Over $1100 delivered to Loaves and Fishes courtesy of ICO disc golfers!

Marcy and I turned her Subaroooo into a low rider today and dropped off 330 pounds of food (306 items) and a big fat check for $1115.16 to the Loaves and Fishes. They were overjoyed and wanted me to thank everyone very much.

We got a tour of how the place works and learned about the many free services they provide. That made us feel extra warm and fuzzy about being able to help so many people. So, please pat yourself on the back, everyone and thank you again for making this the best Ice Cube Open to date.

Results have been posted to DiscGolfScene. If your results don't link to your profile, then I have a different email address. Send it to me.

Highlights:

• 55 golfers
• About 10 inches of snow
  
• Pretty damn cold during check-in (10-12 degrees). Rd 1 was about 22, Rd 2 hit 32 but quickly cooled as the sun set.
• It was perfect winter golf conditions. Sunny and just warm enough where the snow didn't really melt. Dave Boliver gave me some scientific mumbo-jumbo about what was happening to the snow crystals, followed by "I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express."

• There were two tournament aces (Luke Adolph, 2; Matt Duquette, 9) and one practice ace (Erik Siersdale, 9)
• Boliver deuced hole 18. Others didn't have such luck. I heard several stories about discs going sledding down the Hill.
• The Devens Grill chili went fast. Thank you JC for the dogs and Frank for the fudge.

Ring of Ice

• John White was the only guy to sink his putt in the first and only round of the AM2/Rec Ring of Ice. I've never seen that happen before.
• After Daniel Marcus and Davis Johnson both missed their second round putts in the Pro/AM1 Ring of Ice, everyone jumped back in. After one more round, Rob Walker won. He was pretty surprised he beat everyone.

CTPs
Lots of stuff, including booze, new plastic, hat, and Innova calendars was given away. Winners were:

• Daniel M
• Frank S
• Nick S
• Sam M
• Dave B
• Alan M
• Mike S
• Brittanie
• Coleman M
• Greg A

The Disc Grab Bag was a huge success and raised another $150 or so. Steve Shiner went home with 14 and Trenton Solomon took home 12.

I'm sure there were lots more highlights. Let me know! More photos coming.

Ice Cube results

Marcy and I are going to take today to thaw out and sort through everything from another successful Ice Cube Open.

Until then, here are the final results. Click to see a larger photo.

Are you pooped?

Another successful Ice Cube Open! Thanks for coming.

First count is $905 raised, but that doesn't count what a lot of the players donated at the end. I'm sure we'll hit $1000. Holy crap! And don't forget about the canned goods. Whoa.

Round 1 results

Some decent scores despite the snow. There's been two aces: Luke Adolph and Matt Duquette.

Ala is on fire

Aaron Ala's 50 was the hot round 1 score.

Looking back up 16.

Up 14

And we're off

A sunny 21 degrees and 54 golfers. Erik Siersdale aced hole 9 before the two minute warning! It is his first career ace.

Brr

We're off to a chilly start. 6:20 AM. 9 degrees and pitch black.

Sunset at the Hill

Took this tonight, but it doesn't do it justice. Registration is now closed. Go to sleep!

17 spots left - online reg closes at 11 PM

We had another flurry of registrations today and are up to 55 golfers. Online registration ends at 11PM tonight, so sign up now to guarantee yourself a spot.

I got an email from some Maine golfers who are thinking about driving down and got a few calls from others with the same idea. Don't waste a two hour drive and get shut out. Register now!

The course is looking good. Some snow melted and compacted today, but you'll still burn some calories walking, that's for sure.

See you at 8 AM. We start promptly at 9!

Don't forget a disc for the $5 Disc Grab Bag

What a deal! Donate $5 to the Loaves and Fishes, toss in a gently-used disc, and get a chance to go home with a bunch of new-to-you plastic!

If you are emotionally attached to your discs like me, you can donate $10 instead.

Last year we raised an additional $145 and Rob Curtis walked home with 20 discs -- and most of them were pretty nice ones too!

These discs were grabbed

Leave the lima beans at home

If you are at a loss for what to bring, here are the most requested items at the Loaves and Fishes food pantry, our charity for the Ice Cube Open.

Please leave the lima beans and prune juice at home!

• Flavored rices
• Helpers (hamburger helpers, tuna helpers, etc.)
• Instant potatoes
• Baked beans
• Cereal
• Pasta sauce
• Diced tomatoes
• Tomato products
• Canned vegetables
• Diapers

Nashoba Tech students donate to the ICO again

For the third year in a row Donnie "Disc Golf" Phillips, a Devens regular and a teacher at Nashoba Valley Technical High School in Westford, MA, has organized a Can Drive with several homerooms.

Donnie sent me a preview of what his kids have brought in so far. Looking good, Vikings!

Donnie and his food pyramid

More winter golf tips

Here are a few tips sent in by Aaron Ala:

• Wear a warm/waterproof glove on your non-throwing hand
• Put a Hot-Hands (body warmer) in your throwing hand coat pocket
• Find a light wind coat with zip-off sleeves. I did and I love that thing!

Fashion secrets for playing in an Ice Bowl

I thought I'd share a few things I've learned about playing in an Ice Bowl and snow in general.

Dress for success
Figuring out what to wear for a winter tournament is always a tricky thing. Successfully managing your body's temp can have a definite effect on your performance. Thoughts like "Damn I'm sweating to death" or "Damn I'm freezing my nards off" are just going to distract you.

There are five time zones you have to worry about for a winter tournament: Pre-game, Round 1, Lunch, Round 2, and Post-game.

• Pre-game: You have to think about the temperature when you first get there and you are standing around, checking in, and warming up. Getting out of your toasty car can be a bit shocking after a 2-hour drive. I usually overdress during pre-game so that I can warm up and loosen up faster. Hat, mittens, sweatshirt, jacket. For base layers, I wear a wicking performance shirt under a regular short-sleeve t-shirt.
  

• Round 1: Next you have to think about getting warmer as you start to play and as the sun climbs. Devens is pretty hilly and when you add in trudging through the snow, you will heat up fast. Wear layers that are easily packable or you will waste valuable mental and physical energy carrying around your jacket and trying to remember which hole you left it on. You don't need the distraction.
  
  Since I know I will warm up pretty fast, I dress light and wear a sweatshirt and a vest if it is 30 and below, or just the sweatshirt if it's not. I also have a packable nylon jacket I can attach to my bag if there is a wind or breeze. I wear a knit hat or fleece tubey thing that I can wear as a hat or pull down around my neck. Baseball hats don't keep me as warm since I like to keep my ears covered.
  
  
• Lunch: The break presents new issues with your body rapidly cooling down as you sit around and refuel. Now's the time to change your socks and boots and maybe your shirt. It just feels good putting on fresh socks and a shirt. I usually put on a different sweatshirt and sit in the car to get warm.
  
  
• Round 2: Round 2 is the opposite of Round 1. It starts warm and then gradually cools down as the sun sets and the afternoon winds pick up. I wear the same thing and maybe bring along a vest. Overall, I just suck it up the last few holes since I'd rather be a little cold than carry around extra gear.
  
  
• Post-game: Time to change and get out of those wet socks, pants, and shirt. Put on something fresh and you'll feel better instantly. Don't forget to bring a second pair of shoes or sneakers. It's no fun putting warm dry feet into cold wet boots!
  

Pants
I usually wear ski pants. Besides keeping me warm, they repel water and snow and I can pretty much sit or lean against anything without having to worry about walking around with a wet butt. Since it was relatively warm yesterday, I experimented with regular nylon workout pants and they worked out well. They did get a little wet though.

I'd avoid jeans or any other cotton-based pants. They suck up moisture and by the end of the day you'll be carrying around a couple extra pounds of crusted, frozen snow on your ankles. Not good. Gaiters are also a good idea if you don't have ski pants.

Shoes and socks
Before I had my waterproof Seal Skins socks, I used to wear regular cotton or wool socks. Combined with a decent boot, it worked okay, but I always changed socks at lunch and after the event.

Boots are a no-brainer. Sneakers will suck up moisture and you'll slip and slide all over the place and be miserable. Keep your feet warm and the rest of you will stay warm and you'll play better and have more fun.

Sunglasses and sunscreen
Saturday looks relatively warm and sunny, so both sunglasses and sunscreen should be in your bag. With all that snow to reflect off, the sun can be brutal. You just won't notice until Sunday when you wake up with a sunburn and squinty eyes.

I hope you picked up a few helpful tidbits. Feel free to share any other suggestions by posting below.

Totally cubular, dude

Rob Walker and I shoveled tee pads today while his Dad Steve supervised. He said we did a good job and would hire us again.

We bumped into Travis and Johnny from VT who were out getting in an Ice Cube Open preview round. Then, Donnie Disc Golf stopped by after school and headed out for a quickie wearing a shirt and tie. Possibly the best-dressed golfer I've ever seen out there.

I'd like to thank Innova Disc Golf for sponsoring our ICO. They sent us some scorecards, some beautiful calendars, and free memberships for all golfers to Disc Golf U.

48 in, 24 to go. Weather's looking good!

Johnny and Travis

Devens Grill steps up again for the ICO

The Devens Grill has once again donated a big batch of chili, two $25 gift cards, and a $5 coupon for each Ice Cube Open golfer! Thank you Elaine!

Last year a bunch of us went over after the tournament to get warm and enjoy a few adult beverages and a bite to eat. Consider them the official sponsor of the 19th hole!

CTPs Needed
If you can donate a CTP prize or bring some food to share at lunch, please do. CTPs can be discs, gift cards, a plates of brownies, a new HD TV --- be creative!

Register Golfers
We are up to 36 golfers -- a new record for the ICO (reg list). If you use DiscGolfScene.com, be sure to send me your email address so I can link you in to the Ice Cube Open page.

A great day for the mailbox

Yesterday was a great day for the Devens mailbox.

After running errands all day, Marcy and I pulled in the driveway to check the mail. The thing was packed with a few congratulation cards, another package, envelopes containing our new PDGA membership cards and bag tags, and a package from our website sponsor, Disc Golf Station, containing two discs and a mini that they donated to the Ice Cube Open. Then, to top it off, the UPS guy pulls up and gives me a box of Ice Bowl discs and shirts. It was like Christmas.

After I let the dogs out for a pee, I flipped on the computer. Bam, eight people had signed up for the ICO while we were out! Nice! That puts us just two golfers short of last year's record of 30 golfers. I'm pretty sure we will pass that in the next 11 days since I bet a few people are waiting for that five-day forecast to come out. No wimps no whiners.

Don't forget, if you join PDGA this year and use my member number 23492, I will donate the $5 store credit I receive to the Hill and use it towards prizes for a future event. Ken Gary and Roger Gagnon have already done it. How about you?

Two weeks til the Cube!

The stuff I ordered should get here this afternoon. I love shiny new plastic!

We've got 20 golfers signed up so far. AM1 is looking pretty competitive, but there are still no pros. Don't understand why they are afraid to play the Hill.

You play to win the game

With the Patriots getting ready to smoke the Ravens this Sunday, I give you this. Let's go Pats!

Join NEFA this month with 2-4-1 deal

You and a friend can support New England disc golf and join NEFA today for the price of one membership!

If you've been waiting to join the local organization that brings you many of the great courses and events in New England, now is your chance. The New England Flying Disc Association, better known as NEFA, is offering a two-for-one membership deal through the end of January. Good deal!

The 2-4-1 deal has the following conditions:

• $25 for two people.
• At least one person must be a new member, having never been a NEFA member.
• Two new members may join for $25.
• Get the membership form
• If you can't find a friend to join, email me and I'll try to find someone in the same boat.
  

Besides issuing improvement grants to courses each year, NEFA also runs the NEFA Points Series, a collection of regional events in which NEFA members can participate. Members receive points based on how they finish. Players with the highest points totals based on a "best of X" system receive an invite at the end of the year to the Points Finals where the top players from each division battle it out to determine the season's champions.

It's a great way to chart your progress, make a bunch of new friends, and play some quality disc golf. Last year I had an awesome year and finished second overall in AM1, missing the top spot by a mere 1.98 points!

I am also the MA state rep for NEFA, so if you have any questions about NEFA or anything disc golf related, please email me!

King and Queen of the Hill make it official

I'm happy to announce that Devens Disc Golf Course may soon host it's first wedding. Marcy and I are getting married! Plans are in the making, but we should officially become the new and improved Killer Bs some time in the next few months.

Hmm, maybe we'll have a combination King of the Hill and wedding tournament. Do you think golfers will play a couple rounds in their Sunday best? :-)

The kids are happy too.

Shovel, push, push, shovel, push, push, deuce!

Today Dave James, Jimmy Blakeney, and I hit the Hill for some golf and teepad shoveling. The latest snowstorm only dumped about 6-8 inches or so on the course and conditions weren't too bad. It wasn't too slippery and the snow was just dense enough to hold most shots near or above the surface.

We played a combo of stroke and skins and had an overall good time. Both Jimmy and I were trying out some new and rarely-used discs and attached ribbon to the tops to help us find them in the snow. After an average front nine, Dave turned on the par train and ended up spanking Jimmy and me by four strokes. I somehow finished with one more skin than Dave to take home the big money.

But the story of the day was the amazing 150-ft "putt" for a deuce Jimmy made on hole 3 in our playoff worth four skins. After a decent throw from the tee that just wanted to keep going, his disc finally hit a branch and dropped pretty much straight down on the road just beyond the log but before the pile of branches.

From there Jimmy had a tough chance at a 2, but only if he could get it through the slimmest of gaps, up the hill, around some trees, and into the bucket. After 20 tiring holes, I joked, "Just get it in and let's finish this."

Well, he did. He flicked it right through the gap, up the hill, and around the trees. It was awesome! I think this was the first deuce I've seen on hole three that wasn't during doubles. Crazy.

Dave and John


Don't forget to register for the Ice Cube Open!

Lose your car key?

Did you have trouble driving home from the course? A car key was turned in this week. So was a disc labeled JS. Email me if either is yours.

Thank you to the golfer that turned each one in! Happy New Year, everyone.