Yeah my girlfriend and I took a ride down to Alabama and specifically to Huntsville. We had no idea about the area and where everything was located. I just had directions to each Course from Course Directory here. We got there and first thing we did by accident was run into Mastin Lake about 11am. A nice wooded Course and very technical. Lots of work put into this DGC !! Shot 59, and fairly disappointed. But had great fun.

Second, we played UAH Course. A very Open and fun course with interesting sections of the Course divided up into segments across a busy thouroughfare. Pretty unique. Shot a 55.

3rd we found Brahan Springs. Another nice wooded course with all Pines. Just like Henry Horton in Tennessee. Had Par until last shot at 18. Shot 55.

As we were leaving, a car pulled up to our car. And a man made small talk with us.We told him we played 3 Courses and would like to play Redstone Arsenal but knew it might be difficult to get in. He told us it was impossible to play there outside of Military personnel, but that he worked on Base and had a Pass to get in. He said bring your id's and hop in his car. And he would take us to the Course.

So by this lucky meeting with this fellow named California Mike we got to play Redstone. Thanks Mike Jameson !!!
It was beautiful and a challenging Course. Did not keep score because it got so bad.
But it was a great time on a great Course.

We went back home early in the evening and we were giddy with excitement that we covered all 4 Courses in Huntsville.
That is a great DG city with some really fine Courses . :)
And what a great DG day in the life of this travelling
man :D

Incidentally, I just hit my 32nd Course with Redstone since starting this Game in Sept. :cool:

You probably played one of the last few rounds ever on the UAH setup.

Lavonne Wolfe, local course designer and founder of the PDGA Hall of Fame. Has redesigned the course and is moving it further south on campus, due to pending campus construction on the current site. The new course will be longer at 7200ft and have a pro par around 64 or 66. The baskets will be moved in the next couple of weeks.

We in Birmingham enjoy playing in Hunstville, they have a tournament on Memorial Day weekend, The Rockey City Blast, and all four courses are used. A very enjoyable tournament.

Brahan Springs and Mastin Lake have a way of getting at you. Throw just a little off and your birdie run just turned into a difficult par save. Redstone can eat you alive, especially the 800ft s-curve hole #8. I have gotten my fair share of 6's on that hole. Getting a 5 is decent, but getting a 4 is really good in Advanced, most pros take a 4 and a few get 5's. I have shot anywhere from -2 to +7 at Redstone, the cedar trees come out and attack you. It is definately a gem of a course, too bad after 9/11 the public can no longer get on the base. It used to be that all you needed was ID, and a promise not to go anywhere else.

Next time you are in the area, travel an hour south and come to Birmingham, our course is similar to Redstone, but with elevation change on almost every hole.

Yeah, I was curious about Birmingham and went to check out their Courses at the Course Directory. But I guess it should be "course", as it looks like there is only one Course there.

Is this true or am I seeing something wrong ???
I notice where you said check out our "course".
If this is true I must honestly say this is perplexing.
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama and in the top 75 or so largest in the US.

Whats up with that ?? Why is B-Ham so far behind Mobile and Huntsville in growing Disc Golf ??

Not trying to be smart but just curious.

The Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama State Parks Departments, and local communities want nothing to do with disc golf. It does not make them money like softball, soccer or basketball. The do not want to waste their park land on a disc golf course, they would rather leave it unused.

Quoted from a lady from a neighborhood association near where we were going to put in another course; "We do not want THAT type of activity, or THOSE type of people in our parks." It is pretty sad.

So it is unfortunately true, with 1 million people in the metro area, Birmingham has only one disc golf course, so it gets pretty crowded, and then added with other park goers walking aimlessly through the park with out regard for the course.

But George Ward is a great park; we are thankful we at least have it. The course at G.W. was bought, installed and maintained all by the players, the city does nothing monetarily for the course besides cut the grass, which they do for the whole park anyway.

Wow Park, that is truly sad and unbelievable. :(
And honestly not to bash your home but it sounds like a backward community. One that has no interest in progressiveness or culturally keeping up to date with similiar cities in America.

Woman quoted, "We do not want THAT type of activity, or THOSE type of people in our parks."
I have lived my whole life in the deep south and wouldn't live anywhere else. But this sounds like "old south" speaking.
One of which is composed of ignorance and closedmindeness!! And probably sprinkled with some bigotry in there also.

Oh well, maybe someday things will be different. Lets pray it does !!!

Don't worry discn' I may live in Birmingham now but it is far from what I call "home". Originally I am from western Michigan. And while there is "closemindedness" and "ignorance" everywhere I was astonished when I moved here a couple of years ago.

You are correct, that was the "old south" speaking, this lady had to be in her low to mid 60's.

I will finish graduate school here in a year, May 2006, there is a likely chance I will find a job in Houston (any DG'rs working for a consulting or marketing company in Houston want to hire an MBA graduate?).

For now, I am trying to make our course the best it can be. We rotate the baskets (most holes have three placements) to accomodate all skill levels. SSA can range anywhere from 44 to 56 on our 18 hole setup. And at a max of 7200ft from the pro tees, that 56 is tough to get with all the elevation change, we are in process of making the course even more challenging by adding a few placements to take some hole SSA's up from 2.4 to 2.8-2.9.

It is all in the attitude of the local DG community. Granted the local parks departments want nothing to do with disc golf, we are just happy to have at least one course. The next decent course is 100 miles away. We do have the Alabama Envirnomental Counsel on our side. The park dept wanted to put in an 8ft asphalt walking trail through 90% of our fairways. The counsel stopped this by stating that the trail would disrupt natural flora and fauna. At least someone is on our side, with a few DG'rs on that counsel.

Ha Park.
Sounds like you are making the best with what you got. Thats
Great !!!
I'll have to try out that Course. Sounds pretty incredible/

Ha Park, if my recent memory serves me right you are a relative noobie like myself right ??
I'll be coming up on a year in September in playing this game.
I practice my ***** off but still not quite where your at.
No 450ft. drives yet :cool:

Anyway keep it up and I am sure in a couple of years or less you will be playing Winthrop Gold for US Championship !!!

Thanks man,

Yeah I have only been throwing golf discs for 15 months or so. But I have been playing discs sports competitively for +10years, so it was easy to advance quickly in this sport.

For now I am working on moving up to Open, and then I will worry about USDGC. But I would definately love to compete in it, I think I might go up this year and play on Sunday when the Gold Course is open to the public, yellow rope and all.

The new set up at UAH is in the ground. Best round I have heard from an advanced doubles team playing best shot was 58.