My First Round
I had been interested in disc golf for a long time, but I had neither the time nor the money to make it into a hobby. I followed the pro tour, watched all the beginner videos I could, But something more important always seem to crop up once I had decided to take the plunge and buy some discs. Eventually it came to pass that I was able to buy a starter pack (thanks to UNC beating Gonzaga). Now, I consider myself an intelligent man so I knew I should learn to throw the disks before I take them out to the course. So three weeks I dedicated every other day to practicing before finally going out to the course. Now after years of procrastinating, months of watching every tutorial and pro coverage I could get my hands on (electronically speaking), at last I was about to go out onto the course to become the next Paul McBeth. Going out to do something for the first time is very embarrassing, more so to me than most people as I tend to be quiet and reserved, flubbing up in public is anathema to me, so when I arrive at my home course I wait around till all the other people who were waiting have teed off and gone on down the course. So once alone I begin my journey.
The first five holes were easy. No hit trees, no OB, Strokes were high but I expected that because all the first four holes need is distance, which I didn't have it (and still don't) but I told myself that it was okay distance will come in time. But Long comes hole 6 the shortest hole on the course. 215 yards straight as an arrow, flat as can be, I can read the hole number on the basket from the tee even I new to the game was thinking that this is my first Birdie on my first day out on the course. There are however a number of trees in the way, but by this time I was high on confidence as I have not hit a tree so far and this is my first round so they can't be too hard to avoid. So on my little 215 ft hole I proceed to hit the first tree off the tee and roll down the embankment 10 feet behind and 25 feet below the tee box. I think to myself, well I knew I would flub one sooner or later, so with still a cheerful disposition I proceed down the hill to my lie. Well this was an all together a different shot than the one before 225 feet 25 ft uphill immediately ahead of my lie. So I heave it with all I have… Directly into the side of the hill and it rolls forever, I am speechless. I take the one step to my new lie and proceed to do it again. Five steps later I approach now newest lie, okay now it is go time I decide to go through the woods as the hill wont get in my way if I go around it. So into the woods on the left off one tree then another and then another. And then nearly off the legs of a golfer on the 7th tee. Luckily the golfer, much taller and muscular than I just looks down at the disk and huffs and stalks off down the 7th fairway toward his disk. From the 7th tee box aiming for the 6th basket I proceed in 4 throws to hit 6 trees including hitting the same tree twice. The seventh no better in 10 throws I hit 11 trees, 8 if possible was worse. In order of throws I hit tree, creek, tree, tree then creek, tree, tree x3, Waterfall, tree, rock hill, rock hill again, basket then down the rock hill, layup then out. 9 got no better as the entire left side is woods…. It took me an hour to playout hole 9…I took a 15 minute break after 9 to get back my sanity.
The back nine was similar if not as bad. Hole 16 includes a water carry, I wrote down an 8 and moved on. Finally I reached hole 18 the longest hole on the course I was feeling a bit down feeling at least the round is almost over. And so I reachback and smash a drive the best one of the day it must have gone all of 300 feet, right at the basket. 200 feet left to go, again another smash my second throw ends up under the basket. This is a par four I am going to get a birdie. As I am walking up to the basket I am a little perplexed. Unlike the other baskets this one has a white rim, well all the others are yellow and it is out in the open maybe it is just faded. 100 ft away I cannot read the hole number, hmm… maybe it is on the other side… I tap out. Hmmm… no number 18 on the whole basket, maybe some hooligans scratched it off. I get in my car and cool off record my first birdie and drive off. As I am driving off on the left behind the parking lot I notice a yellow rimmed basket with an 18 on it. I had holed out on the practice basket. I called it a 12 and decided I had had enough for one day.
