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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Thoughts on the Green Mountain Point Series

Here I sit on a lazy summer day, drinking coffee and listening to some Phish jams from the recent SPAC adventure.  Really, I should be thinking of disc golf, but I’ve been distracted by other summer time things recently.  Luckily for me, nothing’s really changed since the last time we spoke. 

Tim Walsh for the win.

On July 1^st, Base Camp Outfitters hosted the 2^nd, and final, Killington Classic.  The word is that next year the tournament will be renamed.  Some have suggested the Base Camp Open, that way we can have the BCO at BCO.  They could do some sort of Face/Off type logo on their discs- BCO/BCO.  In order to trap him, he must become him.  Anyway, enough about that nonsense for now.

The Killington Classic was dominated by out of state winners, at least in the divisions I’ll be covering today.  Pro Open was won by Mr. Vibram, Tim Walsh.  He’s another of disc golf’s super nice guys and he happens to be incredibly talented when it comes to throwing plastic at chains.  His overall total of 99 won the division by 5 strokes.  Vermonter Sean Bleything makes the biggest point series jump, after earning a second place tie with the legendary Daniel Marcus.  Mike Davies, a Vermonter but also a point series boycotter, took 4^th and our own Young Bucks was 5^th.

Here’s the current top 5 in the Pro Open Division of the Green Mountain Points Series:

1. Chris Young (90/95.83/52.94/87.5/76.47/Total= 402.74)

2. Jeff Spring (70/41.67/94.12/87.5/64.71/Total= 357.99)

3. Jon Moorer (40/79.17/76.47/43.75/29.41/Total= 268.8)

4. Mike Habets (100/41.67/0/56.25/52.94/Total= 250.86)

5. James Beaulieu (90/54.17/0/87.5/17.65/Total= 249.31)

A few things are clear to me at this point.  First, Bleything had a strong finish on Sunday, gained 94.12 point series points, but still hasn’t cracked the top five.  Second, no one even looks to be in the same ball park as Chris Young right now.  He’s separated from Jeff Spring by 45 points and then there’s a huge jump to third place and beyond.  Third, Mike Habets really hasn’t proven to me that he can dominate anywhere but Pinnacle.

Seriously, though, so what?  An astute, unnamed Pro and I were speaking at the Killington Classic.  He had a pretty laid back attitude about the point series and Chris Young’s seemingly insurmountable lead.  I’m paraphrasing here, but the sentiment of this Pro was pretty simple.  We’re still at a point where someone could win out the next 5 events, or even have 5 very strong finishes and take the lead.  Mathematically, he’s totally correct.  Do I personally think it’s possible?  If I were in Vegas, I wouldn’t lay my money on that bet. 

In the spirit of Vermonters getting their asses kicked by out-of-staters, Stephen England came north to win AM 1 at the Classic.  Brad Harris tied two other southerns for second place and BCO regular Tyler Teed took fifth.  These results won’t change the point series race for now, but it does make a foreboding statement going forward.  And it’s one we haven’t really addressed here yet.  Brad Harris is going to win the GMPS AM 1 Division. 

It pains me to say it, but go ahead and try to prove me wrong.  Here are the current standings:

1. Justin Kaulius (87.5/89.66/70.37/33.33/54.17/Total= 335.02)

2. Edwin Bedell (100/89.66/0/66.67/70.83/Total= 327.16)

3. Seth McQuade (56.25/0/92.59/87.5/79.17/Total= 315.51)

4. Andy Powell (93.75/17.24/85.19/66.67/29.17/Total= 292.02)

5. Brad Harris (0/96.55/92.59/0/95.83/Total= 284.98)

If you ask Christian Keidel, he’ll tell you that Justin Kaulius is only at the top of the point series because he’s played in five tournaments.  As a matter of fact, Keidel will probably be able to speak for hours on the subject.  And there’s certainly truth to it.  Edwin Bedell started hot and has fallen off a little since missing a tournament for personal reasons.  However, he’s still banking two solid scores.  Seth McQuade has two hot scores and a mid-range score.  Powell has two solid scores in the bank.

And then there’s Brad Harris.  He’s only played in three tournaments out of five.  In those appearances, he’s managed three very impressive, very bankable scores.  Compare his top three to the top three of anyone else in the division and he’s got a nice lead.  (Hey, Christian, if you compare your three scores he’s also beating your ass pretty handily.)  So, can Harris be stopped?  At this point, I’m going to bet on no.  Harris for the win.  It’s my belief that if he won the division that he’d be the first New Hampshire resident to win a non-age-restricted division. 

Things You May or May Not Care About:

*The amazing Jeff Spring recorded a stellar Circle Three at Twin Falls at the last money game.  He happened to do it on the same hole that spawned the name for this website.  Spring stepped up to hole 18, threw his drive in the water, took his penalty stroke, and on his re-tee put his disc straight in the chains.  Nice work, sir.  You also owe me five bucks for the name usage.

*Sean Bleything has been on a nice roll.  He took down his first money game win after a one hole playoff with Frothy.  He had the strongest Vermont Pro finish at the Classic.  It’ll be fun to see what he can do with all this momentum.

 

*Vermonters, WTF?  How often are we going to continue to get beat by all of these out-of-staters.  I know what you say.  They have more courses then than us.  Their courses have better tee boxes than most of ours.  They have better competition.  They have a longer season.  So what?  It’s time to stop whining and start beating some southerners as they come north for our money and our points.   Keep practicing that putting. 

*BCO.  Wow.  You may have heard me say this before, but I feel like every time I go there, more and more improvements have been made.  It impresses me.  As does the dedication that Mike Miller shows to disc golf.  Can I make one suggestion?  I think it’s time for some championship level baskets.

*Let’s keep ruffling some feathers.  I’ve heard some grumblings about the Peak Course lately.  It seems to be in a little bit of rough shape.  Now, I haven’t seen it myself, so I’m going off second hand information.  Let’s hear it from those of you that have played.  Is it in tournament shape?  Should we just be playing two base rounds for the tournament instead of a peak and a base?  I know playing the peak is a game changer, but is it ready?

*Also, the LPO costs $60 if you’re playing Pro Open.  Ouch.  That’s approaching the price of a day of skiing.  Glad I’m not playing Pro.

*The final word this time goes to Mike Miller.  Keep doing what you’re doing, sir, we all appreciate it greatly. 

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Late June Pro Break Down

The Green Mountain Point Series is now four events in with six to go on the 2012 season. By next Sunday, the Point Series will be halfway over. You can still think that the standings don't matter right now, but you'll be having a harder and harder time of convincing me of that. So, let's take a look at the Pro Open Division. You can find the raw data here if you wish.

Current Top 5

Chris Young

Jeff Spring

Jon Moorer

James Beaulieu

Ian Thurston

I know that last time I broke down the Top 10 Pro's. Right now I only get the impression that five of them are in the hunt. At least right now. Someone else could come from farther back in the division with some big performances, but until that happens these five have the real chance at winning Pro.

1. Chris Young

(90, 95.83, 52.94, 87.5, Total= 326.27)

Young, flexing it.

We all know that you'll be needing five bankable scores to win the Pro Division. The real debate lies in what kind of score makes for a bankable score. I have to believe that the winner of Pro will have a 100 or something awfully close, three or four scores above 80, and maybe a score in the 70's. Anything less and I really don't think it'll fly.

So, as of now, Chris Young already has three very, very solid scores. He'll drop the 52.94, but he's in a position of only needing two scores in the 80's, or maybe a 70 and an 80. Do you think Young Bucks has what it takes to record two more good scores over 6 remaining tournaments? If I were a betting man, I'd take that bet. On second thought, I am a betting man. So, if anyone wants that action, let me know.

For now, I think its clear. The Circle Three Tarot Cards all point towards a repeat for Chris Young. He's got that score near 100 (with a 95.83) and he's got two scores above the mid 80's (with a 90 and an 87.5). A strong performance from Young at the Killington Classic and he might be taking a victory lap for the remainder of the season. And with some challenging tournaments ahead- stops at Killington and Sugarbush come to mind- that might be the best position of all to be in.

2. Jeff Spring

(70, 41.67, 94.12, 87.5, Total= 293.29)

Spring

Jeff Spring, obviously, was the preseason prediction to win the Pro Division, at least from the Circle Three blog. The first two stops on tour- Pinnacle and the Sap Bucket- didn't serve Spring very well. But, he's made a strong rebound and has two solid scores after Black Falls and Gnomes. Still, he'll need three more bankable scores over six tournaments. That's a slightly tougher position than the one Chris Young is currently in.

I do like Spring's chances at some of the later stops this summer. I think his game could play well on Lincoln Peak and at his adoptive home course in Calais. Oh yeah, and he won Wrightsville last year, so that course obviously suites his game just fine. Personally, I'd like to see Jeff Spring drop some hot scores at Killington, but if it doesn't happen, you heard it here first. Spring has plenty of time. And knowing his perchance for showing up late, he's probably OK with that.

3. Jon Moorer

(40, 79.17, 76.47, 43.75, Total= 239.39)

Moorer and the flick.

First of all, I'm happy to report that the Circle Three blog is the only place where this poor guy's name gets spelled correctly. Other websites, forums, and point series standings, take note.

Other than that, Moorer is having quite a fine rookie season in Pro. As a matter of fact, I think he's having the kind of year that anyone debuting in a new division could hope for. A few times in the cash. Some really stellar tournament rounds. Third place in the group nearly halfway through the season. But, is it enough? Or will Moorer make some more waves during the second half of the season?

His golf seems to be getting better and better, despite what the numbers look like, so it's certainly possible. Killington may be the place to start, but I'm not sure if its the right place for him.  He won AM1 at Calais last year, so he's capable of shooting well there. His long flick bombs can play quite well at Sugarbush and they won't hurt in Lyndon or at Wrightsville. Moorer could wind up being the perfect second half disc golfer. If he really wants to win Pro, that's what he'll have to do, with only two decent scores in the bank so far.

4. James Beaulieu

(90, 54.17, 0, 87.5, Total= 231.67)

Beaulieu, launching the boat.

Props to James for being in the Top 4 and still holding onto a score of zero. And shame on the 17 people in his division he's beating while holding a score of zero. But, I shouldn't take anything away from James by talking about other people in his hard earned Circle Three write up space. Sorry, James.

Anyway, he's working with a 90 and an 87.5. He's behind on Chris Young, which everyone is, and he's behind on Jeff Spring. However, I would argue that Beaulieu is actually in a better spot right now than Jon Moorer. Two of the scores that Beaulieu has will be bankable and Moorer, arguably, doesn't have any. Not any that meet my criteria, at least. So, despite the rankings, I think Beaulieu is in a better position than Moorer.

I'm trying to look back at Beaulieu's scores from last year, to make some comparisons. But most of them are in the Pro Masters division. So, I don't even know how to make sense of them. I don't know the conversion rate from Pro Masters to Pro Open. It doesn't compute. I guess I'll just have to go with my instincts here.

I like his chances of finishing Top 5 for the season, definitely. I think he can be Top 3. But, I don't see him winning it. A victory at Killington would certainly change my feelings, at least a little. Otherwise, I'm not convinced.

5. Ian Thurston

(70, 4.17, 47.06, 87.5, Total= 208.73)

Thurston, at right.

Ian Thurston. Thurstonian. I really do like that this guy is still in the Top 5. I'm probably throwing my journalistic integrity right out the window here, but if you're not rooting for a guy like Ian, than you're some kind of maniac. Or maybe you're competing in his division. Either way, he's a good guy who deserves to succeed, even if you're playing against him.

Remember that score of 4.17 that he's carrying from the Sap Bucket and the stink I made about it last time? Ian said it was some motivation for him before Gnomes, so that's cool. So let's talk about it some more. The score he got from Gnomes was an 87.5, which is fantastic. That's actually almost 21 times as many points as the Sap Bucket score. Or, if you subtracted the Sap Bucket score from the Gnomes score (87.5 – 4.17) he'd actually still have a bankable score (83.33). So there are some statistics for you to chew on. Or, some simple math problems for you to glance over, if you wish.

Back to Ian, though. He's a good guy who deserves to win. I just don't think this year is the year. By my count he's working on one bankable score with one on the bubble. He's going to have some hard work ahead if he wants to make major jumps in the division of Pros.

Outliers

*Mike Habets, Jonathan Betts, James Sweat, and Dave Frothingham are the next four Pros in the standings. Yeah, Dave Frothingham. Remember him? If you haven't been to money games in a while, then you might not. But, rest assured, he's still a Pro in Vermont.

*So, Mike Habets. Got hot at his home course of Pinnacle and scared the Pro field. Or, scared the Circle Three blog, at least. But, since then he's cooled off like your favorite swimming hole in October. He's a good disc golfer, no question. He's just not proving that he's ready for the prime time in Pro Open. (Not that I'm suggesting he should move down. God no. I'm just saying he's going to need to really turn it on to get in this race).

*Jonathan Betts. As predicted, his schedule is filled with things that aren't disc golf tournaments. Imagine that? I can't. But, its true. While you're aimlessly throwing things at other things in the woods, Mr. Betts is building a legacy. Or a family. Or something like that. Betts has a 100, so you can't argue with that. But unless he steps up his attendance in the second half, I doubt its his year either.

*James Sweat. Tied the course record on his first round at the White River Disc Golf Course. Then got 13 strokes worse on his second round. What I'm trying to say is, that you never quite know what you'll get from Mr. Sweat. But, he plays Sugarbush well and he won the Ams at Wrightsville last year, so he's not dead yet. Overall, he probably won't be in line to win the division since he doesn't really have a bankable score right now.

*Dave Frothingham. He's played three out of four tournaments but doesn't have a score that counts right now. He too is unpredictable this year. He can go from being a non-factor in a tournament to crushing the field on the following (Wednesday) night. So, who knows what the second half may hold? I just think that 3^rd place may be the ceiling for him this year, and that's if he works his arse off.

*Final Word: Late June Circle Three Pro Prediction: Spring/Young/Beaulieu. Yep, I'm covering both sides of the fence here. I'll take action on Chris Young to win the division, but I still can't give up on the Year of the Spring.   

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After Gnomes

There are many ways to tell that summer in Vermont is in full swing. The hills and mountains are covered in explosions of green. The swimming holes are as scenic as ever. Sunsets over Lake Champlain are utterly beautiful. And those southern disc golfers come north in droves to take our NEFA points.

Some of the White River Gnomes.

On Saturday June 23 the White River Disc Golf Course hosted the Gnomes Challenge V. The tournament was small, capped at 72 players, but nothing short of interesting. The course was ravaged by Hurricane Irene on August 28, 2011. The bridge was ruined, trees were decimated, and baskets swept away. Some NEFA support and a small group of hard workers rehabbed the course in time for the 5^th running of Gnomes. Some replacement holes, old fairways covered in sand, and a river crossing by canoe could not stop strong NEFA players from slamming chains all day long.

The first ever disc golf tournament with a river crossing by canoe?

The Pro Open Division was won by NEFA phenom, reigning NEFA AM 1 champ, and new Pro, Stephen Economos. Despite some first round difficulties, he won the division with scores of 50 and 46 on the par 54 course. That gave him a one stroke win over fellow out-of-stater Mark Valis. Five players had a total of 99 strokes on the day to tie for third. Green Mountain disc golfers James Beaulieu, Jeff Spring, Ian Thurston, and Chris Young were in that group. Props to Thurston for a strong finish. All in all, the point series won't be too changed by any of this.

Stephen Economos takes Pro Open.

AM 1 was also won by another out-of-state player, who happens to be another member of the Economos family. Nick Economos won the division with a two-stroke lead over Vermonter Matt Cohen and third was taken by Vermonter Sayer Dwinell-Yardley. None of those folks are GMDGC members, so that won't affect the point series too much either.

Following the tourist trend, Phelan Lyman, a phenom in his own right, won AM 2 with scores of 50 and 47, which would have put him in a two way tie for 2^nd in Pro Open. Doug Wiemer, of Smuggs, Vermont fame, took 2^nd in AM 2 and claimed his first tournament ace pot prize, with a ridiculous ace on hole 10. Jordan Potvin, a Vermonter who's new to the point series took 3^rd.

Vermont is still beautiful, despite Irene's best efforts.

Thankfully there were some folks who didn't let their divisions go to out-of-staters. Al Rosa won Men's Pro Masters with a 51 on both rounds. Dan French took Men's Masters, Dana Dwinell-Yardley won Advanced Women's, Gretchen Kruesi grabbed the Intermediate Women's win, and Jayce Slesar beat the Juniors.

Let's Not Forget About:

*The Green Mountain Points Series. Things really didn't change all that much and not nearly as much as I hinted at last week. Chris Young is still winning the Pro Open Division. I bet you've never heard something like that before. Jeff Spring is still in 2^nd and Jon Moorer continues to hold 3^rd. Young now has three really bankable scores in the series (90, 95.83, and 87.5) so watch out.

*AM 1. Justin Kaulius still holds the division lead, despite getting only 33.33 points out of a poor Gnomes performance. Andy Powell is in 2^nd. About 18 points separate those positions right now. Edwin Bedell is 3^rd and only 6 ½ points from Powell.

*AM 2 and those other divisions. All around good guy Dan Walsh has the AM 2 point series lead. Doug Wiemer's 2^nd and Robbie Bean is 3^rd. In Pro Masters Josh Rappeport is in the lead and in Pro Grand Masters John Sudarsky has 1^st. Gretchen Kruesi has the lead in Intermediate Women's and Jayce Slesar has four 100's (move up) in Juniors. How about that? All the multi-person divisions just got Circle Three mentions.

*Rivalry Watch. Well, things were bound to even out a little in this race. I was 9-3 against the rivals before Gnomes. Four rivals played the tournament: Seth McQuade, Andy Powell, Spencer Weatherholt, and Justin DeVico. A 51 in the first round and an absolutely terrible 60 in the second round gave me a 51/60/111 on the day. McQuade was 49/52/101, so he beat the pants off of me. Powell was 54/53/109, so he beat me too. DeVico was just one stroke away from being bad enough to tie me, but he got me with a 55/55/110. Spencer was somehow bad enough to lose to me. Sorry, Spencer. He was 56/56/112 for the day. At Gnomes I was 1-3 against the rivals. That's the first time this season I've lost the day. Overall for the year that leaves me at 10-6. That's a .625 winning percentage, which doesn't sound very good, but is better than any team in Major League Baseball right now.

*Later in the week Circle Three will be offering some more commentary on Gnomes, some deep thinking on the Green Mountain Point Series, and a look ahead at the 5^th stop on the summer tour, the Killington Classic. Feel free to stop back.

*Thanks as always to Gretchen Kruesi for great pictures.


*The final word this time goes to the wonderful folks in Randolph. Thanks to everyone who helped out to fix up a course that took the worst of a very, very bad storm. Thank you.   

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