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2013 Am Worlds, Emporia, KS

My family and I had a great time in Emporia and will be at 2014 Worlds next year.
My son placed 5th in MJ3 and we were AMAZED at the level of play. These young men will dominate as they get bigger and mature. I had a pretty good set of rounds and finished 49th in MM1. The people we met were great and the competition was incredible. Thanks again to DD and the PDGA! Great event.
 
Since this is the best forum on the web relating to 2013 Am World Championship, I'd like to use it to express my appreciation to Jeremy Rusco, Dynamic Discs and the town of Emporia. What a terrific experience! To a person, everyone I talked to was friendly, engaging and interested in what the sport was bringing to their town.

I enjoyed all the restaurants we tried, but gotta say, tops were the ribeye and rack o' ribs at the Wagon Wheel (I love that place), the hamburger at Do-B's, and hands down the best sweet potato fries I've ever had at Bobby D's.

Privileges at the Emporia Country Club were a great touch. The pool water must come from deep underground because on a 105° day (heat index 113°) that pool was as cool and refreshing as any I've ever jumped into. Tasty beer specials, too.

For me, tourney logistics were impeccable, and the ease of access to everything – courses, restaurants, hotels, downtown – made keeping on schedule leisurely. The only element I found lacking was limited course information. On the longer courses, especially, a caddy book with incremental distances should have been the ante for a World Championship event. On all those 500+, 600+, 700+ and 800+ holes we found ourselves guessing at 2nd, 3rd and approach shot distances.

That aside, of the three Worlds I've played, I enjoyed this one the most (yes, even more than my homeboy Charlotte one). It was the most competitive tournament, at any level, I've played. I believe our group (MS1) had the best battle of all the divisions – through six rounds there were five different leaders and 10 different players within four shots of the lead.

It was the first time I've played in that sort of wind, on courses that open and long. At home there's no wind, and par 4s usually dogleg a coupla times through the woods. I had decided pre-arrival that I would throw slower, stable discs, trying to learn some wind basics. I spent the tourney flicking a 150 Firebird, driving with 167 PDs and approaching with a Whippet, Pig and Rhyno.

How to throw and putt was a mystery to me for three practice and three competition days. I was 6 back at the end of the 1st round, then 3 back, then 7 back after the 5th round. In the sixth round I shot steady, right at my rating, and in a totally unexpected occurrence the whole lead card blew up, shooting 5-to-7 shots worse than me. I was shocked to find myself entering the 6th round tied for the lead with two others, with four more guys right behind.

The title was up for grabs, and when it counted the most I shot one of the best rounds of my life, posting a 3-under 970-rated 52 in the semis on Jones East that included a white-hot stretch of five birdies in seven holes that slammed the door shut. The best anyone else could muster was 4-over. Out of nowhere, and never even having sniffed the lead through five rounds, I was seven ahead going to the Country Club. That's a 14-shot swing in two rounds, which almost never, ever happens. I held serve in the Final Nine, shooting 2-under to win by seven. Still hard to believe.

All in all, win or lose, Emporia was top notch. My hat's off to Jeremy for his ballsiness in bringing Worlds to his town, and to the DD crew and Parks staff for making it a thoroughly unique experience.

And lastly, I want to say the first day I was in Emporia, I drank a glass of tap water from the bathroom sink and when I called my wife that night told her, "Dang, this may be the best tasting tap water I've ever had." Then come to find out, indeed, Emporia water won the distinction in 2012 of being the "World's Best Tasting Tap Water."

Damn, that's a fine glass of water. Thanks, Emporia.

-- Jim Banbury
 
So, it really is the water!

Makos? I love Makos. I started to cry inside when I lost my Star Mako not once, but twice. First time at PP throwing multiple practice shots and I left it behind. I actually was missing it throughout the round - 'wish I had my Mako'. Then, at Jones Park for Friday night Ace Race, I lost it for about an hour. Yes - I lost a disc during an ace race. Shut up.

Steve - probably won't play the DD Emporia Open, have lot's of tourney's in KC coming up. Speaking of which here is a little plug:

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91226

https://www.facebook.com/events/200822116734355/

Player's Pack:

1-2 Discs
Stool
Dri Fit Shirt (if you pre-register by July 18)
Re-usable Score Card with mechanical golf pencil
Box
Patch
Other odds and ends
 
So, it really is the water!

Makos? I love Makos. I started to cry inside when I lost my Star Mako not once, but twice. First time at PP throwing multiple practice shots and I left it behind. I actually was missing it throughout the round - 'wish I had my Mako'. Then, at Jones Park for Friday night Ace Race, I lost it for about an hour. Yes - I lost a disc during an ace race. Shut up.

Steve - probably won't play the DD Emporia Open, have lot's of tourney's in KC coming up. Speaking of which here is a little plug:

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91226

https://www.facebook.com/events/200822116734355/

Player's Pack:

1-2 Discs
Stool
Dri Fit Shirt (if you pre-register by July 18)
Re-usable Score Card with mechanical golf pencil
Box
Patch
Other odds and ends

That's a good player pack. I'll make sure to let you know if I'm planning a trip up that way.
 
Since this is the best forum on the web relating to 2013 Am World Championship, I'd like to use it to express my appreciation to Jeremy Rusco, Dynamic Discs and the town of Emporia. What a terrific experience! To a person, everyone I talked to was friendly, engaging and interested in what the sport was bringing to their town.

I enjoyed all the restaurants we tried, but gotta say, tops were the ribeye and rack o' ribs at the Wagon Wheel (I love that place), the hamburger at Do-B's, and hands down the best sweet potato fries I've ever had at Bobby D's.

Privileges at the Emporia Country Club were a great touch. The pool water must come from deep underground because on a 105° day (heat index 113°) that pool was as cool and refreshing as any I've ever jumped into. Tasty beer specials, too.

For me, tourney logistics were impeccable, and the ease of access to everything – courses, restaurants, hotels, downtown – made keeping on schedule leisurely. The only element I found lacking was limited course information. On the longer courses, especially, a caddy book with incremental distances should have been the ante for a World Championship event. On all those 500+, 600+, 700+ and 800+ holes we found ourselves guessing at 2nd, 3rd and approach shot distances.

That aside, of the three Worlds I've played, I enjoyed this one the most (yes, even more than my homeboy Charlotte one). It was the most competitive tournament, at any level, I've played. I believe our group (MS1) had the best battle of all the divisions – through six rounds there were five different leaders and 10 different players within four shots of the lead.

It was the first time I've played in that sort of wind, on courses that open and long. At home there's no wind, and par 4s usually dogleg a coupla times through the woods. I had decided pre-arrival that I would throw slower, stable discs, trying to learn some wind basics. I spent the tourney flicking a 150 Firebird, driving with 167 PDs and approaching with a Whippet, Pig and Rhyno.

How to throw and putt was a mystery to me for three practice and three competition days. I was 6 back at the end of the 1st round, then 3 back, then 7 back after the 5th round. In the sixth round I shot steady, right at my rating, and in a totally unexpected occurrence the whole lead card blew up, shooting 5-to-7 shots worse than me. I was shocked to find myself entering the 6th round tied for the lead with two others, with four more guys right behind.

The title was up for grabs, and when it counted the most I shot one of the best rounds of my life, posting a 3-under 970-rated 52 in the semis on Jones East that included a white-hot stretch of five birdies in seven holes that slammed the door shut. The best anyone else could muster was 4-over. Out of nowhere, and never even having sniffed the lead through five rounds, I was seven ahead going to the Country Club. That's a 14-shot swing in two rounds, which almost never, ever happens. I held serve in the Final Nine, shooting 2-under to win by seven. Still hard to believe.

All in all, win or lose, Emporia was top notch. My hat's off to Jeremy for his ballsiness in bringing Worlds to his town, and to the DD crew and Parks staff for making it a thoroughly unique experience.

And lastly, I want to say the first day I was in Emporia, I drank a glass of tap water from the bathroom sink and when I called my wife that night told her, "Dang, this may be the best tasting tap water I've ever had." Then come to find out, indeed, Emporia water won the distinction in 2012 of being the "World's Best Tasting Tap Water."

Damn, that's a fine glass of water. Thanks, Emporia.

-- Jim Banbury

That's an awesome week. If you live in Emporia then move the first and sometimes only thing you miss is the water. I've lived in Wichita and Waco and both cities have disgusting water. It's the only place I've ever stayed in a hotel and drank from the sink instead of buying bottled water. Glad you enjoyed the Wagon Wheel. We've been friends with the owners since I was a kid. They may take an extra minute to refill your drink but the food is worth it. Congrats on your win. Glad you learned a little about playing in the wind. I actually thought it was the calmest week of the year so make sure you come back in April for the GBO if you want lesson two. :D
 
This article is a perfect example of why our rating system is awful and is always going to misunderstood outside the sport.....

Other than that, a fantastic well written article. Thanks for sharing.
 
This article is a perfect example of why our rating system is awful and is always going to misunderstood outside the sport.....

Other than that, a fantastic well written article. Thanks for sharing.

it doesnt just highlight the ratings flaw but also the flaw in the concept of par in disc golf. people are going to assume (like in ball golf) that is you are considered a scratch pro then you are averaging par. which once we have the courses we will be able to say that.
do you think a true handicap would be a better system than our rating system?
 
This article is a perfect example of why our rating system is awful and is always going to misunderstood outside the sport.....

Other than that, a fantastic well written article. Thanks for sharing.

Agreed - great article! The Am champs were coming out of NC when I lived there, and now they are coming out of IL.

This mischaracterization of our rating system has everything to do with how we approach the definition of Par, and nothing at all to do with "why our rating system is awful":

"One of the more fascinating things about disc golf is that the players have a rating that is the same concept as a handicap in regular golf.

If a player averages par on a disc golf course, he has a rating of 1,000. Players who shoot over par have a ranking less than 1,000. Jacobs' rating is 998, which means he can expect to throw a round of pretty close to par on any given day.

Obviously, in this tournament, he was way better than that"
(he shot a -54 for the tournament)

If the tournament was played at a course like Idlewild, Renny, or Iron Hill then the author would have been essentially correct (SSA/Scratch is very close to Par on those courses).
 
In my head and when i explain to others i say 1000 rated is a scratch golfer.
 
In my head and when i explain to others i say 1000 rated is a scratch golfer.

I like to tell people that SSA is what would be considered par for a pro.
 
I've got a write-up from my rounds at Worlds, but I don't want it to get buried at the bottom of this page. To the next one!
 
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