Winning dubs

Woke up at 9am to look out the window and see it pouring rain, everything soaking wet. I headed to play Yetter park in East Strousburg pa. It says in the guide it is 75% complete as of 10/06, so I figure it's good to go as of now, right? No.
It is in miserable condition, the local in charge of the course apparently got Lyme disease and has been unable to work on it (hope he's ok) so it is extremely overgrown, and was never fully cut out anyway. It's like a jungle, there are tent-worms on the baskets making them home. Very hard to navigate with no signage and no break-in because it clearly sees no action. There is potential here, good chunk of thick forest land with some hills.
Next to Hickory Run State Park in White Haven. It was hard to find, only because my stupid GPS told me I was IN White Haven when I was actually still 18 miles away..
I warmed up and met Mike Solt and another guy, Pat for the round. Pat tore it up like mad, shooting something like 4-6 under while I was definitely over. It is very tight mostly, hard to get a shot through to the pin. Some great holes out there, very tough. Flat, non-rough forest land for the back nine and more open park like grassy setting in front 9. Must throw a lot of straight shots. The tees are crushed rock and hard to adjust to if not used to it, but in good shape otherwise. The holes are marked so it is navigable.
I followed Mike to F. E Walter Dam course in Lake Harmony, the site of doubles later. We played about 12 holes, then went for food and drink to come back for doubles. It is longer and more open than Hickory, on completely different land. Mostly Pine trees, very thick and tight together. The holes often are long or have good routes by going up and around the fairways with a big arm hyzer or turnover. You need to bomb to score here. The ground is really rocky, and there's no rough stuff, easy to play. There are good tee signs with hole image. The baskets are a mix of 3 types for now until they all get replaced soon. Several are 30 year old Sedgley baskets. I actually got Mike as my partner for random doubles (he rigged it). We won at 47. Shot -6 the back 9 and just -1 the front. It was trading dueces or putts back and forth, I parked some great shots. On one 530' uphill hole, I threw over some trees on a big turn and ended about 80' short, making it 450' and uphill and over some short trees. It was sick I don't know where that came from, but I heard it snap.
I am at Mike's house right now for the night, thanks again Mike. Great host.

[Rizbee]

Where's Ben Been? Google Map

When you look at the map, note that each different type of marker represents one day's worth of courses. When I run out of markers I'll start over, but it gives you a little perspective on the amount of area he's covering each day.

[Jordan Bunn]

Ben - sorry you did not enjoy Yetter Park, but I figured Solt would have clued you in that it is still a work in progress. Not sure if you saw all the pink survey tape, but all those marked trees and all the dead stuff is coming out in the next couple of weeks. The twp. is also finishing up the tee boxes and putting up sign posts for me. The course should be in fantastic shape by mid-summer, sorry you won't be around to see it. As far as the worms go - they are all over the county. I took my daughter to a local school playground and all the equipment was covered in them - it was disgusting.

[Terry "the Pirate" Calhoun]

East Strousburg's (sic?) a nice area, Ben. I've driven by a lot but never stopped.

At the meeting I was in last weekend in St. Louis, I met the new dean of the business school at the university there and she knew a little bit about the local disc golf scene.

[Ben Calhoun]

ha
i ont want to get vidego game addicted again
gonna play 2-3 courses and just drive tomorrow, might get all the way to western edge of ny along the lake drive in rain instead of play

[gunkamania]

20 m.p.h. winds and 100% chance of heavy rain. It does not look like a good day for disc golf tomorrow. Perhaps you should just stay at Solt's house and play mario kart on Wii tomorrow.

[Ben Calhoun]

Thanks (for the $ also). Hopefully it won't be 50 and rainy tomorrow!

[gunkamania]

Ben it was very nice to meet you and play some golf at F.E.W. Have fun with the rest of your trip.