InDaWoodsDiscN419
Par Member
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2017
- Messages
- 245
North Calais DGC, Vermont. I would love to see any photos or videos of this event from Aug. 31st 2018, Sounds Epic!
With the PDGA Pro Worlds starting 2 days later, Paul wanted to cut the chains off of all 18 baskets and bring the locals and Touring Pros a fun new format! The pole will be cut (leaving a cage with a flag pole) and players will be tested on the green. When on the green players will pull the flag out just like in ball golf. It's something Paul has wanted to do for a long time and now he is generously throwing in $500 of added cash and opening up this beautiful course for the day! All entry fee money will go to payouts along with the added $500, so there will be some cash to be had if you think you can conquer North Calais UnChained!
Cale Leiviska won shooting -4 down 61 (par is 65!)
Courtesy of Paul Olander:
Oh, that crazy Ole! The North Calais Unchained Challenge is his vision of the future of professional disc golf. As perusal of 20+ years of course design threads will tell you, putting in DG has long been viewed as "too easy"(!) Course designers accept the concept of one putt per hole in setting pars as a consequence of pro-level putting skills on what are recreational targets(!) There are proposals to reduce the number of chains, the diameter of the chain cylinder, etc., but to Ole the solution is simple: "take off them training wheels"!
Unchaining the baskets will certainly require a major change in many players' putting styles. Gone will be the chain-smashing power putts; there won't be any chains to smash. It will require far more finesse both on the greens and for the approach shots. And as anyone who has played NC knows, Ole admires power but respects finesse as the true measure of DG skill. This event is designed to test the hypothesis that unchained baskets will be more challenging, put more importance on finesse and will produce more spread on some holes. Along the way I hope that players will find the increased challenge rewarding, and that if the sport accepts such a change it would benefit in the long-term by leaving the "putting is too easy" disparagements behind.
The SSA for this course in the 2009 GMO NT event was 61.5, against the NC par at that time of 62. In the last 9 years we've changed six holes, added some distance (about 460 feet) and raised the par to 65. I'm guessing the SSA of this layout, with chained baskets, would be around 63. As a further enticement to attend the North Calais Unchained Challenge, for any players not cashing but throwing a 62 or better, I'll pay your $20 entry.
With the PDGA Pro Worlds starting 2 days later, Paul wanted to cut the chains off of all 18 baskets and bring the locals and Touring Pros a fun new format! The pole will be cut (leaving a cage with a flag pole) and players will be tested on the green. When on the green players will pull the flag out just like in ball golf. It's something Paul has wanted to do for a long time and now he is generously throwing in $500 of added cash and opening up this beautiful course for the day! All entry fee money will go to payouts along with the added $500, so there will be some cash to be had if you think you can conquer North Calais UnChained!
Cale Leiviska won shooting -4 down 61 (par is 65!)
Courtesy of Paul Olander:
Oh, that crazy Ole! The North Calais Unchained Challenge is his vision of the future of professional disc golf. As perusal of 20+ years of course design threads will tell you, putting in DG has long been viewed as "too easy"(!) Course designers accept the concept of one putt per hole in setting pars as a consequence of pro-level putting skills on what are recreational targets(!) There are proposals to reduce the number of chains, the diameter of the chain cylinder, etc., but to Ole the solution is simple: "take off them training wheels"!
Unchaining the baskets will certainly require a major change in many players' putting styles. Gone will be the chain-smashing power putts; there won't be any chains to smash. It will require far more finesse both on the greens and for the approach shots. And as anyone who has played NC knows, Ole admires power but respects finesse as the true measure of DG skill. This event is designed to test the hypothesis that unchained baskets will be more challenging, put more importance on finesse and will produce more spread on some holes. Along the way I hope that players will find the increased challenge rewarding, and that if the sport accepts such a change it would benefit in the long-term by leaving the "putting is too easy" disparagements behind.
The SSA for this course in the 2009 GMO NT event was 61.5, against the NC par at that time of 62. In the last 9 years we've changed six holes, added some distance (about 460 feet) and raised the par to 65. I'm guessing the SSA of this layout, with chained baskets, would be around 63. As a further enticement to attend the North Calais Unchained Challenge, for any players not cashing but throwing a 62 or better, I'll pay your $20 entry.
