Eligibility

Though listed as one event on the site, rated disc golf tournaments with very few exceptions have two or more divisions. Though some events have qualifications to be eligible to participate, generally only the open pro division is available to all players. All other divisions are restricted to enter which can be based on age, amateur status, amateur ability, and or sex.

I even switched divisions at an event to balance the number of entries because a new player ended up getting an initial rating too high for the entered division.

This is done for fairness as it makes no sense for a top pro or a beginner to be facing me on even terms. My initial plan was to create a chart showing how I along with several unnamed players would would be eligible for the various divisions many tournaments have but I realize it would distract from the point of this entry.

There is a reason for female specific divisions let alone this May 8 which is women's player day and I really want my daughter to spend her 21st birthday at an event at KLM park in Hinsdale but I realize playing a tournament on the birthday is my plan for 2021. At least I am glad she has no desire to party and get drunk with her aunts and cousin.

I expressed disappointment that featured first round coverage at the 2019 US Disc Golf Championship had the top female player in the world. Though she could easily beat me, she was as close to the top male players as I was three months previously to the top MA50+ players at the Amateur World Championship.

One of the top female 50+ players in the world is from the Chicago area. The last three times her and I played at the same event I went 1-1-1 against her. Though I am at best an upper half 50 year old amateur, a female my age with my ability would have a great chance to become a world champion.

Anyway, some states are taking extreme measures to ensure that female school athletes are female. Though I agree with the desire to make sure ALL participants are eligible for any event they wish to enter, genital exams should not be the solution.

I remember two events with my daughter's grade school soccer. There was one game where I swore that the other team was a different age group which was confirmed when one of the parents from the other team stated the age and another where I had to literally go on the field and carry my daughter off since she was scared after a boy while goofing around bumped heads with her.

I would want to see the honor system be used but many have taken advantage of it or insisted that since they identify as a female them can compete as one. Somehow people from both sides need to find a logical and dignified solution.

The Rittenhouse Effect

Before people started dying of an illness many people still ignore, I theorized about what a person needs to do anything then applied it towards killing many others. Though I initially stated three things, I later adjusted to these four:

Desire 

Opportunity 

Equipment 

Ability 

I then theorized that equipment is the easiest thing to eliminate without changing society and stated that this has already been done in the cases where many were killed with a homemade bomb.

I recently realized there is a different way to eliminate the opportunity of killing many without creating a police state and that would be to arm everyone. As some pro gun people have stated, it would provide an immediate response as well as being a potential deterrent (which I have seen done at a house of worship) to those who want to kill many.

However, this would cause what I call "The Rittenhouse Effect". This is named after the 17 year old who brought an assault rifle to Kenosha, Wisconsin with the desire to deter protestors from attacking businesses.

I am fully aware that the protest started after a situation where the police were justified in their actions as opposed to killing a man while detaining him a month previously. That is a different post for another time.

What happened was that the kid reacted to something behind him by turning around and opening fire killing a person then when police ignored him and others tried to apprehend him, he fired in defense killing another.

In a fully open armed society this type of situation could become as commonplace as car accidents and the number that die from accidental shootings could total far more than the total from mass shootings.

It's a "W" by the numbers

My 2021 season opened at the same place the 2020 season ended, Fairfield Park in Round Lake. Par Kings, the group which ran the event, did an amazing job getting the course ready and am excited to play more events at that course.

Number of players in MA40 division: 11

Number who had to withdraw upon realizing he had another event rescheduled to the same day: 1

Round one gold course:

Years since I played complete 18 hole course as the optional #19 was used for warm up: 4

Times having worst drive but best group score on the hole: 1

Times having the best drive with worst group score on the hole: 2

Relationship to par on the six par four holes: +8

Total failed shots in round one: 14

Total score/ relation to what I consider par since a 495 foot hole up a hill should be a par 4: 80/+14

Score equal to my rating: 73.5

Previous worst round on course (where after I left bag in garbage can only to return when I realized my house keys were still in it: 78

Place/ shots out of first: T3/5

Round two white course:

Total distamce in feet from basket on first two drives: 25

Score to par on 4-7: +4

Shots out of first after #7: 7

Birdies in next seven holes: 6

Drives that hit metal: 1

Total distance of the six birdie holes: 1,080 feet

Consecutive made putts that did not hit chains: 3

Shots in first on #15 tee before failed drive and putt led to bogey: 2

Feet from pin on #18 drive making putt to go back up by two: 10

Players who needed to ace #18 to tie me and force a playoff like what happened in a division an hour previously: 2

Birdies in round two: 9

Total score/to par: 54/-3

Shots off personal best on course: 1

Score that equals my rating: 55.6

Number of failed shots: 7

Overall:

Margin of win: 1

Career wins listed: 7

Actual wins: 6

Players beaten in previous five wins: 10

Players beaten in this one: 10

Points earned of the 500 needed to qualify for 2022 World's: 44

Number of other players in division with rating within two shots per round 2

Number of players in division with rating more than 5 worse per round: 5

Number of unrated players in division: 3

Where I would have finished in 16 player division based on my rating as opposed to age: tied for 9th

Minimum number of shots lost by playing stupid: 8

Number of people who have or will congratulate me on a win which for the madman the mostly unacceptable performance overshadows the victory: many

Virtually at home

Currently listening to the virtual Marscon music track as in person would not yet work. Had the 2020 event been the second March weekend as it has been in the past as opposed to the first one, it is likely it would have not happened as well.

Since in 2015 when I realized my time, energy, vacation, and money needed to go towards something I can do as opposed to watching people do things I can't, wearing a t shirt I have not worn since the last time I made the 400+ mile trip in 2016.

Though I still believe my decision was correct remembering my experience at the 2019 AM worlds, part of me still misses being there and 10 AM will mark the fourth straight Marscon Saturday 10AM at the course where my next event is scheduled to be held for the quest for 500 to reenforce my decision.

Been wanting to travel out of town for an event during that weekend but remember too late to register.

Twice the age and size

After multiple activities were closed due to pandemic regulations in March 2020, some professional disc golfers decided to make videos doing things.

One of them was the ten foot challenge. The idea is to start ten feet from the basket and go ten feet further every time a shot is made the idea to see how far someone can get in an hour. Final distances for various known professionals ranged from 120 to 190 feet.

I was curious to see how a man twice the age and in many cases weight would do especially since my approach game is considered my biggest strength.

On an April Friday afternoon, I went to a park with a whole bunch of discs and my portable practice basket and after measuring ten foot increments, started.

There were three objectives...

1) See how far I could get. duh. To be honest, I was disappointed with the result. There were some discs that were not suitable and with it being a bit windy, the longer shots became more difficult than anticipated as I fatigued.

2) See if using a putter for approach shots was viable. Having never practiced it in earnest, found out that day using putters is viable. Three of the throws that were made were with a putter and not a midrange disc.

I can attribute part of my improved play in 2020 to that afternoon.

3) Have a video made of this showcasing my daughter's skills that she learned at home and at the class she took at Illinois Media School.

She recorded with her camera and phone and had an idea on how to make it work and I was very excited to see how the video would turn out where I thanked the many people who ran tournaments, clubs, and stores where I purchased or received the discs I used.

The video never was made. Every request about when ended up with an excuse followed by her playing a game on the computer or watching a video. A month later, I noticed caramel on the top disc and on sides of discs that she was going to use pictures in the video.

Occasionally my disgust with her shows and people have called me out on it. As someone who considers himself the biggest investor, the video was meant to judge and showcase her skills and it has become a failure.

Anyway, I got to 100 feet. The first attempt from 110 feet hit the band and no other attempt from distance over the last 12 minutes came that close.

Prop bet 2021

Thanks to the new law, I now actually have wagers for the NFL Championship Game so there is no longer a fantasy pool but a real one. However, far less money is being wagered than the fantasy one. Anyway...

KC -12.5 (+310) $2

KC win 13-18 (+750) $2

Watkins TD (+210) $2

Brate TD (+240) $2

TB 17 points exactly (+900) $2

KC 30 points exactly (+1500) $2

KC 30 TB 17 exactly (+17000) $2

INT for TD (+650) $2

Parlay: Brate TD, Watkins TD, KC -9.5 (+3387) $5

Parlay: Manchester City win, Chi/Dal over 5.5 goals, KC win (+402) $2

Four banana, two banana, one banana, three

After getting paid $16 to deliver a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts in Rosemont on New Years Day during an increasing worsening winter storm during a pandemic, was heading home when the Banana Splits theme song started to play. After I parked, stayed in the car to finish "singing".

After it ended as I got out of the car, phone dinged with a double pickup. 6.5 miles, $28. First one was Taco Bell. Pulled in and told they won't have food for 30 minutes. Went to Wendy's and support stated they called Taco Bell, was told they have food, and I should go back. Person at drive through stated they won't have food for 25 minutes.

I hate unassigning orders and even called the customer trying to get her to cancel but I had to do that after delivering the Wendy's. Got another pickup heading to a hotel on Mannheim just southwest of O'Hare.

After ending my dash, got on Irving which gently winds around the southern border of the airport. A car going 50 in front of me lost control in the snow and ended up on the median between traffic. By going 40 and with 4 wheel drive that I used for the first time and anti lock brakes stopped in plenty of time and am glad those behind me did as well.