Next on the calendar at Stoney Hill:

THE BATTLE OF STONEY HILL

Sunday, October 10, 2010
(The day after the USDGC)

A one-day, Sunday-only tournament that will allow people to join the gallery at USDGC, and thus inspired, play a tournament of their own on Sunday.
.....Or practice the course before playing Sunday.
.....Or camp out at Stoney Hill and make it a weekend.
.....Or save half your weekend and play a one-day event.
.....Or, if you're fortunate enough to be playing in the USDGC and have the inclination, a chance to tack on one more day of competition that week.

We're still working on the details....we'll let you know.

We're still working on the details. The competition format will be a normal C-tier.

We'd like some input as to the fees and fundraiser aspects. We don't have a chance to get much outside sponsorship, so ask folks out there:

For Ams, would you prefer a low entry fee, with no payouts and all going to the charity, or a higher entry fee with small payouts (because half of it is going to the charity)?

For Pros---same question---any interest in a trophy-only event to raise funds for charity? Or should there be a cash payout---half the normal payout, with half the entry fees going to charity?

We appreciate input from those in the area, and others who've tried fundraiser events.

I guess I left out a detail:

This will be a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.

We can confirm that the Battle will be part of the South Carolina points series, as well.

The flyer is now available, along with lots more information, at

http://www.saulsinsurance.com/stoneyhill/battle.htm

I would like to see a normal payout and do cheap to prepare lunches that all profits go to charity. Sloppy joes are very cheap and very good. I would say from 1lb of meat and one can of sloppy joe mix you can make roughly 8 sandwhiches. Thus you could sell 8 for roughly $7...Give 1 sloppy joe, bag of chips, 1 brownie or choc chip cookie and sweeat tea. That cuts costs and gives the most opportunity for donations. I would also set up an offering jar 2 donate. Most people will donate $2-$5 to the charity as long as they know thats what they're playing the tournament for. If that doesn't work, bring out the MIRACLE himself Drake and show them why it is that important. I feel if you dont offer the norm on payout you wont have as many people show up. REally the out of towners that generally come in force. Thats my 2 cents since nobody else offered.

Thanks. A day late, as the flyer was posted yesterday, along with a breakdown of what we decided to do.

Which is basically a compromise. Some advised us to put all entry fees to the charity; some to keep payouts to encourage out-of-towners. We've gone with the PDGA Endowment Program, and exceeding the requirements of it. So we hope to raise $1,000 or more for the American Heart Association, while still having payouts. Just not as much payout for Pros, forgoing players packages for Ams.

If you read the webpage with the tournament info, we posted the "why" in Drake's own words. Sort of.

As always, we hope our visitors will find the course something of a benefit, in itself. Our gift to disc golf.

And we thank everyone who gave input on the format, in person or in various forums.

for any who havent played the course or who havent in the recent years got to come out and see it. The money and man hours put out there from David, Chris, Travis and Coral is incredible. The course gets 10 times better with every improvement. I would have to say with the diamond layout this is one of my favorite courses. It ranks up there with the best of them with extremely benefitting you if you're on and extremely penalizing if you're off...Takes a lot of technical precision to master this course. I would encourage all to come out, help with one of the most important organizations there are to our lives and the ones we love lives... David I hope you exceed all expectations and goals for a contribution the the AHA. I will see what I can do about getting American General to put up a $100 or larger sponsorship in return for hanging one of our banners. This would be a good sponsor in that we have over 1200 locations nationwide...

for any who havent played the course or who havent in the recent years got to come out and see it. The money and man hours put out there from David, Chris, Travis and Coral is incredible. The course gets 10 times better with every improvement. I would have to say with the diamond layout this is one of my favorite courses. It ranks up there with the best of them with extremely benefitting you if you're on and extremely penalizing if you're off...Takes a lot of technical precision to master this course. I would encourage all to come out, help with one of the most important organizations there are to our lives and the ones we love lives... David I hope you exceed all expectations and goals for a contribution the the AHA. I will see what I can do about getting American General to put up a $100 or larger sponsorship in return for hanging one of our banners. This would be a good sponsor in that we have over 1200 locations nationwide...

That would be awesome.

got the $100 sponshorship approved. Just let me know when you guys are ready for the $$.

Thanks Mike for the donation. The payouts for the pros are not as far off from normal payouts as you might think. The Stoney Hill greens fees, PDGA player fees, and SCDGO fees are included in the $14.00 donation. These otherwise would come out of the payouts..I think. I let David handle most of the math which is best for all.

Am fees are just about normal minus the players package. We are still working on the lunches and it is possible they will be donated as well. In regards to the sloppy joes, it's not a bad idea but I'm afraid the purchase of toilet paper would absorb most of our profits...I'm just saying

....and for the folks who accept free camping as a players pack, it'll be equivalent 100% payout.

These are minimums and if we gather sponsors who'll contribute tee-shirts, or other contributions that help us fill and exceed our goal, payouts may be higher.

so what is in the players pack.

You missed the point or misread...Your players package is you donating $$ from your entry fee to the AHA. You will not be receiving a players package thus keeping the payouts as close to normal as possible with still being able to make a large donation of the $$ earned going to charity.

Correct. At least at this point.

We've decided to balance between payouts and charity. Some suggested we donate all entry fees and have no payouts. Others want payouts (and, we hope, with payouts we'll fill and thus raise more money for AHA).

BUT---

That's just the status at the time of the flyer. We hope to get a sponsor to cover costs of shirts with a good message, and give them as players packs. We just aren't guaranteeing this.

As mentioned earlier, we immodestly hope that our sharing Stoney Hill will also be accepted as a small gift to our visitors.

whoops my bad i mustve miss read the post

For those interested in playing in advance of the tournament, the course is relatively well mown right now (for this time of year). Though Hole 9, always the last to be mown, is about the worst.

On Hole 2 the initial gap has been greatly widened, and we've taken out a few trees and limbed up others to open it up a bit.

After the Crooked Creek tournament this weekend, when our confidence grows that mown grass will stay mown, we should make rapid progress in prepping the course for the tournament.

For any wanting to practice Stoney Hill in advance of The Battle, this weekend's shaping up to be a great time. No competing tournaments in or near SC.

#9's now mown and looks great, #2 opened up (with some donated labor), and the course is really getting in shape.

For those who got torched on #16 at the Stoney Hill Challenge---and the rest of you, you know who you are---we'll probably soften it a bit and only require the drive to land on the island. Subsequent shots from the drop zone to be played where they go O.B., instead of a rethrow. Should cut down on those double-digit hole scores.

We've considered using a BunCR rule but will try this instead, and see how it goes.

A reminder that, although we don't have online registration, you can register by phone with a credit card. See flyer.

As with any tournament, we appreciate pre-registration as it helps us with the preparations, and particularly helps the chefs planning lunch.

Folks who played the Stoney Hill Challenge in April will find essentially the same layouts. A couple of fairways have been widened, and few rules softened, but it's basically the same.

Those who haven't been out this year will be getting their first look at the pretty-cool holes we added early last spring, especially around the pond.

Everyone will find some upgraded tee-pads, as we're moving toward a uniform 12' length, replacing some older ones, and re-grading a few.

FORECAST

Sunny
Low 50
High 83

You can link to the list of pre-registered players at the tournament website:

http://www.saulsinsurance.com/stoneyhill/battle.htm

Thanks to all 54 who attended the Battle, and in particular our sponsors. Looks like we raised over $1,100 for the American Heart Association.

As usual, I won't get the results posted for several days. Please be patient with me.

Results are posted at

http://www.pdga.com/tournament-results?TournID=10674

Presumably accurately, but we'll see if any errors are reported.

Other than the layouts, which I couldn't figure out how to enter before the final TD report. They're both showing "par 54", so the "to par" is way off. They also don't reflect the Intermediates playing one shorter tee, so the round ratings are probably a point or two off.

I would like to thank everyone who came or made a donation to the American Heart Association in helping us reach our goal of $1000. We raised $1166 which will go along ways in the fight against heart disease. As many know, my son Drake was our inspiration for this event. The money collected was not for him, but for the research that will someday same someone else's life, or someone's child like it did for me.

How much is $1100 worth??

It is the cost of the echo that was performed hours before we left the hospital to take our some home, presumably healthy.

Is the cost of the incubator that provided him oxygen when it was discovered he was only getting 70%

Is the cost of the ambulance that rushed him to MUSC in Charleston

It is the cost of 1/2 of a day's stay in the P.C.I.C.U clinic where a nurse is with him 24 hours a day for 15 days straight.

It is the cost of the medicine the 1 week old baby next to Drake in the PCICU was giving to give her 1 more day of life.

It is........life in every since of the word...

Thanks so much everyone.

Chris Sauls