Chris and I invite our disc golf friends to come play in our backyard on the second weekend of April.

* PDGA C-tier
* SCDGO Points Series
* Free camping

We've moved it up a week this year to accommodate those playing in the Atlanta Open, The Azalea, or the National Collegiate Championships. (At this moment the date is wrong on the PDGA tour page, but we'll get that fixed shortly).

The flyer, registration, and other details aren't quite yet ready, but go ahead and mark your calendars now.

Those who've played in previous years will be quite surprised to find that we've made no major changes in the course since last year's Challenge.....though we've got our eye on one particularly sick idea which, if we have time between now and then, we may unveil this year.

More information, on the course, lodging, and soon the flyer, available at:

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

Did you say "Sick Idea" ??? David I didn't know that lingo was in your vocabulary. I think you're aging in reverse!

Too much time on discussion boards is affecting me.

We've got this corrected on the PDGA schedule now.

Flyer should be up next week. In the meantime, we'll point out that this could be an excellent practice for those playing in the Atlanta Open or the National Collegiate Championships, down the road the following weekend.

Flyer now available at

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

We've added two Friday activities this year---Random Draw doubles at 5:00, and pre-tournament dinner at Roma's (Greek & Italian) in Prosperity.

Cool. Hope to play me some Stoney again this yr.

Carolina Homegrown Festival at Capital City Stadium is on April 9th. Tickets are only $9.35 on March 11th. Good way to end day 1 of Stoney Hill. Crossfade and deepfield.

Carolina Homegrown Festival at Capital City Stadium is on April 9th. Tickets are only $9.35 on March 11th. Good way to end day 1 of Stoney Hill. Crossfade and deepfield.


Or, dinner on site, drinks, bonfire, goodtimes for those who don't want to drive or don't have to. choices, choices...

I'll take, beers, rocking and getting to see up close and personal bands you might not get to see again for a while for only $9.35. We can carpool! Dinner, bonfire...sounds like a boring time...You can shoot the sh*t, drink and rock out at the concert. You can get dinner there too. If you try hard enough you can set a trash can on fire and now you have all that Stoney has to offer, and are still ROCKING OUT! lol

I'll take, beers, rocking and getting to see up close and personal bands you might not get to see again for a while for only $9.35. We can carpool! Dinner, bonfire...sounds like a boring time...You can shoot the sh*t, drink and rock out at the concert. You can get dinner there too. If you try hard enough you can set a trash can on fire and now you have all that Stoney has to offer, and are still ROCKING OUT! lol

bring me back a t-shirt and spill some beer on it so I can say I was there....on second thought, just bring me back a beer.

There's always the option of partying in downtown Newberry.

Before you scoff and question my partying credentials, well, I scoffed last year. But a group who stayed in Newberry or hit Newberry Saturday night looked awful ragged Sunday morning, and reported the college bar scene was great. So you might be wrong. (Though, of course, you'd be right about my partying credentials).

There's always the option of partying in downtown Newberry.

Before you scoff and question my partying credentials, well, I scoffed last year. But a group who stayed in Newberry or hit Newberry Saturday night looked awful ragged Sunday morning, and reported the college bar scene was great. So you might be wrong. (Though, of course, you'd be right about my partying credentials).

David, I'll put it into terms you can relate to... Jimmy Buffet and the parrotheads are coming to Columbia on April 9...Doesn't start til 7pm. You get front row tickets for $9.35. Do you go or do you stay home?

David, I'll put it into terms you can relate to... Jimmy Buffet and the parrotheads are coming to Columbia on April 9...Doesn't start til 7pm. You get front row tickets for $9.35. Do you go or do you stay home?

Well, I've got lots of company at my house that weekend, and will be too tired to stand at a concert anyway. I'll settle for my free front-row seat to the sunset and the frog chorus, punctuated with campers moaning about how many discs they threw in the pond that day.

For locals and visitors staying in Columbia who want to party Saturday night, the concert's a fine option. For those who prefer chillin' to rockin', feel free to linger into the evening at Stoney Hill.

To return from the diversion of what to do when NOT playing disc golf----

We hope our visitors will find Stoney Hill better than ever, with some grooming, fairway-widening, more benches & bridges, and just generally in better condition. While we haven't made major course changes in the past year, those who didn't visit us in 2010 will be getting their first glimps at the major upgrades & new holes from last April. We still plan to use both layouts; probably the 20-hole Quartz layout on Saturday and the 18-hole Diamond layout on Sunday.

For those intending to practice Stoney Hill prior to the Challenge, be aware that the course will be closed on Saturday, April 2, as we're hosting the Deaf Disc Golfers' "Bloomin Days" tournament that day. Of course, everyone should be at the Festival of Roses, anyway.

Less than two weeks to go.....reminding everyone that there's a $5 discount for pre-registering included in the cost shown on the flyer. Sign up now, save yourself the $5, and you'll make the TD happy. (Not as happy as when he's gleefully counting up all those circles on the scorecards, but happy nonetheless.)

How'd the tournament go today?

Pretty well, though I think the course overwhelmed some players. Ferocious winds, too.

It's more of a festival than just a disc golf tournament. Most of the players showed up Thursday night, camped in the mud, and left Sunday morning. Saturday night was a combined Low Country Boil and Awards Ceremony in the warm Stoney Hill night, very cool.

Our guests at the Stoney Hill Challenge will find the course in its best condition EVER. Though the 2" of rain last week, and projected rains tonight, have complicated the mowing schedule and brought out the boards to walk the muddy spots on #2 & #3 (which will hopefully dry out by this weekend)

David, forgot the tourney is this weekend. Do you take any other payment other than cash/check like Paypal, CC etc? Call me tomorrow sometime and I'll get $ to you.

Credit card by phone.

Reminder that Friday's schedule includes random-draw doubles at 5:00, and gathering for dinner at Roma's afterwards.

For those coming out to play Friday before doubles:

* If you've played in the last year, feel free to drive out to #1 tee and play without checking in.

* If you've never played Stoney Hill, you'll want to partner with someone who can show you around.

* If you've played but not in the last year, you'll probably want to track me (or someone) down to point out the new holes and overlapping layouts on #14-17 before venturing out.

*** There is currently a bridge under construction on Hole 17A. It should be completed by then. If not, there's a path through the woods, around the end of the pond.

oh, the fish are biting too. However, they are really, really, really small.

Master's viewing party at my house Saturday night. This is also where the dinner will be served since my wife is cooking and she doesn't trust David's stove.

Credit card by phone.

You never called me! Call me in the morning and I will give you my card info.

Everyone be aware that about midday today, the TD will be heading back to 1959 where I live. No internet, iffy cellphone (but landline works fine!).

Registrations received this afternoon (or tomorrow morning) will not get posted, and scores won't get uploaded for a few days.

Chris should still be lurking around discussion boards for a while.

Otherwise, I'll see everyone this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

Master's viewing party will be at my house Saturday night which is where the dinner will be served. Also, I have 2 couches and a floor available for anyone that wants to stay at my house...and my kids will not be there. My shower is also available to campers as well.

GREAT tournament as always! Hot day one and nice cool start to day 2. Had a blast! Thanks David and Chris. Maybe David has enough energy left to get those scores posted today!

You'd think, since I can hardly walk, I'd be in perfect position to post scores.

We thank all who came out, hope you had a good time, and appreciate your patience any glitches or errors along the way. We request further patience on posting the scores, which will probably be about Wednesday. First comes restoring the wreckage that is my house---in part, because the registration lists are there somewhere, buried in the flurry of awards ceremony preparations---and hauling off the trash which, since I moved the country, I discovered doesn't disappear from the curb on its own.

Trust me, no one's more curious about the round ratings than we are.

Congrats to the winners:

Michael Johansen (Open Pro)
Woodrow Blackwell (Pro Masters)
Ish Ulmer (Advanced)
Lauren Card (Advanced Women)
Jeff Moore (Advanced Masters)
Ralph Pitt (Intermeidate)

And special admiration to Scott Wallace, Blaine Kinkel, Michael Johansen, and Ryan Ulmer for some phenomenal rounds, all of which would have set course records, and some of which actually did.

Much appreciation for those who chipped in to help out in large & small ways.

Just another special moment for this tournament. It being unorthodox (sp) like it is, it can't follow trends b/c it's not a follower, it's a leader. 26 of 29 tournaments this weekend have posted scores. Makes these scores become the final, sha-bang to close out this past weekend in disc golf! David, I know you're wore slap out, along with Chris so we ALL understand. What I enjoy more than the ratings is what David does to show Hole by Hole trends. That's cool stuff there! Also David, I heard a few discussions about starting on different holes. Keep that going in my opinion. I like starting on different parts of the course and knocking out the tougher holes earlier some rounds or starting on birdies others.

Starting on the tough stretch and taking 28 strokes on my first 5 holes was a little rough.....but we do like the change-of-pace and my comment about the pampered pros was all in jest. I hope the pros enjoy starting a couple of rounds on different parts of the course, as well. At any rate, when we last surveyed the question the results were almost unanimous in favor (one person said it didn't matter, either way).

I'd love to upload the scores promptly, and hope to be able to do it in the future. We're quite curious what the SSA is. Just keep in mind that (1) I don't have internet at home, so (2) I need to upload from work and (3) since I took off from work to make preparations, it'll take me a few days to find time. If you haven't TDed you might not know that you don't just enter the players onto the list; you must use the TD report file (xls), then copy & paste, and that file also lives at my office. Why, I don't know---if player entry were as simple as entering on the PDGA website, I'd borrow a connection and it'd be done already.

With the technology we have these days it would be too easy to make things simple.

What with the Stoney Hill Disc Golf Club being so small, we are ever so grateful to all who lent a hand. Bobby Ellisor for bringing extra coolers, Jeff Moore for picking up ice, Jay Phillips & Lauren Card for helping check scorecards, Jay Sauls for various errands (and weedeating prior to the tournament).....and most of all, Amanda Sauls for handling both lunches AND the spagetti supper

Great job to all! Course looked great as well...That's a lot of property for 2 people to handle! Id like to thank myself for after 4 exhausting rounds following up behind david counting all scores in my head to make sure all final scores were calculated correctly. That will give you a big headache there. David did a great job as he didn't miss one...Even being as old as he is! Haha...

Yeah, but in the awards I a failed to notice that Blaine & Scott tied for 2nd.....

For those who ever wondered, 56 disc golfers for 2 days, including about 25 or 30 for 2 nights, can create about 400 gallons of trash, 55% of which seems to be beer cans. What it takes 56 disc golfers 48 hours to accumulate, dogs can distribute over several acres in a very short period of time.

Anyone stepped outside this afternoon? I'm glad that this wind held off b/c I'm not sure many would break 70 in these stiff winds! Hole 1 would be interesting. And 16 and 17 and 14...and the other 14 holes!

Scores going in today?

Looks like scores are on the verge of being input...I see all the names...Guess nobody is more excited to see ratings than myself...I have a feeling they are going to be lower than past tournaments...They've trended lower between the past 2 tournaments and with this years scores it appears there me some more of the same.

Keep calm. The scores are in but I haven't double-checked them. More importantly, the layouts aren't in....and it'll be an hour or two before I get a chance to figure out how to do that.

So the ratings are probably pretty close, but not final.

(Old fogey voice:) You know, once-upon-a-time we had to wait 4 months for the boxscores to come out in the magazine.

Keep calm. The scores are in but I haven't double-checked them. More importantly, the layouts aren't in....and it'll be an hour or two before I get a chance to figure out how to do that.

So the ratings are probably pretty close, but not final.

(Old fogey voice:) You know, once-upon-a-time we had to wait 4 months for the boxscores to come out in the magazine.

Day 2 looks a little low but day one seems about spot on...Now round 4 is definitely off...Tougher conditions with higher winds and ratings are about 13 pts lower!

Layouts have now been entered and ratings adjusted. SSA 60 for Quartz, 58-58.5 for Diamond.

If round 3 SSA is accurate than I think round 4 should've definitely ranked higher than it did...I would have said same score round 4 should've been about 4 points higher not less. More difficult conditions...Head wind and not tail wind on 1, much stronger head/cross wind on 16. For me to have averaged 983 this tournament I sure didn't play like it when I lost to an intermediate player and intermediate/advanced player today! Shooting a STOUT 66 at Owens Field. Pretty sad, pretty sad! Ties my worst score out there this year unfortunately. What makes it even worse is that I had 5 2's on the card!

Don't know why the field shot a little better in the 4th round. Perhaps a lot of people had a little better idea how to play the Diamond holes. I'd have thought exhaustion would have dragged scores down by that point.

For those interested, we've posted hole-by-hole scoring spreads on the website. You can see how special your 2 on Hole 1 was....or if you took a 9 on Hole 16 (Diamond layout), how many others suffered the same fate....or just look at how all the holes played out, with averages and most common scores.

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

As usual, we divided this into Open Pro (a benchmark, though it was a small division this year), and All Pro & Advanced Men (which is, more or less, our target audience). They may not be statistically relevant, but we find them interesting, nonetheless.