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Ben Calhoun's Blog – October 2008 Archive (29)

Fairly disappointing set of courses

To anyone planning a FL disc golf tour, going south of Sarasota before heading to Miami is not necessary in my opinion. These 5 courses in SW Florida can be skipped and you won't miss much.

It got up into the 80's today, ridiculous.

North Ft. Myers, FL- North Ft. Myers Community:Note: About half the course IS decent. Sadly half is not. Way too many fairway-less (and I mean with NO fairway, just a forest of palmettos to throw over, with 1 hole forcing you to go over… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 31, 2008 at 6:00pm — 6 Comments

Top 10/"G's Discs"

I played one of must-be top 10 favorite HOLES today, not whole course. I played it 2 years ago as well. #18, Tocobaga. It's just sweet, check the pictures. Not well designed, kind of unfair and tight, but the shot is sick, it's beautiful, you throw AT the bay if you are RHBH and try to hyzer back and not flip over. Just awesome. There was a sea-creature exoskeleton on top of the basket even, and the beach within the 10m circle.

"Where's Joe, Joe are you here?"-… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 30, 2008 at 7:17pm — 5 Comments

Getting dark

Side notes:

For anyone wondering why I am 'skipping' some of the best courses, it's because I already played them before no worries.

Already played: Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin, Sarasota, Brandon, St. Petersburg, Most of Orlando, Daytona Beach and Jacksonville.

I will probably be at Cliff Stevens around 8-9am tomorrow morning to play there again. Anyone know what time G's opens? I need a golden retriever first!

Might even play Tocobaga again, then head to Ft Myer… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 29, 2008 at 7:30pm — 2 Comments

Coldsnap

It's funny that they turn on the heaters and wear winter clothes when it drops down to 50 degrees here.

Thanks goes out to Reese from FLY-18 for the comped round and the cart and the info. on Lutz. And more thanks for last time 2 years ago on the now extinct Riverside CA course.

Dunedin, FL- Hammock:Small enough park that you can eventually find it all, but there are two distinct entrances I went to the wrong one first and had trouble finding the 1st tee, even with the… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 29, 2008 at 4:53pm — 2 Comments

Keeping up appearances

Yes that's in reference to an obscure british comedy show.

So today I went to the Red Hawk in shorts and a T-shirt, everyone else was in winter coats it was mid-40's. I thought the looks were because it was 'cold'. But no, it's because there is a DRESS CODE because it's on a golf course. Lucky I had other clothes, but I dunno..I think it might be prudent to say that there is a DRESS CODE in the COURSE DIRECTORY!! Makes sense right? Have no fear I will update it, as usual. Kind of… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 28, 2008 at 5:00pm — 4 Comments

Ants in the Pants

Big thanks first to Matt Monczka for putting me up for the night! Fellow former Michigander.

I got attacked by fire ants today at Floral Park, just walking down hole #3 and suddenly my whole left shoulder and neck and hand start flaring up and I'm like WT* is going on. Since I'm not used to this, I really didn't know and when I saw the ants I freaked out. Had to take my shirt and hat off and throw the bag down. Still had them on me for 6 holes. I don't know where they came from or… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 27, 2008 at 9:27pm — 5 Comments

Non-rabid fox

I saw another one today, slinking by the basket at McLean.

Ft. Walton Beach, FL- Ferry:Directions need a'fixin', I couldn't find hole #1 but found #7, so I started there expecting to find #18 and then #1 by default at the end. In fact #18 was well hidden, and I almost gave up looking for #1-6. It says 'First tee between baseball field and tennis court', when in fact you have to walk between them, cross a creek, cross a field, cross a parking lot, then find the tee hidden… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 26, 2008 at 4:03pm — No Comments

Rabid Fox

On hole #7 at Pirates Cove, after I threw my drive, into the rough, a ranger comes 'round the bend and says you may have to skip the next hole, there's a rabid fox on the loose, as he stalks forward to catch it. 2 minutes later he comes back, with a fox swinging from a loop on a pole. He said it looks like it wasn't rabid, but maybe got into some chemical like antifreeze that was causing it to act weird and might mean it's demise. :(

Apparently Joe McCain loves the F-Bomb as much as… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 25, 2008 at 7:30pm — 5 Comments

Doubles

I played the Halloween Howler doubles with Eddie, because the temp. course was not yet set-up and I felt like throwing some more. We didn't win, but shot fairly well. I couldn't drive, but I actually putt well with my new style.

Tomorrow I'll be in Pensacola and Milton, FL.

ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO GET ON THE BLUE ANGEL COURSES IN PENSACOLA PLEASE CONTACT ME OR I WILL MISS OUT!

Mobile (Fairhope), AL- Fairhope Municipal:Had 6 cement tees and no tee signs,… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 24, 2008 at 8:20pm — 1 Comment

Real vandalism

I just played Springhill Hobbit and had the opportunity? to call the police. After playing 14? who knows what hole it was because it's poorly marked, might have been hole 16..anyways..a maroon Yukon comes flying down the trail along the fence, off road in the park. I wait and it comes back, I make a hand motion and it comes right by me, so I stand behind a cement pillar in case it's some psycho, and I see some kids, the driver gives me a shocked look as he sees me whip out a sharpie and write… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 23, 2008 at 5:42pm — 4 Comments

The King of Rocs and Rollers

I met the King at Chickasaw today, driving around the park in a red pick-up, he works there. Also designed it, maintains it and has been playing since before my time. He also designed Citronelle (and Desert Fox @ Paul B Johnson), which if you read yesterday's blog, I really liked. So good job. He wanted me to stress that it's (Chickasaw) is no longer an old, short course and that people should really come check it out. And they should.

Halloween Howler- really not planning to play,… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 23, 2008 at 2:30pm — 3 Comments

The Unforgiven 936

Just have to say I cannot forgive them for putting out another new, crappy album. LAME

This is the 3rd night dealing with hassle of bad rooms at a Motel 6 this week. I'm about to just sleep in the car.

Also, I seem to have forgotten the FIRST ever course I played on my list..at 10 years old at a Boy Scout camp, w frisbees and posts. It was a tournament, and was set-up in advance, so I'm calling it a course. That adds 1 more.

Plus today I got a 'Bonus' course,… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 22, 2008 at 6:30pm — 2 Comments

Getting Mobile

I'll be there tomorrow night, and for a couple days.

I actually have a signal at this campground, it's a miracle.

Baton Rouge, LA- Highland Road:Nice mix of long and short, open and somewhat tight. Has creek, small hills, well mowed grass, big trees, some woods and rough, a map supposedly available (I downloaded mine- and without one you will NOT be able to navigate it very well, if at all) and some tee signs. Tees are dirt, loose dust. Many big arm duece ops… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 21, 2008 at 7:22pm — 2 Comments

The Dirty South

Lafayette is probably the most trashed, dirty city I've ever seen. And I mean actual trash. It's like no one ever heard of a trash can or recycling. These people should be ashamed of themselves. Not to mention the courses were so bad and the city looks worse than Detroit in most places.

I just had to move hotel (60 miles) and drive to Baton Rouge instead of in the morning due to non-working wi-fi. Now it doesn't work here! I am going to raise some hell over the phone and try to get a… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 20, 2008 at 6:51pm — 2 Comments

Immortally In(s)ane

10//19//08

No internet again last night, due to camping at another state park. These state parks are putting in courses left and right, too bad they are not using experienced course designers, if they did that they'd have a good thing going down here instead of a handful of useless courses.

All the courses today were on the low scale, disappointing.

Quitman, MS- Clarkco State Park:Short, un-defined and un-designed fairways in nice woods with hills.… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 20, 2008 at 6:27pm — No Comments

Semi- Sweet (Home) Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL- Bowers:Begins with 3 long (420'+) holes through tall pines at the edge of the forest, where the rest of the course is. Very tight and sometimes long, doglegs and straight tunnels up and down hills in thick, very rough unfinished woods. A few creek hazards, one basket on hill 10' from the intersection of two creeks. I wouldn't dare play here in spring/summer due to my 3 leafed friend, but it was tolerable in the fall. The woods are not clean, lots of thorns, saplings, low… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 18, 2008 at 7:48pm — 1 Comment

Camping

Yes I'm camping. For some reason Motel 6 thinks 80$ is a reasonable rate for a hotel in Alabama. Like anyone wants to be in Alabama that bad?

Oakand, MS- George Payne Cossar State Park:2/3 of the holes are medium and technical, half of those in a pine tree forest half in a more open, leafy treed grassy area by the lake. 1/3 are longer and nearly wide open, near water but not a real hazard. Great views of the lake, dam, bluffs, wildlife. Well groomed grounds, well balanced… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 17, 2008 at 7:36pm — 1 Comment

Phone problems

My phone might be broken, it turns off and on for no reason all the time now. It might have to do with bad service, but I did a hard-reset and erased it, and it's still happening. So I might not be online very often at all for a long time if I can't fix this.

Most of today was spent getting dumped on by rain and covered in mud, trying to navigate really poorly thought and layed out courses with minimal signage.

Belden, MS- Old Warrior Run (Trace State Park!):A nice… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 16, 2008 at 7:12pm — 3 Comments

The south

Finally I have internet. Phone still goes into roaming every other minute, yet I'm in the hometown of Elvis. You'd think Sprint would invest in a tower since this is a tourist trap.

Amory, MS- Panther Prowl:11 holes, half cement tees, signs, a msg. board but no map. I got lost for a second when it said to go to 'A' before '4' but 'A's' tee said '4' so I looked around for 'A' for no reason. Partially open, the first hole playing either 480/340 in open space then into a stand of… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 15, 2008 at 4:30pm — 4 Comments

No internet, way behind, grace rose, tri-states

I have been without internet for 2 days, my signal worked in the parking lot briefly so I checked in, soon as I shut the door it's gone for good. No WI-FI. So, I either have to find a hotel with it or get out of this area and skip some courses. This is getting to be way too much of a hassle. I can't plan ahead now without a phone or internet, and I can't get on to check messages and update days worth of courses.

Monday October 13th:

These will be brief as I am extremely… Continue

Added by Ben Calhoun on October 14, 2008 at 10:03pm — 3 Comments