of the funds went right into the payouts for this week. I promise to do something fun on 2/17 at Valley View when I get back. I hope for decent weather and warmer temperatures.

We had another good turnout of 17 people show up this week for Estabrook under moderate temperatures but some icy teepads. I appreciate your loyal attendance to this league, and look forward to coming ... show more ›

We had another good turnout of 17 people show up this week for Estabrook under moderate temperatures but some icy teepads. I appreciate your loyal attendance to this league, and look forward to coming home to compete for the final weeks of the league.

In Open we saw 7 people play:
Bob Bawden (-6) won the tiebreaker for the extra 1.5 points over Scott Slauson and Paul Johnson. Scott Mushall (-4) attended this league for the first time and took home the last cash. Scott Slauson also won the Divisional CTP.

In Intermediate we had a light attendance with regulars Vince Johnson (-3) and Chan Niezgoda (-2) edging out another regular and next week League Director Matt Atherton by only one stroke. I expect Matt to play well at Dretzka in Week 6.Vince also won the Divisional CTP.

In Recreational we had a pretty typical 5 players this week.
Steve Harmeyer (-2) bested the field with the only under par score. Pat Brah finished in 2nd with a (+1) and Greg Weber and JD Cottrill (+5) tied for the last cash spot to take home some funny money (albeit $1 each). JD also won the divisional CTP.

In Unrated we had two new players to Sunday Snow Throwers:
Mike Wright ended up in 2nd but he did win the divisional CTP. Dan Sinkey (+4) took down the win and the OVERALL RING OF FIRE CONTEST which I wanted to offer to celebrate playing my 500th course.

Matt Atherton will be the League Director this coming week at Dretzka Winter. He will have all of the cash to payout the pros as well as the money to payout the ACE POOL ($82+) in case it gets hit. I don't want to be greedy but I hope it flips over to Valley View on 2/17 because I will be there and I expect multiple aces to make up for lost time.

If you won any funny money from this week or prior weeks I am keeping a running tally and will have all those vouchers available on 2/17 at Valley View when I return home. I have not decided on what the Special 500th course Ring of Fire Contest will be, but it will be a small package of prizes.

Have fun tomorrow everyone. I heard there is a little bit of snow . . . which seems necessary for the Sunday SNOW Throwers league. I hope the teepads are in good condition, but saw that Ben Lynch was ... show more ›

Have fun tomorrow everyone. I heard there is a little bit of snow . . . which seems necessary for the Sunday SNOW Throwers league. I hope the teepads are in good condition, but saw that Ben Lynch was also planning to bring along some salt to help out. It will be 22 when I wake up in Raleigh, NC ( I thought this place was supposed to be warmer), but I still plan to play at least 3-4 courses. My 2nd course on the day will be my 500th course played, a milestone I am really proud of considering I have only been playing the game for a little over 4 years (1488 days to be exact. That means I play a new course every 2.976 days on average).

Please tell Scott Slauson (This weeks League Director) that in celebration of my milestone, that everyone will be eligible for a special CTP contest (One division and the closest person takes the prize (I will hand it out when I get home on Sunday February 17th) in addition to any other CTP or other side game he decides to hold. I will send him a message, but someone be sure to mention this to him.

I will see you in 3 more weeks on 2/17 at Valley View. Let's plan on stopping at Quaker Steak and Lube for lunch to discuss the league, my disc golf travels, and whatever else you want to talk about.

It was 39 degrees when I was headed to my first course this morning, when I received a text from Greg Klein asking if league was still on. He informed me it was 9 degrees there today. I told him Mike ... show more ›

It was 39 degrees when I was headed to my first course this morning, when I received a text from Greg Klein asking if league was still on. He informed me it was 9 degrees there today. I told him Mike Ellery would be there to run league because I was in Georgia.

I wish I could have been there, but I did get out to 3 great courses today and have played 18 courses since I left town, all but 2 of them have been really good courses. Yesterday was my round at Flyboy Aviation in Whitesburg, Georgia and we are staying in the airplane hangar (although the home inside of it is a really nice place) again tonight. All I can say is, if you ever find yourself near Atlanta, this course is a must play for everyone. I deposited 3 discs in their ponds and enjoyed every minute of it. Heck, if you happen to know a pilot who can fly you in you can land right outside the house, park the plane, and go play a round of Disc Golf. It was the #1 rated course on DGCR when the owner had to pull it from the public eye because too many people were coming out here and playing on their own, so now the only play it receives are in tournaments, and scheduled rounds with the owner or his course pro. I will gladly hook anyone up with the contact info!!!!

Back to the league results:

In Open we only had Mike Finley today who shot a 53 (-1) to win back some of his own money.

In Intermediate we saw Chad Niezgoda shoot a 49 (-5) to win the division and Vince Johnson 52(-2) to take the last of the funny money, and we welcome Drew Detzner to the Sunday Snow Thrower league and hope he found it enjoyable and returns in the future.

In Recreational we saw Pat Brah with a 51 (-3) and Greg Weber taking home some funny money for his round of par . . .54 (Even).

In Unrated we had another newcomer Brian Williams, unfortunately there was noone to compete with, but he shot a 60(+6) to grab himself a point.

The Ctp's were each worth $1 Funny Money for each person in the division and the winners from Intermediate and Recreational were Chad N.($3.00) and Pat B ($4.00). and Mike F. and Brian W. competed for their own $1.00 (Mike F.s being cash for being in open and Brian's in a funny money voucher.

Apparently no aces were hit this week so the total accumulates again to $66. Estabrook is next week and Scott Slauson will be the league director for the week. I hope you have better weather and that the attendance returns. I know a lot of the regulars were at the Frozen River in West Bend this weekend.

After a couple of scoring errors on my part, I have updated the scores to properly reflect what happened this week. I apologize for the errors, but sometimes it is hard to read the writing and if scor ... show more ›

After a couple of scoring errors on my part, I have updated the scores to properly reflect what happened this week. I apologize for the errors, but sometimes it is hard to read the writing and if scores are written over the top of others it is sometimes even harder to read. That happened on one scorecard, and somehow I also miscalculated my own score. I thought I had a +4 I read the score wrong I had already made a mistake earlier in the round. Just so everyone knows, I always double check the scorecards when they get turned in, but if you ever see I have posted something wrong, please let me know asap, so I can correct the spreadsheet and the standings and payouts accordingly. I do not just input the scores as they come in, I check to make sure they are scored correctly, but sometimes I read things wrong, or input them incorrectly. I do not penalize for wrong scores and I never have because this is supposed to be fun, so don't worry about that, just try your best to add things up correctly. I do retain all the scorecards for the entire season, so I can always go back and look again.

With that said,

In Open we saw a HOT ROUND on a COLD DAY by Paul Johnson (-8, 73). All I can say is wow, given the conditions. Taking second with a (+3, 84) was newcomer to one of my leagues Brad Rathkamp. He had requested Advanced or Open, but since I have not had anyone in Advanced in either of my leagues, he got placed in Open and ends up with last cash.

In Intermediate, we again saw great attendance with 10 people with guys stepping up from a lower division to compete and the normal staple of players in Intermediate. Winning the week with a pretty solid score of (-1, 80) was Chad Niezgoda. Falling 1 stroke short was MR. DRETZKA himself Jeromy Morgan (E, 81). After a scoring error on each card, Vince Johnson and myself tied at (+3, 84). Another newcomer to league was Christopher Jante who ended up with a (+4, 85) for the final money spot. Congratulations Christopher, we hope to see you at future leagues.

In Recreational we had a small 4 person division. Pat Brah has shown us some good disc golf lately and won the division again with a (+3, 84), which would have still gotten paid in Intermediate and Open even. Taking the last money position was another regular Shaun Kirchner (+16, 97).

Yet again we had no aces, but I would expect that next week at Valley View will see one. Remember one thing "You gotta want it."

Mike Ellery will be your league director for the week and will have the cash for pros, scorecards, pencils, and the ace pool money. I have left it up to him to determine if a side game is run. We will be talking and he will send me the spreadsheet so I can update disc golf scene and send it to the Scott Slauson for the next week at Estabrook.

See you all when I return on 2/17. I will be dropping in the standings, but I will be accumulating at least 60 courses played. That is my minimum, my realistic goal is 75 and my ideal goal would be 90 courses.

Well I had a heck of a day if you didn't already know. I had completely forgotten that I had a pre-arranged family weekend in Chicago (including a visit to the Blue Man Group) when I decided to do my ... show more ›

Well I had a heck of a day if you didn't already know. I had completely forgotten that I had a pre-arranged family weekend in Chicago (including a visit to the Blue Man Group) when I decided to do my league on Sunday. SO when I was reminded by my lovely and understanding wife 2 weeks ago we would be leaving on Friday and coming back on Sunday morning I freaked out. I had not discussed anyone covering for me for this week and didn't feel it was right to throw someone under the bus unprepared because of my own lapse in memory. I told my wife I would have to come back Saturday night or early Sunday morning. I decided that parking our car in Skokie and riding the Yellow Line (Commuter train) from Skokie to the Red Line at Howard (end of the line) would be my best option for getting home quickly. With the Packer game on last night I decided not to try and come back on Saturday so I figured out the schedule. The first train from Howard (end of the red line) to Skokie is supposed to be 6:15 and it is a 9 minute ride, which would mean I should make it to Dretzka about 8:15 am after a quick stop at home to change and pick up my discs, money, vouchers etc. We stayed right downtown so we would need to be on the red line by 5:30 am to ensure we made it to the first Yellow line train. The walk was about 15 minutes from our hotel so I would need to leave by 5:15 am to get on the red line in time.

If you know me well you know I cannot stand being late, in fact I am almost always 15-30 minutes early. SO I woke up at about 4:25, showered and got my wife up and ready to go and we walked out of the hotel at 4:55am. We arrived at the red line about 5:10 and got on the train and arrived at the transfer station to the yellow line at 5:38. We had 37 minutes to wait for the yellow line so my plan was already ahead of schedule. We huddled together on the platform and eventually found one of those heat lamps to stand under. We went down at 6:10 to wait for the yellow line. 6:15 came, 6:20 came, 6:30, and at about 6:45 there was an announcement over the load speaker saying Yellow line passengers should hop on the #97 bus to Skokie. The problem here is that the first bus didn't leave until 7:04, so we had yet another 19 minute wait putting us in Skokie at 7:24 (as opposed to the planned 6:24). On top of that 1 hour late arrival, my car was covered with 1/8" of ice and it did was frozen so tight I had to use all of my windshield washer fluid to get it melted enough to get the ice scraper to accomplish anything. When we finally were ready to pull out . . . that supposedly put me at Dretzka at 9:15 but I didn't have any change, the scorecards, pencils, discs, or my disc golf bag, and I wasn't dressed to play because I planned a quick stop at home for all of this.

I called my original emergency plan Scott Slauson, but with the snow and ice he was busy plowing and salting so he could not get to Dretzka to help out. I then sent a text to Shaun Kirchner to let him know of the situation since he was commenting on my facebook page a few minutes after I made my first post at 4:30am. I love it when people are as excited about disc golf as I am. I also sent a message to Matt Atherton (since he has run leagues before and helps out all the time) to let him know what was going on but I didn't hear back from him until about 8:20. When he got back to me, he said he had a few scorecards and was willing to check people in and get some groups going right away. Pheww . . . emergency resolved . . . now how quickly can I get there?

I drove an average of 15 miles per hour over the speed limit the entire trip from Skokie to my house. I had two close encounters coming up on the back side of highway patrol or police, but caught it quick enough to not draw attention to myself. I was able to shave off 15 minutes of the drive time because when we left Skokie it said I would be at my house about 9:10, and I arrived at 8:55. I got turned around pretty quickly and didn't forget anything. :)

If you noticed, I actually did arrive at Dretzka at 9:15, but I was able to stop at home and do all of those things I needed to do.

I did the best I actually could to make it when I did although I could have hopped in the cab at the bus station and gotten to Skokie earlier, but when I asked him how much it was, the cab driver asked, "How much do you want to pay?" I turned around waved and said thank you. I hate it when cab drivers try to pull that sort of thing. I apologize for being late, because I truly cannot stand it when people make me wait. It will happen from time to time, but I hope to keep those instances few and far between. Thanks again for your patience, and extra special thanks to Matt Atherton for helping me out. I took him out for a Cousin's sub afterwards and had a great chat about leagues, some new ideas, and just disc golf in general. Thanks to Shaun Kirchner for being available early in the AM.

As I have said in multiple places, the Sunday Snow Thrower league will be in good hands while I travel south for warmer weather and my annual month long disc golf road-trip. Mike Ellery has Valley View next week, Scott Slauson has Estabrook on 1/27, and Matt Atherton has Dretzka Winter on 2/3. We will be off on 2/10 as the schedule states because of the Big Freeze. I will return to Milwaukee and be at the league on 2/17 at Valley View. I will have all of the funny money vouchers you have earned and hopefully some goodies for some more contests from the road-trip.

Keep up the attendance, I appreciate having a nice group of people every week. I am surprised at the numbers so far because we are averaging more people per week than the fall glow league. I certainly did not expect that, but am happy that many people are enjoying the league.

See you when I return, but I will continue to update the scores and payouts and standing each week while I am on the road. You can follow along on The Disc Golf Experience page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DiscGolfX

Hello everyone, As I prepare for my month long roadtrip to play a minimum of 50-60 different courses around this country, I wanted to make an announcement to make sure everyone understands what to ... show more ›

Hello everyone,

As I prepare for my month long roadtrip to play a minimum of 50-60 different courses around this country, I wanted to make an announcement to make sure everyone understands what to expect on the 3 weeks of league while I am gone.

1/20 will be at Valley View and Mike Ellery will be running the league
1/27 will be at Estabrook and Scott Slauson will be the league director
2/3 is at Dretzka and Matt Atherton will make sure things run smoothly

Mike, Scott, and Matt will pay out the pros from the week before in cash, but the funny money will be held until I return, rest assured I will be doing all of the math and bring all of the vouchers on 2/17 to handout. I am not expecting these three to carry all of my discs and such with them for this league so the funny money wouldn't technically be usable until I return home anyways. I hope you understand, and if there is something specific you want to reserve, please just send me a message and I will check my inventory for you when I return. I will leave the decision up to Mike, Scott, and Matt on how to run a CTP, Ring of Fire, or whatever else they would like to do as a side game. If no side game is run, then those funds will be simply included with the weekly payout.

Thank you for your understanding, I will try to bring back some goodies from my road-trip for some of our future side games and give-a-ways.

Mike Harrington

I was afraid we were going to have iced over tee-pads today when I heard the forecast on Saturday but when I went to bed it had only snowed a little bit and when I woke up everything looked ok, so I d ... show more ›

I was afraid we were going to have iced over tee-pads today when I heard the forecast on Saturday but when I went to bed it had only snowed a little bit and when I woke up everything looked ok, so I didn't rush to get to Estabrook to shovel or salt the tee-pads. I am lucky enough to have two extremely disc golfers who have been very loyal to my leagues including Discin' In The Dark and Sunday Snow Throwers. They sent me a text at 7:30 asking if I wanted the tee-pads salted. I didn't expect them to be icy but said to go ahead if they felt it was necessary and they were done salting them all by the time I got there. We are fortunate they did that because they would have been tough to throw from today, but I didn't slip on any of the pads . . . did you? I acknowledged Mark Olver and Shaun Kirchner before league, but wanted to make sure those that weren't there heard about the extra effort these guys put in today. I appreciated it a lot. I also have mentioned before that Greg Klein (Estabrook's Ambassador) from the GLDGC always takes good care of those tee-pads in winter too, and he was happy when he heard someone else had already done the work. Give Greg a thank you next time you see him too, it is crucial that every course have someone to help do maintenance since it is almost all volunteer.

With the thank you's out of the way . . . on to the congratulations.

In Open we had 4 players lead by Brad Weber (-7) this week and Paul Johnson just behind at (-5). Mike Finley won the $4 CTP

In Intermediate we had a record 10 players lead by Jeromy Morgan (-1). Keeping the competition tight but falling just short of Mr. Dretzka (Jeromy M.) Me (E), Shane Ferguson (+1), Matt Atherton (+2), and a tie between Allen Stewart and Dan Bertzyk (+3). Shane also took home the $10 CTP contest.

In Recreational we had Pat Brah with a HOT ROUND (-4) which would have won Intermediate handily. Following behind with typical competitive scores were Mike Ellery (E), and recent transplant from the Unrated Division Shaun Kirchner (+5). Mark O. edged out Ellery by just a few feet to get $6 on the CTP. Mike Ellery also moved up an extra half point this week because he and Shaun settled their tie from last week by todays score.

In Unrated we had three family members dueling it out. Matt Walczak led the way with a (+5) followed by his brother Jake (+9). Zach was only 1 shot out of second place, but he did win the CTP for $3.

Thanks to everyone who came out, it turned out to be a pretty decent January day if you ask me. We were playing disc golf after-all so it couldn't have been all that bad.

Next week is Dretzka and it will be a marathon 27 hole beat-down! I cannot wait truthfully, I just hope those rubber mats are not too slippery. I will be coming home from Chicago early that morning, so if for some reason I am not there by 9 (my trip back includes a train ride, a transfer to Skokie, and a 90 minute drive which if everything goes as planned will get me to Dretzka around 8:30) I will try to have someone able to be there with scorecards and pencils just in case though and I will check everyone in and take their fees at the end of league. Just indicate if you are entering in the ace-pool at the beginning of the round and mark the cards with an A for those in the Ace Pool.

I played Estabrook today and I have to thank Greg Klein and all the others who help to keep those teepads clear. Those are by far the best concrete tees to play on in winter because of their rough fin ... show more ›

I played Estabrook today and I have to thank Greg Klein and all the others who help to keep those teepads clear. Those are by far the best concrete tees to play on in winter because of their rough finish.

I will be at the park between 8:00-8:30 at the latest to allow for early checkins and funny money redemptions. If you have funny money coming from Discin In The Dark or last weeks league it will be available.

We will do a CTP or other contest this week. I forgot about that last week so the funds rolled directly into the weekly payout last week instead of having a separate payout for the CTP.

I also just received a nice order of Vibram Laces, I have added some MVP discs (including the new Volt and Amp), as well as a bunch of the new Dynamic Discs line of discs (Judge, Fugitive, Escape, Tresspass) since Discin In The Dark ended. Some people who have met up with me have already gotten their hands on some of this supply, and I will be happy to place another order for more of that new stuff if people are interested . . . including special requests.

19 people attended the first Sunday Snow Throwers League and I am ecstatic with that number. Mark Olver regrets not being able to make it to league because it would have given us an even 20. He apolog ... show more ›

19 people attended the first Sunday Snow Throwers League and I am ecstatic with that number. Mark Olver regrets not being able to make it to league because it would have given us an even 20. He apologizes. I had no idea that so many of you wanted a winter league. Let's keep building on the attendance and see if we can get a few more each week.

Because I forgot about doing a CTP or anything I put those funds right back into the payout for this week instead of a separate contest. I will remember next week to do some sort of side game by division.

In Open we had Paul Johnson shoot the lowest round (-13) I have heard of on the new layout at Valley View. I honestly think the course plays between 1-3 strokes harder the way it is set up.

In Intermediate Ben Lynch and myself tied with (-6) and we will either split the cash and points or play it off next week. I have deferred to Ben on how to handle it, just waiting to hear from him. Matt Atherton somehow found his way to Valley View all the way from Richfield. That's like 90 minutes away and he shot a solid (-4) and then there was a tie (+1) for the final cash spot between Dan Bertzyk and Chad Niezgoda . . . two recent transplants from the Unrated Division. Thanks for stepping up guys, I am sure there are weeks you will be at the top of the division.

In Recreational, we saw the Discin' In The Dark runner up Mike Ellery shoot a solid (-4) tying another recent transplant from the Unrated Division Shaun Kirchner. I would like to see them playoff next week if they are both present. Steve Harmeyer also came from a good distance today and ends up with the final cash spot in Recreational with his (-1).

In the Unrated division we had Sean Puffer and Matt Walczak shoot (E) to split the funny money and points. If you are both at next weeks league you can play off for the point difference.

Thanks again everyone for coming. I am thrilled 19 people wanted to play in a league today. I would be out on the course anyway, I just didn't expect so many people to want to be in a league. Thanks to Greg Weber, Mark Olver, Keegan Wenzler, and Bryan Staral and a few others I am sure for pushing me to start the league.

See you all next week at Estabrook . . . I will be there by 8:30 at the latest.