Here's the lowdown on the 2010 edition of the Scholastic Series. Hope to see you at the Free Disc Golf Camp Sat. Sept 18, or at some of the 5 events.


Disc Golf Camp: Scholastic Series Preseason @ Woodlands Foundation -- Saturday, September 18; 3-6 pm.

The Disc Golf Camp is free and open to students in grades 5-12 and will be held at The Woodlands Foundation, 134 Shenot Road, Wexford, PA 15090. The Disc Golf Camp includes introductory lessons, fun drills and clinics on putting, making upshots, and throwing accurately and powerfully. Instruction provided by Pittsburgh Flying Disc Society course promoters and board members for boy and girl students from area middle and high schools.
Disc Golfers will get to play the Woodlands �No Handicap� disc golf course with equipment donated by the Disc Golf Association, the Disc Golf Foundation and Elora�s Hope.
Disc Golf Camp also includes an introduction to the 15th annual Pittsburgh Scholastic Disc Golf Series that features five individual stroke play competitions on area disc golf courses. Trophies and prizes awarded at each of the Scholastic series events and each participant in the Series gets a custom logo Scholastic Disc Golf Series jersey, sponsored by Innova Disc Golf.
Players represent their middle and high schools, earning points for their school in the team competition based on their order of finish at the five tournaments in September and October. The high school with the most points after the five events earn the Pipe and Chains trophy for one year. The Pipe and Chains trophy symbolizes the spirit of competition and the honor of the game. Pine-Richland is the 2009 defending school champion.


See the event calendar at www.pfds.org and download a Scholastic DG Series Flyer for the calendar of tournaments at Knob Hill, Two Mile Run Extension, Schenley Park, Moraine State Park and Deer Lakes Park.
Email: coursesuper@pfds.org
More info: www.pfds.org, www.woodlandsfoundation.org

Scholastic Disc Golf Series Event #1 and Knobulus Maximus @ Knob Hill Park -- Sunday, Sept. 26.

Middle and High School boy and girl players play two rounds of 18 holes in a junior division of Knobulus Maximus PDGA-sanctioned tournament. Scholastic players do not have to be members of PDGA and get a tournament players package. $13 entry fee. Register online at pfds.org. or onsite at 9 a.m. 10 a.m. tee off.
See Knobulus Maximus flyer at www.pfds.org for details about the tournament. Knobulus Maximus is the first of five events in which players earn points for their schools based on their finish at the individual events.
Trophies and prizes awarded at each of the Scholastic series events. Each participant in the series gets a custom logo Scholastic Disc Golf series jersey.
Individuals can qualify for the Outstanding Disc Golfer end of season award based on their best 4 finishes over the course of the season.
The Pipe and Chains trophy awarded to the top school at the end of the series symbolizes the spirit of competition and the honor of the game. Pine Richland is the defending school champion.
See reviews and pictures of Knob Hill Disc Golf Course in Marshall Township here: http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=124
Email: tstoude@hotmail.com, coursesuper@pfds.org
More info: www.pfds.org

Scholastic Disc Golf Series Event #2 @ Two Mile Run Extension Disc Golf Course � Saturday, October 2.

Middle and High School boy and girl players play two rounds of 9 holes at Two Mile Run Extension disc golf course in Brighton, Beaver County. Scholastic players do not have to be members of PDGA to compete and get a tournament players disc. $10 entry fee. Registration on site at 9 am. 10 am tee off.
2MRX is the second of five events in which players earn points for their schools based on their finish at the individual events. The Pipe and Chains trophy that goes to the top school at the end of the series symbolizes the spirit of competition and the honor of the game. Pine Richland is the defending school champion.
Individuals can qualify for the Outstanding Disc Golfer end of season award based on their best 4 finishes over the course of the season. Trophies and prizes awarded at each of the Scholastic Series events. Each participant in the series gets a custom logo Scholastic Disc Golf series jersey.
See reviews and pictures of the Two Mile Run Extension (2MRX) course here: http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=3826
Email: cores4pitt@yahoo.com, coursesuper@pfds.org
More info: www.pfds.org


Scholastic Series Event #3 and Schenley Park League Finale @ Schenley Park, Sunday October 10.

This two round, 36-hole event is part of the season ending tournament for the Schenley Park Wednesday Night League, but everyone is welcome to play with a full payout to the top 1/3 of the field. Register on site at 9 a.m. Tee time 10 a.m.

Middle and high school boy and girl players will play two rounds of 18 holes from the White tees in a junior division of the Schenley League Final. Scholastic players do not have to be members of PDGA to compete, and get a tournament players package. $10 entry fee. Trophies and prizes awarded at each of the Scholastic series events. Each participant in the series gets a custom logo Scholastic Disc Golf series jersey.
Schenley League Finale is the third of five events in which players earn points for their schools based on their finish at the individual events. The Pipe and Chains trophy that goes to the top school at the end of the series symbolizes the spirit of competition and the honor of the game. Pine Richland is the defending school champion.
Individuals can qualify for the Outstanding Disc Golfer end of season award based on their best 4 finishes over the course of the season.
See reviews and pictures of Schenley Park Disc Golf Course in Oakland area of Pittsburgh here: http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=106

Email: mprestopnik@hotmail.com
More info: http://web.me.com/mprestop/SchenleyLeague/Home.html


Scholastic DG Series Event #4 and Moraine Monthly @ Moraine State Park, Saturday October 16.

Middle and High School boy and girl players play one round of 18 holes from the White tees in a junior division of the October Moraine Monthly. Scholastic players do not have to be members of PDGA to compete, and get a tournament players package.
Register onsite 9 a.m. $10 entry fee. 10 a.m. tee off. Trophies and prizes awarded at each of the Scholastic series events. Each participant in the series gets a custom logo Scholastic Disc Golf series jersey.
October Moraine Monthly is the fourth of five events in which players earn points for their schools based on their finish at the individual events. The Pipe and Chains trophy that goes to the top school at the end of the series symbolizes the spirit of competition and the honor of the game. Pine Richland is the defending school champion.
Individuals can qualify for the Outstanding Disc Golfer end of season award based on their best 4 finishes over the course of the season.
See reviews and pictures of the Lakeview Disc Golf Course at Moraine State Park here: http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=126
Email: jg7956@gmail.com, coursesuper@pfds.org
More info: www.pfds.org


Scholastic DG Series Event #5 and Deer Lakes Monthly *Mixer* @ Deer Lakes Park, Sunday October 24

Middle and High School boy and girl players play two rounds of 18 holes in a junior division of the October Deer Lakes Monthly. Scholastic players do not have to be members of PDGA to compete, and get a tournament players package. The October Deer Lakes Monthly is the last of five events in which players earn points for their schools based on their finish at the individual events. Individuals qualify for the Outstanding Disc Golfer end of season award based on their best 4 finishes over the course of the season.
Register on site 9 a.m. $10 entry fee. 10 a.m. start from White tees. Divisions will be randomly mixed for Round 1 so players of various skill levels will have the chance to play together.
Middle and High School boy and girl players play a second round from the Red tees after a short lunch. Scholastic players� scores will be cumulative for both rounds.
Trophies and prizes awarded at each of the Scholastic series events. Each participant in the series gets a custom logo Scholastic Disc Golf series jersey.
Final Scholastic DG Series individual and team standings will be announced at the conclusion of the second round.
See reviews and pictures of the Deer Lakes Disc Golf Course here: http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=125
Email: scottmcintyre310@comcast.net, coursesuper@pfds.org
More info: www.pfds.org

POINTS CALCULATION FOR INDIVIDUAL AND SCHOOL COMPETITIONS
Base Points: The winner of a division earns a base of 100 points. Points are subtracted from 100 in intervals.
The interval for 2nd and 3rd place is 5; therefore 2nd is 100-5 = 95 and 3rd is 100-10(5+5) = 90.
The interval for 4th - 8th is 4. e.g. base points for 4th is 100-14(5+5+4) = 86. etc.
The interval for 9th - 14th is 3.
The interval for 15th - 25th is 2.
The interval for 26th and lower is 1.
Total Points: A player's total is base points + 1 point for each player s/he finished ahead of or tied with, plus one point for themselves; e.g. the player with the lowest cumulative score in a field of 20 gets 120 points (100 + 20), 4th gets 102 (86+16), 20th gets 40 (40+0).
Players with tied scores receive the same number of points.
The players below the tie receive the points for the place 2 (or more) spots below the tied place.

Oooh....I found a typo! :)

The 2010 Scholastic Disc Golf Series got off to a flying start last Sunday as part of the PDGA-sanctioned Knobulus Maximus tournament at Knob Hill.

Hampton High School jumped to an early lead in the team competition with Graeme Kernick, Brendan Schaper and Dale Miller representing, but Shaler HS, on the strength of Connor Kazmierzcak's first place win and Spencer Riggins' third place finish is only 53 points back.

Pine-Richland's Chris Gillis finished second in the individual competition and Matt Rutkowski from Taylor Allderdice also represented.

Upper St. Clair's Isaac Meeder swept the Middle School division.

The second event in the series gets underway this Saturday, October 2 at the new Two Mile Run Extension disc golf course in Brighton Township, Beaver County. Register on site between 8:30 and 9:30 am. This weekend's event features a putting clinic at 9:45. This is a great chance to get some tips on the quickest way to lower your score -- by making more putts.

The Two Mile Run event will be played on the par 35 9-hole course with two rounds of 9 holes. HS players will shoot from the Red Tees for the first 9 holes, then a quick reshuffle before playing the second 9 holes from the White tees. Middle School players will shoot from the Red tees both rounds. Play should wrap up around 2 pm.

If you haven't played 2MRX yet, you're in for a treat. Course Promoter Corey Diab has been working to groom the course for you, and we'll have donuts for the morning registration. Bring your parents, sibs and friends. They can all play!

Chris Gillis of Pine-Richland HS took the individual lead and Hampton HS, on Brendan Schaper's second place finish, maintained the front position for the Pipe and Chains team trophy in the High School Scholastic Disc Golf Series after event #2.

On a beautiful day for disc golf at the new Two Mile Run Extension course in Brighton Township Saturday Oct 2, players shot the first nine holes from the Red tees, and a second round from the White tees.

Isaac Meeder of Upper St. Clair's Eisenhower school shot two strokes better on his second nine to win the Middle School prizes.

New players Zoe and Emma Clark lowered their scores by 20 and 6 strokes from the first 9-hole round to the second 9-hole round! Thanks to Homer (dad) Clark and Katie Stouden who played along with the girls, and to the 8 other open, advanced and intermediate players who came out.

Zoe and Emma plan to be at the third scholastic event this weekend at Schenley Park. The event will be part of the Schenley League Finale, and everybody can play, even if they have not played a Wednesday round during the league season.

Event director Mark Prestopnick has arranged for a free lunch for all participants, and the weather looks superb. With no Steeler game, the day looks perfect for disc golf. Expectations are high for a big turnout of players from Allderdice HS, who claim Schenley as their home course. Will North Allegheny show up to contend with Hampton, PR, and Shaler? What will the individual standings look like after event #3. We are all a-twitter!

Remember, all scholastic players get a free golf disc at each event they register for, and a dry-fit Scholastic Series jersey for competing in the series. Prizes and trophies are awarded at each event. Entry fee for each event is only $10. Register on site at the Camp David Lawrence Pavillion near hole 7 from 9-9:30 am

Contact J. Gary Dropcho at coursesuper@pfds.org with any questions.

News Flash -- Pittsburgh Taylor Allderdice High School takes the lead after Event #3 at Schenley Park!

Twelve high school and elementary school boys and girls played 36 holes on the Schenley Park disc golf course on Sunday, October 11, and like the weather, the action was HOT!

Connor Kazmierczak of Shaler won the Boys HS division by shooting 7-over par 115. Mayan Haviv and Matt Rutkowski, both from Taylor Allderdice, tied for second at 118.

Eva Petzinger from Taylor Allderdice won the Girls HS division, shooting a 155. Maia White from Northgate was only 7 back.

All three of the second grade boys and girls in the Middle School division "played up" to take the trophies -- Isaac Meeder who shot 7 strokes better his second round (70) from the Red tees to shoot a 147 total; and Zoe Clark who shot the same score as Isaac on the second round (70) to edge her twin sister Emma Clark. Isaac plays for Upper St. Clair; Zoe and Emma for Butler.

Prizes for closest to the pin and longest putt were also awarded, and all tournament entrants got a new golf disc and sticker, courtesy of Innova Disc Golf.

On the strength of Petzinger's first place finish in the girls division and Rutkowski and Haviv's tie for second in the boys division, (as well as Steven Lin who finished fifth),Taylor Allderdice jumped to the front of the pack in the battle for the Pipe and Chains team trophy.

The fourth event in the series will be an 18-hole tournament at the Lakeview course at Moraine State Park on Saturday, Oct. 17. Registration is from 9-9:30 a.m.

The final 36-hole event will be played at Deer Lakes Park on Sunday Oct 24. Players who compete in at least 3 of the 5 series events will be eligible for end of the season prizes, including HS player of the year, and rookie of the year.

The race for the team trophy in the 15th Scholastic DG series will come down to the final event next Sunday 10/24 at Deer Lakes, and the Pipe and Chains trophy may be awarded based on the ladies who turn out to play for their school.

Of course, a big showing by the boys could influence the overall results as well, as the top 10 finishers from a school in both the boys and girls divisions are credited toward the team total. After the fourth event at Moraine State Park, Hampton HS leads by 32 points over Allderdice, with Shaler and Pine-Richland only a few hundred behind.

In the boys individual competition, Brendan Schaper of Hampton HS leads on the strength of strong showings in all four of the events so far. Connor Kazmierczak from Shaler HS, who won the round at Moraine on Saturday 10/16, is second, and Pine Richland's Chris Gillis is third. Three players from Pittsburgh Allderdice; Matt Rutkowski, Mayan Haviv (second place at Moraine) and Steven Lin (third place at Moraine) are in the running for overall series awards.

Hampton's Tierney Malone showed that she made a complete recovery from 2009 knee surgery to win the Girls HS division at Moraine. Teammate Emily Wilson was second only a few strokes back.

Clark twins, Emma and Zoe, continued to impress, and fittingly finished tied for the round at Moraine. The girls play for the McQuiston elementary school in Butler and have played in the past three events.

Two new middle school players from North Allegheny school district, brothers Adam and Nathan Ng, played in their first Scholastic Disc Golf event at Moraine.

Thanks to all the parents and relatives who have brought kids out to the events so far. Look forward to the finals at Deer Lakes next weekend!

The race for the team trophy in the 15th Scholastic DG series will come down to the final event next Sunday 10/24 at Deer Lakes, and the Pipe and Chains trophy may be awarded based on the ladies who turn out to play for their school.

Of course, a big showing by the boys could influence the overall results as well, as the top 10 finishers from a school in both the boys and girls divisions are credited toward the team total. After the fourth event at Moraine State Park, Hampton HS leads by 32 points over Allderdice, with Shaler and Pine-Richland only a few hundred behind.

In the boys individual competition, Brendan Schaper of Hampton HS leads on the strength of strong showings in all four of the events so far. Connor Kazmierczak from Shaler HS, who won the round at Moraine on Saturday 10/16, is second, and Pine Richland's Chris Gillis is third. Three players from Pittsburgh Allderdice; Matt Rutkowski, Mayan Haviv (second place at Moraine) and Steven Lin (third place at Moraine) are in the running for overall series awards.

Hampton's Tierney Malone showed that she made a complete recovery from 2009 knee surgery to win the Girls HS division at Moraine. Teammate Emily Wilson was second only a few strokes back.

Clark twins, Emma and Zoe, continued to impress, and fittingly finished tied for the round at Moraine. The girls play for the McQuiston elementary school in Butler and have played in the past three events.

Two new middle school players from North Allegheny school district, brothers Adam and Nathan Ng, played in their first Scholastic Disc Golf event at Moraine.

Thanks to all the parents and relatives who have brought kids out to the events so far. Look forward to the finals at Deer Lakes next weekend!

The 15th edition of the Pittsburgh Scholastic Disc Golf Series concluded in gorgeous autumn colors and temperatures at Deer Lakes on Sunday, October 24. When all the stats were crunched, two new champions were crowned: Taylor Allderdice High School and Connor Kazmierczak!

Connor won all four of the series events he entered, including a sudden death playoff with Matt Rutkowski at Deer Lakes to become the newest high school champion. Kazmierczak and Rutkowski were tied after a round from the white tees and a second round from the red tees, a combined 10 over par. Connor is a junior at Shaler high school and will be a favorite to repeat in 2011.

Rutkowski, a senior at Allderdice High School, along with Allderdice Disc Golf team captain Steve Lin, turned out 6 boy and girl players in the series to compete and win the team title. Allderdice had strong finishes in the final three events propelling them to their first Pipe and Chains trophy which they will keep for the next year. Hampton HS was a close second, and lead the series at two different times during the season. Shaler was third in the team race.

Six players competed in at least three of the events and qualified for the overall. Brendan Schaper of Hampton played in all five of the events and was named co-Rookie of the Year, along with Rutkowski and Chris Gillis from Pine-Richland High School.

2010 had the most number of girl players -- 4 from Hampton, Allderdice, and Northgate high schools -- in the fifteen years of the series . The season was also notable for the number of girl and boy players in the Middle School division. With the exception of Zach Grega of North Allegheny Carson Middle School who won the Deer Lakes event, Isaac Meeder, Adam Ng, Nathan Ng, Zoe Clark and Emma Clark are elementary school students and played "up" in the series The youth movement in Disc Golf starts in grade school!

I want to thank Innova Disc Golf who sponsored the dri-fit jerseys that each player received, the Pittsburgh Flying Disc Society for the discs that players got at each event, The Woodland Foundation for hosting our first ever disc golf camp that kicked off the season, and individually, Scott Hartle who organized the merch for the players and Marcus Ranii-Dropcho who donated trophy discs for the middle and high school winners. Thanks also to the parents and relatives who brought the kids to the tournaments and sometimes caddied for them. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did watching these talented youth learn the game.

Keep practicing and we'll see you on the courses over the next year!

J. Gary Dropcho
Course Superintendent
Pittsburgh Flying Disc Society
Pittsburgh Flying Disc Society

Kudos to the PFDS - Sid teaching the art of throwing plastic at metal~