Ice Bowl regs coming in

Thanks to all who have signed up early. 28 spots to go. Hopefully this snow we just got will stick around for a month or so!

• Sign up now or stop by Killer B disc golf store
• Your competition

Some of the food we collected last year:

Ice Cube Open registration open!

Registration has opened for the Ice Cube Open Ice Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 30! This is our fourth Ice Bowl and it keeps growing every year.

This year we are trying a doubles event with a twist. Six holes will be best disc, 6 holes will be worst disc, and 6 holes will be alternate shot. Sound good? Great, now go grab a partner and sign up!

• Sign up now or at the Killer B store.

Great event for new players
This is a casual, fun event and is a good one for golfers who have never played in a tournament before. The emphasis is on raising money and food donations for the Loaves and Fishes, but if you end up winning, you'll go home with a fun trophy and stories of glory to tell the family.

We will also have some cool CTPs prizes (donations welcomed) and we'll be hosting an Apres ICO pizza party at the store where you can warm up and fill up before heading home.

Disc Grab Bag Returns!
Because the Disc Grab Bag was so successful in raising extra money for the L&F last year, we're doing it again. Bring $5 and a new or gently-used disc and throw it in the box. We'll pick a few winners at random and who knows, you may go home with a bunch of new-to-you discs in our raffle! Last year two guys went home with over 10 discs each. Not bad for a 5 buck investment, eh?

If you'd like to donate a prize, chip in a few bucks for the Apres ICO pizza party, or just contribute to the charity, email me. Thanks and see you at the Ice Cube!

Date change! ICO is now Sunday Jan 30

We've decided to move the Ice Cube Open up a week to Sunday, Jan. 30. There are two other Ice Bowls in the area scheduled for our original date and I thought it was silly to have three on the same day. Plus the Farmer's Almanac says there's going to be a snowstorm that weekend.

We are also changing the format to 666 doubles. That's six holes of best disc, 6 holes of the other team selecting your lie, and 6 holes of alternate throws. I've been wanting to try this for a few years now and think it'll be fun!

Registration should be opening withing the week.

Ice Cube Open Ice Bowl date set

UPDATE:

The date for our fourth Ice Cube Open Ice Bowl has been set for Sunday, Jan 30. This year's charity will once again be the Devens Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.

Last year, 55 golfers raised over $1100 and donated 330 pounds of food to the food pantry. Let's crush that record this year!

• Last year's Ice Cube open highlights
• ICO3 photos
• Learn more about Ice Bowls

Registration will probably open in late December, so keep your eyes and ears open for more details!

Thank you, voters!

Another landslide victory! I was re-elected as MA rep for the New England Flying disc Association (NEFA). It's hard to lose when you are the only one running, but I did get 22 votes which is 21 more than I thought I'd get!

But seriously, thank you for voting for me. I appreciate the support.

If you have any questions about disc golf in New England, or MA specifically, feel free to ask me. Becoming a NEFA member is a great way to help support your local and regional courses. Look for a new membership drive to begin early in 2011. The past several years we have had 2-for-1 deals, so don't miss out.

If you'd like to support disc golf on the national level, you can also join the PDGA. If you use my PDGA # 23492 as a referral before the end of the year, Devens Disc Golf Course will receive $5!

Killer B Disc Golf store now open!

I'm happy to announce that our pro shop is now open!

Check the Killer B blog or like our official Facebook page to keep track of what is going on at the Hive!

Stop by, say hey, and support your local disc golf store. Hill Yeah!

How 'bout them Flypads?!

Like I said at lunch, thanks very much to all of you who helped on Saturday. We have come a long way in just 3 years. I remember when it was a struggle to get 2 people to join me to work on the course. Now we get 20!

Keith, Pete, Arty, Rick, John R on 10

There are several great courses in the area, but not many with teepads as fine as ours. Damn! So solid. No fear of slipping. Boom!

I have to especially thank Ken Gary who organized and ran the show on Saturday. Great job, Ken. You make a great #2.

John R tamps 10.

I am also grateful for all the sponsors and players who have donated money to the course over the years so that we can make these awesome improvements.

Things are just going to get better. More Flypads in the Spring and benches on most holes too! After that, who knows? Maybe a second course or lights for night golf!

My truck full of ground-up recycled asphalt shingles that we used as the base

In no particular order, here are the latest Devens Superheros. Thank you!

• Ken Gary
• Jim Bobka
• Rob Walker
• John Rodenhizer
• John R's two friends
• Pete Nevius
• Pete Tolvanen
• Doug Callaghan
• Arty Graustein
• Jeff Woodcock
• Brian McNulty
• Rick Hobbs
• Keith
• Dave
• Luke Adolph
• Donnie Phillips
• Dave James
• Tim Seiger

Leftovers
It seems I have inherited a green wheelbarrow, a blue 2-wheel wheelbarrow, a tamper, a metal rake, and a wide metal shovel.

Pete finishes off 12

Luke and Arty clean out Jeff's truck

Luke flattens hole 5

Luke has his way with hole 3

Wow!

Holy crap! The Hill is getting some love today! There's about 17 dedicated volunteers out here installing tee pads today.

I am blown away. Thank you thank you thank you.

We're almost done, about to have some lunch, and then it'll be time to test these bad boys out. More later.

Did I say thank you yet? Hill Yeah!!!

Loading up Jeff's truck with recycled asphalt shingles.

John R and Doug C work on 10.

Pete T and Dave J work on 9.

Tee 13 is looking sweet!

Tee 11 is ready for many more ace runs.

Help install teepads this Saturday!

We are installing sweet-ass Flypads (recycled rubber teepads) on several holes at Devens this Saturday.

We need help, wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, and strong backs.

Free lunch and much good karma provided. Tell your friends, "I helped make Devens great."

Fun starts at 8 AM. Come when you can, but the more the merrier and the faster things will go.

Ken Gary is running the show and if no one shows up for him to boss around, he'll be sad.

I could also use a hand on Friday loading my truck with the Flypads. Call or email me if you can help.

New disc golf store opening next to Devens!

I'm happy to announce that in a few weeks you'll have a local disc golf shop at your service!

Marcy and I are opening Killer B Disc Golf Shop in the Devens Shopping Center behind basket 12. It's two minutes from the course parking lot at 210 W. Main St., Ayer. Just exit Devens, take a right, and you're there!

We're carrying Innova, Discraft, Latitude 64, and Gateway discs, as well as a selection of bags from Fade, Innova, and probably Revolution.

The Devens Lost and Found will also be located at the shop so if you find a disc on the course, stop by after your round to drop it off and see if any of your discs are here.

We're excited about opening the store and serving the growing number of disc golfers in the area. The dogs and us look forward to meeting more of you!

• Join our Facebook page

Killer B Disc Golf Store

Promote Your Page Too

Ain't she purty?

Yesterday Ken G, Andy D, and I installed the first FlyPad on teepad 1 and damn, does it look good! It instantly gives the course a boost in awesomeness.

This used to be somebody's roof.

Instead of stone dust as the base, we are trying out ground up recycled asphalt shingles from our neighbors, Routhier Brothers. You know those huge black piles to the right of hole 1? Well, those are finely ground shingles and tires. The guys over there were real helpful and drove over a 1/3 of a bucketload in their payloader and parked it near the picnic table.

Andy and I then shovelled it into a wheelbarrel and wheeled it over to Ken who had prepped the teebox and worked on spreading the black stuff evenly. After maybe 7-8 loads, Ken fired up the gas-powered tamper that Routhier lent us and poof, the base was set.

Thank you Routhier Brothers!

Next, we rolled out a 12-ft section of recyled rubber mat, layed it on top, and secured it with 6 threaded spikes. We quickly learned that trying to pound a metal spike through rubber wasn't the easiest thing to do since it kept bouncing back up. Then I had the brilliant idea of trying to twist the bolt in and it went in like butter.

Andy and Ken then trimmed the front and back edges and we were done. The whole process took about 30-40 minutes, not counting the brief jaunt over to the gas station to refill the tamper.

The tamper vibrated so much I couldn't focus!

If we get everything organized ahead of time and get plenty of people to come out and help, we should be able to bang out the remaining 8 tee pads Sat. Nov 13. The most time-consuming and difficult part of this will be getting the base material to the holes.

So, check out the new pad and let us know what you think. If you like it, donate some money to the course and help pay for these. They sure ain't cheap! Hit that PayPal button now!!

Oh, we each aced our first drive off the new pad. Scores are going to drop.

Ken and Andy trim the front.

Need help Thursday

We are installing a flypad on tee 1 tomorrow at 10 AM. You need to come help. Bring your tools. Thank you.

This will be a test run for our tee pad workday Nov. 13 or 14.

Local disc golf featured on Disc Golf Monthly

Catch a glimpse of Marcy and me on the latest episode of Disc Golf Monthly as they cover the Vibram Open at Maple Hill this past August. If you've got an hour to spare, be sure to watch all four episodes. (#77)

Strauss/Gula set Dubs record at Thrill on the Hill

Thanks for coming to the Thrill on the Hill, everyone! It was another beautiful Autumn day, just like we requested. Send me your DiscGolfScene email if you want your scores to appear on your profile.

• 2010 Thrill on the Hill results

Congrats to Frank Strauss and Alex Gula for shooting a dubs record 46 in Rd 1 en route to a superb 94 (-14) AM1 tournament win. Their 3-throw lead was hard to overcome in Rd 2 as Karl and I matched them stroke for stroke with a 48.

AM1 winners: Alex and Frank

You could tell something special was in the air after Alex deuced hole 14 from just past the second tier. The hawk that is now calling Devens home was there to see this rare birdie too. Frank and Alex played steady, solid golf all day. Great job.

The Hawk

Brett Norcross and Austin Brooks held off Andy Allen and Jason Paul to take home the AM2 crown with a hot 49/53 (101), while Recs Luke Sisco and Martin Janhunen shot lights out in their first-ever tournament, also shooting a 101! Great job guys. Watch out for these guys next year, AM2s!

AM2 winners: Brett and Austin

Rec winners: Martin and Luke

There weren't any aces, but Pete Nevius chained out twice I think I heard. Doug Callaghan won the ace pot throw off with a beautiful tomahawk that landed right next to the basket. He won 60-something bucks.

Speed
The turnout for Speed was disappointing, especially after so many people had signed up for it or told me they were going to do it.

The old guys win Speed! Karl, Rob, Donnie

Nonetheless, age and experience prevailed as Karl Molitoris spanked the field by 23 seconds. Karl shot -1 for a final adjusted time of 2:55. Rob Walker came in second (-1, 3:18) and Donnie Phillips finished third (+1, 3:28). I took fourth (+1, 4:02) while Doug C (E, 4:48) pulled up the rear .

I guess us old people are a little more adventurous than the young, scared whippersnappers. Thanks Tim, Nat, and Bobka for spotting and scoring. More pix and video coming later.

Look for the opening of our new store behind basket 12 next month. Killer B Disc Golf!

Flypads are here!

Our first roll of Flypad recycled rubber tee pads has arrived and we need to cut them ASAP.

Join Ken and I at 4:00 today. Bring a heavy duty cutter if you have one. We are meeting at my old dog business at 53 Ayer Rd (Rt 2A), Littleton. Look for the warehouses next to the gravel company.

Hopefully some of you can help on such short notice. We'll have the Patriots game on the radio, don't worry.

Course closed Sat. Oct 23

The course will be closed this Saturday due to the Thrill on the Hill Dubs and Speed tournament. Feel free to come watch and learn a little more about disc golf!

The event is now full! Thanks for signing up and helping selling out yet another tournament! See you bright and early tomorrow. Looks like a classic sunny New England day is in store for us.

Three spots left!

Three more teams signed up over the weekend and the Rec field has sprouted to five groups now! It's great to see so many newer players venturing into tournament play.

There is a solid AM1 field with several top players competing, as well as a large AM2 field too.

Let's sell this sucker out! Just 3 teams thrilling spots left! Did I mention that there are Borelli Brownies up for grabs for all first place teams? Mmmm, Borelli Brownies....

• Sign up!

Course closed Sat. Oct 23

The course will be closed all day Saturday, Oct. 23 for the Thrill on the Hill tournament. There are 5 spots left, so don't miss out! Register now!

Only 9 spots left for Thrill on the Hill

Yep, there are only nine spots left for our yearly Thrill on the Hill Dubs & Speed tournament on Sat. Oct 23. Don't miss out on this fun day of disc golf on the Hill!

• Register now!

I'm excited to see many new names signed up for this, as well as our faithful regulars.

It's also good to see so many adventerous souls who have signed up for the Speed round. If you are on the fence about doing it, just sign up for it. It's a lot of fun and takes less than 4 minutes (2.5 if you are really good). It's really not all abut speed, but endurance, brains, and accuracy too.

There are a few ways to approach the 4-hole Speed round:

• Run really fast but shoot over par, take your +/- penalty, and hope your low time compensates for your wild shooting. 
• Run at a controlled pace, take your time on each shot, shoot par or below, and hope the +/- bonus helps you out.
• Run fast and shoot well.

Any way you do it is a lot of fun. Even if you don't participate, we need a handful of volunteers to record scores, spot, and of course cheer everyone on. So be sure to stick around after Dubs!

Be like Pete!

Watch the USDGC live Tue - Sat.!

If you can't make it down to Rock Hill, SC to watch the United States Disc Golf Championships this week, watch it live on the Internet. Several players from New England are participating.

Support the growth of our sport by donating to the coverage. There are a few options including free, $4, $20, and $100 and you'll get free stuff and a chance at winning schwag just for being a supporter.

• More info
• Watch live

Be like Peaches and Herb

Ok, I've got 69 discs waiting in the Devens Lost and Found box in my cellar waiting to be reunited with their loved ones. These are all the discs that have been turned into me over the past few years.

Skim through the list (even if you haven't played the course) and see what turns up.

• Devens Lost and Found list

If you recognize yours or a friend's, let me know before I chuck 'em in the ocean currently falling from the sky.

Thrill on the Hill Dubs registration now open!

Sign up now for a fun day of doubles action. Only 36 team spots available! Then follow it up with some Speed!

• Register now
• All the details

 

Thrill On The Hill Dubs presented by Killer B Disc Golf

Saturday, Oct. 23

• 2 rounds, doubles
• Max teams: 36
• $42/team - Pro
• $22/team - AM1, AM2, Mixed (coed), Rec

• 100% cash payout in each division after expenses.
• No player packs, no trophies, just good cheap golf. Hill Yeah!

Post Thrill Action: Speed!

• One 4-hole round of Speed Golf.
• $5

Three aces in two weeks! More Thrills coming in Oct.

The Hill has been very giving these past two weeks. Last week at league, Pete Tolvanen and Andy Duquette cleaned out the ace pot with an ace on hole 9 and hole 16, respectively.

Then last night, Jeff Cooper recorded his first career ace with a skip ace on hole 11. Unfortunately Jeff, who is a tag member, arrived late for league and was playing a casual round with Brian Anderson so he missed out on the ace pot. He didn't seem to mind though.

Keep your eyes out for registration to open in the next few days for Thrill on the Hill Dubs and Speed on Oct 23. Until then, find a doubles partner and start talking strategy!

Lost and found list updated

I've added about half of the found discs to the Lost and Found page. I hope to add the rest this week.

Remember, if you find a disc with a name on it, contact the person and try to return it. Or, hold on to it and contact me and I'll add it to the official Devens Lost and Found collection.

League starts early

ellenforney.com

Don't forget, as the season winds down our start time gets earlier. This week the Wednesday Weekly starts at 4:45.

The #1 tag will be up for grabs, so come get it!

In case you were wondering...

Nate deuces 11

Here are the line scores for Avery and Nate during their round on the Hill a few weeks ago.

Avery (50):
3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 = 25
3 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 4 = 25

Nate (53)
2 2 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 = 26
3 2 3 3 3 4 3 2 4 = 27

Looking at the scorecards now, I remember standing next to Nate on 14 about 20 feet past that small tree on the upper tier and thinking, "Wow, what a friggin' drive. He's going to deuce this!" 

I asked him, "Was that your drive?" He looked at me with slight disgust and I instantly remember that he hit one of the early trees on the first tier on his drive and that this was his third shot. He says "No," looks away from me, drains the 50 ft putt to save par, and gives me a little smirk after. Funny stuff.

Val and Avery Jenkins, Nate Doss treat league members to a skills clinic

A few weeks ago, touring pros and World Champions Valarie Jenkins, Avery Jenkins, and Nate Doss stopped by the Wednesday Weekly tag league to give a free members-only skills clinic. Between the three of them, these guys hold six world championship titles, a couple of long distance throwing titles, and a USDGC title, so they were worth listening to!

The three pros reviewed the basics of throwing starting with the grip, arm motion, hip and head positioning, and finally the all-important x-step. After some Q&A about technique and life on the road, Avery let loose some bombs across the field while Nate and Val worked one-on-one with a few people. They also spent time autographing discs, posing for pictures, and just hanging out with us. It really was an awesome night and we owe most of it to Marcy who set the whole thing up. Yay Marcy!

Earlier in the day, several volunteers who have worked a lot on the course were invited to play a round with Val, Avery, Nate, and current <19 World Champion Ricky Wysocki. That of course was awesome because I've always wondered what a top pro would shoot on our course, never mind three.

Playing it blind, Avery was one throw short of tying the course record with a 50 (-4), Nate shot a 53 (-1), Ricky shot par 54, and Val, well, she got her money's worth. I can only imagine what they'd shoot after a few more round under their belts.

John Rodenhizer played really well for a spurt and was christened "Birdie Man" by Ricky after getting a bunch of birdies on the back 9. I like it.

Both Nate and Ricky really liked hole 16 and thought it was pretty cool and like no other hole they'd ever seen. Avery thought hole 14 was a great disc golf hole, "especially if you remove that pine tree." Not sure what pine tree he was referring too, but I'll have to check it out.

They also gave away a bunch of Keen and Huk Lab schwag like hats, visors, nice water bottles, stickers and patches. After it got dark, we headed over to the Devens Grill for dinner and more disc golf talk. Good times!

It was also cool hearing non-league players walk by during the clinic and ask me, "Hey, isn't that that Avery guy? What the heck is he doing here?"

So remember, next year when we start selling 2011 tags, you may want to snatch one up. Membership has it's privileges at Devens and we treat our members well! Rumor is that Marcy has already lined up next year's special guest, but you'll have to wait to find out who.

Look who stopped by at league tonight

Valarie and Avery Jenkins, Nate Doss, and Ricky Wysocki gave a members-only clinic tonight.

Hill Yeah!

Marcy and Valarie Jenkins

Avery Jenkins and the Devens Bagtaggers