IOS #4 @ Aurora, IL--07/19 & 07/20 2008

[Fox Metro Discer]

Yeah it was. Hopefully not my last, though! 

[CEValkyrie]

What a weekend! Fantastic turnout & pretty good weather besides that Saturday morning drizzle. Lots of aces!!

Thank you Fox Valley for all of your help! Please check out their website and join. The disc golf scene has come a long way over the past 2 years thanks to Fox Valley.
http://foxvalleymetrodiscgolfclub.com

Thank you to all the helpers that stepped up this weekend with many key helpers gone. With 212 players the wheels kept turning. I am sorry if I missed your name. Bruce, Jon, Becky, Maddisen, Sammy, Marie, Ben, David, Patti, Dan, Mike, Scott, Ryan, Spike & Mirth. Your time & help is much appreciated.

I officially fired myself this weekend. Hole # 13A or B on the scorecard was the worst all time temporary hole at an IOS. Sammy will  be taking my place  .

[Chainmeister]

It was a great weekend indeed!  I had a free weekend so I volunteered my time to help mainly at the merch table.  It was an eye opener.  Most tournaments I play my rounds and get in the car and run home.  This weekend I got a chance to see how putting on a tournament is a labor of love.  Nobody is making any signficant money off of this.  If you want to make money there are a billion better ways to do it.  You have to have passion for the sport, limitless energy and lots of personal time.  Bruce is at the course about three hours before the players meeting unloading boxes and boxes of stuff that he had to order the stuff, dye some of it, organize it and then jam it into his van in the first place.  Becky (and usually Jon) and family are there soon thereafter setting up registration  and trying to make it as seamless as possible for us to get on the course.  Brett, who normally has recruited Clark and Michler to help, is driving around dropping off baskets and setting up the temp baskets.  Of course, they have to pick up that stuff at the end of the day as well.  While the rest of us are eating, checking our equipment, walking the course, putting etc, they are working.  Jon, even when he is on the disabled list, has scores up so fast that I was reading them off of my PDA before the awards ceremony even took place!

I got the chance to throw a couple of drives and about a dozen practice putts before the two minute warning was called.  The staff that runs the event has this occur every time.

The same goes for the lunch hour and the time after the tournament.  I could see some players getting a little antsy as they had a long drive home.  I sympathized with them but I also saw Brett and Bruce hustling to get scores figured out and awards correctly made. This is more difficult with trophy only and  with AMs getting brass if they "cash" in a pro division.  It would be a lot easier to simply do away with such concepts, but we like it and they offer it. 

Its a thankless task.  I appreciate TD's all over for putting on a show and taking the time to get it right.  The next time you play a tournament, whether IOS or any other tournament.  Say thanks to the TD before you go home.  Lets face it, its a great day. We all have a boatload of fun and they help bring the show to the course where we are playing. One way of saying thanks is to lend a hand.  Little tasks make things run a little smoother, like Tyler figuring out bag tags for both Discontinuum and Fox Valley Metro, or Spike officiating a playoff for Rec.  Sometimes its simply going and getting lunch for somebody who is working the table during lunch.  Len and Bill did that for me on Saturday and Sunday. Thanks guys.

The next time I play I will only have to worry about myself. That's going to be easy.

[tree]

I wish to thank the gracious Pro Grand Masters that I had the opportunity to play with both rounds yesterday. They were very supportive and complementary to both of us in the Int. Women division. They were a pleasure to play with

[JCthrills]

Another very well run IOS event! The course was very fun, I only wish it was on the south side of Chicago & closer to Indiana   See you all at #5  Hopefully with another truckload of Circle City Travelers.

[skipache]

only one gripe....please no 'shorts' next year

[Bruce Brakel]

We had 210 players.  Why change a thing?

[Jon Brakel]

Thanks for the nice comments, David. I kind of felt like I was working as an FAA Flight Controller...helping to bring the flight in for a safe and smooth landing. I calculated the payouts, entered the day-of members to the TD spreadsheet, took scores over the phone, uploaded them to pdga.com and watched the weather radar on Saturday for any severe weather on its way to Aurora. It was nice to be able to stay connected even though I couldn't be there and it helped keep me from feeling like I let the team down.

We are surrounded by hard working, intelligent volunteers and I think we've been smart enough to let them do what they do well (and presumably enjoy doing) rather than try to talk someone into doing stuff they don't want to do.

[Fox Metro Discer]

We are surrounded by hard working, intelligent volunteers and I think we've been smart enough to let them do what they do well (and presumably enjoy doing) rather than try to talk someone into doing stuff they don't want to do.

Well it certainly seems to be working! I hope I won't be missing the efficient machine knows as IOS next year!

[tacimala]

We had 210 players.  Why change a thing?

I wasn't there, but if there are rounds at 18 under I would probably agree. The shorts there are pretty damn easy.

[CEValkyrie]

The shorts are defiinitley short. Saturday was the first time I had played them.

Had the longs been played both rounds the awards ceremonies would have started after 7pm both days.

As a player and TD i'm willing to sacrifice a tougher course layout 1 round then limit the field to 18 holes/90 players. I'd rather play in bigger field sizes with bigger payouts.

[patti9103]

I kinda like the shorts.   

[damonshort]

I kinda like the shorts.   

not many people say that; Al & I thank you.

[mirth]

LOL! =)

[Sr.]

The shorts are defiinitley short. Saturday was the first time I had played them.

Had the longs been played both rounds the awards ceremonies would have started after 7pm both days.

As a player and TD i'm willing to sacrifice a tougher course layout 1 round then limit the field to 18 holes/90 players. I'd rather play in bigger field sizes with bigger payouts.

Great minds make great tournaments! IOS fits that mold. Keep up the good work Brett and company.

[Dan Michler]

only one gripe....please no 'shorts' next year

Jason Rose,  if you were at the course as late as the TD's and then had to drive 5 hours home and go to work the next day you would be thanking god you played the shorts.  I agree the longs are much more fun.

[Bruce Brakel]

I officially fired myself this weekend. Hole # 13A or B on the scorecard was the worst all time temporary hole at an IOS. Sammy will  be taking my place  .

Didn't we once have a temp hole so short it was declared ineligible for the ace pool?  A 90 footer or something?  I may be thinking of someone else's tournament. 

[Jon Brakel]

I officially fired myself this weekend. Hole # 13A or B on the scorecard was the worst all time temporary hole at an IOS. Sammy will  be taking my place  .

Didn't we once have a temp hole so short it was declared ineligible for the ace pool?  A 90 footer or something?  I may be thinking of someone else's tournament. 

Not at an IOS. Maybe something you and I did before we teamed up with Brett when we were running micro tournaments.

[4u2nv]

I personally liked the variety the short tees added to the tournament as a whole.  Also it allows people without "big arms" to keep the competition close by playing a more finess style of game rather then trying to get significant distance every hole.  The format was great, The tournament I thought went very smooth and I am very thankful to all those who volunteered and helped to make everything fun, exciting, and enjoyable.

I hope to be at Rockford but we will see how time and expenses are with the little one due midway through August.