Got $80K? Want Your Own DG Course? Get it on eBay!

Hyzer Creek just outside of Albany, New York is for sale. As of this post the eBay auction price is $75,100. As of this blog post, less than 11 hours remain in the auction: own your own disc golf course here!

Jordan

ESPN Features Disc Golf!

The sport is growing, no doubt about it. ESPN sports writer Jack McCluskey authored 'Disc Golf has a Pro Tour, and Momentum' published yesterday, August 19th, 2009 on ESPN's Page 2. Avery Jenkins, Ken Climo, and Barry Schultz are among the players interviewed at the Vibram Open in Leicester, Massachusettes for the article.

ESPN Page 2: Disc Golf had a Pro Tour, and Momentum

Brian Graham, executive director of the PDGA, is quoted in the article as well, "Disc golf is really a grassroots sport, it grew up around the world by the hard work of volunteers. We have 40,000 lifetime members in 28 countries. Just about anywhere you go in the country where there's a course or a tournament, there are PDGA members and disc players willing to help."

With annual growth percentages frequently in the double digits, disc golf is poised to grow to involve the general public. ESPN is a huge step forward, even if it is just an article on Page 2.

Jordan

Get Better: Throw Analysis: YouTube 1, YouTube 2

Buy Your Own Disc Golf Course!!!

So you want to own a piece of disc golf heaven? Here is your chance!

Disc Golf Course Ebay Auction...

Hyzer Creek disc golf course (www.hyzercreek.com) just outside of Albany, New York is being sold to the highest bidder via eBay. At this point the property is being marketed exclusively to disc golfers in hopes that the course will remain, and it is a gem.

Hyzer Creek, par 61, was ranked #34 on dgcoursereview.com's top 2008 courses with a 4/5 disc rating. The signature hole is a tight downhill 461 foot beast, ending up with the basket in the creek! The private layout construction started in 2001 by Morgan Wright and has been expanded to a full 18 hole course. Many PDGA tournaments have been held at Hyzer Creek, and hopefully there are many more to come.



Included in the auction for the property with the disc golf course are a livable cabin, storage shed, and camp space. As of this blog (July 25, 8am) the current bid is $14,100. I don't know about you, but I just might move to New York!

Jordan

Get Better: http://www.pdga.com/discussion/forumdisplay.php?f=172

The FASTEST Way to Get Better: Perfect Putt 360 & The Putting Confidence Program

How many shots from within 100 feet do you throw in an average round? Top pros on an 18 hole course may throw as few as 20, especially when their putting is hot! Reducing the number of shots you have near the basket will take strokes off your game IMMEDIATELY. It's simple, make more putts!

If you want to make more putts, it would be wise to practice putting. Now I don't know about you, but after about fifteen minutes of putting with no goal or competition, I get bored. Even playing HORSE (or PIG - one person makes a putt, the next has to make it or he gets an H and so on) gets old fast. While games like HORSE are fun, they do not have any structure to promote the non-physical aspect of your putts. Another drawback to non structured games is that they can lead to unrealistic attempts at putts and even decreased confidence in your putting - horrible for your mental game!

The answer? Perfect Putt 360 & Mark Ellis' Putting Confidence Program!

The guys over at Flying Disc Magazine have published one of the best tools for improving your putting. The best part of the game is it requires you to go through your pre-putt routine EVERY putt, not just to warm up or when you feel like it. No rapid fire putting here, you have to slow down and concentrate, just like a tournament!

The Perfect Putt 360 chart and how to use it can be found here: http://www.flyingdiscmagazine.com/content/putt-perfect-perfect-putt


Mark Ellis (Team Discraft: http://www.discraft.com/team_ellis.html) has made it cool to practice your putts with his Putting Confidence Program. Check out Mark's discgolfersr.us page at http://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/markellis.
Mark's Putting Confidence Program:



Next time you play a round at your local course, keep a tally of how many shots you have, including putts, from within 100 feet. It might surprise you, and you will know where you need to improve. Make a commitment and you will shave at least a few strokes off your game!

The Perfect Putt 360 program is a great practice routine, and the Putting Confidence Program will make you a better putter, no doubt!

Jordan

Get Better: http://www.flyingdiscmagazine.com/

Grow The Game!

Dave Feldberg, as quoted on his Innova player profile page (http://www.innovadiscs.com/team/davef.html) says: "If every one of you guys showed one woman how to play disc golf for every two guys you showed, there would be a much larger women's division. Then it would just roll over and the sport wouldn't be so one-sided." Not only would the game grow, men would hopefully be a little more respectful on the course.

Disc Golf needs a better reputation. A reputation other than the 'pot smokin' hippie' that most people think of the average golfer. I am not saying that people should not have fun on the course, quite the contrary. If the game weren't fun, there would be no reason to play. How do golfers expect the International Olympic Committee to consider disc golf for the Olympics when it is quite common to smell the wacky tabacky on almost any course?

I am asking each and every one of you to take personal responsibility for the reputation and growth of disc golf. Not next year, not next month, but the next time you go play. Pick up trash at your course, invite someone to play - invite a lady, and don't drop an F bomb so everyone on the course can hear when you miss that 15 footer, just mutter it under your breath instead, and for heaven sake, if you must smoke a bowl, do it discretely. The future of our sport depends on it.

Have fun on the course!

Jordan

Get Better: http://www.edgediscgolf.org/

Disc Golf on MTV Sports...

Marty Hapner, '04 DG HOF Inductee, posted this old school video on his website (www.discgolf.com) dating from 1994 from MTV Sports with a closing segment on disc golf:

De La Veaga Disc Golf Course, the home of dg, in Santa Cruz is featured in the piece hosted by Dan Cortese. Where the hell did he go?

Thanks Marty for bringing us a piece of disc golf history, even if we don't want to remember the clothes. Who said disc golf has never been in the mainstream media?

Jordan

Get Better: www.pdga.com/pdgaradio

My 1st Big Win & My First 1000 Rated Round!

I have been playing disc golf since late 2006 after college baseball and a short (and expensive) stint playing ball golf and trying to play competitively. I started out by finding the best disc golfers in Boise to ask questions of, play against, and push me to get better quickly.

My 1st tournament was a local winter series event on a mountain course that I threw 75% thumbers - after baseball the thumber is natural for me and I can get it out 350 with no problem. I would have finished 3rd in open, but I was playing intermediate and had no clue what I was doing. After a winter of decent intermediate play I made the jump to advanced (probably prematurely) and played in the middle of the pack most of the next two years with a few good tournament finishes (top 5) and a handful of non sanctioned wins and strong finishes.

I was looking forward to 2009 being a breakthrough year after a decent '08 season. I revamped my arm motion over the winter to keep the disc closer to my chest on the pullthrough, resulting in increased distance and a more consistent delivery. After asking many pros and very good ams, I came to the conclusion that the difference between winning a tournament and finishing in the middle was not in how far you throw it, but how few putts you take in a round. So, I worked my butt off over the winter putting in my house, after changing my delivery slightly to eliminate extraneous movement.

The first big tournament of '09 was the Treasure Valley Cup at Eagle Island State Park in early April, a one day PDGA C tier event. I played very well in the TVC in 2008, so I was expecting to perform at a high level again. I ended up making the Safari 6 in second place, and I held on to tie for second for a great start to the year. My rating went from 911 to 944 after that tournament.

The Gem State Disc Golfers (www.gemstatediscgolf.org) run the Snake River Series, six tournaments featuring Souther Idaho's best courses, the second of which was the Magic Valley Shootout in Twin Falls held at the College of Southern Idaho course and Rock Creek Park over the last weekend in May. Two rounds at CSI on Saturday and one at Rock Creek on Sunday, followed by a Safari 5 for advanced am and pros made up the format.

I came into the tournament with tons of confidence in my game, especially my putting. The College of Southern Idaho course is moderately open with an 8 foot wide ditch running the length of the course. I started off great with a 5 down my first round at CSI, followed by a 7 down, 1007 rated round showing, my best tournament performance to date. Everything just seemed to go my way, but it could have been better, as always! I minimized the mistakes and capitalized on most scoring opportunities. I ended the day leading all advanced ams by four strokes, 12 down on the day.

Rock Creek #10

Click to see larger image

The final round was held at Rock Creek Park, a course carved out of a small canyon, rock walls on one side and a stream on the other, running the length of the course, with a few elevated tees. The signature hole is around 270 feet with the basket sitting on a 12 foot wide ledge, 40 feet up the face of a rock wall, trees protecting almost every look at the basket. I shot 6 down leading my group easily, not the best I could have thrown, but good enough to still lead by 4 strokes after 3 regulation rounds.

There was a long break between round 3 and the Safari 5, and keeping my head was a bit challenging. The Safari 5 was fun, and I played well on all but one hole on which I took a 7, two obs will do that to you.

I held on to win by three strokes for my first advanced am win, along with my best overall tournament performance. I am looking forward to the Idaho Masters in June, and putting together another good tournament.

Thanks for reading,

Jordan

Get Better: http://www.averyjenkins7495.com/history/tournament-focus-and-mental-game/