2017 USDGC

[TheOtherBill]

For those sub-900 players that are reading this and wondering how they would shoot - my best score in 4 rounds there was a 90 and I lost two or my favorite discs. Amazing time though, one of my favorite rounds ever played.

 

[DiscFifty]

Thanks! I've been busy, that's for sure!

I've been focusing on bigger picture stuff for SpinTV, now I'm coordinating all of the US-based productions while Jussi focuses on Europen-based productions + DGWT + everything else he's involved in.

I also just ran my first B-tier, that was an experience!

I'm hoping to get my voice out there more by diversifying the kinds of things we do. Since we've been covering more and more tournaments we haven't grown our non-coverage content at the same rate, so that's been a big priority of mine - things like On Tour series, this USDGC project, more In The Bag videos with FPO players, and a huge passion project that Avery and I are trying to put together. I'll be so excited to tell the world if/when this idea gets the full greenlight.

The last couple of commentary sessions I've done are on 2017 Pro Masters Worlds (an experimental format), and I got to guest on CCDG Coverage!

Man, just writing that pumped me up. I love working in disc golf. :hfive:

Awesome on so many levels. Thx for the update! :thmbup:

 

[Flick Maniac]

I took a +21 on the Beast at the staff round a few years back. Good times. And about the same on Järva DGPs full 27-hole layout. The latter was even more special since I had only seen it on video (whereas The Beast I had spectated). Holy moly some of those holes IRL, look so tame on video. I expect Winthrop Gold to have the same effect when I eventually play a double bogey averaged round one of these years.

 

[lyleoross]

I've played it a few times in a competitive setting, back when I still actually played on a regular basis as a 960 player, and it was ugly. Winthrop Gold is a very odd course. It's not actually hard, but it'll still destroy you. If you go into with a Roc and a putter, you can score pretty close to even par, and that's a perfectly respectable score. The difficulty is when it tricks you into thinking you can do more. You think you're good enough to drive the green. You think you're good enough to crank a 400' drive just to get a little closer to the pin. You think you're good enough to nail that landing zone and stick your drive 10' from the OB line. And it starts to snowball really quickly.

The actually good players can make those shots. The old guys who know they can't throw far don't even attempt those shots. But the mediocre mid-level guys who know "I've executed that shot plenty of times in the past" get suckered into trying it and end up losing.
I'm sure anyone watching me play it would just be shouting at their screen, "Dude! Put away the damn driver! It hasn't worked for the last 8 holes - just stop trying it!!"

Just as a point. There is much discussion of what a course should be. And what par should be. Todd's description summarizes exactly what the sport should be IMO.

 

[Always Hyzer Lines]

Does anyone else think Harold Duvall shouldn't have a newbie title under his name?

I got a laugh out of it.

 

[tom12003]

Does anyone else think Harold Duvall shouldn't have a newbie title under his name?

I got a laugh out of it.

Just that Harold doesn't waste his time in racking up posts to DGCR, he's got better ways to spend his time in promoting disc golf. He joined this forum about 5 years ago and only posts about USDGC, but not often.

 

[Dana]

Looks like the TeePads got an upgrade.

 

[filobedo]

For those sub-900 players that are reading this and wondering how they would shoot - my best score in 4 rounds there was a 90 and I lost two or my favorite discs. Amazing time though, one of my favorite rounds ever played.

Someone was joking about a Rec player rated in the low 800's bragging he shot 78 or 80 on Winthrop Gold recently but the ropes and haybales were not set up. If the guy had played it in tournament setup he would possibly break 100 1/10 times. If I take a 7 on #5 and on 888 I am happy and I have never parred the clowns mouth. If I break 92, I am ecstatic.

 

[Halcón]

What's par at USDGC?

 

[Halcón]

Nevermind, found it:

http://usdgc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/CADDYBOOK-2017-web.pdf

 

[Harold Duvall]

Looks like the TeePads got an upgrade.

Hi Dana, We did indeed upgrade some of the tee pads. The new system was developed by Levi Bennett. It uses an engineered substrate and turf. The substrate is designed to absorb shock and shed water, while the turf provides the right blend of traction and pivot in various weather conditions. We have been testing one of these on the short tee of Hole 16 at US Doubles course at Camp Canaan for over a year. The new system will be used on the tees of hole 1, 5, 7, 8, 13, and 18 and the drop zones on holes 9 and 12. If all goes well, we will upgrade the rest of the tees in the off season.

 

[TheOtherBill]

If I break 92, I am ecstatic.

92 is my 2nd best score there :thmbup:

 

[bhadella]

I'm a 910-920 player and I seem to always score in the low to mid 80s (82-86). 5 is tough to par and then the stretch of 9-13 is really tough for me (lefty). And then the typical leak of strokes around the rest of the holes.

 

[Lazerface]

Man would I love a shot at that course. If it was really windy I know it would eat me alive, but on a calm day I think I could do the conservative thing pretty well out there.

 

[TheOtherBill]

Man would I love a shot at that course. If it was really windy I know it would eat me alive, but on a calm day I think I could do the conservative thing pretty well out there.

Playing the course at 40 years old, my thinking was "conservative all day, stay in bounds, keep your mental game in check." Weather was perfect, great cardmates, ready to rock n' roll.

It just doesn't happen. Once you see a 270 foot RHFH that you've thrown a 1000 times, but this time it's on WINTHROP GOLD's hole 5 water carry to the pin and making it over would give you an actual legitimate shot at par on this iconic ....splash. Crap.
It was only once exhaustion started to creep in that I really played 'smart'.

The online videos or following a card of pros just makes those shots seem so possible; that's part of the allure to go for it. This beautiful shapely fairway practically begging for your perfect throw, but under-committed or almost perfect throws get punished every dang time. That's a big reason the USDGC course is perfect for competition. It requires no impossible shots, every hole is fair (mostly) to the player, the baskets are right in front of you- except 15, but it takes so much more than just making throws.

 

[DiscFifty]

Someone please quote me (so I get a notification) if there is any final round coverage of the FPO USDGC. I'm only seeing up to round 3 online. Thx.

 

[ScottyLove]

Someone please quote me (so I get a notification) if there is any final round coverage of the FPO USDGC. I'm only seeing up to round 3 online. Thx.

HUH? There is no FPO at the USDGC. It's only a single OPEN division.

If you're talking about 2016, there were only 3 rounds and the last was cancelled due to weather and Koling was crowned the champ after 3 rounds.

 

[bhadella]

HUH? There is no FPO at the USDGC. It's only a single OPEN division.

If you're talking about 2016, there were only 3 rounds and the last was cancelled due to weather and Koling was crowned the champ after 3 rounds.

He was referring the the Womens United States Disc Golf Championship that was this last weekend in TN.

https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/31364

 

[Beren]

Planning on trying to qualify Monday. Thought I'd share my successes and failures as a mid-level (unrated) player that knows Winthrop well, can throw accurately and low out to 375', has a mediocre putt but can usually play smartly.

Played Gold on the 17th; the course was flagged in multi-colors, but not roped, and the 2017 Caddy Book wasn't out yet. Also, a few of the gold baskets weren't in their tournament placements, so in those cases (1,2,3,6) I played to the circle and assumed I would make 50%of those putts, but 100% of anything within 10'.

Highs:
-Absolutely parked #3, #17. I definitely would have made the hay bales, but TBH I was aiming out further to the bailout side on the right.
-Saved par on #2 after a hyzered out tee shot put me under the big oak on the left. (No basket but I only had a 10' putt)
-Saved par on #4 with a parked sidearm upshot from 10' left of the mando tree.
-Almost made the gap on #7. Two more inches right and I'd have been parked. Hit the inner piece of bamboo on the left side. Should have made that straddle putt, but whatever.
-Par on #9. Didn't have a huge drive, but I placed it well. Went big on my second shot and came up just on the back side of the raised basket bricks. 8' uphill putt.
-Par on #13. No basket in place yet, so that was a layup to drop-in range. Didn't play #13 as the tournament will, played it like last year's config. I feel like this year's layout may very well be easier than that.

Lows:
-Took a double-circle 9 on #5 because I'm an idiot; should have been a 6 at most. I was throwing with discs I wouldn't miss, and my third shot (layup before crossing over) with a stupid meathook TeeDevil trickled into the edge of the lake. Good riddance to bad plastic. Made the lake crossing, but then my 80-ft layup to the basket flew right by (?!?!?!) and trickled right into the water again, and then I 2-putted it. I chalk it up to just rushing and using less than familiar plastic.
-Bogey on #10. I was playing safe, but I misjudged the distance to the edge of the layup zone and my disc slid out by about 2'. Maybe a midrange instead of a fairway next time. Crossed the OB just fine (but outside the circle), then 2-putted.
-Double-bogey on #11. Comedy of errors + horrible putting. I'm throwing sidearm then roller next time.
-Bogey on #12. Played it like the hazard rule, just because the flagging at the end of the fairway wasn't visible from my second shot (fairway flags kind of dip back on the back side of the left-side hill). Would have been OB in the tournament, but I'd also know where to land in-bounds.
-Bogey on #15. Made the mando on #15, but got in the left-side junk and it took me 2 shots to get out.
-Bogey on #18. Played the furthest pin, and came "this" close to OB on every single shot. My approach didn't fade around the corner towards the basket so I had to lay up and tap in. Out of water by that point (it was pretty hot) and tired/losing focus, still thinking about my park job on 17.

Takeaways:
-Bring snacks and more fluids, maybe 1 water plus something with electrolytes. I always forget how long that course is.
-Don't leave your disc laying on the course. (Thanks, Scott!!)
-Practice putting. Putt up and downhill. Also sidehill from both sides. Just practice every putt ever.
-Don't be afraid to play safe in the danger zones; par is your friend.
-Even though I shot 75 (+8), 4 of those strokes were on 1 hole and not due to chance, just my stupidity. 4 others were on small unforced errors and end-of-round fatigue. Also, some baskets weren't in their places, so weren't "runnable".
-I know I have par capability, even with mediocre putting.

And finally, remember that last year's qualifiers qualified with -2 and -1 scores.

I'm looking forward to it.

 

[mj20300]

Someone please quote me (so I get a notification) if there is any final round coverage of the FPO USDGC. I'm only seeing up to round 3 online. Thx.

Yes. I believe marty covered the top card and Terry Miller did the second card of the last round of USWDGC