A sunny Sunday morning in February brought a baker's dozen club members from the San Antonio Disc Club to the McClain Disc Golf Course. However these guys (and gals) set aside their morning to work at the course before enjoying it with their discs. Hosted by Mr. Fly Ink, Dave Wimer, the crews set out to pick up trash on the course as well as to prepare select holes for upcoming additions. Highlights from their efforts include new tee placements on hole 7, 13 and 18, and new pin placements on 8, 16, and 17. For those not familiar with this course, it is the premier course in San Antonio and is home to many briars, brambles and other blood thirsty off-the-fairway obstacles. These were especially fun to remove. Glad I wore jeans!
The day was not solely about the work. Where there is a basket, there will be discin. The crew finished the beautification and renovations by noon and were flipping for partners with a $5 buy in. Here are some action shots from the guys.
Austin playing hole 16
Jason and Justin teeing off on 16 and 8
And last but not least, Raul, the king of the thumbers (and tomahawks) watches his Elite-Z Flick sail high above the trees crashing down inside the 10m circle nearly 300' away
A few hours of manual labor, time spent making the course better (and more challenging), friendships starting among club members new and old, and a tight random draw doubles match (Yeah Wimer and I took it :-o ) made this San Antonio Disc Club workday a success. The Alamo Disc Series heats up again April 16 in Boerne at the Boerne City Lake Disc Golf Course for The Hill Country Throwdown. Sign up at http://www.discgolfstation.com/2011-Hill-Country-Throwdown-Registration_p_3350.html and bring your skills.
In closing, your local club NEEDS you! Get out there and spend a morning...or day...improving the course you love to play. Most parks and rec departments don't provide adequate course maintenance to keep the course at your desired standard of excellence. Giving a little of your time makes a difference for everybody in your area. Your local disc golf community thanks you!
Monday, I went to HasletCommunityPark for some disc golf practice and hopefully an ace.Martin Luther King, Jr. Day turned out to be that perfect, sunny, chilly-but-not-cold day.It was around 55°F and beautiful with strong winds out of the south.
My wife and 8-month old accompanied me.The 9-hole course at Haslet is gem.It’s perfect for mid-range and putting practice so I decided to try a new practice idea.So here it is:
My practice idea:
Choose a mid-range and putter combo and make them go head-to-head with as many other combos as you like.For me, I chose the following combos from my bag and extra discs at home:
So which combo do you think would win?(Bearing in mind that most holes are between 180 and 220 ft)I had my money on the Zone/Voodoo Combo because I love the Zone for these types of shots and in the wind I trust the hyzer line with an overstable disc.
Before, I get to the results….the best part was on Hole 7, I tagged an ace with the #3 Hyzer.
It was a soft but tight hyzer line that went in!I’ve replayed the shot over in my head a hundred times since and it still excites me.Some people are all down on aces and think they are overrated…whatever!Getting a hole-in-one is thrilling everytime whether I threw it or not.
Well, here were the results for the 9-hole par 27:
Meteor/ Banger - 22
#3 Hyzer / Crosshair – 23
Stalker / Voodoo – 24
Warrior / Wizard – 24
Zone / Voodoo - 25
Wasp / Banger – 26
Oracle / Ringer – 26 (Only 4 of the round was on the last hole and was because of a dinked 10 ft putt…I was almost more mad about this than I was excited about the ace…almost)
This was a lot of fun, low pressure on my mental game.I got an ace out of the deal and I found that I can throw my Meteor, an understable mid, in the wind a lot better than I thought.
So my advice to you is this:go find the shortest, easiest course around and make your mid/putter combos battle it out for your bag!
Nolan Grider holds off Brice Longerbone at the 2010 Fahrenheit Fling, shooting 17 down on the day. The Pros and Intermediate guys played today (Sunday) while the Rec. and Advanced divisions played yesterday. I play Advanced for the first time ever and didn’t die or get last, so I’m definitely pleased. I shot higher than my rating both rounds, didn’t get too hot, got to play disc golf all day, and burned a ton of calories (much needed).
The 2010 Live Oak Summer Open is coming up this weekend. It’s being played at Live Oak City Park and Universal City Park Courses. It’s going to be two rounds each day, one on each course. LOSO is a very fun disc golf tournament and one of my favorite to play. My brother, Wallace, and I plan on taking 1st and 2nd in Intermediate! Ha! We’ll see, won’t we!
As of June 2010, Universal City Park has been redesigned with 7 new holes! A growing concern of walkers, children, and park-goers, the holes in the multi-use area of the park were pulled and replaced with, in this writer’s opinion, much better disc golf holes. Many many thanks to the Live Oak Disc Golf Alliance! Although generally short, every hole presents a difficult and technical shot; hit your line or you’ll be scrambling to save your par. With smart, strategic play you should find the course can be played under 50 for advanced players.
Today I went out to the Haslet Community Park Disc Golf Course in Haslet, Texas. It’s a neat little 9 hole course that is mostly open and short with a few obstacles. Some hate courses like this but I love them for the great practice they provide. I can work on my approach and mid-range game, which is where I usually struggle. Ok, on to the good stuff.
I aced Hole 2 with my 173g Discraft Elite-Z Flick on a sharp hyzer line through the gap between the trees. This is probably the most technical hole on the course (if such a thing exists at Haslet) with OB creek to the left if you overshoot. It’s a harder-than-it-looks 200 footer with more obstacles than any other hole on the course. This was one of those shots that you know has a chance as soon as it leaves your hand. The beauty of those few seconds stays with you for a while. I know I’m even more excited about disc golf now than I used to be. Bought myself a Mountain Dew on the way home to celebrate!
This is what a Mountain Dew looks like.
If you have a recent ace story, let’s hear it!
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Oh yes, big restock of Lightning Discs. Added over 100 bags and over 300 discs to our inventory.
Presenting version one of Disc Golf Station’s Disc Golf Course Locator:
Disc Golf Course Locator
Find your local courses or over 3000 courses across the country. You can easily get directions by clicking the “Get Directions” link. We have worked very hard on getting this locator off of the ground. We already have many, many upgrades in the works. This is an ongoing project. The locator will continue to be updated to get you the best possible information in the simplest, easiest way. Now for the good stuff.
Opportunity to earn Reward Points at Disc Golf Station:
We want course reviews!!! For a limited time, we are offering 5 Reward Points per review that we approve. Here’s how it works:
Find a course you have played
Click on “Review this course”
Write an original review of this course. (think of info that would be helpful to someone that hasn’t played that course)
We will approve your review and add 5 Reward Points to your account with us under the following conditions:
Your review must be original. If you copy from another site or any copyrighted material, we will not approve and you won’t get points for any review. We will assume you have copied all other reviews.
Your review must be more than a few words to get Reward Points. Only writing “This course is fun” or “this course is hard” is not substantial enough to earn points, we will probably post it but we can’t give you points if your review doesn’t have any substance. Reviews can only be about 500 characters so you don’t need to write an essay, just some helpful comments about pros/cons or your notes about the course.
We reserve the right to reject any review for any reason not listed above if we feel it’s warranted.
Other thoughts: Make sure you put your name or at least email that you use to order on our site so we can give the points to the right person!
Check out what you can get with your Rewards Points at Disc Golf Station!
Actually plenty of golf discs and numerous flyovers from nearby Lackland Air Force Base made last Saturday a blast at the San Antonio Open. The event marked the 3rd outing in the Alamo Disc Series hosted by the San Antonio Disc Club, presented by Disc Golf Station. Aside from some sporadic winds, the day was beautiful and perfect for some discin. Standing water from recent flash floods added extra O.B. challenges, and wildflower growth created some very narrow fairways on a few holes. The gameplay wasn’t affected, however, thanks to johnny-on-the-spot TD Scott Hougland who implemented last minute spotting regulations. And to top off the day, yours truly won the Ace Pot throw off after the second round.
Points Leaders in the Series to date:
Open Men – Pete Lopez
Advanced Men – Marcos Castillo
Intermediate Men – Joel Santrock
Recreational Men – Mike Morales
Look for the next qualifier for the Series finale down in Gonzales on August 21, 2010, hosted by Third Coast.
Last Saturday, 85 players met at Boerne City Lake Park for the 2nd Annual Hill Country Throwdown in Boerne, TX. This was the 2nd event in the Alamo Disc Series, hosted by the San Antonio Disc Club and sponsored by Disc Golf Station. A gorgeous day, clean fairways, 9 killer temp holes, triathletes, casual lake-goers, and a fair amount of wind (okay a lot of wind) gives you an idea of the gameplay. Aside from that, EZs graciously donated burgers for the players as part of the players pack. Local Ernie “One Shot” held down the grill (and the smack talking) all day. Complete with CTP, ring of fire, and Kan Jam, the fun factor for the tournament was really high.
Jayson Houston came out with top honors in Open, besting Pete Lopez, Nick Rowton, and Joe Rotan who came in a three-way tie for 2nd place. Houston also moves into 1st place in the series point totals. Sherman Griffin won the Advanced Men after a short playoff with Marcos Castillo although Castillo maintained a solid lead in the point totals. Other winners include Charlie Chittum (Intermediate Men), Mike Morales (Recreational Men), and Andi Griffin (Recreational Women).
We had a flymart set up selling some new gear just in from Gateway Disc Sports. Check back on our site soon as we will have lots of Gateway products up for you to get your paws on. All in all the day was a blast. Hey all you whities out there, put on some sun screen!!!! Unless you wanna be a lobster like me.
A great day of competitive disc golf was made complete at Chachos in San Antonio. The Disc Golf Station Crew devoured a plate of Monster Kong Nachos over a few beverages. The pictures are from a phone and do no justice to the horrific amount of food that we consumed.
Last Saturday, I hit my 7th ace! It was a beautiful shot with a pink, 173g Discraft Elite-Z Wasp on Hole 5 at North Park in Haltom City. Hole 5 is only 220 ft but features a soft hyzer route that has two trees guarding the last 30 feet of your flight path to the basket. You either have to zing it straight in or plan on your disc fading hard left to get around the arboles. I chose the “straight in” option. After a “go baby go” to help it go in I let out a holler and enjoyed the rest of my day because of a few special seconds of watching a golf disc fly.
Reason #2:
Disc Golf Station now carries Gateway Discs. We are very pleased to announce it here first! Within a week, you will be able to purchase great products from Gateway including some of the best putters on the market. The discs are currently on their way from Missouri. Can’t wait!
Reason #3:
We get to play a tournament this weekend. Looking forward to the Hill Country Throwdown. If you haven’t signed up, do it now! See you in Boerne!
It’s time for The Hill Country Throwdown, the 2nd event in the San Antonio Disc Club’s 2010 Alamo Disc Series, presented by Disc Golf Station. This 36 hole event will be held at the scenic Boerne City Lake Park in Boerne, TX on April 3, 2010. A John Houck design, this difficult par 3o, 9 hole will be expanded with 9 temp holes. The Throwdown schedule is as follows:
Schedule
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM Late Registrations
8:45 AM Player’s Meeting
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Round 1 (18 holes)
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Round 2 (18 holes)
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Games & Awards
Cost
Open $40
Advanced $30
Intermediate $25
Recreational $20
Optional $5 Ace Pot
This is C-Tier PDGA sanctioned event, non-PDGA members must pay $10 non-member fee.
You had better register soon online at www.titledisc.com to ensure your spot. This event is filling up fast!
If you haven’t played Boerne, you are in for a treat. Check out a few of the pics from the course!
We’ll be out there with our gear all day, so whether you play or not, come get some new disc golf equipment. If you haven’t picked up the Discraft Nuke, we still have a few First Runs. They’re going fast! Get one now and let ‘er rip out on Houck’s par 4′s in Boerne.
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!
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!
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!
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 – 2nd 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 – 2nd 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 – 3rd 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.
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Check back for updates and recaps of all the action, brought to you by San Antonio Disc Club and Disc Golf Station.
Okay here are some more pics from disc golf with family and friends over Thanksgiving.
North Park in Haltom City, Texas
Fairway to Hole 1-500 ft through the trees, hope you got a roller...
Wind through the trees for a few holes then come up on a great little ace run on 5.
Brother's upshot on 5.
Fast forward through more tight, well-treed holes to 11. It’s a signature hole with a raised basket. Tough ace but doable birdie. The problem is that unless you’re 15 ft out on your drive you are putting 10 ft in the air…Risk meet reward…
From tee looking down to an elevated basket with plenty of trees to get in the way.
And the drive by yours truly…
I'm not always this smooth...
Hey, there. Ever wondered how to lose a golf disc? Why not throw it into a den of beasts? Great idea you say? Well, let’s try it out…
13 is unlucky for my brother's disc...we did NOT chase after this one. That dog didn't stop barking at me, the one with the disc didn't stop nomming for a good 10 minutes.
And we will conclude this journey with a shot from Hole 5 at Bear Creek in Grapevine, Texas.
Yours truly demonstrating some Gumby form. This drive just barely stayed under the limbs to make it out in the open fairway and an easy up for 3.
Well, there is much to be thankful for this year. This past week, especially, I’m glad to have some time off to play many rounds of disc golf on top of cleaning the house, changing the decorations from Fall to Christmas, tie-dyeing stuff for people for Christmas gifts, and eating myself sleepy. Here are some of the better pictures:
Gateway Park West – Fort Worth, Texas
Gateway Park West Disc Golf Course
Hole 1 Tee Sign
Gateway Park West Tee Sign #1
Fairway of Hole 1…just try not to hit a tree…
Gateway Park West Hole 1's Fairway
Looking down the first 300ft of Hole 5
The first 300ft to this massive 700footer. Mando right about 150ft out on a tight fairway. Fairway goes left out of woods then another 400ft in the open to the basket
Turner Park, Lester Lorch-Coyote and Beaver, Mountain Creek Disc Golf Courses
I had a fun weekend playing ye olde frisbee golf. I tried out a challenging new course in Grand Prairie, Tx called Turner Park on Friday. It features lots of elevation change and requires you to pull out all of your shots. Hope you can backhand, sidearm, thumb, and roll. It is a par 58, consisting of two par 4′s and one par 5. The last hole is an 800 ft. monster going way uphill, then flat, then way back downhill, all through fairways that have enough trees to keep you frustrated.
Here’s a course map:
Turner Park Disc Golf Course - Grand Prairie, Texas
After Turner Park, we headed over to the championship level courses at Cedar Hill’s Lester Lorch Park. The Coyote and Beaver courses are both 18 holes of disc golf pleasure. You’re going to want your golf discs to be in the premium, durable lines because there are plenty of trees to hit. These are great courses that also challenge you to bring your “A” game. It’s a disc golf only park and rarely very busy. There are excellent tee signs, tee pads, and baskets-and multiple placements to boot. A great choice for some doubles action!
From there we went over the Mountain Creek Park to check it out. It’s just a 9 hole in a community park with no signs, no tee pads, and ailing baskets. We played safari holes and made our best guess. It’s really not as bad as you might think, it’s a great place to get some driving practice. It’s the perfect driving range!
Bicentennial, Arcadia, North Park Disc Golf Courses
Saturday we went out to Bicentennial Park in Crowley, Texas (south Fort Worth). Crowley has 21 holes, multiple placements, and three different tees. The Blue (short) tees are great fun and offer birdie opportunities on almost every hole. But don’t get too excited because these are the type of holes that can easily turn into fours if you hit an early tree or have one errant shot. Get ready to hike up and down, and up and down, and up and down… The White (Intermediate) tees are challenging but not too discouraging for the recreational player. If you want one of the toughest challenges in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, jump on the Red tees. Count it golden if you can play single digits over par. Seriously. I’m not joking, check it out.
From there we hit Arcadia Park in Fort Worth and finished up the weekend on Sunday at North Park in Fort Worth/Haltom City. My arm is tired but my heart is content.
to spend a Saturday? Playing DG with your buds. I love playing, and I don’t mind driving to do it. Some of my favorite disc golf stories and memories have occurred on disc golf road trips. One particular round with our friend Brandon was a blast out at Pearsall Park in San Antonio.
Pearsall Sign-San Antonio, TX
The course is built on a former landfill and overlooks Lackland Air Force Base. You get to send discs flying in between flyovers. It’s pretty sweet. My favorite hole is probably the signature hole, #12, a left turning fairway that shoots off a canyon type landscape with a small landing pad. Go deep and you might be sacrificing some plastic.
Pearsall Tee 12
Pearsall #12 Fairway
Disc golf rules plain and simple. I love creative holes like this, especially on a course that utilizes otherwise useless land for the benefit of the disc golf community. Need discs, bags, baskets? Check out Disc Golf Station, then HIT THE COURSE!
This is the first installment of a new series: Disc Golf Ace Challenge. I’m starting with Tommy and Sue Brown Park in North Richland Hills, Texas. My goal and challenge to myself is to record myself bagging all 6 holes on this course. Clint manned the camera today as we got footage of the first ace. This was also my first forehand ace-I’ve hit basket and chained out many forehand shots but I’m glad that one finally stuck!
Here is Hole 4 (160 ft) , Tommy and Sue Brown park:
I’ve already aced Hole 2 many months ago but will get video of it to prove it to the world! My goal is by Thanksgiving to have all 6 aces taped and posted on our Youtube channel. We want everyone to post video responses on Youtube of their own aces!
Check back often for the next ace!
Also, don’t forget to review products at Disc Golf Station for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Disc Golf Station. Go here for more details.
