[Soggy] Tales from Hotlanta

[Sivadenyaw]

I thought you guys might want to hear about my experience over here in Atlanta (the absolute worst city in the world---except, of course, that it is the hometown of my beloved Braves). The traffic (even at 2:00 in the afternoon) and the fact that you can't figure out where the hell you are half the time is about enough to drive a person to end the life of another person.

Anyway, enough of the bitching, for now. We managed to pull out of the 'Ham at about 11:30 this morning, three hours behind my intended departure time. The other part of the We is my wife, who, despite the fact it is our two-year anniversary on Tuesday, decided to come with me and count the disc golf trip as an anniversary present to ourselves. Wow, am I lucky or is she crazy? So, the late arrival made it impossible to practice both Lenora and Redan. The tournament registration and $15 doubles tournament was at Redan so I decided to go there---plus some of you said that Lenora is wide open.

I get to Redan about 3:30, sign in, pay for doubles, get a modest player's pack (1 disc, 1 DVD, 1 t-shirt, and a lame mini with a Play-it-Again sports ad stamp) and started practicing. It was hot, damn hot. I played pretty well in practice--very fun course with lots of reachable holes with interesting routes. I loved it. Probably would have been a few under in that first round (a score that I imagine will not be that competitive).

I finished up about the time the doubles draw started. I finally saw someone I knew, that kid Nick something from TN. He chatted me up about Birmingham, picked my puppy out of my bag and started telling lies to the crowd gathering around about Tom Monroe hitting 60 foot twist putts with the puppy, and he even told everyone how Monroe (pdga #33) would have had #3 if he had just given 'Steady' Ed his money a little earlier. A great time was had by all.

The fun continued as my partner and I birdied the first 6 holes of our doubles round. We were 8 down after 12 when the lightning and heavy rain started. Let's just say the T'ville doubles after the Saturday mini tourney prepared me well for this particular round. We eventually brought it in because of the lightning. During a brief respite from the storm, everyone got back out to finish before dark---my partner and I finished 3rd ($50) with an 8 down (2nd -10, 1st -11) and so the soggy shoes and wrinkly skin were at least worth it.

Ok, I must go to sleep. I do want to make it on time to the first round. More tomorrow---tales from a hopefully dry Lenora.

How did I do Kris?

[Jebb]

Good job man!

["Tiger"]

I concur. Well written. I laughed... I cried... good luck this weekend, kick some ass and bring it home for the ham :cool:

[Sivadenyaw]

So Lenora was just as people described it: long, open, and windy. I got to the course EARLY but not early enough to practice more than 6 or 8 holes. Of course they had me starting on 10, one hole past where I stopped practicing. This course actually set up very well for me, I thought. There are several pretty simple side-arm throws that should have been in my wheelhouse. I think I only birdied 2 out of the 12 (two rounds combined) or so holes that I felt should have been easy 2s.

I started the first round with an easy side-arm to a 340 foot hole and hit a 40 foot jump put to birdie the first. It was mostly pars from there with a couple more birds and a couple of stupid (missed 10 or 15 footers) 4s mixed in for a first round 53 (-1) that put me 2nd on my card and on the 5th card overall about 5 strokes back.

As the second round began, the mean clouds were gathering and another big thunder storm prepared to rain on our parade. By the third hole or so into the second round, the rains came. I made another stupid 4 right as the rain started to get heavy. I tried to blow up about 6 holes in with another stupid 4 that put me +2 for a while. I managed to make a few birdies coming in and ended up with the same 53 (-1). The addage about maintaining your score in the second round will pick up strokes on the field was not true yesterday. Two guys on my card had 49s and I droped one card and sit 9 back of the leader in about 25th place. All and all a great day. I played with some great people. This one guy, Wes, who called himself the Hippie Wizard, knew Monroe so we exchanged stories, had some laughs, and both agreed that it would be cool to see Tom play in the worlds next week.

So, Redan today. I hope I can make up some ground. The pros didn't really post great scores, it looks like. I guess they had some rain as well. We shall see. Wish me luck.

This penultimate post brought to you by Las Cosinas Mexican Resturant---hosting the awards this evening, as I understand, somewhere around 2 hours after completion of the final round??? Does someone in the Atlanta club own this joint, or what?

Completion post to come sometime tonight or tomorrow.

Michael

[Sivadenyaw]

Redan.... Oh, Redan....

A really nice course in an apparantly bad part of town. The repeated 9mm blasts we heard while teeing off on 18 in the first round confirmed what I had been told on Friday. I began the day on the 5th card, right at the edge of the cash line (they were paying out the top 23).

I started the first round on fire. I was -3 after the first five holes and after trading a bogey for a birdie later in the round, I was down 3 coming to the 6th hole (our 16th). It might be the easiest hole on the course. About 200 feet, maybe less, but the route through the woods is a tight left to right shot with very mean trees guarding the fairway. I kissed the first tree trying to turn over a Spider and ended up in the woods just off the tee to the left. My lie was not bad enough because I had a miracle line to the basket that I tried to hit and instead hit another tree that spat me in the middle of a creek running on the left side of the woods. Shooting my 4th shot, I only had a pitch-out roller that left me a 35 footer for my 5---I missed and took a circle 6 to drop me to even for the round. A birdie and a bogey later, I ended up with a 54---I moved up a card, but a 51 would have given me a chance to get in the top ten.

I have to admit I let that carry over into the final round. I struggled, getting to +4 after the first 7 with a 5 and a couple of 4s (I did win a group ctp on #6, the site of the first round debacle). I kept it together enough to get a couple of birdies coming in, including the 3rd hole, our last, a 360 foot, uphill shot on which I side-armed a T-rex to about 25 feet and nailed the putt. That shot ended up putting me one stroke ahead of the last cash position. I really did not want to wait 2 hours at the Mexican place for the awards so the Hippie Wizard (see the previous post) picked up my discs (a couple of T-rexs, and some Rocs) and is going to send them to me.

All in all, a good weekend. I met a lot of good people. I played some nice courses. I felt like I did not play my best and I still ended up in the cash at a pretty big tourney. You got to be happy with that.

I hope y'all enjoyed. I see some views, but not many replies. Was it boring, lame, a waste of valuable internet space? Just curious.

[Jebb]

to finish Jeremy's sentiments...it was better than Cats!!

Good job even with the small blowup, I know that feeling - had a triple bogey in the last tourney on extension hole F, I was even up until that point. grrr.

edit: what time do you typically get out to GW on weekdays again?

["Tiger"]

well done. sounds like you put on a good show with and even had a standard kris blowup. happens to the best. I'm in the middle of pre-season training right now so it'll be hard for me to get out for more than maybe a 9, but I think I'm gonna try and get out tomorrow night around 5:30 if you're gonna be in town. Congrats again and I'll see you on the course.:cool:

[Justin L]

Heh....It was just like reading Kris's post except it made sense! Congrats! (I kid Kris, I kid...)

Anyway....lets get to the important part here. Kudo's to the wife for being cool. Coming into town and going on the trip _with_ you, solid. If she has an equally as disc golf compasionate sister please give her my phone number...haha.

Its interesting to hear a GW'ers take on the courses over there. Gives me an idea what to expect when i finally make it over.

[Sivadenyaw]

Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

Jebb-

I get to GW around 12 or so most weekdays. I can be there earlier but I have to work at 3 so can't play any later.

Michael

[MAJ DG]

Michael,

Great posts!! Congratulations on your finish, too! Way to represent B'ham.