2005 ILLINOIS OPEN SERIES

[Jon Brakel]

so it will be easier than last year? im just asking to compare my scores to the ones posted last year

It will be "easier" if you stay IB than if you go OB!  

The nice thing about yellow rope is that you can move it when you want to. If conditions change, Bruce may opt to use less yellow rope. We are trying to design it a little bit differently than last year to take the roulette feel out of #5 and hitting IB on 12 and 18. We want to make it challenging but not to the extent where people think WTF, close their eyes and hope for the best. If that means easier to you then yes, it will be easier. There is a fine line between challenge and random luck...we are trying to get away from the random luck factor.

[Dan Michler]

Thanks to Neal Swanson and whoever else helped him mark out a 10 meter line (jump putt line) around all the baskets at Fairfield!  It looks awesome guys.  Also thanks to Rocky Pebbles who put flags down for all the teepads.

[Bruce Brakel]

There were a lot of players on the course this afternoon.  I think we will have a good turnout.  Hole 8 is longer than last year with the redesign.  The other woods holes are more open every year.  The way disc golf courses evolve and mature, year to year comparisons are not always accurate.  

[Dan Michler]

Holy Shiznatchel!  90 players today!  a fivesome on every hole.  it was a windy bastidge, but sunny and nice.

Kevin Lenth won the tightly contested battle for overall 2005 IOS Intermediate champion.

[maa4208]

It was my first time playing at Fairfield and I think it is a nice course. I shot a 12 up (66) my first round and a 5 up (59) the second round. I'll be there for the next IOS, this time from the first tournament.

Bruce, Jon, you guys run a very good tournament and I'll be back, hopefully for many years.

Mike  

[Jon Brakel]

Scores are uploaded at pdga.com. Unofficial ratings are refusing to calculate so that will have to wait for Theo to fix next week. Good night!

[CEValkyrie]

HOLY SHITE! 90 players, sweeeeeeeeeeet.

[Jon Brakel]

50 players for sunday. 140 for the weekend!

Sunday first round scores are up and of course the unofficial ratings loaded without any problems!    I REALLY want to see my unofficial ratings for Saturday!

Anyway, check 'em out. Spike had the hot round 45 for a 1033 unofficial rating!

[damonshort]

Thanks to Brett, Jon, Bruce and all the other Brakels for a very smooth series. You people work way too hard.

I had maybe four decent rounds the whole friggin series - I missed Parkside but played Fairfield twice since I was determined to prove I couldn't possibly shoot as badly as I did Saturday  - but on the whole I'm still glad I played.

[Jon Brakel]

Wow! What a weekend! Fantastic weather plus a lot of good disc golf played. Bruce was saying on Saturday that there is a warm feeling when you look out and see a course packed with people playing a tournament. And I replied that I always think "It's nice that all of my friends came out to play disc golf together today!" Maddisen then asked me if they are all my friends. And I said yes they are. We are all friends in disc golf! I am kind of reserved and quiet in public. Some people think that I am aloof, but really I am just quiet and not a boisterous kind of guy in public. So, I'll take this opportunity to shout out to everyone who played this year in the Illinois Open Series. Thanks for playing the 2005 IOS and I look forward to seeing all of you at the 2006 IOS opener!!!

---Jon, your friend in disc golf!

(Oh, and Becky is working on the second and final 4 rounds from today and we'll have them posted soon.)

And now they are up! All results from IOS 7 have been posted at pdga.com.

[adoni]

Jon, Bruce and Brett and to all of Discontinuum ....

Thank you for putting on such a tremendous set of events known as the Illinois Open Series.  I believe you are setting a standard that others may wish to follow.  Hopefully, all of us that participated took into account all the time that you spent on this series. Thanks also go out to those that volunteered, without which it would have been difficult at best.  I've only spent a year or so competing, but as I attend different tournaments, I always catch myself comparing it to how the IOS was run.  Perhaps as we go back to our home courses and compete in local tournaments we can share with local TD's what we saw ... and we should also consider volunteering ... it makes things run so much smoother.  As the old adage goes "Many hands make light work".

Jon, you are my friend in disc golf.  I enjoyed when we were in the same 4-some at Streamwood.  Thank you also for your assistance in helping me with some of the PDGA issues involving tournaments and scores.  Hopefully one day I might run a tournament myself ... but as I have learned ... I won't do it alone.  I will find some good disc golf friends to help and some willing volunteers.  And by the way, if you need a hand some time when I am there, don't hesitate to ask.  

Lastly, (I know I rambled up there)  Michael and I will be back in 2006.  I plan on spreading the word here in the Joliet area ... and we'll break more attendance records!!!

[CEValkyrie]

I want to say thanks to Mirth for handling preregistration this year. That is a ton of work!

I also want to thank Dan, Mike, & Adrian for helping me with course work, set up, & tear down.

Thanks to Neal for painting the 10m circles at Fairfield and to Rocky for putting up flags in my absence on Saturday.

Sorry if I missed anyone.  

[Chainmeister]

Thanks Jon (everybody's buddy), Bruce, Brett and all the minions that helped set up Fairfield...Bevier, Anna Page, Lippold, Madison Meadows and Parkside.  This was my first season playing and I mostly threw plastic at trees all summer.  You guys made each tournament a delight to play.  My score did not matter.  It was great to be out there, to meet new players and to throw.  Saturday I played my worst round ever and thats are hard standard to beat because there have been plenty of lousy ones.  However, I got to play with everybody's good friend Jon and my friend Douglas who came along just for grins.  Notwithstanding wearing out my arm from so many throws, it was a blast.  In the afternoon I got to play with two up and coming young guns, Michael and Neal and learned a lot from kids my kids' age.  I also got to play with KVN's better half, Jill.  All in all, a great day in the park with the foilage at peak and the breeze blowing pretty stiffly.  Thanks again guys.  

[Bruce Brakel]

We all got home safely at 3:00 a.m.  It was smooth sailing all the way from the Edens to my driveway except for a strange detour through downtown Kalamazoo.  For some reason the highway was completely closed down there, but they had traffic cops on every corner of the detour so we did not get lost.  

I'd like to thank every player who ever paid cash for a disc all summer long.  Our payout formula, with no deductions for PDGA fees, trophies and CTPs, and the 15 brass player pack, means that we come pretty close to breaking even on the tournament process most of the time.  When we come out well ahead on these events, it is always because of cash sales.  And we have to come out ahead to keep doing it.  

This was a great series.  I've been associated with some great serieses, and for amateurs this is the best thing I've ever seen.  The attendance has been unbelievable.  The 42 player Recreational field on Saturday will probably be the largest recreational men's field anywhere in the world for 2005.  As our players improve and move up through the amateur divisions, in a couple of years we should have huge advanced attendance as well.  

The Widdershins is in two weeks.  It is an unsanctioned Discontinuum event.  They will have Gateway player packs and a brass cash payout.  I'll be back for that.  See you all then.

[Bruce Brakel]

Just a note about the yellow rope:  Someone pointed out that the rope on 12 and 18 rewarded the players who could throw far and reach the wider landing zones.  Disc golf is like that isn't it?  Players with skills always have the unfair advantage!    

With my elbow injury I can't throw that far anymore so I threw a short hyzer on 12 and a short straight shot on 18, and had to get birdies on other holes to make up for it.  I never went o.b. all day but I had to make some decisions.  

Anyway, the yellow rope cost some money, so now we have to use it!    

[DougEDawg]

Jon,

Any idea when the the rounds will be rated for Saturday's IOS7 on the PDGA website?

[Jon Brakel]

Jon,

Any idea when the the rounds will be rated for Saturday's IOS7 on the PDGA website?

I gave them a couple of days with the site being down before asking them again. Gentry e-mailed me today and needs some more information from me. I've sent him that, so barring another drop of the server, I'm hoping in the next week.

[Bruce Brakel]

Jon,

Any idea when the the rounds will be rated for Saturday's IOS7 on the PDGA website?

When the template for uploading scores malfunctions like that, it is something the TD cannot do anything about.  It becomes a PDGA-IT issue that Theo or someone has to fix.  From the look of things at pdga.com, Theo and their IT people are currently fully engaged in another project, trashing the program that runs the message board in an effort to make it a members-post-only message board.  

My guess is we won't see ratings on those scores until December.  However, the wind on Saturday was about as wicked as the yellow rope on Sunday, so Sunday's ratings should be close to SAturday's.  

[Jon Brakel]

We gave out the Jr. <19 overall trophy to the wrong person. If Steven Guther and Chris Travern want to organize a playoff to break the tie for first that they are in, then they have until 12/31/05 to play it off and report back to me who won. If they need my help contacting each other, then please contact me. If neither of them contact us before then, then no official disc will be given out. If only one of them contacts us then it will be given to that person--he wins the playoff by default. I'm not going to ask the guy who got it by mistake for it back, but if he would like to give it back, I'll take it. Otherwise I will ask Bruce make a new one.

I appologize for this error and hope that it did not cause anyone any problems. It is really Bruce's fault though...he said after awards that this was the first tournament where we didn't make any major mistakes! Think again bro!  

[Cannon Boy]

Jon I will be at the Widdershins Open and give you the disc back.  I have not even thrown it but it is currently in Bryan Schumann's hands so I will get it back for you.