Michigan 2011

[Bruce Brakel]

Saturday at Flip City was drizzly in the morning but it turned partly sunny and nice in the afternoon.  The field was nearly full to foursomes with a huge MA3 division. 

Sunday started off with light wintry mix turning to heavy wintry mix turning to fierce wintry mix.  I'd never seen rain freeze on an umbrella before.  And we had thunder-everything: thunder sleet, thunder snow, thunder hail, thunder wind.  The sideways snow turned to sideways hail and it was like being the target at a skeet shoot.  The hills got so slick with new wet snow and other frozen precipitation that Bill had to call the tournament after the first round. 

Cutting the tournament short was the right call given the conditions, but it was disappointing that the conditions got so bad.  I wrenched my back slipping on one of the slopes and probably won't be playing for a couple of weeks.   

[Bruce Brakel]

It's been awhile since I've previewed an upcoming tournament.

The Michigan tournament to play this weekend is the Gratiot County Open.  This is a new tournament on a new course, but it is a Jaybird Player Series MDGO Featured Event, so I can anticipate what you might expect. 

I have not seen the course.  It is getting good, but not awesome, reviews, so it is probably about as good as Channahon.  I think Channahon is worth the drive.  Like Channahon it looks like traditional par 3 disc golf with some hard 3s.  It is about an hour north of Lansing, so it is a long drive.  For die-hard road warriors, this is a split-weekend tournament and there is another tournament this weekend in Michigan doing exactly opposite splits.  So you could play both. 

Keith Aten runs a pretty good tournament, and because it is an MDGO qualifier, amateurs can expect decent payouts.  For pros, he'll put in the B-tier $500, unless he is advertising more.  Top finishers in each division will receive an invitation to the MDGO Finals, and a few custom items you cannot get without qualifying.  The field will be limited to foursomes, because that is an MDGO rule. 

The Jaybird Player Series uses discgolfscene.com to advertise and communicate.  If you have questions, you can go there.  To boost pre-tournament buzz, they are taking cashless pre-reg.  Please do not abuse the cashless pre-reg system. 

I will probably drive over Friday after work to look at the course, and then commando camp somewhere nearby, if the course is not hideous.  I would not expect hideous, but some people are not deathly allergic to Canadian blue grass and don't even notice the poison ivy, and thus have a different definition of hideous.  If my eyes swell half-way shut or something, I would bail out and go look for an urgent care clinic.    

[Bruce Brakel]

I'm up in Ithaca and I looked at the course this evening.  I walked the 18 holes.

The positives: 18 Chainstars, 18 concrete tees, many tee benches, easy to follow course routing, the fairways are cut and the course drains well for flat.  There are nice flush toilets, a large pavillion, a beach and a tot lot, all well removed from the course.  There are no conflicts between the course and other park uses. 

The course is flat and short, carved out of a young forest and some overgrown marginal farmland.  The course is a recreational/intermediate level course.  I think it compares to Channahon shorts or Lemon Lake White in the long positions.  There are no par 4s and nothing particularly creative in the course design. 

If Am Grand gets a berth, I'll play tomorrow's tournament.  If not, I'll play some other course on the way home. 

[Bruce Brakel]

The Gratiot County Open was for me a very relaxing weekend.  I had one opponent in Grandmaster who was more like a genial card mate than an opponent, and our foursome included two pleasant young women who comprised the advanced women's division.  I now have my berth for the State Championships and a new discgolfscene friend. 

This weekend is one of Michigan's best one-day tournaments, the AJ Open, followed by an unsanctioned thing at Flip City that might sell out.  For that matter, the AJ might fill with 192 players.  You never know.  People will stay home if the weather report is calling for 15 foot waves! 

The AJ will be contested on the Beauty and the Beast, or on the Beauty and the Goliath, depending on how many players there are in the intermediate division and what division you are playing in.  Check out discgolfscene for that scenario if it matters.  It does not matter to me.  Either way, I'll play two great courses. 

The Ludington courses are fantastic.  Both have great elevation with views and a variety of shots and challenges.  There is no serious water that comes into play except on one hole where there is a fenced off o.b. retention pond/swamp that has seasonal water.  The Beauty is much improved since the redesign.  All three courses have 24 baskets and I think they all have concrete tees now.  It seems like all of the Raskets have been replaced with Chainstars but maybe there is one left just to piss off Jaybird and Ellis.  These courses were entirely built and are entirely maintained by the local disc golf club in a three-way public-private arrangement involving the electric company which owns the land and the county park system which leases the land for recreational purposes.

The AJ will be an MDGO featured event, so the payouts should be good for pros and ams.  However, MDGO featured events have Discraft-only payouts, so know that going in.  Schwass, Todd White and whoever they get to help are experienced TDs so both tournaments should run very smoothly.  I would not expect good payouts at the unsanctioned thing.  For years Schwass has run fundraising tournaments to pay for the Ludington courses, fundraising tournaments that I have gladly supported with my entry fees, and I don't know if he is done paying for them yet!  I heard another Ludington course was going in this summer.  I would expect 100% payouts for pros and ams at the unsanctioned Flip City tournament.

I really hope to be at the AJ with Kiralyn.  Then we might hustle home to do some gardening on Sunday and Monday.  For the Chicago player, these tournaments and these courses make for a great disc golf destination weekend vacation.  You can play the tournaments, or if you're travelling with a more relaxed or budget conscious crew, you can flip the days and play casually.  While you are up there, you can also play the Leviathon in Ludington which is a killer course from the longs and a fun deuce or die from the shorts.  Local players can tell you which of the other coastal courses are worth playing.  I think the relatively new course in Saugatuck would make a nice stop on Monday on the way home. 

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Three other things:  1) I heard a rumor that there might be strict enforcement of the PDGA beer and controlled substance rules at either or both tournaments.  If you are familiar with the disc golf scene in Michigan, I don't know how much of that will be evident at these tournaments.  I just don't know, but it seems worth mentioning, since things might be different or the same as what you might be expecting in this regard. 

2) Although this thread reads like my secret agenda is to boost the MDGO series, I'm really just boosting the good tournaments here.  Most clubs have taken their best tournament and have made it their MDGO Featured Event.  When a tournament is not worth playing, I'll mostly just not say anything.  Hint, hint.  Say no more. 

3) Ludington is as close to me is it is to you, give or take whether you live north of Chicago. 

[Bruce Brakel]

I saw a few Illinois players at the AJ Open, including Open winner Allen Hermosillo.  It did not rain during the tournament but it was foggy, chilly and windy all day.  At times you could throw farther than you could see on long holes. 

Kiralyn won a berth to the Finals playing Men's Rec so we'll be signing up for that, and I won't be going to Worlds. 

The Finals is the highest attended B-tier in the world.  I'll just throw that out there and see if someone can find a higher attended B-tier.     Last year 342 players attended.  It is an invitational and there are two ways to get in: win a berth at a tournament or win a berth somewhere else.  If anyone wants to play this tournament and does not know how to get in, ask a question and I'll expound.

This year the Finals will be three rounds of 24 holes on three of six courses.  Because two of the courses share the same real estate, that allows for only five pools.  Registration will be capped at 466 this year.  It might fill.  You can find a little more information at www.mdgo.org, but again, you have to win a berth and pre-reg by August 26 to play the Finals. 

[Bruce Brakel]

Gayle Vaughn was an avid promoter of disc golf who died young of cancer.  He invited me to play league in 1991 and invited me to the first tournament I ever went to.  He was enthusiastic, optimistic and easy to like.  He is missed by all who knew him. 

The Gayle Vaughn Memorial will be played Sunday at Oakland University and Stony Creek.  These are both very good courses that would compare to Channahon in many ways.  Stony is longer than Canny and has quite a few opportunities to air it out.   OU is more technical, with only one hole that i would think of as a par 4.  Both have moderate elevation changes.  OU has short, wood platform tees that are covered by flypads.  That would be my only knock on either course.  These courses will not disappoint anyone. 

The tournament is advertising a minimum of $600 added to the pros and $1400 in sponsor added prizes.  The entry fees are reasonable and the tournament staff has a lot of experience running tournaments.  There are likely to be one or more cancer fund raising side games, which might add some delay on the end of the tournament. 

They are running two pools and the pool plan is that there is no definite pool plan.  Pros and Advanced will be in one pool, MA3 and 4 in the other pool.  The other divisions will depend on what best fills the tournament.  So if you are traveling with someone in a different division, you might be on opposite courses.  Getting a ride should be no problem.  Kelsey and I will give you a ride. 

It looks like they are taking cashless pre-reg on the Disc Golf Scene at http://www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/Gale_Vaughn_Memorial_2011

If you are coming out, take advantage of that, but don't abuse the privilege.  You can also get complete tournament information there and ask questions. 

[4u2nv]

I played the tournament in 09 tore my rotator  cuff at river bends.  But I will vouch that both of these courses are amazing and if you are coming out hit me up I might be able to set you up with a place to stay.

[Bruce Brakel]

It just occured to me that the GVM is Sinnissippee, Day 2.  Well, I'm just previewing Michigan tournaments.  If I lived in Illinois, or pretty much any state that starts with the letter i, I'd play Sinnissippi. 

Um, yes, I would fly in from Idaho.   

[Bruce Brakel]

The Gayle Vaughn Memorial was well run with generous payouts.  Apparently they had some sponsor added stuff.  Kelsey played 930ish golf and won the crown by two throws.  I stunk at Stony and outperformed at OU. 

[Bruce Brakel]

This weekend is the Discraft Great Lakes Open at Hudson Mills.

I cannot say much about this tournament except:

1) At least two of the three courses are great courses.  They have redesigned the Campground course so it might be a fine course; I just don't know.  The Campground used to be about as good as Streamwood without the swamp: a lot of open shots and cut grass. 

2) They have a lot of pre-reg.

3) They are charging a fat entry fee and having a fat player pack. 

4) This is the Great Lakes Open in the sense that the tournament Jon and I ran at Peoria several years ago was the Peoria Open.  Same courses, same name; then maybe the similarity ends. 

I have a conflict this weekend.  Otherwise, I would think about playing it. 

[Bruce Brakel]

The biggest Pro-Am B-tier in the PDGA is the Michigan State Championships.  If you have a "berth" or invitation you must pre-reg by 11:59 p.m. Friday, tomorrow, or else it expires.  Without a berth you can get in by showing up Friday and playing the Qualifier.  Based on how pre-reg is going, I would expect that everyone who plays the qualifier will get in this year.  As I write there are only about 200 players pre-reged and the tournament won't fill until 464. 

This tournament will be played on five great courses and a sixth course that is brand new.  Each of the three large amateur divisions are in a separate pool and play a different set of courses.  The pros are another pool.  The age and gender limited divisions are the fifth pool.  The tournament is about as far from me as it is from you, and I've been looking forward to it all year. 

All of the tournament information is on Disc Golf Scene. 

http://www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/2011_Michigan_State_Championship

[Bruce Brakel]

Just to clarify something, the Friday pre-reg deadline is today.  The Friday qualifier is one week from today.  There are now 237 players in the tournament, and 25 on the Friday Qualifier pre-reg list.  Pre-reg closes at 11:59 EDST tonight.  

[Bruce Brakel]

There are currently 300 players in the tournament.  There are 30 more pre-reged for the last chance qualifier.  I think everyone who plays the last chance qualifier will get in, because the thought of 165 people showing up for the last chance qualifier boggles the imagination.  If you like playing the well attended events, the PDGA has three events that are bigger? 

I played this tournament when it was not filling two 18-hole courses, and I come back whenever I can.  This tournament is pure disc golf, like what Jon likes.  No soccer fields, baseball diamonds, tennis courts and clueless other park users wandering in your fairways.  And the courses are great. 

[Bruce Brakel]

There were about 370 players in this tournament, 82 in the MA2 division alone.     The tournament was well run.  The weather was good.  The new course at Scottville was totally lame.  The pro final nine was entertaining.  From the top of "Mount Discraft", also known as Beast Tee #1, you could watch all nine holes.  The amateur payouts were awesome.  And of course, the state championship in Intermediate was priceless.  I understand that the little dance I did was priceless too.   

Next year, y'all come?   

[Dan Michler]

Nice shooting Bruce.  Sounds like a great tournament.  I'd love to play it sometime.

[CEValkyrie]

I would love to play this event sometime but the weekend just doesn't work.

On a side note I read that someone stole the TD's bag out of his house and one of his baskets. Unreal! See the you are a D Bag thread.

[Bruce Brakel]

It is a Michigan tradition.  Every year Schwass [the TD] says this is the last year he's going to let people stay at his place because of the outrageous stuff they did last year.  Every year he changes his mind.  Every year they do something even more outrageous.