Alternate disc golf

This Memorial Day marked the first time I played an age restricted division where I was the player significantly better who was asked why I wasn't in a ratings based division? This is opposed to what I experienced from 2015-2019 and I will need to check opponents before committing to a division in future events especially at a C tier.

I also got my 41st and 42nd unique birdies at 50 Acre Park that has 18 holes of which 17 have two tees and the other has 2 baskets. The reason I have 6 more unique birdies there than holes on the course itself is alternate and temp holes.

Some events will have additional or alternate temp holes to fit more players or to adjust to flooding like Emporia, KS had the Saturday night before the Masters Worlds that started the Tuesday after. Mike Walsh at 50 Acre Park has gotten very creative over the years and him asking me how many temps have been done there led me to create this post.

My birdies and better on the actual course:

Ace: 13 from both short and long tee (a picture of the ace disc in basket 13 has been my profile picture for 8 years)

Short tee to regular basket for a 2: 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,15,16,17,18 (I consider 11 and 12 from short tee as par 3 though to me they play a par 3 1/2.)

Long tee to regular basket for a 2: 1,2,6,8,10

Short tee to long basket for a 3: 4

Long tee to regular basket for a 3: 12,15,16,17

That makes 25

Alternate birdies from tee pads:

2 short tee to 3 basket (135 feet)

8 short tee to alternate basket away from swamp (230 feet)

11 long tee due west to temp basket hole I call 10A (265 feet)

16 long tee to a basket near 16 short tee (200 feet)

16 long tee to temp basket in trees (420 feet par 4)

17 long tee to two different temp baskets 180 feet each (one along fairway and the other towards 18 short tee)

17 short tee to basket on mound (245 feet)

18 long tee to basket just over water (225 feet) This is where I lost a disc 9 days after getting and ace with it in 2019. A couple times every year I check the pond with a retriever and the Play it Again Sports on 95th just in case.

That makes 9

Birdies from alternate tee pads:

Area near southwest corner of park to open spot near 11 short tee I call 10B (200 feet)

Area in northwest corner of park to 17 basket (175 feet)

Two different parts on the sidewalk near the gazebo to temp basket (175 and 195 feet) Two other people at the Monday event remembered seeing Tom McManus get an ace there. I refer to that as hole 19

Sidewalk near dog park entrance to practice basket (235 feet) I call it long 20

Grass area to practice basket (150 feet)

Sidewalk next to port a john to practice basket and to temp basket near driving range fence (190 and 250 feet) (a.k.a. the shitter hole) Those last three are versions of hole 20.

8 of those, 42 total.

Though I initially thought there was only one temp hole I never birdied, there are more:

7 long tee to basket 6 (245 feet)

9 short tee to basket on hop of hill (240 feet)

10 long tee to basket in southwest corner of park (700 foot par 4)

13 short tee to temp basket near short 8 tee (200 feet)

14 short tee to 16 basket (600 feet par 4)

15 short tee to temp basket making it a straight shot and a shorter walk to 11 short tee (300 feet)

18 drop zone to 18 basket (150 feet) Used for women's and junior divisions

That makes 24 alternate holes that I can recall.

Having a Google Doc listing every unique hole I ever birdied was the only reason I could create this post and when I get to 1,000 hopefully this year, there will be another long post and if you find doing this as unusual, please reference the title of this blog.

Practice summary

Though it was an enjoyable weekend of disc golf, there were things to learn and to get them out of my head and to have somewhere to reference, posting them here:

1: Neither course has a forced water carry or many places to lose a disc and there isn't an anticipated shot that would need an addition to the bag unless the same winds from last year in Kansas appear in Minnesota. 

However, it makes sense to keep backups especially for dx Leopards since it felt like I threw more last weekend than the rest of the year combined.

2: Focus on the courses played. Last year along with the weekend storm that caused changes to the Olpe Lake course and delayed my practice there, I ended up playing 38 holes in Emporia, KS not on the event courses and the fatigue showed on Friday. Last weekend was to play new courses for the stat sheet and tournament week needs to be for the event. If I visit Blue Ribbon Pines on Sunday or Monday to take a picture on course #4, don't try to play other holes.

3: Better intake: That Friday afternoon was spent dealing with fallout from what I ate the previous 30 hours and I ended up dehydrated when I got to Kahn's for dinner. There is a Super Target across the street from the hotel and a grocery trip there on Sunday is a must.

4: Underwear: Last year and last weekend, I failed to realize that after a round, there is a desire to shower and put on clean clothes. A dozen pair is the minimum that must be packed.

Practice weekend by the numbers

Time out the door: 515AM

Temperature °F: 46

Cars stopped by police on Wood Dale road: 2

Increase in cents of cost of gas per gallon compared to Jan 20: 30

Decrease in cents in cost of gas in Beloit, WI compared to station near me: 60

Years since I drove down Wisconsin Dells Drive since I had to exit expressway to talk on phone: 10

Places remembered with daughter who turned 25 on that day: 8

Cost of Osseo Hardee's lunch: $13.27

Gal of gas put in car Osseo Speedway: 11.13

Years since previous time there when I made a joke about employee hydrating a pizza: 10

Total dead deer seen on I-94 in Wisconsin: 10

Total floors of elevation required to navigate Oakwood disc golf course: 11

Birdies on course including ones throwing the shorter layout while scoring the long one: 5

Holes where I expect OB or Mando added for worlds as the fairways are close to each other: 3

Distance in miles from Northwood Park where I played rounds 2&4 of 2022 worlds to Pizza Ranch: 2.7

Distance in miles from Jones Park where I played rounds 2&4 of 2024 worlds to Pizza Ranch: 1.5

Distance in feet from basket 18 at Oakwood Park where I will be playing rounds 2&4 of 2025 worlds to door of Pizza Ranch: 306

Maximum height in feet of entrance to parking structure at Mall of America that a driver in a box truck ignored: 7

Number of FB posts seen about baseball preference of the new Pope: 10

Distance as the crow flies in miles from hotel to tee one at the Bethel University course: .9

Driving miles: 2.7

Driving time in minutes from hotel to Bethel University course: 9

Cost savings per night at hotel reserved for worlds compared to Worlds main hotel: $20

Travel minutes from Quality Inn to Treasure Island Casino where Weird Al will be on June 28: 55

Hotels in that area available for that night only: 0

dx Leopards thrown at Bethel University: 7

Baskets on a significant slope or next to a dropoff: 8

Birdies: 1

High temperature on Friday: 80

Birdies on Acorn Park course playing two layouts at same time: 12

Dollars including tip for two bowls of Mongolian cooked vegetables with noodles and some shrimp served with rice: 40

Birdies at Lakewood Hills course played early Saturday morning after checking out of hotel: 4

Signs in northern Wisconsin endorsing eliminating an option for female reproductive treatment that my mother 18 months before I was born had in order to save her life: 4

High temp encountered on Saturday: 80

Times in 2025 visiting the Speedway advertised station at exit 69 to find out it is now Amoco: 2

Dollars to play Madison, WI Capitol Springs course: 8

Total open holes up or down the main hill: 13

Birdies including playing some from short tees: 6

Total new birdies from weekend: 28

Temp when home: 60

Total time in hours: 61

Hours from beginning of first of five played rounds to the end of the fifth: 50