SC Disc Golf Doubles Championship

I learned yesterday that the CFR disc for raising fund will be a TL instead of a TeeBird. Last year we had done TeeBirds for the fund raiser but those are no longer available in the Glo Champion Plastic. So TLs is the disc this year. Cost is $20 and we only have 25. Three have already been purchased so only 22 left.

While I live in Walhalla and spend several days a week at Sertoma Park where the tournament will be held, I must admit I haven’t been playing there much.  I tend to play in Seneca more often…mostly because that’s where GODG has their weekly league.

So Tuesday night and last night I played Walhalla with my kids in tow.  If was the first times playing since being so green outside.  I must say, the Park and Rec in Walhalla have done a great job in getting the course in shape.

A lot of the fairways on the wooded holes have been cleared; wood chips have been placed in several areas of the course; and they’ve done little things that make a big difference in the ‘feel’ of the course.

They’ve added sections of fence between baskets and the next tee in several cases and have added red arrows pointing you in the right direction.

When I played last night, the plan was to play catch with my kids at the park and while I had my disc golf bag in the car, I only carried catch discs with me into the park (one for each of my kids and one for me) with no plans of playing.

My two youngest, Kallsen and Parker, are 3 and 4 and both decided we should play Beebee Golf. Which is what they call it. Anyway here we are, playing disc golf, with only catch discs.  I ended up throwing 52 with bogies on three holes and a double on hole 11.  I was able to take birdies on 1, 6, 8, 12, 14, 15 and 17. So now I’m thinking…maybe I need to carry a 125 Sky Pro catch disc from Discraft in my bag ALL THE TIME on the Walhalla Disc Golf Course.  Of course, if I did that during the SC Doubles, I’d probable get my partner really mad at me and end up DFL.

While we still only have one team registered, I’ve heard from several teams forming.  As of now, I’ve heard of three pro teams, all pretty strong teams that have formed and a couple of advanced teams.Right now I’ve got two teams that have emailed for info on the mixed doubles.  It would be nice to see a bigger field for the mixed doubles.  Last year we had four mixed teams play but only played in the mixed division.  Two played intermediate and one mixed team played pro.Still working on sponsor dollars.  All the player packs are paid for along with the trophies so 100 percent of the entry fees will be paid back minus the PDGA fees.  It will be a good weekend of doubles action.

I talked with Mayor Dan of the City of Seneca this morning.  He asked me specificly about the plans for a second course in Seneca.  He requested that I (or the club) put together a layout for the second course at Shaver and get the Park and Rec Director to sign off on the design and bring before council.  More news on this later at the club site, GODGc.com

The PDGA online registration is now up and running.  Here’s a link to register.

If you want to register by regular mail, the link to the 2009 registration form is on the side column.  Right now we have only one team registered but expect the registrations to begin coming in soon.

I’ve heard from more than a dozen teams that say they’re planning on playing.  Some played last year and some didn’t.  We’re paying back 100% in all divisions and adding money to the pro division.

I got a call last night from the PDGA Online Registration guy.  The online registration should be up no later than Monday.  I’ll post a link here when ready.

GODGc is working with the City of Seneca to expand the disc golf course offerings at the Shaver Recreation Center.  Proposals have been made and a meeting with the city council to answer questions about the impact on the city from Disc Golf players will be made and we will know in October if the funding will be made available.If funding is made available, the baskets and hardware required to install 18 baskets would be funded by the city.  The course design and clearing would be done by the club. The area of Shaver that the club is hoping to use is much more wide open and most of the holes would be open with small trees and shrubs.Then yesterday I got a full report on the possibility of another course being funded in part by the City of Westminster and Oconee County.  Details on that can be found on GODGc.com.

I’ve submitted all the information on the SC Doubles Tournament to the PDGA several weeks ago and I’m not sure why the online registration isn’t working yet.  As soon as it is, I’ll post a link here to make it easy for you to register your team.

Last year’s championship we used three different formats in four rounds in determining who would be crowned the South Carolina Disc Golf Doubles Champion in each division.  I had planned on keeping the format for 2009 event the same.  Then we changed Disc Golf courses.  We’re doing our first day in Walhalla instead of Easley.  The change in courses for the first round has pushed forward a change in the tournament’s formats for each round.

Round 1 on Saturday in Walhalla will be Best Disc.  The following is taken from the PDGA site on doubles tournaments:

Best Disc (Best Score)

In Best Disc (also known as Best Score), each player plays the hole as they would while playing singles; there are no shared lies. The team score is the best score on the hole by one of its players.

• The player who is away will always throw first, with this exception: If both players are lying the same number of throws, the team may choose which player throws first.
• A player must pick up once it is impossible for him to better the team’s score. The team incurs a warning for the first violation, and a penalty throw for subsequent violations.
• In case of injury or disqualification, one partner may play alone

Round 2 on Saturday in Walhalla will be Tough Shot.  The following is taken from the PDGA website for doubles tournaments:

Tough Shot

Tough Shot is the most brutal of the doubles formats, and can test the patience of even the best teams. In Tough Shot, both players throw from each lie (starting with the tee shot), then the competing teams in the group choose which of the subsequent lies will be used, with the aim of making the hole as difficult as possible. The hole is completed once either team members has holed out from the chosen lie.

• The 30-second play clock begins once the opposing teams have selected the lie.
• A lie that is picked up without being marked must be replaced in accordance with PDGA rules. All lies must be marked according to PDGA rules.
• Any warning or penalty incurred by a player may be chosen to apply to the team, at the opposing teams’ discretion.
• A team found to be giving an opposing team a better lie will be disqualified for unsportsmanlike behavior.

Round 1 on Sunday in Seneca will be Alternate Shot.  The following is taken from the PDGA website:

Alternate Shot

In Alternate Shot, only one sequence of throws is made on each hole.
The team selects a player to throw the tee shot at the beginning of the round. The other player then throws from the subsequent lie, and play alternates in that fashion until the round is completed. Alternate Shot is closer to a singles format, where one partner can’t bail the other out. If you miss a short putt, chances are good that you’ll be driving the next hole.

• If the wrong player on a team throws, another team must call it immediately, like a foot fault. The team receives a warning, and the correct player throws. Subsequent violations incur a one-throw penalty.
• For any violation that requires a re-throw (stance violation, provisional throw), the same player throws.

Best Shot is by far the most popular doubles format. Both players throw from each lie (starting with the tee shot), then the team chooses which of the resulting lies to continue play from, until the hole is completed.

• A team may take a reasonable amount of time to pick which lie they want before the 30-second play clock starts.
• A lie that is picked up without being marked is gone forever; the team must throw from the other lie. If the second lie is picked up, it must be replaced in accordance with PDGA rules. All lies must be marked according to PDGA rules.
• If the first player throws from the wrong lie, the second player may still throw from the correct lie.
• In case of injury or disqualification, one partner may play alone, throwing one shot at each lie (essentially playing singles).

I was told last year while planning the tournament that having a round of worst or tough shot would keep people away.  I can understand that being the case if you’re looking at playing that format at a course like Easley or Seneca.  The Walhalla Disc Golf Course is very short and birdie opportunities abound.  I would be surprised if a pro team or an advanced team is severally hurt on the tough shot round.

In Tough Shot once the disc is in the basket, it is in.  In worst shot (which we’re not doing) both players must make the putt. 

A reminder…we’ve already lined up the main sponsor so we’ll be giving 100% payback per division with added money to the pro purse.  Right now I have $50 added to the pro purse.  We’ll have the minimum $500 added for the pro-purse by the start of the tournament.  We have several sponsors we expect to sponsor at the same level as last year and several sponsors that we’ll be asking to step up to a higher level this year.  Also - we’re going to be doing a canvassing drive of small businesses in Walhalla and Seneca with a $25 hole sponsorship package.  Having a relationship with lots of those businesses, I hope to get at least one sponsor per hole and hope to have multiple sponsors per hole.

For information on the event you can email info@scdoubles.com or comment here. 

Still only have one registered team but I have heard from several teams that their going to be playing.  I was hoping for a full field last year but we only had 60 players.  I do expect to have a bigger field this year…even with conflicting events in Georgia.

The art work for the tournament is almost complete.  I met with the artist this morning and have seen rough drafts.  I think we’re going to have another outstanding logo again this year.