Sunday, August 28, 2011

Life in the Fast Lane

AM1, Pro, and AM2 winners


Like the Big Lebowski said, “I had a rough night and I hate the... Eagles, man.” I couldn't agree more, but “Life in the Fast Lane” seems like a fitting description of the current state of the Green Mountain Points Series. Wrightsville is still a beautiful place and I still hate playing disc golf on buckets, but the tournament was quite a success. Props go out once again to Colin and Al along with all the other locals who have spent countless hours on course work. Most importantly, yesterday's results managed to really shake up the point series races. So here we go.

Men's Pro Open

Coming into Wrightsville, Emmett Cosgrove had the division lead despite not having a tournament win this year. Chris Young and Dave Frothingham were right behind him. It looked to me like it was going to be a three man race to the finish. That's now right out the window. Jeff Spring (next year's predicted point series winner) isn't waiting until 2012 to mix things up in the division. Two solid rounds with scores of 52 and 53 carried Spring to his second point series win of the year.

So, I left Wrightsville saying that it was now a four man race. But, after talking to Chris Young, I have to agree that it's probably a five man race. Johnny Betts isn't out yet. Young says, “If Betts were to win the last 2 [events] he would be at 450 [total points]. It's never ever over.” So there you have it. The Pro Open division is a five man race. Right now Emmett's still in the lead. He's got 437.27 points. Young is in 2nd, just a tad over 6 points off the lead. Frothy is about 18 points off the lead and Spring is now 33 points off the front. Betts is 126 points off but currently has scores of 33.33 and 27.27 that he hasn't dropped.

Bottom line, this division is going to come down to the last two tournaments. So keep your eyes peeled for what happens at Lydon and at the Finals. 100's win and these 5 players will need to make sure to lock another one down before its too late.

AM 1

The division where that action isn't, I think not. Jon Moorer has been cruising for a while. Having missed Wrigthsville though, he left the division open for the taking. Rang Duce didn't let the opportunity slip, and neither did a few other players in the point series.

Wrightsville once again hosted a legendary set of playoffs. Rang Duce and Dave Carter ended up tied at 110 after both shooting hot second rounds. Rang Duce carded a 53 and Carter a 51. Rang Duce knocked him off on the 2nd playoff hole to take down the win, his 2nd of the season. This puts him at 436.72 points, about 9 points ahead of Moorer.

Anne Lewis and Seth McQuade, as predicted by Emmett Cosgrove, both made huge moves this weekend. McQuade now sits in 3rd place with 401.31. Matty O. is 4th, Christian Keidel is 5th and Anne Lewis is 6th.

This division is also going to come down to the wire. Rang Duce is the first double 100 Am 1 player, but the race isn't over yet. Moorer, McQuade, Matty O., Keidel and Lewis probably aren't going to let him off easy at Lyndon and the Finals.

AM 2

Whenever I try to get out, they keep bringing me back in. I try not to publicize this division, but they're really making it impossible for me. After two Wrightsville rounds Andy Powell and Ira Divoll were tied with 122 total strokes. Ira knocked down a solid 3 on the first playoff hole, putting the pressure on Andy to make a 15 foot bucket putt to push the playoff to a second hole. When Powell's putt hit post below the bucket, Ira had his first ever GMPS win.

I played with Ira for his first ever round of disc golf, which doesn't seem all that long ago. I also remember a day last year at Maple Hill where we all realized Ira was the real deal. It's nice to see his progression and he's a refreshing addition to the GMPS scene. Big ups, Ira.

Murray Junod still leads the division, but he's less than one point ahead of Powell. Kevin Mize is still 3rd, but Ira Divoll is now in 4th. Justin Devico rounds out the top 5. You know I love those 100's and Murray's got 3 of them already. Powell has 2 and Ira's got 1 now. If Andy or Ira can win Lyndon, it's going to really make the Finals exciting.

Extras

*The Green Mountain Disc Golf club still has Fly 18 tee pads to install at Center Chains. About half of the material was used for the first set of pads. We still need to get the rest installed. Some of the tee pad areas are going to need fill before the pads go down. I think it'd be great to have them in for the Ace Race. Who's going to head up the work day and organization?

*Wrightsville scores, on the whole, weren't spectacular. There were some hot rounds though. Dave Frothingham's second round 50 was a course record at Wrightsville. Nice work. Dave Carter shot a 51 on his second round. Spring had a 52 and a 53. Rang Duce and James Beaulieu shot 53's. There was only one round in AM2 that was under 60, and that was Andy Powell's 59.

*It sounds like Lydon will be in top shape for the tournament there. Cement tee pads? Crazy. That will be a welcome first for Vermont, but I must admit, it's an odd place to see it happen.

*Yesterday I was asked if my opinion of playing on buckets had changed. My answer is no. I have to admit, it was cool to get zoned in putting on those buckets (ask Aaron Moore, he saw me do it). But, I'm standing with my original opinion. Baskets make disc golf. I think Emmett said it best. “Shooting on buckets is a hobby, shooting on baskets is a sport.” Wrightsville is a really special place. It's going to be a premier Vermont disc golf course when it gets baskets installed.

*I heard at least a little grumbling during tags and award ceremonies, about how things were done. That wasn't cool. If you don't like how something is done or if you want to comment on someone's minor mistakes, maybe you should think twice. Or better yet, step up and take charge of something on your own.

*If you're not following the linked text in the blog, then you're missing half the fun.  Make sure to click those links.

*Al Rosa deserves the final word for all of his hard work yesterday. Bravo, sir. We appreciate it. Colin has done tremendous work at Wrightsville. Ira continues to step up with tags and score checking. You guys are top notch.   

Monday, August 22, 2011

100's Win

Photo: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³

Yep. 100's win. That's our theme this time around. I'll explain more later, but first another word about Wrightsville. A whopping 12 people voted on baskets and the results were split evenly. Like Jrapp said, I'm making too much of this. So there you have it. Thanks for indulging my question. Hopefully I didn't anger the event organizers.

But let's get to the real meat of it. We're officially late in the season for the Green Mountain Points Series. Seven events are behind us and only 3 remain. In the Pro division Emmett Cosgrove has taken the lead over Chris Young. Emmett's got just a little more than 6 points between him and Big Bucks. Dave Frothingham is about 11 points off the lead and from there the gap opens up a little. Right now it looks like a 3 man race but watch out for Johnny Betts and Jeff Spring if they play the final 3 events and drop some low scores.

In AM1, Jon Moorer continues to lead the field. Maybe its just me, but it seems like he's been in first place for most of the year. Right now he's got 30 points on James Sweat and 45 on Christian Keidel. (You thought I was going to say Matty O. didn't you?) Keidel has been sneaking his way up the ranks for a while now. Matty O is in fourth, 14 points behind third place.  On a side note, nice work Twin Falls.

But here's the deal. 100's win. Last year saw tight races in AM1 and AM2. When it got down to the wire, it really seemed like the person with the most 100's won the division. Jim Conroy and Ian Thurston were 1st and 2nd in AM1, separated by less than 2 tenths of a point. They both had 2 scores of 100 and that put them ahead of third place by 12 points overall.

In AM2 Justin Kaulius won the division with two 100's. Anne Lewis was only 7 points behind but had only one 100. When you get down to the finish, those points that separate a winning score of 100 and a 2nd place score of something in the mid 90's are very crucial.

You may have read Emmett's bragging about sneaking up to first place with no GMPS wins yet. I don't think it'll stick. He won't be able to win the division if he doesn't lock down a GMPS win. Chris Young has 2 and Dave Frothingham has 1. Look for one of those two win the series.

In AM1 Jon Moorer has 1 win, James Sweat has 1, Matt Cohen has 1, and Josh Wedel has 1. Keidel doesn't have 1. If he can't lock one down, all four of these guys are going to beat him out. For those 5 disc golfers, though, it's now or never. With 3 events remaining one of them needs to grind out another 100 to take charge in the division. 

 In AM2 Murray Junod's got 3 wins and Andy Powell has 2. That race could be interesting. Oh, and to those of you ranked 5th to 24th in Am2.  Were you at Run for the Border? Do you see who's beating you and how he's doing it? Get your acts together.

In the mean time, keep your eyes peeled for this weekend's division winners.  Each one could be making a move in the standings.           


Sunday, August 21, 2011

Editorial

The following views are written as an editorial.  Therefore they are opinion.  They may or may not represent the views of Circle Three or anyone else for that matter.


To basket or not to basket?


The word on the street is that there will not be baskets at the Wrightsville Open.  We'll be playing on some very Vermonty sap buckets instead.  There's no question that buckets represent our fair state well, but are they appropriate for a Green Mountain Points Series event?


My answer: No.  I love and respect the work that Colin and Al have done in the transformation of Wrightsville.  Last year, when the course was new, we played sap buckets for a bit of the tournament.  There was some grumbling, but it was novel and fun.  Having them there this year seems like a bit too much to me.


Sap buckets and totem poles harken back to the roots of disc golf, before many of us were playing.  But, in 1977, Eddie Headrick applied for the first patent for a disc golf basket (http://www.discgolf.com/downloads/patents/machI-patent.pdf) and the game was vastly improved.  Baskets add legitimacy to our sport and make for a better experience.  To me, playing a tournament with sap buckets is like skiing long, straight skis in the year 2011.  The new technology exists and it has improved the experience, so why wouldn't you take advantage of it?


I don't often support the Professional Disc Golf Association, but I decided to look into their opinion on baskets for a tournament.  I was surprised on what I found.  There aren't strict requirements on basket dimensions, but there is an approved list of baskets that can be used at PDGA events  (http://www.pdga.com/documents/pdga-approved-targets-pdf).  Furthermore the PDGA will be moving to a standard where basket requirements will be leveled (see Table 2: http://www.pdga.com/files/documents/TourStandards.pdf).  That means that some baskets will be approved for National Tour events and some for B-Tier and C-Tier events.  So what, you ask?  Well, sap buckets aren't on the list and the PDGA seems to be saying that not only do baskets matter, but the type of basket matters.  


So, I ask you.  Am I making too big a deal out of this?  It wouldn't be the first time.  Or, am I correct to ask the questions about sap buckets?  Vote in the poll on the right side and let us know your opinion.  If you're on a smart phone, you won't be able to vote in the poll, so go sit down at your computer for a moment.  



Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Run for the Border

If you missed it, you missed it.



The other day I mentioned that Run for the Border was my favorite disc golf weekend of the year. This time I'll take it even a step further. It's not only my favorite disc golf weekend of the year, its the best. Take two amazing courses and add hours and hours of labor to make them look amazing. Throw in great disc golfers from Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Top it off with some swimming, some great camping, friendly wagering, and three days of mayhem and you've got the makings of a spectacular time. Simply put, if you missed it, you missed it. I wouldn't let it happen again in the future.

R4B wasn't a Green Mountain Points Series, so we don't have to spend all our time today worrying about point differentials, numbers, and standings. Instead I can just give you my thoughts, which could potentially be a dangerous thing. Who knows? We'll see how it goes.

*Do you find yourself longing to be a really good disc golfer? Would you like to beat all those out-of-staters when they come up to your home courses? Do you dream of tournament success? Well, then, you had better learn how to finish off a tournament and you'd better learn it quick. Vermont disc golfers, this is a wake-up call. Tournaments don't last one round (Emmett, I'm talking to you) and they don't always last just one day (Daves, Johnny, does this ring a bell?) Vermont disc golfers continue to be beaten after gaining first round leads or after being in the mix the whole time. It happened to Dave Frothy, it happened to Johnny Betts, and it happened to Dave Carter and Jon Moorer. How are we gonna fix this problem?

* There were some hot rounds out there this weekend. Frothy had a 51 on Golds at Black Falls. Johnny Betts shot a 41 on Silvers. For the record, earlier in the week he talked about how he was going to dominate that layout. He didn't disappoint. There was a 49 doubles round shot at Cherry Hill. NEFAland's Daniel Marcus shot a 55 on Cherry Hill and 10 Down's Jason Dore shot a 54.

*Matt Silva, Johnny Betts, and Chris Mayone deserve a ton of credit. The courses look unreal and those guys are doing a ton of work to make things world class and pull off great tournaments. Cherry Hill looks really buffed out right now. The back nine (or Bachnein) looks particularly fantastic. Black Falls looks great too. It's well mowed, there's a new out house and hole #2 is starting to be one of the nicest fairways you've ever come across.

*J-Rapp caddied for an out-of-stater for the playoff round. Did you notice that? Now, don't get me wrong, Derek is a great guy and everyone up here really likes him. But, helping him out when he's competing against our own Dave Carter. Ouch.

*Hi, Andy Powell. How are you? Nice rounds this weekend. If it wasn't for that guy from the south, you would have won the division.

*Al Rosa, nice job dominating your division. Well played.

*Just one last time. If you missed Run for the Border, you really missed out. I know that life sometimes gets in the way and you have all sorts of important stuff to do. However, don't let it happen again. Keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of next year's dates and start planning around it as soon as you can. Do not miss it next year. It's just too fun.

*I'll see you all on Hole 8 next year, manning the refreshment station and leading the heckling during the doubles round. Oh, and to those guys who didn't appreciate our heckling (even when you were 10 or more strokes off the lead), get a grip.




Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Young Bucks Interview

Chris Young currently leads the Green Mountain Points Series. He also happens to be one of the club's most prolific trash talkers. He was nice enough to sit down with Circle Three to discuss his disc golf past, what it feels like to sit atop the division, and what the year may hold.



Circle Three: I'll start you off with a softball. How did you get into disc golf?

Chris Young: I was first introduced to disc golf in Colorado in 1998. I played barefoot with an ultimate lid on Western State College campus with some friends that went to school there. I moved to Eugene,Oregon in 2002 and played my first tournament shortly after. I was hooked immediately! Sports were always the biggest passion in my life growing up. I played competitive baseball, soccer and basketball. I actually injured my arm permanently pitching and am extremely grateful to be able to throw discs today with the current state of my elbow. So, I began to play more and more tournaments in Oregon and also began to watch and play with some of the best players in the world who happened to be living in Eugene at the time (Feldberg, Jenkins, Andrew Rich to name a few). I became a member of the PDGA and started to play several tournaments a month and have continued on that path till this day.

C3: Wow, heavy stuff. Let's stick with the basics for a minute. What's the one piece of advice you'd give someone who's trying to get better at disc golf?

Young: Practice, practice, practice, practice. Play with better players. Watch what they do, ask them questions. Try to have good footwork. I see so many new players that are using so much upper body energy to try and heave a disc and they are completely missing the footwork that goes into a good throw. Follow through is another thing to keep in mind and to work on. Play lots and lots of courses and lots and lots of different events. Work on all aspects of the game. Develop a side arm and a back hand. Work on putting and approaching. Work on throwing upside down shots. Stay focused and have fun!

C3: For a minute there I wasn't sure if you were giving me advice for improving my crappy disc golf, or just speaking generally. Anyway, good advice. I like it. You're a man of many nicknames. CY, Young Bucks, and Big Bucks to name a few. Do you mind? What do you prefer?

Young: I love all the nicknames and believe me I have had many growing up. Younger, Phatts, Cy, Youngbucks, Big Bucks, #1 (I lived with another Chris Young in Colorado and we had to distinguish ourselves so I was CY #1 and he was CY #2). It's all for fun and so call me whatever you would like, I don't mind a bit. I have to say that CY has been the most widely used though.

C3: Wow. CY #1. That's rich. You really have been on top for a while, haven't you? On that note, you're on top of the point series right now. How's that feel?

Young: It's something I took serious this year and something I really focused in on. I was 3rd in 2009 and 2nd last year and this year I want to win the GMPS. Killington really gave me some confidence to continue to do well and I need to stay focused for the last 3 events and finish strong. I feel like I have turned a corner within the last year and it feels good. I bounced around quite a bit since 2002 living in Colorado,Oregon and Vermont. I played lots of courses at different elevations and my game has been up and down because of that. I have been back in Vermont since 2007 and I felt like it was time to start playing the Vermont courses the way I felt I should be.

C3: Well said, it's hard to argue with that kind of confidence. But, it's not easy out there. Who's the one person you're really worried about this year?

Young:  I am worried about Emmett Cosgrove and Dave Frothingham. I am worried about them for several reasons. First of all they are both playing very good golf this year. Second, they are both very talented players with a lot of tournament experience. Third, they are both due for a Win,especially Emmett who has yet to Win a GMPS event but has a string of 2nd's and 3rd's. I think at this point the three of us are in the hunt still and it is anyone's game with 3 events still left. Froth probably has the hardest road to get the title, but it's still in reach. I do have to say that Emmett is still very much in the hunt and I am going to do what I can to hold him off.


C3: No mention of Mr. Betts. I wonder if that's because of his words just a few days ago. I'll tell you what though. Right here. Right now. Lay it out for us. Are you going to hold on and win the division?

Young: I believe that I have the best chance out of anyone to take the title. If I can win at Wrightsville I believe that would catapult me into Lyndon with a nice sized lead in the Points Series and a little cushion to relax and play well. Last year at Wrightsville Betts overcame a 7 hole playoff against me and took the win. That left a bad taste in my mouth and I am ready for another shot at the Win. Right now for me I need to win Wrightsville and if I can do that I believe I can win the 2011 GMPS.

C3: Yeah. Good disc golfers are confident and confident disc golfers are good. How about the youngsters? Who do you consider to be up and coming in Vermont?

Young: There are a ton of up and coming Vermont disc golfers and it's awesome to see. With Emmett and Brock moving back to Vermont recently we have some great competition in the Pro division this year. Becker is back from injury and beginning to get into form, Frothingham is playing better then ever, Jeff Spring is starting to settle into the Pro ranks and you never know when the likes of Betts, Hess, Matt Idol, Ian Thurston or Loren Thompson are going to show up. As far as "Up and Coming,” I think Jon Moorer is about ready to start playing Open and I think that Rang Duce and JRapp should not be far behind. All three of these players have it in them to play at the highest level and are not far from making the jump. It will take some time for them to settle in to the Pro division but that is fully expected of any player moving from Am to Pro. Matty O and Seth McQuade are two other players playing very good golf this season and I would not be surprised to see them test the Pro ranks before the season is over.


C3: Before the season's over? I love it. I've been telling Moorer for a long time that he should move up. Most of the Twin Falls crew probably should. That might be a topic for another time though. Any last words?

Young: We have grown Vermont DG and the GMDGC to record numbers this year and it is truly amazing to see all the new players enjoying the sport and seeing countless amounts of volunteer work payoff. I want to thank everyone that helped at a work day or convinced a friend to join the club or applied for a grant or improved a course or donated to an event. I am very,very proud to be a part of this community and everyone that works hard to make Vermont DG what it is. Thank You!

C3: And thanks to you Chris. It'll be fun to watch and see how the season ends up.





If you have suggestions for our next interview, please leave a comment below.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Interview Series: Johnny Betts

There have been a lot of firsts recently for the Circle Three Blog. First we had our first field correspondent, Scott Moulton. Now Circle Three will be bringing you an interview series. Up first is the venerable Johnny Betts. Betts is the owner of Black Falls Disc Golf and considered by some to be the Godfather of Vermont disc golf.




You may not know this, but he is the one and only winner of the Green Mountain Points Series. The series has existed for three years and he's won the Pro division each time. He owns one amazing disc golf course and has been instrumental in getting Cherry Hill established.  Plus, we're just a few days away from my favorite tournament of the year, Montgomery's Run for the Border.  


So, sit back and enjoy Circle Three's 9 Questions with Mr. Betts.

Circle Three: What sports did you play growing up? Do you think the experience helped with disc golf?

Johnny Betts: Baseball. Helped with accuracy and throwing power.

C3: What was your first disc golf experience like?

JB: Played at Sheady Acres with a putter and threw an even par. Hooked from the first throw and immediately started building Black Falls.

C3: You own a rather amazing course, Black Falls in Montgomery, Vermont. What is your single proudest moment as a course owner?

JB: My first NEFA tournament, watching [Matt] Alberghini playoff against Bucky Worboys.

C3: What is the best disc golf course you've ever played.

JB: Cherry Hill.

C3: You have a pretty solid reputation as a quality disc golfer. Which Vermonter do you think has what it takes to win the GMPS this year?

JB: Chris Punk Ass Young.

C3: Who are the up and coming disc golfers that Vermont should look out for?

JB: Jeff Spring, Emmett Cosgrove, and [Dave] Frothingham.

C3: What's one disc that every disc golfer needs in his or her bag?

JB: Buzzz.

C3: If you ruled disc golf what would you change?

JB: The concept of par. [Scratch scoring average] should be the standard on how to rate your play. Par is meaningless in [disc golf] because there is no set standard. It is the total strokes that matters. Every course should have an established SSA so you can compare yourself to a 1000 rated golfer.

C3: Any last words?

JB: The Donkey should be chosen as the mascot for disc golf.   





Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Calais and Beyond

Life is tough, vacationing on a secluded island for a week. 

 Even with a total removal from the real world, I can't keep the Green Mountain Points Series out of my mind. So, Circle Three is happy to bring you a first in the Vermont disc golf community. Scott “Mooltahn” Moultan is contributing to the blog as our first ever field correspondent. His thoughts from Calais are included below.

The weather was amazing! Best yet this year.
The smack talking was pretty intense not only on the blogs prior but all the way to the very end. This sport is not lacking in straight up shit talking.

No doubt. From what I can see the smack talk didn't end after the tournament either. Before we get to all that though, Scott's going to tell you about the general feel of the day from his perspective.

I was real lucky and landed on a really cool card for the 1st round- it was Myself, Ira Divolli & Murray Junod.  Miza, Zabawa and I all threw a 76 on the first round so we were the totally tied 3rd card (ouch)-Hurt my feelings but probably helped my game in the long run- I’m trying to focus in on “my flick”.
I heard about a lot of circled #’s- I think I can account for about 4 circled #’s for the day- The “Calais Roll” also added a few strokes for me on the day. I gotta say this though—Calais is so badass! 

Scott tells it like it is, that's for sure.

According to the results, Chris Young had the first round lead. I think he's starting to see how hard it is to be in first place, though. Everyone's gunning for you all day long. Brock was also in striking distance after the first round. Despite my predictions, being the tournament director didn't seem to faze Jeff Spring at all.

There was a tie for 3rd here- Both Emmet and Chris played holes 1 & 5 sudden death. They played holes 1 and 5 matching one another- then Chris landed OB in the river on hole 1 (2nd time around) going for it.

The Frothecy came back as well, holding on to second place for the day. That should make for some interesting tightening of the point series.

On Am 1:

Am1:  Twin Falls Posse runs away with this one. I think that Matty held the best 1st round - Jon cleaned it up though second round to take the win.

Twin Falls is killing it this year, I'll agree.

Jon Moorer will soon see what Chris Young is experiencing. The weight of the crown is heavy and it's hard to be in first place sometimes. Matty O. is certainly going to stay close with his second place finish.

I'll let Scott finish things off from here. Thanks to him once again for the contributions.

The funniest conversation I heard all wknd was during the first round b/w Murray, Ira and I.
Remember when Dave declared at the LPO awards ceremony that Murrays new nickname would be Sandypants?
Ira and I were asking him before the round started what he thought about all the heckling he got last week for bailing at LPO- he replied he hadn’t seen any of it yet.
Murray: Really? There was a lot of smack talkin?
Ira/Scott: uhhh Yes- Hell yea- How did you miss it?
Murray: I couldn’t log in to GMDGC blog all week for some reason.  So this morning I went up to Dave Frothingham and told him that I couldn’t log in and I thought my password needed reset or something. Dave said: No! there’s nothing wrong with your passwords- Your using the wrong UserID.
Murray:  I told him I’ve been using the same one all along. You know what he said?.....
(Dave:) Yea well  I changed it to your new UserID…….SandyPants.
Murray: uhhhhhh o.k……..Is my password still the same?

Ace pot…..Jeff Spring takes this one too! Hole #8 no payout though- Suppose he was so busy running shit that he forgot to get in. Oh yea- He was on time! Real early riser that Jeff- I saw him and Paul sharing bacon at the Reg table(aka table of scotch).
I was really impressed with the amount of the all around gratitude that everyone was speaking of the entire tourney.  How could one not completely appreciate that amazing course?
I sucked and left rather than huck the Safari round- I was done for.

I did throw another 42 holes with some of the fellas yesterday @ Waterbury-Man your weren't kidding about that place.....beeeeuatiful right now.
Little heavy on the Am2- but hey….it’s where I was all day.
1 more time: A freaking bagger in Rec takes the day? WTF

Disc Golf Vacation's All I Wanna Do

Keeping up with a fancy, high-end disc golf blog like this one is very hard work. There's always a lot of drama, the point series is forever changing, I'm always looking for the right story, and people are all of a sudden asking me to write more and more. So, its no surprise that sometimes I want to escape. Sometimes I just need to get away.

And let's be honest, I already live in Vermont, so for the most part, I'm already away from the rest of the world. But, its not enough and I need to get further away. So, I drive hours and hours away from Vermont, through New Hampshire and into Maine. But, just getting to Maine isn't enough. I drive through Maine to the coast, which is really far from civilization, but its still not far enough. So I get on a boat and travel an hour to an even more remote location. And I'm sitting on the boat thinking, finally, an escape from the madness that is Green Mountain Disc Golf.

And then, like in a dream, I see a familiar figure. For a second, I think to myself, “Hey, I think I recognize that guy.” But how could that possibly be? And then he calls across to me, “Did you bring your discs?” Somehow, someway, Todd Holmes is standing there, on that dock, in that remote location off the Maine coast.

I'm thinking I'm pretty cool, at this point, by the way, because I've lugged a practice basket to this remote island that's only accessible by boat. But that's not good enough for the Good Doctor. That's not how he rolls. Three times he says something to me before it registers. Because it just doesn't click. It doesn't add up. What he says to me is, “I have a disc golf course on the island.”

And so it is. Todd Holmes doesn't stay good at disc golf on accident. He lives and breathes disc golf. He builds courses at his vacation home. This man knows no limits to his disc golf addiction.

The course is amazing. It's beautiful, just like the property it sits on. So, despite ruining my disc golf free vacation, I have to thank Dr. Holmes for allowing us to enjoy a course he's worked so hard on.

My advice to you is to keep your eyes peeled and keep your head on a swivel. You never know where a GMDGC member is going to pop up and you never know where one more secret course is going to be hidden.

One last thing.  Todd actually had his dad come out on the course to help him find a lost disc.  During the round.  With a weed whacker.  Like I said, there's no length this guy won't go to for the love of the sport.