SC Disc Golf Doubles Championship

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.

Round 2 in Seneca on Sunday will be Best Shot.  The following is from the PDGA website on Doubles tournaments:

Best Shot

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. 

This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 08:05 and is filed under Disc Golf. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.