Last Day for Double Rewards!

Just letting you guys know, tomorrow, Sunday March 7th, is the last day for Double Rewards Points.  This is a great way to rack up some points and get free stuff.

Check out what you can get with your Disc Golf Station Rewards Points!

Double Rewards through Sunday, March 7th!

Discraft Nuke and Ten Inches of Snow in Fort Worth

First and foremost.  The Discraft Nuke is here.  The general release in ESP plastic has been much anticipated.  The Memorial Fundraiser Nukes were a huge success and have been lighting up the fairways.  Grab one quickly because these are First Runs and are sure to go fast.

Discraft Nuke - ESP First Run

Let it snow!

So Fort Worth, TX received 10 inches of snow in ONE day!  Thursday Feb. 11 brought in heavy flakes for almost 24 hours straight resulting in the greatest downfall of snow in our area EVER.  Here are some pictures I took this morning, Feb. 12 around my house and home course, Arcadia Park.

Snow on Hole 6 at Arcadia Park

Don’t know how you Northerners do it all winter!  The snow is brutal!

Looking out of my front door.

White Creek that flows through Arcadia has never looked so beautiful!

Hole 8 Arcadia Park

And my own winter wonderland:

My DB-5 in the backyard

Well, that’s enough for now.  I hope February finds you all warm wherever you are.  I’m looking forward to thawing out and getting back to daylight and the delight of afternoon games!

See ya on the course!

Grant

A Bright Idea

Playing Texas State University’s West Campus Park one night with my buddy, I achieved a feat thought to be most impossible.  The sun set on our round long about hole 13.  Now on #17, we’re just trying to hurry up and go home.  For those of you that haven’t played the new layout, 17 tees from Ranch Road 12 and shoots down a 250 ft. tunnel of disc grabbing live oak trees only to take a 90 degree left dogleg for 75 feet through two mature oaks to a heavily guarded basket.  Route after route I’ve tried to make that turn to set up a long birdie. 

Well tonight, in the dark, and I’ll get back to that history making I was talking about earlier in a minute, I try a big S-Curve that will fade back across the turn and jump in the basket. (why not, here’s to hoping).  In fact, a par will give me my best round out here by a single stroke.  Ryde or dye baby.  I throw a FLX Surge off of the tee and start it out to the left and it turned over as expected. Period.  End of shot.  No flexing back tonight.  As described I’m now nestled (euphemism for I have no clue where my disc is) in the live oaks and the rock boulders that line the hill on the right.  After a short search, we find the disc.  I’m roughly pin high and about 150 ft out and elevated above the basket by oh how about 15 ft.  

Hey, here’s a plan. Throw your ESP Avenger that is bright yellow, you know, so you will be able to find it really easy.  My only shot option was overhand, so I do an easy thumber that is supposed to jump in the chains for an easy two.  As you can tell already, logic and reason have weighed heavily into my shot selection thus far on 17, so here I go with an unsafe, barely balanced upshot thumber above 40 foot trees.  Well I make a great shot (except for that tree of course).  I immediately begin searching for my disc by checking the chains.  (aw man, just missed em!)  So we begin searching for it in the limbs.  The brush.   The branches.  The leaves.  Okay now I’m a little peeved cause I ain’t finding it.  I climb the tree and start looking.  I’m about 15 feet off the ground and in the dark and shaking limbs (more evidence of my affinity for intellectual thought. 

After 15 minutes, my pal heads for my truck to get some flashlights.  Luckily a dim stream of “light” was peering out of one of them so I could try to find the disc.  Brent heads back and decides to put the headlights on the tree.  Helps but still no dice.  He goes back to the truck and seems up to something but I don’t ask.  I’m just too frustrated and stubborn to give up this disc.  THEN I SAW IT!

Much to my dismay the disc is 25 ft up this behemoth of a tree.  So, here I start in with the rock throwing.  No friend in sight.  Where is that guy?  Chunking more rocks.  Finally I see headlights pulling up the fairway.  I’m a little worried until I realized it was my truck that my friend had driven onto the course to shine the lights closer.  Now we’re in business.  After a few America’s Funniest Home Video-esque moments of stupidity, like throwing rocks in the direction of my new truck, or like throwing rocks in the dark that land a foot in front of you when they come crashing to the ground, I finally make some contact.  Darn, nothing.  Then BAM I nail the disc smack in the middle.  I wait for it to fall.  Wait where is it??????  After a brief search, I spotted the disc.  Still in the tree.  Higher than before.  *There are no words to describe the rapidity with which my heart sank in this moment*  HOW IS IT EVEN PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN?!?

To make a long story slightly shorter, I will wrap it up.  It took about 10 more frustrated and hilarious minutes to knock it back down to earth where my ego had been lying dazed from its earlier collapse.  Disc in hand, we make it out of the course unnoticed.  Didn’t lose any plastic and managed to avoid bodily harm despite foolish ideas like tightroping atop branches.  Moral of the story-think twice before throwing into hundred year old trees,  always bring working flashlights, shoot smart in the dark, start the round earlier, put glow lights on the disc before throwing it in the dark, throw a GLO Stalker instead, take the high percentage shot, and let’s be honest this list could go on for a while.

Although it was quite memorable, I’m not really begging for another scene like this anytime soon.  Nevertheless, see ya on the course!

Disc is how we do it.

So I waited 20 minutes…

This first part has nothing to do with disc golf.  It has everything to do with waiting in line at Kroger for 20 minutes behind this lady.  So, last night my wife and I are shopping for groceries for the week and I turned out to be the cart pusher when it came time to choose a checkout lane.  We had too many things for the speedy line and thus too many for my own self to do at the self-checkout…how does that work anyway-me do Kroger’s work for them?  We found ourselves pulling into what seemed to be a good line choice.  There was just one customer in line and she already had most of her items on the conveyor.

“How bad could this be I said to myself?”  “Not very,” I said back.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Turns out she had more items than it first appeared.  Quite a pack rat of the grocery basket she was.  Ok, so it’s looking like it’s going to cost a ton so my wife and I took an over/under on $350 for the total cost of this lady’s trip to Kroger.  My wife goes over so by default I’ve got to make it a competition and go under.  So my wife gets in position to eavesdrop and see/hear how much money it’s going to be and then…..

The unthinkable happened.  This lady pulls out an envelope an inch thick and hands it to the cashier.  It’s full of coupons.  FULL.  OF COUPONS.  She was going to need them to because the total had escalated to $430.  I was WAY off calling under on $350.  The cashier rings up every coupon.  Cost her $180.  Wait…what!!!  $250 in coupons.  Are you kidding me?  This woman’s rudeness and gall at hogging the lane for 20 minutes quickly became sheer brilliance.  My wife and I just looked at each other shaking our heads.

The moral of this story is not that somehow I won that over/under….it’s START USING COUPONS!

Also, reminders:

1. Renew your PDGA membership
2. Ratings update, check out your new rating now on PDGA’s website.
3. Go to Disc Golf Station for great deals on golf discs.

See ya on the course!

Grant

Nightmares can come true!

Last Saturday, a field of 50 players converged midday at San Antonio’s Nani Falcone Park to compete in the first of five qualifiers in The Alamo Disc Series, presented by Disc Golf Station.  Aptly titled “Nightmare at Nani,” the course featured 9 temporary holes, abundant out-of-bounds, island holes, re-tee holes, leftover rainwaters, and gusty winds that transformed an easy nine-holer into a challenging and frustrating round.  And that was just the first round played in the daytime. 

As the sun fell, players took a break to grab dinner, shake off the shame of their snowmen and hockey sticks, fix their discs with glow sticks or charge their glow discs.  Thankfully, the wind subsided during the night round, and the T.D. removed O.B. penalties.  These two factors alone saw most players shooting much better despite playing in the dark.  I have to say, if there’s anything cooler than watching a disc in flight, it may  be watching one light up the sky at night.

Tomas Sandaval of New Mexico beat out locals Jayson Houston and Orlando Perieda for the Open Men’s victory.  Leading Advanced Men, Intermediate Men, and Recreational Men was Marcos Castillo, Joel Santrock, and Mike Morales, respectively.  Lena Ayala took the top spot in Intermediate Women.  The action wouldn’t have been complete without some great CTP and Ring of Fire competitions, both played in the dark.  Particularly interesting was the Ring of Fire with 50 glowing putters hitting a central target.  Some great prizes were offered from Disc Golf Station, Jerry’s Cherries, Title Disc, Fly Ink (awesome dyes from local artist and player Dave Wimer).

Check back for updates on the next events in The Alamo Disc Series!

Disc is how we do it!

Disc Golf Station Presents the 2010 Alamo Disc Series!

We are proud to be presenting the 2010 Alamo Discs Series!    The series kicks off this weekend at Nani Falcone Park in San Antonio this Saturday, January 16 at 3pm.  Typically a nine-hole configuration, 9 holes have been added to make a fun and challenging 18 hole round by daylight.  Adding to the excitement is a second round to be played by moonlight with glow sticks on the tees and baskets.  The “Nightmare at Nani” will be a fantastic start to a series jam packed with fun and unique events, lots of giveaways, and some professional tournament directing by the guys at the San Antonio Disc Club.  There are 5 qualifiers and a grand finale at Live Oak Park in Live Oak, TX in December.  Other courses to see series competition will be Boerne, Bandera, Pearsall, Universal City, McClain, and Live Oak.  If you live in Texas, you do not want to miss the action.  Point totals will be kept all year and come to a exciting conclusion at the Series Finale in December.  All PDGA divisions will be offered (recreational and up).  Although some events aren’t sanctioned by PDGA, don’t miss an opportunity to play one of these great tournaments and advance in the standings!

Schedule of Events

Qualifying Events

January 16, 2010 – Inaugural Nightmare @ Nani

This is a 1 day, 36 hole event where players play the first round by daylight and the second round by moonlight.  Played at Nani Falcone Disc Golf Course, this tournament includes 9 new, never before seen holes.  Cash payout for all divisions.

March 13 , 2010 – 2^nd Annual Alamo City Open

This is a 1 day, 36 hole event contested at San Antonio’s newest course.  Expect sweet prizes, epic views of Lackland Air Force Base, and windy conditions.

April 3, 2010 – 2^nd Annual Texas Hill Country Throwdown

This is a 1 day, 36 hole event played on 2 of the hill country’s finest courses in Boerne & Bandera.  One course is nestled along the banks of a hill country lake, the other along the banks of a hill country river.

October 9, 2010 – 3^rd Annual Bryan McClain Open

This is a 1 day, 36 hole PDGA sanctioned C-Tier event played at San Antonio’s most popular disc golf course, Bryan McClain Park.  Past winners are Brad Williams & Phil Morgan.

November 13, 2010 – Inaugural Oh Say Can UC

This is 1 day, 36 hole event played at the course loved by so many Masters, Universal City Park Disc Golf Course.  This course is currently going through a redesign courtesy of the Universal City and the Live Oak Disc Golf Alliance so expect some new things at this course sure to test your forest skills.

We are currently in discussions with other area tournament directors about the possibility of adding more events as series qualifiers.  Check back for more details

Series Finale

December 4-5, 2010 – Inaugural Alamo City Championship

This is 2 day, 54-72 hole PDGA sanctioned B-Tier event.  This event promises to be one the area’s best events with HUGE AMOUNTS added cash and bonus payout.  The main course to be used at this event will be Live Oak Park Disc Golf Course with the potential for other area courses to be thrown in the mix depending on the number of players.

- – -

Check back for updates and recaps of all the action, brought to you by San Antonio Disc Club and Disc Golf Station.

Disc is how we do it.

Grant

Disc Golf Station Updates

I’m writing this a little over an hour before the Cowboys take on the Eagles (again) in the Wildcard Weekend of the NFL Playoffs.  Let’s go ‘Boys!

Here’s what’s going on at DiscGolfStation.com:

1. We now carry the Original NutSac Disc Golf Bag and the Double NutSac for those that need a few more discs.  Funny name, serious bag!  They are high-quality, heavy-duty, American-made, awesome bags!
   

   NutSac Disc Golf Bag

2. We have picked up quite a few things from Disc Player Sports.  The Stash Mini and Disc Player Disc Golf Bag are two of our favorites!
   

   Disc Player Stash Mini

3. We are hard at work on our course locator.  Our goal is to have it completely finished, operational, and live on DiscGolfStation.com by February 1st.  We know you are excited!
4. We have got some great videos coming your way this month as well.  We are going to be filming ourselves USING our discs so that you can see them (not us) in action.  Have you ever wondered how this disc or that disc ACTUALLY performs…well we’re going to show you.
5. We have recently restocked all of our Lightning products.
6. We have a restock of Discraft Discs on the way as well!

Ok, now back to the Jets/Bengals pregame show….let’s go Cowboys!

Hoping for better weather…see ya on the course!

Grant

Disc Golf (and other) thoughts

Disc Golf Thought

I’m so excited for the new year and a fresh outlook on disc golf.  I’ve really been working on getting a good pull back on my drives.  I’ve always short-armed or at best managed a three-quarter pull back.  After just a few tries, I drove my Nuke over 400 ft on hole 4 at North Park.  This was my wake up call…what am I waiting on…so – next time you see me on the course, if I’m not pulling back you slap my stupid face!

Slap me silly if I don't start pulling back!

Non-Disc Golf Thought

I want to read 52 books this year.  Last year was a down year for my personal reading.  In 2009, I only read 23 books at an average of 283 pages/book.  This came out to 17.83 pages a day.  Compare that to 2008 where I read 44 books, 231 pages/book, and 27.9 pages a day.  Gotta make more time to read.  Reading is an escape, a learning experience, a journey, a personal time of solace, and an intake of culture, history, and countless perspectives all rolled into one.

Back to the Golf di Frisbee

I enjoyed meeting some fellow players from DG Course Review at Arcadia Park in Fort Worth for a draw doubles mini on January 2nd.  It was a lot of fun and I look forward to playing disc golf with these guys again.  Supposedly, we’re playing at North Park this weekend but with temperatures in the teens as they predict, my warm blood might stay inside.

Non-Disc Golf

The Dallas Cowboys are on fire!  They finally fixed their December woes and look to be one of the favorites heading into the playoffs.  Now what they REALLY have to do is WIN a playoff game.  No more flopping down the stretch ‘Boys…let’s go!

Go 'Boys!

Final Disc Golf Thinkings

This year is going to be huge for disc golf.  Make sure you renew your PDGA Membership (or get one for the first time)!  Join a club, play minis, play sanctioned tourneys, invite your friends and family to play, and keep having fun!

See ya on the course!

Grant

———–

Let me know if I can get you any golf discs, we like to help people out!

Disc Golf Resolutions

As the new year is upon us, we can’t help but reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly.  The best-of and worst-of lists are dominating news and comedy shows.  One of my personal favorites is the Conan bit during Y2K… “in the year 2000, in the year 2000.”  Maybe you’re already planning a few improvements for you in 2010.  With our first child on the way, my wife and I have a lot to ponder during this season.  We have tons of new experiences about to hit us this spring. 

Along with my personal and family goals, I have some goals for my disc golf game.  I want to play more tournaments this year and focus more on my technical skill.  2009 has been more about distance and power.  To raise my PDGA rating, I will be practicing a lot of putting as well as a lot of attention to my form.  Learning to use more “touch” is something on my to-do list.  Have you thought about what you might want to do with your disc golf life in 2010?  Do you play competitively?  Are you looking to increase skill level, place higher in tournaments?  Perhaps not.  Maybe your goal is to simply play a round a month.  Maybe you want to introduce disc golf to a friend or family member.  How about trying another flying disc sport, like Ultimate or Freestyle, or just good ole catch!  Whatever your goal, I hope it is one that is meaningful to you and is something you can reasonably attain.  So, go ahead and scratch off beating Ken Climo, and give yourself a goal that will keep you focused and enjoying this awesome sport.  Take a second and participate in the polls and let us know what you’re thinking for 2010. And don’t say Arby’s.

Happy New Year!

Disc is how we do it.

Grant

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…

and in Fort Worth, Texas, sure enough the magic of snowfall at Christmas time was more than abundant.  That’s in our Texan terms.  2 inches of snow on the ground AND it didn’t melt in an hour.  Yankees try to stifle your laughter, but for us Texas guys and gals, this was a Christmas treat we haven’t seen in many, many years.  In true Texas fashion, our round yesterday at Bear Creek Park in Grapevine, TX was played in 70 degree and sunny weather and less than 24 hours go by before we see snow falling for hours at a time.  Who woulda thought.

My Nuke in the Texas Snow.

My brother and I have been spending lots of time out on the course this week.  We’ve been throwing the Nuke around, and so far both of us are really enjoying Discraft’s newest edition to their lineup.  It is crazy fast.  Put it on a good line because once you release, it is GONE.  It’s fun to watch a fast disc take off and fly.  What I like personally is that this speed demon isn’t so overstable that I can’t throw the thing relatively straight.  Fast drivers are great, and it’s wonderful to have one that isn’t a meathook out of the box.  Once beaten in, I predict that this disc is going to be perfect for maximum distance with soft S-curves.  I love the stamp-it reminds me of something out of Back to the Future.

Saturday morning, December 26, we will be out at North Park in Haltom City, TX cleaning up the course with the locals at 9am.  If you are in the DFW, TX area we could use your help.  If not, don’t forget to help out your local club when they have work days.  Your sacrifice of a few hours every once in a while keeps our courses enjoyable for everyone.  Most parks and rec departments alone won’t maintain the courses to the level we want, so it’s up to us, the disc golf community, to get the job done.  I know I don’t even have to say this but don’t forget your discs- all work and no play makes jack a dull boy. 

Merry Christmas to all!  Hope your holidays are jolly!

See ya on the course,

Grant