Saturday Workday

Who's in for Saturday? Let's finish 18 and 12. Rah rah rah! Maybe we'll install some baskets if I get my act together and buy some locks. Go team go!

9 AM. Somebody bring a chainsaw....please!

Then we'll play and enjoy 18 beautiful holes for the first time. Wow, it's only Tuesday and I'm already looking forward to Saturday. That can't be good.

Gemini Dogs Sponsors a Hole!

Woof! Good news! Gemini Dogs has officially sponsored Hole 9! Yahoo! I hear that the owner really loves disc golf. Hole 9 will now be known as the "Canine Hole". Get it? Honestly, how do I come up with these gems?

Anyway, thank you very much to my wife Michelle for agreeing to sponsor the hole. "Our marriage has never been better!" she joked. "John has spent basically every weekend since April building the course and we never see each other. I figured it was the least I could do!"

Attention dog lovers: Gemini Dogs is holding a Howl-o-ween Festival and Open House this Sunday, 12-4 in Littleton, MA. Stop by and bring your dog too. More details here.


Rumor has it that two more sponsors are in the pipeline, so get in while you still can. Contact Brian before it's too late! He is on fire lately! Yow!

Here are our current sponsors. Would anyone else care to join this exclusive list? Only 11 holes left!

1. NEFA
2. Hanscom Credit Union
3. Innova
4. James family
5. Devens Recreation Department
6. Devens Grill
7. Gemini Dogs

Also: Borderland Disc Golf has loaned us four baskets.

Playing on Thursday

MattS, AndyG, and I are meeting Thursday at 4pm to get a round in, check on the cement, and possibly install a basket or two (depending on if we can get some locks). Email me if you can join us.

8 Holes Are Planted!

Yesterday was a great day in DDGC history -- we installed our first pole sleeves. The past few weeks Rob Walker has been working on making some metal pole sleeves and locking tabs and gathering the cement and other supplies we needed. We installed the six sleeves that he made, the one Borderland DG gave us to use as a model, and the one that came with the Innova basket.

Rob met me in the parking lot at 9:30 with his truck loaded with 640 pounds of Quickrete (8 80-lb bags), six 5-gallon jugs of water, the metal sleeves, a wheelbarrow, hoe, and other tools. We transferred some of the weight to my truck, put it in four-wheel drive, and both headed into the woods. We felt like real men, doing manly things with our trucks filled with tools and building supplies.

We started with Hole 5 since it is along the main road and decided to move the basket back a little more into the woods. Shortly after we started Pete Nevius joined us and we quickly planted the pole. Rob and I were pretty happy with how easy things went, especially since neither of us had any cement experience. Rob had asked around and picked up some good hints from Sean Franchi though, so we weren't totally unprepared.

We moved down the road to Hole 15 and moved it slightly to the right. Next was Hole 6, Hole 9, and Hole 14. Pete had to take off, so we stopped for lunch, and relaxed in the parking lot for a bit. Getting up was a bit tough, but Rob and I headed over to do Hole 13, 12, and 11 and finished just as it was getting dark.

We probably used too much cement for each pole, but we figured it was easier to use one bag per hole and not worry about it setting in the wheelbarrow by the time we got to the next hole.

Now I've got to go buy some locks and after that, we'll install the four Borderland baskets and the one Innova basket. It was really hard not putting in a basket yesterday, but we wanted to make sure the cement had set before we tried anything. Hopefully no squirrels or wood nymphs mess with our cement before it dries.

> More pictures

Pole Planting Day -

Clearing Begins on 18

Yesterday, Dave and I both took a day off from work and started clearing 18. It was a beautiful Fall day and it was great to be outside. We cleared about half the fairway and put up some next tees signs for 16 and 17 before we called it a day.

I have to share a great post Pete T left on the NEFA boards last night that absolutely made my day this morning. I appreciate the kind words, Pete!

I went by Devens last Saturday and can attest that hole 18 has the potential to be a great NE finishing hole but is going to be a bear to clear to get the length to make it so.

Overall the course is shaping up well with a couple funky holes but some that already are memorable for the right reasons (like K-9)

Having seen the woods last fall when hole #1 was a dream to now I got nothin' but respect for the amount of work John and company have put and it will just get better with the planting of the first baskets.

Like they said in Field of Dreams- "If you build it, they will come...", but bring your hiking boots cause there is some serious vertical - Rindge is a pancake compared to Shipleys hill.

Here are some photos:

Hole 18

Hole 18 Scoped Out

Before the chili event, Pete T and I scouted out hole 18 and we think we've found a good one. It's going to have a dramatic tee either over a very cool rock ledge or through another rock valley (like hole 8). It'll crest a hill near a small grassy landing zone and then head down the hill with the basket somewhere in the middle of the hill, making for a tough putt.

I'm really happy how this came together since it's near the exit road and hole 1. Thanks again for helping Pete! Ironically, Pete helped lay out the first few holes way back when and now he's back for the last hole. :)

Rob reported in and said he has made sleeves for the Borderland baskets. If he has time this week, he's going to set the sleeves in cement and Dave and I will plant them possibly on Thursday. Stay tuned. Holy crap, maybe we'll have a few baskets in by next weekend!

Chili on a Beautiful Fall Day

On a beautiful Fall day yesterday, the putters were flying around Devens common at the 2nd Annual Chili Cook Off. While Dave taught a group of kids how to play, Brian worked the crowd and let people know what we've been up to. After I set up the baskets, I just ate chili.

All in all, it was a fun afternoon. We also gave the Devens Grill a box of loaner discs to help build more interest.

More pictures here.

Devens Chili Cookoff Demo

Eat Chili on Saturday!

I'll be at the course tomorrow (Sat.) around 10 or so. At about 12:30, some of us will be doing demos and spreading the word at the Devens Charity Chili Cookoff being held at one of our sponsors, the Devens Grill. $5 gets you all the chili you can eat. Stop by and say hi.

The Grill is about a 1-minute drive from the course near the gas station, hotel, and Dunkins. When leaving the course, go left, up the hill on MacArthur.

Today's Devens Treasure

I found this coffee mug back in May when I was clearing hole 8. It was buried under some leaves to the right of the huge boulder and I placed it at the foot of a nearby tree. I came across it again this Saturday while playing and decided it was time to add it to our museum.

It's your basic mug (made by Arrowhead), but has a little style and flair to it. My friend, Mr. Internet, couldn't help me find any info on it unfortunately. Strangely, there's no coffee mug museum out there.

How Far Can You Throw?

This dude holds the record for distance at 712 ft! That's over two football fields (237 yd)!

If you think you can beat him, enter this contest.

Discraft Offers $10,000 Big D Bounty! Each year, the biggest of the big arms gather in search of the next distance record. It's called Big D in the Desert, and Discraft is proud to announce our $10,000 Big D Bounty. Set the new record* with a Discraft driver, and the cash is yours. The event is scheduled for Oct 16 - 17 at the California / Nevada state line, so make plans fast to be there for Big D!

• When: October 16 - 17, 2006
• Who: Event is open to anyone
• Competition: each day from 10 am until 6 pm
• Entry fee: $20 USD, 80% payout, all entry fees in cash at the location
• Format: 15 shots per day, 5 per round, one after another thrower as usual

16 Is Cleaned Up & Mr. #1 NEFA Man Visits

Brian, Justin, and I finished cleaning up hole 16 yesterday so now it's ready for play (no more trees lying in the fairway). I also cleared the junk brush along hole 1's fairway and swished it so now it looks a little nicer. Now if you fade left before entering the woods, the junky shrubs won't be there to stop you and you'll continue on down the hill. :)

Since it was so nice out, we decided to play instead of doing more work. Brian ducked out after a few holes to go grab his son and Justin and I continued on. I got a call from Matty Brier and Mr. #1 Pro in NEFAland Mike Dussault who were up watching the Ultimate tourney going on at Rogers Field. We joined them on hole 1 and showed them the first few holes before I had to take off. It was great having the #1 NEFA Pro check out the course!


I took a bunch of pictures. See them here.

Photos from Saturday

Work & Play: 10/07/06

Click to see all.

Fall Cleanup Saturday 9AM

I could use a few arms and legs this Saturday as I clear new holes 16 and 17. We have to cut up some long branches and drag the leftovers away. Then I'd like to hit 12 and tidy up the top, unless someone else already has. How about it?

We are almost done with Phase 1! Just one more hole to design. The four Borderland loaner baskets should be in the ground soon too. I think we have finally figured out a good way to do it. Hopefully by Halloween.

As you can see below, Brian is having a good week getting sponsors and has snagged the Devens Grill, Devens Rec. Dept, and has got Dunkin Donuts on the hook. It's only a matter of time before I order our first 9 baskets.

Parking may be limited due to a huge Ultimate tourney this weekend. I am going to drive in, but I would rather you guys didn't.

We'll play after the work is done, of course. Looks like a beautiful Fall day on tap.

BTW, I proudly finished DFL at the NEFA Finals last week. I guess I've been spending too much time working on this course and not enough time playing. Ugh.

The Devens Grill Sponsors a Hole!

The Nut Man is on a roll! Yesterday he got the Devens Grill to commit to sponsoring a hole!

This was really a no-brainer for the Grill. They are the only bar/restaurant on Devens and they serve up some very good food. The owner is a great guy and is already considering installing a basket next to the building. He is also going to keep a box of loaner discs at the bar. Nice! Stop by the Grill Oct. 14 for their 2nd Annual Charity Chili Cook Off. We'll be there giving disc golf demos. See their website for more info.

Here are our current sponsors. Would anyone else care to join this exclusive list? Only 11 holes left!

1. NEFA
2. Hanscom Credit Union
3. Innova
4. James family
5. Devens Recreation Department
6. Devens Grill
7. Gemini Dogs (pending)

Also: Borderland Disc Golf has loaned us four baskets.

Devens Recreation Sponsors a Hole!

Our biggest Devens supporter, Kathy Wiberg of the Devens Recreation Department has just notified us that they are officially sponsoring a hole! Yahoo and thank you!

Here are our current sponsors. Would anyone else care to join this exclusive list?

1. NEFA
2. Hanscom Credit Union
3. Innova
4. James family
5. Devens Recreation Department
6. Gemini Dogs (pending)

Also: Borderland Disc Golf has loaned us four baskets.