The Majors and The Minors

Like any hack of a blogger worth his salt, I’ll open by talking about how long it’s been since there was a Circle Three post.  Man, it’s been a while since there was a Circle Three post!  And now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’ll launch into an all out barrage of information.  Although, information is probably a strong word.  So, an all out barrage of opinion.  Starting now.

*The Green Mountain Point Series.  I, for one, am burned out on slow tournament play, rainy disc golf, and long travel days.  So, I’m shooting for, maybe, two or three tournaments this year.  But that’s not true for everyone, especially for you, my loyal reader.  But, my second and third hand information tells me that tournament turnout has been low.  (Not for the BRO, of course, but that’s a whole other story for another day.)  I think I know why.  And I might even know what to do about it. 

*Eleven events with 6 scores counting for the totals is too much.  I don’t think it’s a sustainable season for many disc golfers.  I mean, if Sean Bleything isn’t playing, does it really even count as a real tournament?  Of course, for some people, like my favorite AMs, Jon Moorer and James Sweat, 11 tournaments is just right.  But they’re real, avid disc golfers.  For the rest of the field, I think committing to 6 scoring events is too much.

*Well, you might ask, am I just going to complain, or do I have a solution?  It’s just like me to complain away with no solution in sight.  But, for once, I actually have a solution to propose, instead of just sitting here complaining.  So here it goes.  Like everything else, this certainly isn’t my original idea.  So, if you’ve contributed to this, then please let me know.  And if you’d like to keep quiet and let me take the blame, then keep on doing what you’re doing.

*The Majors and Minors Plan.  I propose the GMDGC changes the approach of tournament scheduling to major and minor tournaments.  I’m suggesting that we have 6 majors each year and only 10 total events.  Five of your top scores count.  Why 10 events, you ask?  Well, 10 is my favorite number, it sounds good, and it’s less than 11.  Plus, it’s not 12 or 13.

*The Majors.  So, here’s how it works and here’s how it gets interesting.  Each season, 6 events get to be counted as Majors.  The other four events are filled up by other courses and tournaments that fit into a rotation.  Those are the Minors.  

So, Major #1 is New Hampshire.  That’s right, New Hampshire, the state.  Those friendly fellows get one Major tournament per year.  Spencer, James, and Nicky Blue Eyes can have some sort of pissing contest to see who gets to host the yearly Major, but one way or the other, the state of New Hampshire is guaranteed one Major per year. 

Calais obviously gets a Major.  Obviously?  Yes, obviously.  I didn’t stutter and my words were pretty clear.  When you have the oldest, biggest, baddest course in the land, you get a Major.  Johnny Betts also gets a Major.  He can host it at Black Falls, Cherry Hill, or whatever concoction his far Northern mind can come up with, but Johnny Betts is guaranteed a Major.

And that accounts for 3 Majors so far.  And now we’re getting down to it, so we’ll see what happens next.  Because Jeff Spring gets a Major.  Sure, sure, it’s really Brewster Ridge who gets the Major, but I’m awarding this one to Jeff Spring by name.  If you can pull off a course that costs more than my student loan debt, then you too can get a Major.  Otherwise, just keep reading.  That was Major Number 4, and only 2 remain. 

Waterbury gets a Major.  It’s home to most of Vermont’s disc golfers, the most played course in the state, and generally a pretty nice place.  Waterbury gets to host a Major for as long as the course exists.  Which, if you ask me, might not be that long.  But, for the time being, Waterbury gets a Major.  And now we’re down to one. 

Don’t worry, Mike Miller, I won’t forget about you.  In the business, we call this building suspense.  Base Camp Outfitters gets the 6^th and final Major.  They’re the heart of Southern Vermont disc golf, they have a great course, and they’re dedicated to the sport.  So they get a Major.

*The Minors.  Oh, boy.  This is the point where people get pissed.  What, Wrightsville doesn’t get a Major?  What, you didn’t even mention White River?  How can Cow Hampshire only get one Major?  Those questions are all valid.  But I had to choose and some feelings were bound to get hurt.  Plus, I’m pretty sure Colin at Wrightsville doesn’t like me as it is, so I’m not really doing a disservice. 

Anyway, the Minors plan.  Each year, 4 different courses or tournaments get to vie for the Minor tournaments.  Now, Minors would score the same as Majors, they’re just not guaranteed a spot in the rotation each season.  So, yes, Wrightsville, one of the other New Hampshire courses, Storrs Pond (whatever the fuck that place is), Sugarbush, The Timbers of Fennario or whatever new course pops up, can get in the rotation. 

Think about it, on the PGA tour, not every fancy course gets to host a tournament on the schedule every season.  And as Vermont (ahem, and New Hampshire) disc golf continues to grow, then we’re going to need a plan for making the schedule work.  And this is a plan.  Now, I doubt you’ll like my plan, but I do.  And if nothing else we’ve again opened up the debate.  So, make some comments and let the world know what you think.

*The final word goes to the whispered-about stroke shaving comments.  Seriously, how pathetic can people be?  Is counting to 5 (or in my case, 9) really that hard?  Or do you want to “win” a tournament so badly that you’ll cheat?  Man.  That really makes me mad.  Imagine how the people who actually played in the tournament feel.  And some ridiculous technology that someone mentioned on the forum isn’t the solution.  Old fashioned accountability is.  So, disc golfers, make it known now and forever.  Cheating won’t be tolerated.  For once, I’ll agree with the federal government… if you see something, say something. 

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Mail Bag!

Which disc is the Vermont favorite?

If you saw my forum post, you know that I’m avoiding pre-season predictions and am instead opting for our first ever Circle Three Mail Bag post.  That means I’ll respond to some reader questions.  And, it really works well because I don’t have to come up with topics for the website.  Or do any real writing.  

          Which disc is king/queen of the Green Mountain 
          Disc Golf Club?  Meteor?  Wraith?  Monarch?  
          Challenger?
        -Jspring

Jeff, really?  It’s pretty impressive how you can dominate disc golf in Vermont but then be so oblivious to something like what other players are throwing.  Challenger?  Monarch?  C’mon, I don’t think you’re even close on those two.  Everybody and their brother carries a Buzzz in the bag.  Unless you’re a bit older and you throw a Roc or you’re a bit like James Sweat and can’t stand doing what everyone else is doing.

So, yes, everyone has a Buzzz.  But, I don’t think it’s the king or queen of the GMDGC.  Not too long ago there was a One Disc Round at Twin Falls and I think that gave us a pretty good cross sample of what folks liked.  Only one driver was thrown that night, of course thrown forehand by Jon Moorer.  Somebody, like Frothy or Todd Holmes, had a putter.  But, it was overwhelming the Meteor that most people threw that night.  So I’d have to say that the Meteor is the King/Queen Disc of the Green Mountain Disc Golf Club.  

Oh, right.  So maybe you weren’t too far off base on that one.  Meteor was your first guess.  Sorry.  I’ll read the question more carefully next time.  

          Which event do you think represents the Green 
          Mountain Disc Golf Club best and why?
-Klazer

I think I know who Klazer is, but I’m not sure.  That kind of bugs me a little.  But, the question’s great so I’ll just go ahead and dive in.  Plus I read it fully this time so I can be accurate in my answer.  

First, let’s think about the Green Mountain disc golf scene and what it’s all about.  As Emmitt Cosgrove will tell you, the scene is a little exclusionary and people are pretty standoffish to new folks in Vermont.  Now, we do get spoiled with good amenities (great beer, great views, relative seclusion from the rest of the world).  However, it’s still a little rugged in Vermont sometimes.  Our tee boxes aren’t always the best and the elements can mess with you.  Also, in the GMDGC scene, we’re a little old school and we don’t care that much about touring pros and big names.  One last thing about the representative event is that it’d have to be in Vermont.  Vermont represents the club so much better than New Hampshire does…

And that means to represent our club, we need a tournament (and course) that’s a little exclusive and maybe a bit standoffish.  It has to be in Vermont.  It has to have great amenities but still retain some ruggedness.  Plus be old school and not give a shit about the rest of the world.

Which means, the tournament that best represents our club has to be The North Calais Open.  

          What’s a Bro-Rett, and why does James look so    
          cute wearing one?  Please keep my name private.
 -Christian

Goodness.  I’m not sure where to start with this one.  I used to think that my least favorite disc golf phenomenon was shorts over tights.  But that was before the male hair barrette came on the scene.  Now, I’m sure I’m breaking this exclusive story because I don’t think the male barrette has made it into the wild yet.  But I’ve seen it.  And I don’t like it.  

So, Christian, I’ve chosen not to protect your anonymity.  And I’m refusing to answer your question directly.  Call it what you want, but that male barrette idea is no good.  

          Who is your current favorite Professional Disc 
          Golfer?  (Besides JSpring).
-Klazer

So, in the time I’ve taken to write this post, you think I would have investigated who Klazer is.  But I haven’t.  So I’m still curious.  And he asked me a lot of questions, many of them personal.  Like why I play disc golf.  And how far I’ve traveled to play disc golf.  And when the next time I’ll be out of town is.  And what time I go to work in the morning.  Which is a little weird.

Plus, he’s picked up on the Jeff Spring Bias that happens on this website.  

So, Klazer, let me tell you this, before I answer your question.  We like to talk about Pros around here at Circle Three.  Like Spring and Youngbucks and Frothy and so on and so forth.  And I really like to play up how much I love the Pros.  Shit, I’ve written an article called To All The Pros I’ve Loved Before.  But that’s all in good fun and very tongue-in-cheek.

When you talk about Pros, though, I suspect you’re not talking about our locals, but you’re talking about Touring Pros.  Touring Pros are guys (or, of course, ladies) who travel the world playing our lame little sport, barely making ends meet but having the time of their collective lives.  Touring Pros would destroy anyone of our Pros on any given day on any course anywhere ever.

So, I’ll take it to mean that you’re asking me who my favorite Touring Pro is.  And my answer is no one.  Of course not.  Jesus, I’m a grown ass man.  I don’t collect autographs and I certainly don’t have another “favorite” adult.  That’s weird.  Just like it was weird seeing full grown men swoon over Avery Jenkins' autograph when he was in Vermont.  Give me a break.  

Like Jay-Z said, “I don't wear jerseys, I'm thirty plus.”  

I couldn’t agree more.  

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Dear Readers, thanks for contributing to and reading the first Circle Three Mail Bag.  We can do this again if some questions come this way.

C3

Reunited and it feels... alright

Reunited at last.  

No doubt it’s been a long time since the Circle Three blog has been active.  For some folks, that’s probably just fine.  The endless speculation and continued disappointment involved in following this blog isn't for everyone. 

But I’ll be damned if people don’t keep telling me that they want to read more.  Posts made online, conversations in real life, text messages to my cell.  It just doesn't stop.  I guess, like me, many of you have covered every inch of the internet.  Let’s admit it, it’s boring out there.  We've seen it all, maybe twice.  At this point, if you’re going to spend your time reading some useless drivel, you might as well read the guy who might at least mention your name. 

Since the last time we all got together, a lot has happened.  It’s not really because things are happening fast, but mainly because I haven’t written about disc golf in a while.  So, to make up for it, I’m just going to run down things one by one.  I might cover something you've been thinking about, I might not.  Feel free to let me know if I've missed something you want to talk about.

1.  Jeff Spring.  I say god damn.  There was a time that Jeff Spring was just a pretty regular guy, kind of like you, but just a little better at disc golf.  He was clean shaven and his feet touched the ground when he walked.  Now, he’s the King of the Vermont Disc Golf World.  He’s won everything in sight during the past year.  The Lincoln Peak Open, the Twin Falls Money Game Point Series, multiple Money Game events, the Green Mountain Point Series, the best beard contest, everything.  Spring had an epic year in 2012 and really deserves credit for holding back the attacks of Previous Champ Chris Young, the Up and Coming Mike Habets and the Money Game Final Day Winner Sean Bleything.  Spring stayed cool and hung on in seemingly every single round of the season.  Long, smooth throws and clutch putting will win you lots of tournaments, and money, as he proved this year. 

2.  And let us not forget that two years ago this blog started its life with a long shot, two-years-in-advance (now perfectly accurate) prediction of the Year of the Spring.  I predicted it and then we all lived it together.  You’ll be telling your grand kids about where you were during the YotS.  Hopefully when you tell them the legend of the Spring you’ll be kind enough to mention to them your favorite blog. 

3.  I saw Matt Idol hit a Circle Three during a Twin Falls round during the early March thaw.  You won’t believe me, but I predicted that too, right before he threw it in.  Unfortunately, he doesn't use the internet, so he won’t be able to verify this for me.  Whether or not you believe that part, it was still a pretty glorious shot and I’m glad I got to see it.  Idol joins a pretty heady group of folks to Circle Three that hole.  Jeff Spring (of course).  This Guy.  And now Idol.  That’s good company.  Lest I not forget, James Sweat has hit a legendary, filmed ace on the same hole, which is pretty serious bidness.

4.  This blog was named after the famous (and unique) ace-like re-tee Circle Three shot on Hole 18 at Twin Falls, in case you didn't know.  Now you know. 

5.  Who do you think is a bigger hippie, by the way, Mr. Sweat or Spencer Weatherholt?  Feel free to let me know your answer in the comments section.

6.  Those of you who know me in real life know that I've lived in a Disc Golf Fraternity House for the past two years.  It’s been a legendary run of disc golf, company business, website writing, poker, pool, backyard putting contests, a garage and living room filled with disc golf merch, and disc golf bags lining the entrance way.  But it’s all coming to an end very soon.  So, tip a bit of your FiddleheadSecond Fiddle double IPA for your fallen brethren.

7.  We’re going to have to talk a little bit about the 2013 season.  At this point, I’m not really sure if the Circle Three Blog is really in the elaborate prediction business.  Frankly, I don’t even know if Circle Three is really in business that much.  But maybe in the next week or so we can all talk about our 2013 thoughts.  I’ll see what I can arrange.

8.  Right off the top of my head, though, here’s what I bet.  No one can touch Spring this year.  I think he might be ready to challenge Betts for the consecutive wins streak.  I’m probably ahead of myself, but that’s what I think.  At this point, he’s still getting better every year.  Soon, he’ll be like Young Bucks and myself, and he won’t get better any more.  But for now, until he proves otherwise, Spring is still on the rise.  And if he’s rising none of us will be able to beat him.

9.  At the same time, Mike Habets play is really, really on the rise.  He’s also gotten better every year.  Plus, he’s younger and hungrier than Spring.  But, I have to think that the Point Series is still Spring’s to lose.  And he doesn't seem like much of a loser right now.  Habets will contend again this year, but he won’t be winning a Point Series.

10.  Personally, I think playing in a full season Point Series is a very expensive undertaking.  Even at $25 a tournament, that's $250 to play the full series.  That's not taking into consideration that some tournaments cost more that $25 and it's not taking into consideration that Pro is even more expensive.  It's certainly not taking into consideration the $30 lunch at the tournament at some unnamed ski resort tournament that we have in mid July.  So, iff someone's looking for a Circle Three internship, I'd love to know what it costs to play Pro for the full 2013 season.  Feel free to apply for an internship via email.  

11.  Wow, that’s been a lot of Circle Three for one night.  My fingers are sore from typing.  I can’t really remember anymore why I sat down to write this.  So it’s probably time to stop.  So, until next time, make sure to check the forum and see what Spencer has to say.  He’s on a roll right now and you should read it all before someone deletes it.  God bless the First Amendment. 

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The Young Bucks Follow Up.  You may remember that Chris Young "Bucks" gave us his early season predictions.  Well, lucky for us, he's back with a little bit of an August follow-up.  So, enjoy his words and feel free to respond with your own opinions.

-Circle Three

I gave you the YoungBucks predictions back in February and am well over due for a follow up, so here you go.

*In the Juniors division Jayce Slesar has locked up the win and appears to be moving up to AM2 for Wrightsville. Congrats Jayce! Good to see you moving up, you deserve it. It's been great to see some young players out enjoying the GMPS this year!

*In the Women's Intermediate division we still have a battle between Gretchen and Sara and with 3 events left the division is still up for grabs. Gretchen has been dedicated and much improved this year and I look for her to repeat and move on up to Adv Womens division for next year. A win at Wrightsville should lock it up for Gretchen, but if Sara can grab a W then things could get interesting.

*In the Men's Intermediate division I did not have much back in February. A mass exodus to the AM1 division left me scratching my head for predictions. I gave the early edge to Mize and Ira Divoll, but then they also followed suit and moved up. I said that 2-3 players would battle it out and the player playing the most events would have an edge. Currently, that looks to be true with Robbie Bean in the lead after playing all 7 GMPS events thus far. He has no wins though and nothing in the 90's, so he has some work to do if he wants to hold onto his lead. In second place and only playing 4 events we have Doug Wiemer. Doug has 4 very solid scores and is in a good position to take the title, but he will need to play at least 2 more events to do so. In third place in AM2 we have Dan Walsh. Dan has also played all 7 events, but has no scores above 78.57. Dan will need to win or get 2nd at the next 3 events if he is going to make a bid at the title. Just behind Dan is Todd Bouchard. Todd has a 90, but all his other scores are 71 and below, so much like Dan, Todd will also need to win an event or 2 if he wants to take the title. Rounding out the Top 5 is Jordan Potvin. Jordan is getting hot and is very dedicated to getting better and it is paying off with a win at LPO and second at BCO. With a win at Wrightsville Jordan can jump up into the top 3 and be in a good position for a run at the title. YoungBucks predictions are as follows......

1^st Jordan Potvin  2^nd Doug Wiemer  3^rd Robbie Bean

*In the Advanced Women's division we have Jen Frantz at the top. Jen is well ahead of both Dana and Heather House. If Dana can win at Wrightsville then we could have a battle, otherwise Frantz is our Champion. Thanks to Gretchen and the "Ladies Only" rounds, we have a slew of new women competitors in the GMPS and it is great to see!

1^st Jen Frantz

*Back in February I looked at 5 players that would have the opportunity to take the title in AM1. I mentioned Dave Carter, Matty O., Seth McQuade, Josh Wedel and Christian Keidel. The only player left from those predictions that has a shot at the title is Seth McQuade. Seth has some momentum, coming off a win at Calais. Seth will need to win 2 more events of the last three though if he wants to surpass Edwin who has 2 100's and 2 89's. Right now it's a 2 man race. I talked with Brad at the N. Calais Open and he will not be able to attend Wrightsville or Burke, so that puts him out of contention. The rest of the Top AM1 players will need to start winning if they want a shot at the  AM1 title because Edwin and Seth are well ahead of the pack. To quote Circle 3, "100's Win!”and right now in AM1 that is definitely the situation. Teed, Kaulius, DeVico and Powell still have a shot, but they all have their work cut out with only 3 events left in the Series. 

1^st Edwin Bedell

Thanks again to Circle 3 for letting YoungBucks contribute to the GMPSeries predictions!

See ya on the course soon...

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Mayone is the One

Calais Gold

Going into the Calais weekend, I had given you my top five candidates to take down the Pro Division. I told you that Jeff Spring, Chris Young, Mike Habets, Johnny Betts, and Sean Bleything had a chance at winning. As usual, the Circle Three Predictions were a little bit off. The story of the day, at least from our perspective up north, was Chris Mayone. His scores of 66 and 69 were good enough for a first place tie in Pro Open and a subsequent playoff. Although Mayone did not prevail in said playoff, he did put forth an outstanding performance, one good enough to surprise many of us (and himself) as well as earn the Circle Three Headline.

Once again, Vermont was plagued by the last minute out-of-town addition who took down the Pro field. This time around it was former Vermont regular Pete Johnson. He absolutely crushed Calais Golds on the first round, shooting a 61 and grabbing a five stroke lead on the next closest Pro heading into round two. Johnson's second round was a little more down to earth, at 74 strokes. That allowed Mayone and his steady play to claw his way back for the playoff. Although Johnson did prevail on the day, Chris Mayone prevailed in our hearts.

Mayone is an interesting player. He's eligible to play in either Pro Masters or Pro Grandmasters, if he so chose. Plus, he's coming off some surgery, so no one would complain if he hid in one of the age protected divisions. But, that's not Mayone's style. He's a big boy who plays big boy disc golf, so for him, it's Pro Open or nothing. And that's commendable.

I have to touch on the fact that I didn't include him in my Calais prediction. I kind of felt bad after he had such a great day. Was it unfair of me to skip right over him? For a minute, I thought so. Then I found out that Mayone wasn't even confident enough in himself to enter the Pro Side Pot. So, if he wasn't even rooting for himself, then I shouldn't feel so bad not picking him to win.

Either way, props to Chris Mayone. He worked his way through two rounds at a very challenging course. And as Chris Young said, he did it “very smoothly.” Nice work, Mayone. Months ago I said I'd be happy to give you some props if you earned it, so here you are.

Bleything, sampling some of the finer things.

And then...

*Although the Pro Division had some shakeups, the top 3 remain the same. Jeff Spring is in 1^st with 416.33 points, Chris Young is a close 2^nd with 403.65 points and Habets remains in 3^rd with 349.75. I should note that Habets had his best finish (netting 76.92 points) since winning Pinnacle. Maybe he's been reading this blog. Anyway, the top five is rounded out with a resurgent Dave Frothingham in 4^th (325.53 points) and the ever steady James Beaulieu in 5^th (287.77 points).

*This season, and consequently each tournament still remaining, is really starting to mean something. We've finished 7 of the Green Mountain Point Series events and only 3 remain. For those Pros who want to make a move, time is running out. And let's not forget that Jeff Spring is the reigning Wrighstville Open champ, so I doubt he'll be giving that one away without a legendary battle.

*Rivalry Watch. I owe you a few updates on the Rivalry Watch. I was neglectful and didn't square up our results after the LPO, so we'll do that and then move onto the Calais wrap-up. It's suffice to say that those disc golfers I was beating up on early in the season have had enough of my blathering and are ready to win the Rivalry Watch. Results are much closer than they used to be.

So, going in to the LPO, my record was a respectable 10-6. My score on the day for the Sugarbush courses was a pretty lame 124. I was easily bested by Justin DeVico and Seth McQuade. I beat Ira Divoll (Thanks, Ira!) and we didn't see Spencer Weatherholt, Jim Conroy, Dave Carter or Andy Powell at the LPO. So, on the day, I only had 3 rivals present and 2 of them beat me. That puts me at 1-2 on the day and 11-8 on the season (after LPO).

Calais, however, was filled with rivals. I finished the day with a pretty poor 162. That means that Jim Conroy beat me. Seth McQuade, who won AM 1, obviously beat me. Ira Divoll placed in the money, and beat me, as did Justin DeVico. Spencer Weatherholt got me by a stroke, and I was fortunate enough to play the second round with him and see it with my own two eyes. Thankfully Dave Carter was nice enough to DNF and gift me a win. So, at Calais, I got destroyed. I was 1-5 on the day. Now I'm 12-13, the first time I've had a losing record against the rivals this year.

Nice work, boys, but thankfully the season ain't over yet.

Spencer, hitting good putts right in my face.

*Pro Prediction Follow Up: I picked Spring/Young/Bleything for the win/place/show. Spring and Young didn't have enough to hang tough at Calais, but Bleything did end up in third. So, my predictions weren't legendary, but if you think you would have picked Johnson/Mayone/Bleything ahead of time, then you're just kidding yourself.

*AM 1. Yes, I almost forgot about this one. I played the first round with Seth McQuade, who wasn't very happy with his disc golfing and talked about quitting and caddying for his wife. I was trying to convince him to drop me off at the Three Penny Tap Room before the second round started. Neither on of those things happened, and instead, McQuade came back from behind in the second round and won the division by two strokes. Nice work, Seth. That'll shake up the AM 1 division race. However, we're not going to dive into that today. The work on the street is that Chris Young is going to be bringing us an AM 1 follow-up later this week. Until then, we'll hold off on the AM 1 analysis.

*D(NF) Carter. That is all.

*Calais. What a special place. The course always looks immaculate, I think, but this time it was especially fantastic. The perfect weather didn't hurt, but the time and energy that goes into that course is really legendary. I'd like to extend a special thanks to all the folks who work hard there, but especially to Paul Olander. Paul is the real godfather of disc golf in Vermont, even though I throw that term around a lot. He does so much to make our sport and his course fantastic. Thanks again, Paul.

*Aaron Moore. What a nice guy. Plus, an excellent TD. From my end things went very smoothly and Aaron is a big person to thank for that. Plus, he didn't even play in the tournament. Talk about commitment. Thanks again, Aaron.

*Worlds Update.  Andy Powell shared a story with me about a Circle Three he carded at the Worlds.  It's a great story.  He sailed a huge drive that went past the basket, down a hill and out of bounds.  In true Circle Three fashion he nailed the putt.  I figured it was worth mentioning.  It's also worth mentioning that this was the turning point for Andy's Worlds appearance.  Not a positive turning point, but a turning point that sent his play spiraling out of control.  Like I said, true Circle Three fashion.  

*The final word this time goes to me. I don't often take it, but it's my blog and I'll do it if I want to. I'd like to make a pitch for the formats of tournaments at Calais. No, it's not my course and no I wasn't the tournament director, so I probably don't have much to complain about. But complaining is what started this website and complaining is what keeps me going. Personally, I think that two rounds of Golds for amateur players, even advanced amateurs, is a little too much. Sure, we're just one step away from Pros, so you could argue that two rounds of Golds is good practice for us, but I think it could be done differently. If it were up to me, I'd have amateurs play a round of Golds and a round of Blues. Let's be honest, Blues are still challenging (and it's also a beautiful layout) so why not let amateurs play a round of each? Maybe we can get this in place before the Vermont State Finals...

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802 On My Mind

Sometimes, disc golf vacations are all I want to do. Right now I'm wrapping up an epic West Coast swing that allowed me, among other things, to play some of Washington State's finest disc golf courses. And even though I'm near mercury poisoning from all the raw fish I've eaten and my taste buds are ruined from overly hoppy west coast IPA's, I can't get the 802 out of my mind. After all, we are just a few days away from the North Calais Open, which looks to be a real turning point for the Green Mountain Point Series.

Everyone knows the situation we are in right now. There are six of ten GMPS events out of the way. Chris Young has fallen from first place for the first time in a long time. Jeff Spring looks to be hot, coming off his first win of the season at Sugarbush and taking sole possession of first place in Pro. Saturday, August 4 will bring us the North Calais Open, a real test of skill on Vermont's oldest disc golf course.

To win at Calais, I think a player needs a few things. First of all, Calais is a place that favors large throws. The course is filled with long, long fairways and lots of elevation change. Second of all, there are tons of opportunities for huge errors, so to win players will need to stay calm, stay safe, and play smart disc golf. Lastly, it'll take someone who's up to the challenge of two more grueling rounds of tournament disc golf. So, who's it going to be?

Right now the registration list shows some stellar Pros playing the NCO. Jeff Spring, Chris Young, and Mike Habets, currently ranked first through third in the division, will be there. Vermont favorites Chris Mayone, Dave Frothingham, Pete Hess, Sean Bleything, Matt Marro, and Johnny Betts are all registered. New Hampshire golfers Ian Thurston and James Beaulieu are also playing. In true Vermont disc golf style, I have to imagine we'll see some last minute, out of state additions to the Pro field.

In my mind, five Pros have a real shot at glory in Calais. Here they are.

Pro Breakdown:

*Jeff Spring: Jeff is in a good position right now. He has an awful lot of momentum- he's built a great disc golf course, he's coming off his first win, he's in first place in Pro, he just took down a Money Game doubles win, and he's the reigning NCO champion. Plus, he's not TD'ing Calais, so that should take some weight off his shoulders. But, it's not going to be easy. The whole division is going to be gunning for him. Spring does have the things I think it'll take to win. He throws very far, he's adept at staying out of trouble, and long, grueling tournaments don't seem to phase him.

*Chris Young: Young Bucks has had a lock on the division for the early part of the season. Right now he's facing the first real adversity he's had this year. Not that he can't handle adversity, he did it for the entire 2011 season. But Calais will be his turning point. A win there and he'll take over first place again. Psychologically, that may be enough to put down the rest of the players in the division. But, I doubt his fellow Pros will make it that easy for him. Look for Young to do well staying out of trouble at Calais, but watch to see how he handles the burden of coming from behind.

*Mike Habets: Habets took the division by storm when he won at Pinnacle, the first event of the season. For a hot minute, I thought he was going to cruise for the rest of the season. Instead, he's had some struggles since then. The Lincoln Peak Open was his next best finish of the season, and he only got 63.64 points out of that. Right now he's got one of those ever important 100's, but he has nothing else to go with it. A second win would obviously catapult him, but at this point it looks like he plays well at Pinnacle and Pinnacle only. He does throw far, which will help at Calais, but I don't think he has the experience to put together two stellar rounds at a place like that.

*Johnny Betts: Mr. Betts could be in an interesting position to play the role of spoiler. He's appeared in only two tournaments this year, but won one of them. He's the third Green Mountain Disc Golf Club member to have a 100 this year, along with Spring and Habets. A second would obviously help a lot, although I still don't think he'll play enough to win the division this year. We all know that he's got what it takes to win big tournaments. The extra motivation of Chris Young's smack talk may also add a little more encouragement. And, if Spring doesn't manage to win this one, then he may be hoping for Betts to steal another win. (Or would that just encourage Betts to make a stronger late season push?)

*Sean Bleything: Sean's got some momentum going also. Bleything has a Money Game win, was the top Vermont finisher at the Killington Classic, and shot a good round on the Peak Course at Sugarbush. I'm not convinced that he's in a position to make a run at the division win, but he too could play a great spoiler for those up top. Sean's best attribute for Calais is his smart, efficient disc golfing. Don't expect him to get in too much trouble or to be stressed out by some challenging tournament disc golf. I could see him on the podium at Calais, but I don't think he'll be the winner.

Circle Three Prediction:

Every time I say that predictions suck and I don't want to make them any more, I keep making them. If 2012 is going to be the Year of the Spring, then Calais needs to be the place for it to happen. Last year Spring won Calais and then won Wrightsville shortly after. This year he turned up the heat a little sooner, with his LPO win. To me, it seems like the stars are aligning for Spring, so I'm picking him as my winner. Chris Young is no slouch, though, so expect him once again to stay close. Bleything seems deserving of some attention too.

Win/Place/Show: Spring/Young/Bleything

Something tells me that the loyal Circle Three readers have some other feelings about Calais predictions. The commenting is fixed, so let's hear what you have to say about your own predictions. And see you in the 802 soon.     

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Mail Bag

Well, the commenting on the blog has been fixed and some interesting thoughts have been rolling in. I feel like there are some things I need to respond to, so Circle Three is going to be doing a mail bag post today. The fun part is, most of the comments I'm getting are anonymous, so I won't be able to tell you who posted them, but I'm going to respond none the less.

Just so you know how this is going to work, I'll let you know who made the comment if its possible, I'll write the comment and then respond to it. And there's no way you'll like my responses. So, if you'd like to stop reading now, feel free. I won't be offended.

From Andy Powell: I used to have two solid scores, but now I only have one? What gives? Just for the record, course pars are as follows: Peak Course Blues- 63, Peak Course Whites- 60, and Base Course Blues- 59.

Yes, Andy Powell is correct about most of what he says here. I messed up the course pars in my article. I half assed it, there's no denying that. I'll try my best not to make the same mistake again. I could drop some excuses as to why I messed it up, but those would just be excuses and we've got no time for that here.

The meat of Andy's comment is about his one or two solid scores. He's currently sitting with these scores: 93.75, 17.24, 85.19, 66.67, and 29.17. So, the way it looks to me, Andy's correct again. I can't deny that both 93.75 and 85.19 are both solid scores. Another oversight on my end. However, here's the meat of my comment. Andy's going to need to work a lot harder if he wants to win this division. Bedell has two 100's and an 89.66. Harris has three scores in the 90's. Andy's 85.19 doesn't beat any of those scores I just mentioned. So, Andy's technically right, but I don't think it's going to be enough.

From Spazz Mcgee: No need to every play Bagel Bush again. Smuggs cares and is way better of a course. I feel for Josh and others who try to maintain that course.

Me too. It's a tough and mostly thankless job. I, for one, doubt I'll be playing Sugarbush again this year. I think it's going to become one of those courses like Randolph that I play once a year when tournaments come to town. And, for the record, that's coming from a guy with another month off and a serious disc golf addiction.

Anonymous: Haters gonna hate.

Exactly. Haters gonna hate. I think someone I know wrote this one, but he's right. He learned it from me, but he's right.

Anonymous: Raw chicken is metaphorically the state of those Peak tee boxes, but Shawn at the bar is amazing and deserves a raise!

Bingo. Shawn is good shit. He's a great guy and a great bartender. Whoever wrote this comment not only knows a good bartender when he or she sees one, but also knows how to make a wonderful comparison.  That was a wonderful turn of phrase.  If this commenter would like to talk to me about doing some writing for the website, please do.

Anonymous: Yeah...yeah...clearly the Peak Course tee boxes need some work, but other than that I thought the course looked great. The fairways (ski slopes) weren't overgrown, and the baskets were straight and at the proper heights. What more do you want? I for one, can't wait until next year! Just get them to fix up the tees.

What more do I want? At a tournament and at a pay to play course, I do expect nice boxes. I don't think that's too much to ask. And if that is too much to ask, then I'm going to vote with my dollars. And my dollars won't be going back to Sugarbush disc golf. That's my right as a consumer and the only real feedback you can give a business.

However, this commenter does make a good point that I overlooked. There was some nice mowing and trimming done on the Sugarbush courses. One place that stands out is the corner of hole 18 on the Peak. That's often a place where things get terribly overgrown, but it was very manageable.

As for the baskets, I can't agree. Do you call this straight?

Sugarbush basket

Anonymous: And how exactly were the payouts shady? If you have something to say, say it.

Well, first of all, the tone of this one sounds a little defensive. I'm not sure if the comment is directed towards this website or towards another comment that directly called the payouts shady. Either way, it's my website so I'm going to respond.

My point was not that the payouts are shady. I've done the TD thing and I've had my argument years ago about where all the disc golf money is going. No one's stealing money or getting rich off this stuff. That I know for sure.

However, I really think we need to encourage people to play Pro. I think it's the highest echelon of disc golf. Simply put, if someone has to pay $60 to play Pro against 10 other players and then only wins $190 for his trouble, it's not very enticing.

I'm a betting man. Making a $60 bet against 10 other people to win $190 doesn't seem like that good of a bet to me. And that sort of payout isn't going to convince other people to step up to the big boy division. Finally, there's no fucking way that the Pro Open winner should win $190 in an 11 person division and the Pro Grandmaster winner should win $120 in a 3 person division.

I'm not accusing anyone of skimming from the pot. And, I fully understand that there was only one payout in the Pro Grandmasters division. But, in my mind, it just doesn't make sense. As a betting man, I'd much rather bet my $60* against 2 other old guys to win $120.

My final point is this. If we really want Vermont disc golf to be taken seriously outside of our state, we need more Pro Open players. We need bigger divisions, more players, and more competition. And to get all that, we need to keep encouraging people to take the risk to move up.

How we achieve that is not something I can totally answer for you here and now. My first thought is pushing money up from other divisions to fund Pro payouts. A few years ago I would have been opposed to that idea. Now I'm not. And, I play in an amateur division. So, yes, I'm suggesting we should skim money from my division to pay out the Pros.

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So, there you have it, our first mail bag. I'm sure this angered more people than the original article. But, so be it. If you've got something to say, use the comment section or see me in person. I'm open to discussion.

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*I tried to verify what a Pro Grandmaster had to pay to play at the LPO but couldn't find the information online. I'm assuming the division also cost $60, but it has not yet been verified.  

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LPOver

The LPO kicks off.

Disc golf season really is a wonderful time of year. Our weekends are filled with exciting competition, epic travel around the Green Mountain State, and good times with good people. There's a lot to enjoy and even more to be thankful for. But, at least for me, I breathe a sigh of relief when the Lincoln Peak Open is over.

The Lincoln Peak Open, or LPO, takes place yearly in Warren, Vermont at the Sugarbush Resort. It is a two round tournament, with one round played on the Peak Course and one round played on the Base Course. This year, for the July 21 tournament, the weather was beautiful and the sun was shining all day. However, this doesn't change the grueling nature of two rounds of tournament disc golf at a place like the Bush. Add to that the mental game needed for a 10 hour day of disc golf, and you can see why I'm happy when this weekend is over. The real kicker this time was the condition of the courses at Sugarbush, but we'll get to that later.

The story of the LPO was Jeff Spring, an actual Vermonter, winning a Vermont disc golf tournament. Not only was he able to beat all the rich and famous Vermont pro disc golfers, but he was also able to hold off the phenomenal out-of-staters Tim Walsh and Daniel Marcus. Spring was able to do it with a 4-under par 59 on the Peak Course White Tees and a 3-under par 57 on the Base Course Blue Tees. His score up top was 3 strokes better than anyone else. His score down low wasn't as stellar, but it was enough to seal up his first win of the 2012 season.

Spring sprang sprung.

In true Year of the Spring fashion, the 100 points Jeff got for his win was enough to catapult him into 1^st place in the Pro Open Division. For recent front runner Chris Young, this marks the first time since Pinnacle, the first event of the year, that he hasn't been ranked in first place. Right now the top three reads Jeff Spring, Chris Young, and Mike Habets. Spring has just about a 14 point edge on Young and Young has a whopping 87 points on Habets. The Top 5 players in the division- with Jon Moorer and Dave Frothingham rounding out the five- have all played in five tournaments. None of these players are holding onto a zero. That means it's game on. And to me, that means we're really talking about a two person race for the crown. Spring versus Young. It should be an exciting couple of weeks in August between Calais and Wrightsville and beyond that the end of the season could be epic.

The other division that Circle Three covers heavily, AM 1, also saw some big mix ups after the LPO. Edwin Bedell carded an ace and an eagle on the Peak Course on his way to his second AM 1 victory of the season. He obviously took offense to my saying that Brad Harris was going to have an uncontested division win this year. Right now Bedell's double 100's put him in a good spot. Only Harris really looks to be close, despite the fact that both Seth McQuade and Justin Kaulius appear ahead of Harris in the standings. Bedell has three solid scores (100, 89.66, 100) and Harris has three as well (96.55, 92.59, 95.83). You know full well that 100's win, when it comes down to it, so Harris better start winning before its too late.

Rounding out that division, McQuade has two solid scores (92.59, 87.5), Kaulius has two decent scores (87.5, 89.66), Justin DeVico has one (89.47) and Andy Powell has one (93.75). All of these players can help themselves, and Harris, for that matter, by winning one of the two August tournaments. If that doesn't happen, this division too may be a two-person race, with Bedell and Harris battling it out near the end. Maybe I should mention now that both of these players are from New Hampshire. Or maybe that's not relevant.

Other Things:

*Year of the Spring. Don't forget.

*Anne Lewis won Pro Masters at the LPO, giving her a 58 point lead in her three person division. John Sudarsky won the LPO in Pro Grand Masters, his third win of the season, and he seems to have that division all but locked up.

*I played the first round of the LPO with Dan Walsh. I told him that if he shot well enough, he might get the headline. But, he didn't, and he didn't. Still, its worth talking about. Walsh continues to lead AM 2. He's currently got about 12 points on Robbie Bean and 67 points on Todd Bouchard. I'd bet that he can hold on, but I don't really know anything about AM 2 this year, so my opinion on that might not mean too much. As usual.

*Heather House decided to give Jen Frantz some competition. I've seen Heather play some disc golf pretty recently. She's very solid, loves disc golf, and seems really committed to getting better. (It won't be long before she's crushing Tyler Teed, after all.) Now, the solid disc golfing, the love of the game, and the commitment to getting better are all true statements about Jen Frantz too. But, the story here is some new competition in another small division. Maybe things will get interesting here before the year ends.

*What about Sugarbush? Let's start with some full disclosure here. I love snowboarding at Sugarbush. I've had a season pass there for seven years and unless they ban me because of this article, I'll have another one there this year. It's a special place to me. In addition to that, some folks in our club have put in time, energy, and effort to try to make disc golf work there. I'm certainly not knocking any of that or any one associated with our club. However, I'm going to get right down to it. I don't think Sugarbush cares one iota about disc golf.

I remember first thinking about it last summer, when I heard a radio commercial for Sugarbush's summer activities. They went to great lengths to mention so many things you can do at Sugarbush in the summer- from mountain biking to getting married to zip lining. However, they didn't even mention disc golf. They'll mention a 50 foot zip line, but not two “championship” level courses? Oh, and on your way into Sugarbush, did you see the Sugarbush Cow? It's painted up with all that Sugarbush has to offer. Except, I looked hard, and didn't see a disc golfer or a disc golf basket anywhere on there.  Did you?

And then I went and played the courses this year. I have to say, the Peak Course is kind of a joke right now. First of all, there are disc golf baskets that are right on the mountain bike trails. Right on the path. Seems like it could be dangerous. What's so hard about moving a few baskets a few feet off to the side? More than once my group had to yell “Bikes!” and go running out of the way to avoid being run over by cyclists.

Second of all, the tee boxes were a terrible. Yes, they were recently weeded, but other than that, they're an absolute disgrace. Matt Marro summed it up the best when he said, “Oh, I get it, the harder the shot, the worse the tee box.” Loose gravel, uneven mounds of “tee box material”, and broken wood are the ways I'd describe the Sugarbush tee boxes. My group had to have numerous discussions about where some tee boxes began or where they ended.

So, if they don't care about disc golf, why should we keep caring about Sugarbush? We went and paid our $10 fee to play a tournament there, we paid our $12 for raw and/or undercooked chicken sandwiches, and we drank their $5.50 beers. (Yes, that shitty lunch of a sandwich, fries, and one beer cost me $18.53.)  I thought the least they could do was present us with a disc golf course worthy of a real tournament.  

But, they really didn't. Sugarbush, you should take notice. Smuggler's Notch is going all in on disc golf, with their exceptional new Brewster Ridge course being just the first huge step. They know disc golf and they care about disc golfers. If you're not careful, Smuggs is going to pass you right by. Actually, it'll be all those disc golfers passing you by as they drive elsewhere to play.

*Uh, yeah, those undercooked chicken sandwiches. Really? The person sitting next to me was served a chicken cutlet that was raw. Mine looked alright but caused havoc on me during the second round. From what I hear, I was far from the only person feeling terrible after lunch. Bummer.

*Oh, and remember when the LPO used to mean something? When it used to sell out? When players really made a push to make it up north for it? It didn't happen this year. I. Just. Can't. Imagine. Why.

*Damn. Paying $60 to play in a Pro Division sucks. Winning that division and only winning $190 sucks even worse!  Spring had to beat 10 other Pro Open players to win that money.  Jeff, just wait a few years, then you can win a 3 person pro old division and get $120 out of it.  Those odds are way better.  

*The final word this time goes to Chris Young. He's the reigning Pro Open Champ. He's been in first place for most of this season. He's been doing quite well despite the target on his back. Now Jeff Spring is making a run. But don't expect Young to quit. He got in touch with me to give me some choice quotes. The one that really sticks out: “Spring takes the lead, but not for long.” He went on to say, “I've been holding out on smack talk. I need some motivation right now and Spring got a big win. I need to answer at Calais. Last year some July smack talk helped light some fires.” So there you have it kids, the Champ says the season ain't over yet. Thankfully though, the LPO is over.  

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Here Comes the LPO

It's almost time to thrown down.

This morning I was doing my daily internetting, you know, reading the forum, checking in on www.bachnein.com, looking at my page view stats.  The usual.  Somewhere along the way, probably from Twitter, I came across an interview on the Daily Show that Jon Stewart did with Loius C.K.  Not only do I think Louis C.K. is super funny, but it caught my attention that he was recently vacationing in Vermont, “being in the green of America.”  I watched the interview, and you can watch it here, if you’re not too easily offended.  (It’s NSFW.)

I watched to see if he mentioned playing a round at the new Brewster Ridge course or maybe talked about a day trip to Montgomery.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Louis C.K. is a disc golfer, but he did have some choice things to say about bloggers (among other people).  He said blogs were the place for “hyperbole and garbage.”  The views and opinions are “uneducated and unfettered.”  Jon Stewart added, “Say whatever pops into your head.  Blah.”

How flattering that these two legends of comedy and television could totally nail the theme of Circle Three so easily and so precisely.  It’s taken me over a year to define the mission statement of this website and these two did it in a few short moments.  Amazing. 

So, let’s dive into some uneducated, unfettered talk about the Lincoln Peak Open.  It’ll be filled with hyperbole and, as usual, will be mostly garbage. 

*Five events in the point series are down and five remain.  Someone still has the chance to win out and knock Chris Young from the top spot, but will it really happen? 

*The Pro Open field, as it has all season, looks like solid gold.  Tim Walsh is driving north to play.  Vermonters old and young, including Dave Frothingham, Chris Young, Pete Hess, Ian Thurston, Mike Davies, Jeff Spring, Mike Habets, Matt Marro, Travis Keller, and Jon Moorer are scheduled to attend.  Ian Thurston and Mike Habets, from the fair state of New Hampshire, will be in attendance.  And something tells me that we’ll also see some last minute, out-of-state additions to the Pro field.

*I’ll make my Pro Open predictions based on who we know is playing right now.  I think Tim Walsh is going to stick with the Vermont Tourist theme and take down the division.  Why not make it two Vermont tournaments in a row?  However, I do think that the Peak course will be the place that Jeff Spring starts to make his mid-season move.  I expect him to have a strong enough day to take second.  And Young Bucks is going to stick around, as always, in order to keep a tight grip on his point series lead.

*Pro Open Win/Place/Show Prediction: Walsh/Spring/Young

*AM1.  This one makes my palms sweat just thinking about it.  Right now four out of the top five players in the division are registered for the LPO- Justin Kaulius, Edwin Bedell, Seth McQuade, and Brad Harris.  Only Andy Powell is not on the pre-registration list.  I guess that’s what playing in Worlds will do to a man.

 

*I’ve written before that I think the rest of the division is going to be hard pressed to stop Brad Harris on his march to the top.  A solid finish at the LPO may put him atop the division leader board.  His consistent game and terrific putting should play well at Sugarbush, but I don’t see him winning this one.  Christian Keidel, is this your time to take home a win?  I’m not picking you, but maybe you should think about it. 

*These predictions are totally junk, because I’m not doing anything but making unfettered guesses.  So I’m going to dive in head first.  Phelan Lyman for the win in AM1.  Tyler Teed with momentum from some good recent rounds.  Harris because he’s incredibly solid. 

*AM1 Win/Place/Show Prediction: Lyman/Teed/Harris

*So, yeah, I did it again.  Both predicted winners are out-of-staters.  In the Loius C.K. and Jon Stewart interview that we opened with, Stewart says, “You know the lesson here?  Never go to Vermont.  It’s a dangerous place.”  If only we could spread that word to players outside of the Green Mountain State…

Gretchen Kruesi takes great photos, thanks as always.

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