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[johnrock]

I'll try to keep everyone updated about what's happening up here in the Panhandle.

Weekly mini's happen every Saturday afternoon (handicap round @ 3pm), and most Sunday afternnons (1st Sunday is 2 rounds of singles, 2nd Sunday is random draw doubles, 4th Sunday is 1 round of singles). Ace pot is up for grabs for anyone who plays. An ace will get you $500.00 (the back-up pot is at $360.00+). No week-day activities due to limited daylight.

5th Sunday 10 Pound Round is coming up on December 31. Time and place yet to be determined. We do these 5th Sunday 10 pound rounds to help with our Ice Bowl food donation. Good success so far!

Ice Bowl 2007 will be February 11.

DisCrazy Shootout Fundraiser - Third Sunday of January. Come out for a round of golf plus a skills challenge! This will be lots of fun and Matt Smart will have some cool stuff for prizes. Should start sometime before noon.

[johnrock]

We're taking a vote this Sunday whether or not to let the ace pot grow past $500. Some want to see it similar to the ace pot at The Vet (grow multiple ace pots). Some want to pay it out every time (CTP if no ace hit). Some want to keep it like it is (cap it at $500). What do you want? Show up for the monthly Sunday at 1:30 and cast your vote.

ps: If you don't vote, you have no excuse for crying!

[johnrock]

And the majority says:
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Let 'em grow!!!

So now we will start growing our ace pot similar to the way I've heard them do it in Arlington. Grow the first to $500, then start another until it hits $250, back to the first until it hits $750, then back to the second until it hits $500,Back to the first until it hits $1,000, then grow a third until it hits $500, then grow the first till whenever.

Anyone may participate in our events to have a chance at our ACE money. No restrictions ***(if a player cannot behave themselves in a respectable manner towards other players and event coordinators, they will be banned from participating in club activities)*** I must stress this disclaimer because of the trouble we have had with certain individuals that believe they have the "right" to say how things are going to be and dismiss the collective work of the group. If you don't like the way the group has voted (especially if you don't even try to vote), don't play club activities.

[johnrock]

Another big ice storm here in Amarillo. I drove through the park to check out the course, and it doesn't look like any damage to the baskets. Lots of big branches down . It looks like it's as bad as the one a few years ago when we lost some really good obstacles.

[johnrock]

Well, I missed out on my annual "Shortest Day of the Year Round" The Parks & Rec. Dept. closed all the roads leading into the park so the only way to get to the course was to hike in. It's not really very deep snow & ice, but with all the damage to the big old Elm trees, I didn't feel like playing "Dodge the falling limbs". Hopefully they city crews can get the area stabilized by tomorrow for the weekly handicap round, but I don't know. They started the cleanup project at the main entrance to the park on Wednesday, and when I drove by yesterday at 4:00pm, the crews had only made a small dent in that area, and there is still many, many acres to go before they get to the course

[johnrock]

Some people just have no sense whatsoever!!!


I got a call from the Park Foreman yesterday evening asking if I would spread the word. THE COURSE IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED!!! THERE ARE A LOT OF "DEADMEN" STILL HANGING UP IN THE UPPER BRANCHES OF THE TREES!!!The crews are working hard to get the area cleaned up, they just need time!

Apparently, one person decided that the Parks Dept. personnel have no right to tell him that he can't use the Disc Golf course. He proceeded to get ugly with them (unfortunately for him, he was yelling at the Park Foremamn and his Supervisor, who were out surveying the damage), causing quite the spectacle. I was informed that they took down his license plate #, and today they are going to initiate the process of a "Tresspass Warrant" against this individual. According to their description of the offender, it seems like he is a member of the "RMR" gang who has been causing trouble around here for a while now. These people have no respect for the course, or the other players who use the facility. With their attitude, who knows how long the Parks Dept. will tolerate Disc Golf. I have tried to let them know that all of the people who use the course aren't like this group, and they assure me that they realize there are some rogue players out there, but COME ON PEOPLE! It's dangerous under those trees right now! Let the crews do their job.

Nobody likes a dead discgolfer

[johnrock]

Yeah, and no real Disc Golfer likes to see a course pulled because of stupidity!

I had the misfortune of meeting up with some of the west texas disc golfers @ a recent event here in Funkytown. I now understand what you are dealing with. Please do not mis-interpret my statement, I do not think that west texas golfers are bad people . Just the ones I met.

[atxdiscgolfer]

they were from Abilene not Amarillo

my bad, but in my defense , abilene is still west of here.

[johnrock]

I'm not sure who you met, but I don't remember anyone from here saying anything about going to your area for an event. I'm not saying I know everyone or know what everyone does, but in a small town, word gets around. I know several of the Abilene players, and they are for the most part very good people to be around at a tournament.

It is unfortunate that some people have to let their "habits" take control of their lives and cause them to make some really dumb decisions. According to the Park Foreman (who I went and talked with yesterday), this individual went past the barricades at the entrance to the park, then moved some other barricades that were placed on the bridge near the course parking lot (actually the individual tossed the barricades into the creek ). When the Parks personnel approached this person to let him know the course was closed for the clean-up project, he instantly started yelling and swearing at them. After threatening the city people, the police were called and he left in a rage, destroying more barricades on the way out. The Parks & Rec. Dept. will take action to assure that this person is held accountable for his actions, so there will probably be more police presence in the Park. Hopefully this incident will help some of the less respectful people in this world understand that they need to consider their actions a little more carefully.

Some people are just jerks!

[johnrock]

10 POUND ROUND!!! This Sunday!!!

We're playing at the regular course this time (instead of taking the portables to a different park), 2:00 tee off. Bring 10 pounds of food and you're in! We'll play "Skip-******" (tee from #1 tee to #2 basket, #3 tee to #4 basket, etc...), just 2 divisions - pro & am. Thanks to DisCrazy, we'll give a prize to whoever brings the most food, and prizes in each division for the winners. Show up and help us boost our donation to the High Plains Food Bank (our ICE BOWL is Feb. 11).

[johnrock]

DisCrazy Shootout - '07 Fundraiser/3rd Sunday of Jan.

On the third Sunday of Jan., DisCrazy will host a fundraiser event to benefit the 2007 DisCrazy Shootout. Preliminary details include 1 round of golf on the Disc Creek Disc Golf Course, then a skills challenge for the rest of the afternoon. Come out and have some fun, get in on the action and prizes!

More info: contact me or Matt Smart (I'll try to find his contact info and post it here soon).

[MattSmart]

Hey Rock,
Thanks for getting that posted. Ive been falling behind.
If anyone needs any info about the Skills Challenge or the 3rd Annual Discrazy Shootout you can contact me at
806-336-0553 or at discrazy21@yahoo.com.

The support for the Shootout has been great so far!!
I will be posting it on the Pdga tournament page this weekend.
There is a tournament page is on the website also. Discrazy.com will be up anyday!!!

[johnrock]

Skills Challenge! Coming soon!! This will be your first opportunity to get a free entry to the 2007 DisCrazy Shootout!!! Lots of other stuff to give away also.

Be at the course early, and be ready for a good time! Start time will be 10:00am!

[johnrock]

TOP OF TEXAS ICE BOWL
2007 ICE BOWL - FEBRUARY 11

Come out and join us as we play Disc Golf to support the HIGH PLAINS FOOD BANK. It will be a fun round as always, and stick around for a burger afterwards. There will be a lot of stuff to give away (thanks DisCrazy!).

$10.00 to get in, everyone will get an ICE BOWL mini marker and something to eat. Please bring some NON-PERISHABLE food to add to our donation table. And, if you can, please add to our cash donation also. We are trying to raise 2000 pounds of food and $1,500.00 in cash. It's a lofty goal, but I'm sure we can meet it.

Please help, PEOPLE GOTTA EAT!!!

[johnrock]

I almost forgot:

This could be your chance to get a FREE!!! entry to the DisCrazy/Budweiser Select Shootout - '07.

[johnrock]

Well, we've got snow and ice covering everything again. But we still had 10 show up for the handicap round yesterday! No aces, the ace pot is now at $550.00. Doubles today, maybe you and your partner can split it. More snow and ice predicted, not much but enough to make it interesting.

[johnrock]

Don't let the weather make you stop practicing. Get out there! Get ready for the Skills Challenge! It's going to happen regardless of rain, snow, or snain!!

Preliminary details include playing one round on the Disc Creek Disc Golf Course. We will be trying out some new features for the course. HAZARDS!!!! On several holes we will be marking some areas that will cause the better players some consternation. Hopefully these areas will be the future of course design.

That's all for now, more later!

[johnrock]

April 14 - the Woodmen of the World Spring Fling.

This one was a really windy event last year and still had a bunch of people out for it! This year it will be even better. Plan on a good time!!

Hopefully these areas will be the future of course design.

Future of course design in general or just for that course?

What are these hazards you speak of ?
Aligators, crack dealers, message board moderators ?

[johnrock]

Ahh, HAZARDS.

There are a couple of other threads (one is in the course design area and another is in other PDGA topics I think - I don't know how to provide a link for you) that I have explained my thoughts on about this subject. Basically, I want to add some areas (similar to hazard areas in ball golf) that will make players consider their shots a little more carefully. I don't want to install these areas everywhere on the course, just a few scattered around. On our course here, we have several areas that are depressions in the surface of the park (nothing too severe, just obvious depressions). I believe that we can use some of these sinkholes as "Hazard" areas. We will be discussing how best to make the penalty for landing in a "Hazard", some want it to be a penalty similar to OB. I would prefer stance restrictions (to make the next shot more difficult), while others would like to see a re-location of the lie (drop zone). I'm not narrow-minded on the penalty, I just want to see some added difficulty.

interesting.

It is tough to compare it to a ball golf hazard, they do not get stroked for being in a sand bunker. Perhaps a marble hazard. If you are in it , you have to throw on a bed of marbles, nice and slippery! Even better, a KY Jelly bunker. No stroke, but hard to throw! Or perhaps if you are in the hazard you must throw the up and coming shot with your off hand. It will work, untill somebody like Chris Sprague comes to town.

[gnduke]

The option most consistant with the current rules is the special area with no penalty stroke and drop zone. If you have suitable obstacles, the drop zone can be behind a tree.

[johnrock]

It is interesting. The "Hazard" areas as I picture them would do more like a "Sand Trap" in ball golf. If a player is in an area, say 100 ft. from the basket, and they can't move their support points, it would make their next throw much more difficult. Especially if there are trees or other obstacles in the way. I know, I know, there are those that say we shouldn't use everything that ball golf does (usually it the ones who have their own ideas about what they want to see for Disc Golf), but I'm convinced that Disc Golf could use some "Hazard" areas. It would be fairly easy to police other players, same as those in a sand trap on a ball golf course would expect to have their competitiors watching to see if they ground their club on the sand.

[keithjohnson]

It would be fairly easy to police other players, same as those in a sand trap on a ball golf course would expect to have their competitiors watching to see if they ground their club on the sand.

great idea ...BUT you can't even get players to call stance violations now ...what makes you think they'll call them with sand traps?

[ck34]

Your options that don't require special rules exemptions are:
1. Define a hazard with no penalty but player has to proceed to play from a relatively nearby drop zone which maybe has a more challenging angle or is even 5-10 feet behind a tree.
2. Same as 1. but the drop zone is from the player's original lie which many times is the tee. Harold is thinking about using this method on hole 17 next year at USDGC.
3. Same as 1. but player takes relief from hazard by going back to the edge of the marked hazard on line with the pin. This can work well near the pin.
4. The hazard itself isn't even marked with a hazard boundary because it contains a challenging throwing area. Perhaps it's a pit, sandy, filled with pea gravel, has big rocks or logs scattered around.

Anything that forces a fixed stance or special throw has been considered inappropriate by the course designer's group and would likely be hard to get approved by the Competition Director. The Competition Director should still be apprised even if the first three items in the list above are being used as much for information purposes on what's being down out there versus just getting approval.

[johnrock]

I knew it wouldn't take long for Chuck to get involved and start saying what you can and can't do. Chuck, I know you don't like my idea, but your opinion isn't going to stop my efforts to see if this can work. You try to make it sound like your course design group is the end-all of disc golf ideas. It is most definately NOT! You have done a lot of good stuff for Disc Golf over the years, but unless you plan on showing up to participate, you have no business with this event. I never even said that we were going to use the stance restrictions, but that we are going to discuss how best to handle it. I'm in favor of stance restrictions, I also think the Drop Zone may work. Whatever we decide, we will try it out. If it works like we want it to, we will spread the word so other course designers may utilize a new tool for their designs. If it doesn't work, it won't be from lack of trying! We'll go back to the drawing board and start again.