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Ben Calhoun's Blog – June 2008 Archive (26)

I got gas for 3.79$ today, and good thing too, I drove over 400 miles.

The most driving I've done on any day so far this trip, I believe. Basically because I drove straight through Missouri only stopping once. I have already played the best that St. Louis, Wentzville, Columbia and Kansas City have to offer so there was no need to stop besides in Marshall. Favorite course in MO- Quail Ridge, Wentzville.

Marshall, MO- Indian Foothills:I was fortunate to run into one of the designers. He showed me the last 6 holes, some of which I had to skip due to… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 30, 2008 at 9:21pm — No Comments

It's all cool

My A/C gave out today, suddenly started putting out warm air and hissing when turned on..sounding like air through a metal tube. I figured it needed a recharge, so after my rounds I finally found an auto-supply store and got some. Never done it before, but it wasn't so hard. Seems to have fixed it.

Had to detour several times today due to water-over road or a river flowing down the road. I am in the flood zone now, St. Louis. Crazy..the road by the Arch is underwater, and the parking… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 29, 2008 at 7:55pm — 1 Comment

Heading west

Evansville, IN- Mesker:

Great long and challenging course that plays up and down big hills, usually near the park road OB. One hole uses the road to create an island you must land on. Good tees and signs, easy to follow. Played with some locals, including another Ben who stomped me on his course. Most holes are a tougher par-3. One hole forces you to throw into a small gap, blindly, downhill, into ivy filled woods. I didn't like that as a design aspect at all. Avoid the rough, it's… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 28, 2008 at 7:00pm — No Comments

Bluegrass

Louisville, KY- Charlie Vettiner:Mix of open with trees and thick woods, mostly tunnel shots bordered by nasty rough. Relatively hilly, very muddy and slick and the tees get muddy from your shoes. Several championship holes, but mostly basic or lacking in design. Several holes are sort of crazy also. Good tees and signs. If you want a challenge and don't mind thick rough, tons of poison ivy, bugs and mud this course could be for you.

Brandenburg, KY- Otter Creek:This… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 27, 2008 at 6:45pm — 1 Comment

IDLEWILDDDD!!!, "Flat" tire, Deja-Vu

Ok so I played Idlewild for the 2nd time ever today, and it is still my favorite course. I have been worrying about my front right tire since the week I was home, literally right after I left Discount Tire from getting a rotation, I noticed my car was driving funny. I got out to wash it a few minutes later and saw that it looked extremely low, and was at 20 psi (supposed to be in the 40's). I went straight back and they said it was a trainee who used the air hose wrong, didn't actually check… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 26, 2008 at 6:45pm — No Comments

Left (Opposite) Handed ACE!!

I have been throwing a few shots left handed every round, trying to practice so someday I can throw with both. Using it on short holes I'd normally sidearm, I got about 5 out of 10 deuce opportunities with it this week. Today though, I aced hole #9 at Wilton Woods (about 130') with my Star Firebird. It looked like a left hand hole, and I was actually thinking ace time, and when it hit I was just in shock. Hard to believe my own eyes as it hit and stayed in (thankfully new baskets not the… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 25, 2008 at 4:00pm — 1 Comment

Takin it easy

Dayton, OH- Indian Riffle: This course is literally impossible to navigate without hearing about it beforehand like I did, or walking backwards from #18 to #6 to find #6. It's a 1,500' walk to #6 from #5, no sign pointing you on the way, and you cross two large busy parking lots and a building to get there. SO be ready for that. Mostly flat and grassy park setting, with about 6 wooded tight and short holes, the rest more open and playing near a pond and a creek sometimes. Nothing very… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 24, 2008 at 4:30pm — 4 Comments

Lost 2 discs in water in one day!

Today was dis-heartening but otherwise great. I lost my FLX Drone in a lagoon in Indiana, and my ESP Force in a pond in Ohio. The first was a decent shot that hit off a limb, the other I didn't know there was water behind the basket, it was a blind deceiving hill. I got wet, covered in 1' of mud for one, for both. No luck. Had to go shower the mud off I tried that hard..Got pretty lucky on the weather, too. It was between 60-80 today during the day, and the rain held off during my rounds, but… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 23, 2008 at 7:56pm — 1 Comment

Back on the road, Ft. Wayne, IN

Took almost a whole week off, just played two rounds during that time.

Ft. Wayne, IN: Shoaff- Very recreational course, short with no rough and no hazards besides one park road. Mix of mature shade trees and newer planted saplings. Fun and well designed, it provides no real challenger, most holes are open enough to throw any which way. Good roller grass. Cement tees, signs and maps w/ scorecards make it nice. Great for what it is.

Ft. Wayne (New Haven), IN:… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 22, 2008 at 5:51pm — 2 Comments

DGLO-didn't play

I followed my dad (not caddied because he uses an old-man cart anyway) for the first round and took pictures on the original. He played about as bad as he has on that courses in the past 7-8 years. Good thing he moved down.

There will be some controversy over 2-somes, and lightning delays, probably.

I'm probably going to head toward Ft. Wayne, Indiana tomorrow. It should be a 3 hours drive or so, leaving in the morning. I will play 1-2 of the courses there, the others the next… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 21, 2008 at 7:25pm — 1 Comment

Party @B.R.A.T.S

We are nearly ready for the possible 100+ people to start showing up in a few hours for check-in and food and disc golf fun the night before DLGO. The course is in better shape than it has ever been in, the front 9 are marked so they can be easily played by anyone.

There's way too much food, enough burgers, hotdogs, sausages, beans, chips, salsa, cookies, vegetables, etc to feed 100+, and with up to 30 large pizzas coming to, so I hope a LOT of people make it out.

These last few days… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 20, 2008 at 2:10pm — 2 Comments

56 on Toboggan

Today I shot a 56 on the Toboggan, first round on it since last year since I've been gone.

Played pretty well, actually had room for improvement a couple times but was thrilled with that. Didn't miss a short putt, hit several 40+'ers.

Scorecard: 3,4,4,3,2,3,4,2,3,3,2,4,3,3,3,3,4,3

Played with mom, cousin Andy (new to the game), Sean McFarland from the site, Nick Brown, and a guy from Toledo for a few holes. Never came close to getting a 5 or higher, like I usually… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 17, 2008 at 8:26pm — 1 Comment

HOME

I have made it home safely for the first break. Just walked my course with my parents and cousin and it's looking good. Dog is kind of lazy. Might be at the Toboggan tomorrow.

Alexandria, OH- Lobdell Reserve:The difference in length and difficulty from long to short tees is pretty dramatic here, some holes 300' longer from long tee. The shorts I played were pretty easy, I shot -10. About 6 holes have cement tees, the rest mud pits with up to 6" standing water, with wooden… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 16, 2008 at 10:10pm — No Comments

Columbus OH- been awhile

I haven't played the Hoover Dam course since about 2004, and it is moving way down the list of favorite courses since I have played 400 since then.

*Already played in the past-Columbus, OH- Hoover/Hambrick:This course starts out in the wide open field with a few trees and along the edges of some woods for the front 9. Long-ish, not very technical, with some good hills and if you go off fairway it can be nasty. The back 9 is more wooded, sometimes overgrown with really tight… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 15, 2008 at 4:35pm — 2 Comments

Sias backyard, heading into Columbus, Ohio

Lavalette, WV- Lucky and Crazy 8:One is brand new, not really finished but being worked in. Has some unique holes, like a basket in a tree, a shot across train tracks to a basket suspended from a tree. The other is not being worked on currently because of the new course, so it's pretty rough but not that bad except for a few holes. Only 1-2, and 18 have ivy, the rest is up in the woods on huge hills, with turtles and toads everywhere. Most holes are probably technically a par-3, but… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 14, 2008 at 9:13pm — 1 Comment

Ryan Carroll's house for the night, KY

Today I met Ryan at Rotary park for a round with a guy named Bentley as well.

Huntingon, WV- Rotary:Fairly open hilly and grassy park, course winds around in mostly a loop. Some tight wooded holes, short and technical with punishing rough and rolls from baskets on hills. Two sets of nice tees and signs, can be long from long tee to long pin but from short to short it is duece or die, and we all died. Fun and easy to play.

Huntington, WV (Did not actually play due to… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 13, 2008 at 9:57pm — No Comments

My original blog entry got lost in cyberspace..so this is much briefer

I may be going home next week for DGLO party, probably leave WV sunday/monday and play along the way, take a few days off then head back to this area.

Parkersburg (Actually, Walker, WV), WV- Mountwood: A very nice and long 9 hole course that plays along a shallow creek for almost every shot. Well maintained and scorecard/map provided inside. Fun and hard to get all the dueces, maybe 1-2 par 4's. Great overall worth checking out, very scenic. Creek is in play often, and if OB… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 12, 2008 at 4:53pm — No Comments

First break, Confederate flags surrounding me, lost disc

I took yesterday off completely, didn't throw one shot, to save the knee. Good thing because it still didn't feel good today.

Clarksburg, WV- Veterans Memorial:This is a relatively nice and short beginner course. Plays up and down a hill, in some woods and some wide open. Has 2 nice small valley holes, and the river is close on a few holes but not a real worry. Good signs, good grass tees, pretty well maintained except for about 3 holes unmown/unmaintained. Very easy for an… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 11, 2008 at 4:20pm — 2 Comments

Back into VA, briefly

It's hotter then previous, absurdly hot today. At 9:00 it was 94, so the 'early beat the heat round' didn't happen. I probably should have taken a break today now my right knee is hurting worse than before.

Harrisonburg, VA- Westover:This course is very tight, but not 'in the woods'. It's just in a park with lots of planted cedar trees, enough to make really tight holes without bushes and rough. It's very hilly, some holes that are 290' are hard to reach. It's not like… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 9, 2008 at 4:09pm — No Comments

Paw Paw is a trip!

Worth taking.

Wow this place is intense, two course both tougher than about any course this side of the Mississippi river. Today felt like over 100 degrees, so it was very hard to get through the day.

I played the first round with a guy who often stays there when in the area mountain biking, the second with Spencer and Tony. Shot 71ish on Woodshed, was playing well on front 9 of Whippin' Post, with several long putts and good saves. Had to actually throw backwards toward the tee on… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on June 8, 2008 at 9:00pm — 10 Comments