Happy Halloween!

Devens Speed: Coming to a theater near you!

Steve Walker created a short video of this year's Speed round at the Thrill on the Hill. Here's the trailer!

Save the date for the '09 Bag Tag Bonanza

Open to only 2009 Devens bag tag holders, this annual end-of-year tournament officially concludes the Wednesday Weekly bag tag league.

• Sat. Nov 21
• 9:00 mtg
• 9:30 tee off
• 2 rounds
• Please RSVP (email)

• FREE
• Potluck lunch
• Lots of one-of-a-kind prizes, including a special 2009 AM Worlds limited edition Sparkle disc
• Bring a CTP to share!

Who will end 2009 as King of the Bags?

• Registered players

Photos & video from Thrill on the Hill & Speed

Click above to see the full-size photos.

Gary/Phillips repeat! Speed record set!

Thank you everyone for coming out today. We lucked out with another beautiful Fall day - sunny and crisp.



Congratulations to Ken Gary and Donnie Phillips for winning the AM1 title for the second year in a row (47,49; 96). Ben Stevens and Kevin Fox won AM2 (55, 51; 106).




Kevin Fox also won the Speed round with an astounding time of 2:47 by shooting par (12) and running really fast.



More later.

Make that snow or shine!

We got the season's first snow this morning. Break out the snowsuit!

Don't worry, it has already melted and is a balmy 37 degrees outside. See you tomorrow!

Dubs & Speed -- rain or shine

Looks like it'll be a little damp this Saturday for the Thrill. That's okay, though. Every event we've ever had at the Hill has been on absolutely beautiful days (even in the winter), so I guess we were due. See you at 8!

• 8:00 - Sign in
• 9:00 - Players meeting
• 9:30 - Shotgun start

• Bring your own lunch

Stealing is bad

Today I called and emailed a few people with discs in our Found box. Most people never respond. I don't know why. Even if you don't want the disc back, just do me the courtesy of telling me so that I can stop tracking it and give it away to a new player.

Today was different though. I called Jeff whose orange Hawk had recently been turned in. About 20 minutes later he called back and said, "Where was it found? Devens? Huh, I've never been there." It turns out he is from Maine and lost that disc at Enman Field. Some loser evidently found his disc, ignored his name and number written nice and big on the back, and kept it for his own. Bad, bad, bad.

As a reminder for you newer players out there, keeping a disc that has contact info on it is stealing, pure and simple. Be a good human and contact the person. Many times they will tell you to keep it. Sometimes they will buy you a frosty adult beverage just for returning it. In either case, you will get the warm fuzzies and have the round of your life the next time out. It sure beats getting caught using it by the guy's friends who will be more than happy to reclaim it from you and throw you into the nearest pond.

Same goes for you. If you want your disc back, write your name, email address, and phone number on each of your discs. And be sure to write legibly! I must have about 10 discs in the Devens L&F that I cannot make out the info. You'll be happy you did when you lose your favorite driver that your dearly departed great-grandfather gave to you on his death bed.

That's all for today's public service announcement.

Who's in for Speed?

So, who is doing Speed this year after Doubles on Saturday (spots still available)? Any new victims -- er, contestants?

I am in and I know Donnie is. Adam Dodge said he was probably going to do it. How about you young 'uns, or are us old folks the only ones brave enough this year? Meow.

To review:

• It is only four holes: 13, 14, tee 15 to basket 9 (just short enough for you to catch your breath or lose your lunch), and 10. Then you sprint to 11's tee to the finish line.
• Speedsters go off in 1 minute intervals.
  
• There are spotters on each hole who point out your disc and then record your score. All you have to do is drive, run, putt. Repeat. Easy.
• Time is kept along with your score. Time penalties and bonuses are assessed for +/- par.
  
• Lowest score wins.

I did it last year and even though it sounds brutal, it really wasn't too bad. Sure, you feel like death when you are heading down 10 and sprinting to 11, but the hoots and hollers from people watching makes up for it. Honestly, it's a ton of fun. Young, old, even pack-a-day smokers do it.

As far as strategy, you can go fast and erratic and risk getting penalized for being over par. Or you can go slow and steady and get a bonus for being under par.

Last year, we had Speedsters use both techniques with varying results. Second place finisher Ken Gary took his time and shot under par, but winner Pete Nevius did the opposite and won by 35 seconds at 3:07. So, who knows? (2008 results)

Props, dubs, and chili

Luke is the man!
I have to thank Luke Adolph for having his own pre-mini-workday mini-workday this morning. Luke actually showed up before Dubs and did a bunch of trimming so we didn't have to go out after Dubs and do it ourselves.

There are a few holes that Luke didn't make it to, so I'll hit those later this week.

Luke is one of the few Devens locals that regularly volunteers his time and supplies to help with the course. The next time you grab a scorecard out of the box at the kiosk, say, "Thanks Luke," because he is the person who fills it regularly. We need more Lukes at Devens.

Dubs
Dubs was fun this morning with six of us showing up for a pre-Thrill round. Adam Dodge and Luke won with a 52, followed by Ken Gary and John Rodenhizer with a 54, and Marcy and me with a 55.

Doug Callaghan found us as we were finishing 18 to help with the workday. Even though we didn't go back out, he still gets credit and a bit of karma for showing up! John R gets some too since he had planned to help out. Hope it comes in handy next Saturday, guys.

Chili Cook-off -- uh, where were you?
Donnie Phillips and Phil Vilmorin stopped by to say hi at the Chili Cook-off and pick up their shirts. It sure would have been nice to see some more regulars there to support the course and spread the word. (See above about how we need more Lukes.)

If you had showed up, you could have seen the Bounce House collapse. Children screaming, parents running, newscopters hovering. What excitement.

A terrified ghost flees from the carnage



John R approaches on 6



Adam putts on 10



Adam launched a great drive on 18 that made the turn and went down the Hill



This little guy couldn't miss from this spot



Phil, John, Marcy, and Donnie show off their new duds

Hill Yeah! Get your Devens shirt now!

Yes, it is true! The first Devens fashion apparel has hit the market. Get yours while they last!

There's only about 20 left out of the first batch that went to Devens Bagtaggers. Available in Texas orange, tan, and steel blue (like the blue in the Devens logo). Heavyweight, long sleeve, $20. Help support your course and look super cool doing it.

Email me or stop by the Sunday Social, workday, or Chili Cook-off this Sunday.

Mini workday this Sunday after Dubs, before Chili

I'd like to do some quick cleanup of the course this Sunday, Oct. 11 after the Sunday Social. We will do an hour or so of work and then head over to the Chili Cook-off at 1.

If you bought a Devens shirt, you'll also be able to pick it up then.

To Do List

• Trim the sprouts that have sprung up from stumps and pick up any fallen branches from this week's windy weather. Gloves, hedge trimmers, and loppers are the tools of choice.
• Cut up and clear that downed tree on hole 7/8.

If you play the course often, here is your chance to show your appreciation for the course with a little elbow grease and earn some good karma at the same time. Last year, after helping at the workday Marcy hit her first ace, proving that good deeds bring forth good karma in the disc golf world.

Still looking for people to help at the Cook-off. Bueller? ... See you there for dubs at 9:30.

Watch the pros live at the USDGC now!

Support disc golf and the PDGA. Log in now to set up your free account to watch the live webcast of the 2009 United States Disc Golf Championship in Rock Hill, SC.

• USDGC website (lots of great stuff, including live tracking of top pros throws!)
  

Tune in for six hours a day Oct. 7-10. Watch the world's best players compete for a purse of nearly $100,000 on the famed Winthrop Gold Course. It's free!

• Donate and watch here
• Rely on the generosity of others and watch for free
  

Coverage starts at 11:15 EST, but there currently is a random live feed on different parts of the course. Something tells me that productivity for disc golfer cube-dwellers around the country will be at an all-time low this week.

Here's what went on earlier this week:

Dubs and chili cook-off this Sunday

Like the past few years, we've been asked by course sponsor the Devens Grill to set up a basket at the cook-off. So, after this week's Sunday Social we'll head over to the Common, introduce some more people to disc golf, and eat us some chili!

• More info
  

We are looking for volunteers to explain what the heck those metal contraptions are all about (and make sure no one gets bonked on the head). It's a fun way to spend the afternoon, plus the Patriots aren't on until 4:00. Let me know if you can help.

Almost a clean sweep for the Hill!

Trees, tight fairways, hills, and rain -- just another normal day for the golfers from Devens at last Saturday's Pinnacle Fall Foliage Flipfest in Newport, NH. We made a fine, fine showing as we won four out of nine divisions!

Three of our four champs: Gags, Marcy, Arty


Out of the eight regulars from our course who traveled the two+ hours to compete, all of us came home either as a winner of our division, in the top three of our division, or with a CTP! How's that for results?

• Arty "The Mayor" Graustein smoked the AM1 field during the first round and won a nailbiter in the end to take home his first NEFA AM1 win. I came in a distant third at 6 throws back -- that's how hot Arty's first round was.
• Despite the pouring rain and being down three throws at the break, Marcy "I Am Never Playing In The Rain Again" Buchanan shot an amazing 12 strokes better in Round 2 and earned her first come-from-behind victory in Intermediate Women.
• Mike Connell and Ken Gary battled it out in Pro Grandmasters with Mike edging out Ken for the one-stroke win.
• Chris Gagne also won a squeaker in Advanced Masters by one throw for his first-ever AM Masters win.
• Daniel Marcus shot lights out but ended up losing a playoff for the Open win. So close to our first Open winner.
  
• Alan Maclean, Arty, and Chris each won a CTP too.
  

Besides cash or funny money, the champs Arty, Mike, Gags, and Marcy each received a very cool handblown glass mini. It was a good day to be from the Hill! Congratulations, everyone!

Ken ogles Mike's first place trophy

A great week for the Hill

The last week of September was a good one for the Killer Bs of Devens.

First, my article on the Vibram Open, along with a few photos, were published in Discgolfer, the official magazine of the PDGA. See page 44-47. In a related article, TD Steve Dodge gave me an "atta boy" for writing the Vibram Open blog during the tournament. Nice.

Even though I've written tons of boring technical manuals and won a few awards for them in my past life as a software and hardware technical writer, I must admit that writing an article on disc golf and getting it published in a major magazine kicks butt. I look forward to writing more for the magazine or any other disc golf publication, blog, or event. Hint, hint... call me!

Next up was Marcy. On Wednesday, she nailed her first-ever deuce on Devens, threw her longest and most accurate drive on hole 5 to take a three, and shot a personal best. Good times.

But the excitement doesn't end there. This morning, Marcy received news that she passed the PDGA Official test with flying colors. Even though the test is open book, they throw in some tough ones to make sure you've read and understood every page. Marcy's got a mind like a steel trap and is a stickler for rules, so I know she'll make a great official.

Her favorite violation to call so far? Foot fault! Congratulations Marcy, or should I say Ms PDGA Official Marcy?!

• Today's contest: Can you find the two photos of Marcy in the magazine?

Don't forget about the Thrill on the Hill. We are half full and only 17 pairs remain.

Name that caterpillar

I came across this fuzzy caterpillar on hole 8 last night. Anyone have any idea what it is?

A night of firsts on the last WW

Ironically, it was a night of firsts on the last night of the 2009 WW:

• Tim Seiger finally made it to his first league night. That made Steve Walker happy because he ended the night without the highest tag for the first time!
• John Rodenhizer won his first overall WW by shooting a nice 56 and went home with his lowest tag of the year (I think).
• Marcy deuced her first hole at Devens with a drop-in on 16. Then she threw her longest drive ever on hole 5 for the easy 3 on-route to shooting a personal best 77. Watch out NEFA ladies, the girl is going to be a force to be reckoned with next year!
  

For the remaining few weeks of sunlight, we will continue to meet at 4:00 PM and play casually for tags, no money. Then the focus will turn to Sunday morning dubs.

Here are the results from last night.

Pool A (3)

• JoBo 59 $6

Pool B (11)

• John R 56 $10
• Jimmy B 57 $7
• Rob B 62 $5

Full tag results

• 6 John Rodenhizer 56
• 11 John Borelli 59
• 12 Jimmy Blakeney 60
• 16 Frank Strauss 60
• 19 Robert Burdett 62
• 20 Andrew Duquette 63
• 33 Dave Mallen 63
• 34 Alex Gula 65
• 39 Ben Stevens 66
• 40 Doug Callaghan 66
• 42 Matthew Duquette 67
• -- Dan Fox 69
• 45 Steve Walker 74
• 47 Tim Seiger 75

CTP: JoBo ($3), Dave M ($11)
Ace pot: $14
Skills: Corner kick throw into soccer net

• Rd 1: Rob B, Matt D, Marcy
• Rd 2: Jimmy B, JoBo, someone else?

Hope to see everyone at the Bagtag Bonanza Sat., Nov. 21.

Frank hit the putt despite the camera flash. A true professional.



Alex and Frank walk down 16



Aspen is ready for hole 8