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, didn't know that Ashe Lake was a separate 9 and 18.

**Decided to NOT play, I didn't realize it was a 2 -day event. I can't take 2 days off to play 1 course and spend 55$ on top of that. If it was Saturday only I'd have done it. **Contemplating the Halloween tournament in Mobile, it seems unlikely because if I don't win my $ back, and in this pain I won't, I am out more than a day's budget, and up no courses. Might make an appearance, donate some stickers. We'll see.

I camped next to a basket last night, so I got to practice putting and worked out a new shot that is working better than ever in a long time, throwing hyzer hard and with a LOT of spin. The chains explode and it sticks, and hits 9/10 times from 20 ft, in practice.

Hattiesburg, MS- Desert Fox @ Paul B. Johnson State Park:The map is off by 1 hole, and the new 5 baskets don't have any tees I could find. One of the better of the MS state parks, with more variety and all types of shots and land. Features a lot of water hazards- at least 3 holes along the edge of a lake, 2 over water and 1 towards water. There is a shot between two trees, over water, to basket on a thin peninsula. It's about 250' to clear water, go 300' or left or short and you are wet. They provide two alt. tees for weak arms. It's mostly semi open and grassy, with about 5 holes going back into a jungle like prairie and into the woods. Good length, several big arm crush opportunities but most holes can be reached by most players, nothing too short or boring. One basket raised up high on a mound of dirt. 3$. HUGE selection of discs w/ low prices, but they'll probably never sell them all.

Brooklyn, MS- Ashe Lake 9:Handicap-accessible, of the few and far between in the world. There are 4 levels of access, with the first 4 holes easily accessed by anyone in a wheelchair, the whole 9 with a little bit of help. Also, braille tee signs and bells on the baskets for someone to ring, so a blind player can play. Very open with a couple tall pines per hole, a few near water. Shortest under 100' and longest not even 250', I took all 2's. Well marked. The other 18 holes across the lake. 3$- National Forest Service.

Brooklyn, MS- Ashe Lake 18:Across the lake from Ashe Lake 9, couldn't really figure out if you are supposed to drive up the grass road so I did and parked out of sight from the street. This is obviously a brand new work in progress. Tees are carpet on small crushed gravel boxes, so they are smooth and will last long. Signs are PVC pipes with #, no length or hole description, no map, no msg. board. It actually is pretty easy to navigate once you get going, just need to scope out some holes. Beware of 3 inch long banana spiders hanging from every tree. Mostly tight, with about 4 holes in viney-bushy woods and well carved out, the rest in tall pines on a slope toward a lake, with lots of new rough growth and unmowed grass. It will need some work by next year or will grow to be unplayable, but wasn't so bad as is. Hard to tell anyone else has ever played it. Several legit. par-4's, some 2-stage holes that twist through woods and a couple water hazards, like a shot from a peninsula to a basket on the edge of the water surrounded by trees. Nothing too easy, requires good golf shots to score and is very fair. 3$- National Forest Service.

ALABAMA

Mobile (Citronelle), AL- Citronelle Municipal:You may look around and think it's a good idea to just play and not go around the lake and pay 1$ because the signs are a bit vague on how to do it. You will be spotted from 6-9 by the gate lady if you don't. I paid, just warning anyone who gets that bright idea. The best course in quite some time, maybe comparably as good as Wildcat Trace, but easier to navigate and a different type of golf. 3 well marked color coded sets of dirt and sand tees. You will slip a few times on the sand tees. Mostly tight through towering pines with high canopies, on a hillside around the edge of a lake. The water is never a concern except maybe hole 3, if you suck. Scenic. A mix of long tough holes with shorter easy holes tossed in. From longs, there are at least 4 holes well over 500', one is 860! The 860'-er is tight too, forcing a slight turn or 'S' drive for a RHBH, have to try to land in the fairway. Then, toss straight uphill with a low ceiling and tight for another 450' or so to the basket as the pines get tighter around it. The last holes is 650', slight downhill, road just left (maybe OB, sign doesn't say) and wall of trees the whole way down on right. One basket on edge of a man-made 15' 'cliff' of sand. Grass not well mowed, a bit neglected in maintenance. Entirely fun and playable and navigable though, and with 3 tees it's for everyone.

Tomorrow: Mobile area. Probably JUST 2 rounds, really hurting, my knee creaks and my elbow practically popped out today. My right shoulder makes a noise when I walk sometimes. This can't be good! I will decide which courses later, might be the Halloween tournament one in the morning so I can decide on the tournament based on the course, and whether it caters to me or not.

[Clayton Nash]

based on your previous blogs concerning MS, this course will not favor you! short and tight... Its a fun tournament tho, over 200 people will be there, including myself. There will also be a temp course set up for this tournament that could go towards your total count. As I've mentioned before, there just are not enough "dedicated" players in MS yet to properly develop a course when it comes to navigation and proper course design. Think about it this way, there are more courses in MS than there are Pros... Things will get better as disc golf continues to grow throughout the state, but it takes time. Short tight courses is the norm, because thats what everybody down here seems to think disc golf is, being nobody has traveled enough outside of the state to figure it all out.

[Terry "the Pirate" Calhoun]

Hey, Ben, I heard from Steve Timm today and he says that you really ought to visit the Mobile tournament, even if you don't play. I agree. And if you head to New Orleans, get his number from me.

Sounds like the Brooklyn courses were both very well done.