I Need a Fix!!!

Sigh. I just can't get enough time in to actually play disc golf lately. It's really getting to me today so I thought I'd vent here.

When we last surveyed members of this network, the average member said they played something like 130-150 rounds a year. I doubt very much that I even got 50 in this year. It's not a lack of courses, I'm sitting within an hour's drive of probably 50, many of them really good ones. Hole 1 of The BRATS, our private course, is less than 30 feet from my home's side door!

I've had my Keen Milo disc golf shoes for several weeks and have worn them every day, all day, but only 5 or 6 times for disc golf They're showing wear and tear and it's all from office wear! I have a very time-demanding day job, which I love, but it eats up the days. And now it's eating up my shoes - which I should not wear all the time, but at least if I can't play I can wear my disc golf shoes and shirts!

We got a box of the new Star Katanas in from Innova a couple of days ago, and I have held one in my hand, but had no chance to throw one yet. It's crazy, this time of year, to head out to work in the dark and get home in the dark. If I am lucky, the weather will cooperate Saturday and I'll get a chance to throw the Katana and see what it does!

Disc golf course design eats up time that means not playing. Each of the courses I have worked in the past few years has easily eaten up 200-300+ hours of time that could have been spent actually playing. The likely possibility of a new course nearby that no one but family knows about yet (Sorry, sworn to temporary secrecy.) has taken up several hours of my time just last weekend and this week, alone. And I have discovered that, just because a course is "done" doesn't mean it's not going to suck more of your time up. (I know, I didn't have to work out that Lakeshore Gold temp course layout and instead could have spent that time playing, but . . . and, thanks, fence destroyers at MBD for the hassles that's resulting in.)

When Pfizer left Ann Arbor and took Sheila's great-paying job with it, we talked about the expense of disc golf, with several of us in the family being pretty serious about it. We decided that if we wanted to stay active - competing and in development of the sport - we needed to make some money at it, so we monetized some of what we were already doing and it is at least covering the costs of this network for us. But now that is extra work on top of our day jobs that takes away time to play! Hours and hours of time just to figure out underwriting opportunities and how to communicate about them.

We created a brand new retail business, The Throw Shop, and opened the doors - fully legitimate, everything filed, proper accounting, paying the taxes, stock ordered and delivered - in 7 weeks this summer, and man did that kill the playing disc golf this summer! Since then, on weekends most of my time is taken up either staffing the store or working on improvements in it. Spent a good 10 hours last weekend, with the help of Garrett Graham, on hauling and installing furnishings.

Well, at the moment this weekend is not jam-packed. And the weather looks, okay, with only flurries and snow showers and highs around freezing, so I'll probably get a couple of rounds in. Gotta look on the bright side.

[stephen b]

you have to carve out time for things you really want to do. consider it workout time to stay in shape. mental health excersize. play with others and it's social time. justify it any way you have to.

[AndroidJonny]

Terry I know all about not having much time to play. I, also own and operate a business with my family. It can be very time consuming. What I try to do when I can get some spare time, is to go play a round and then back to work. I know that with the Day Job that can be hard, but on the weekends get some one to cover for an hour or so and take off to go play around. Hope that things work out for ya this comming year.

[James Banevicz]

Move to GA, we play year round with no snow.

[mark ellis]

And this blog cost you about 4 holes. Maybe 5 or 6 if you threw them well.

[Benjamin Wolfe]

I made it up to The Throw Shop from Columbus, OH. Great shop and course you guys have there.

[Jeffery Nugent]

We all appreciate what you're doing Terry, keep up the good work. Maybe one of these years i'll get to come up to michigan and check you guys out.