After my visit to Lakeview Park in October, it had been nearly two weeks since I last had the opportunity to play any new disc golf courses. But today, I was able to get back out to visit two new nine-hole courses as I made my way to Chicago. Spending a couple hours visiting my oldest daughter at college, as well as spending the night at my aunt and uncle’s home on the North side of the city. I had just been through Chicago a few weeks ago, on my way back from our monstrous five-week housesitting trip down in North Carolina! But I have some meetings with the Disc Golf Foundation over in Michigan this weekend, so I’ll take every opportunity to see my oldest as she transitions to life away from home.
The first course I stopped to play this afternoon, desperately needing a break from behind the wheel during that eight-hour drive from southwestern Minnesota, was Jamieson Park in Poynette, Wisconsin. The course is about a year old, and had popped up on my unplayed courses map in UDisc since the time I had played the last of my unplayed courses in the area. I thought the course was a lot of fun! And with all the fall colors still on display around the park, it was a beautiful ~20 minute round. I ended up shooting a -5 (22), for an estimated round rating of 999. I needed to waste time searching for one of my mustard-colored ProLine Undertows for a solid five minutes on the Hole 6 fairway, as the disc blended in PERFECTLY with the thousands of leaves on the ground. But I eventually got it back (whew).
After hopping back in the car and continuing on my way to Chicago, I made a second pit-stop to check out another nine-hole course that had opened in 2020: Corona & Lime DGC in Madison, Wisconsin. Playing disc golf around the handful of military vehicles that are installed around Truax-Longmire VFW Post 8483 was a lot of fun! It reminded me of playing at an active military base near Las Vegas a couple years ago. One of the veterans I bumped into near the Hole 9 tee also told me that one of the vehicles that is stationed near the course came back with them from Vietnam.
The wind was calm and the sun was shining while I was at the VFW, and I feasted from the tee, shooting a -7 (20) for an estimated round rating of 969. I probably could (should?) have shot an eighteen if I was playing to the best of my ability! But I played the course well…and was happy that I parked my deuce on Hole 9 while I had that veteran as a spectator. 🙂
After leaving Madison, we pressed onward for Chicago, where my mom and I met my oldest daughter at her university. My mom hadn’t had the opportunity to see Libby since August, so it was a chance to share a long hug and a few treats for Libby to enjoy with her roommate. I also got to show off my “urban” parallel parking skills, wedging my car into a space with less than two feet of “extra” room. Giving the car behind us a couple of “love taps” and “kisses” so I had the extra inch or two I needed to get the front end of my car inside that parking space. Ha!
After I HOPEFULLY get a good night’s sleep tonight, it’ll be on to Grand Blanc, Michigan (a little South of Flint) tomorrow evening to do a little Disc Golf Foundation business, as well as enjoy several courses around Flint and Ann Arbor.
Magic Number = 128 (1,872 Courses Played)
How it All Got Started: Tonn’s Travels >>
A main purpose of this blog will be to share information, helpful tips and tricks (everything from health and fitness to methods for saving money while you’re out “bagging courses” of your own), and ideas for better, safer course design. But I am also hoping to inspire others with my passion for the sport, via the stories I can share about all of the interesting experiences I have. All of the interesting people I meet. All of the amazing courses I am blessed to have the opportunity to play. If I can inspire even a handful of individuals to get off the couch, get “out of their bubble” or “security blanket” and explore more of this big, beautiful planet we all call home? Then I will consider this effort a success.
About Derek
Derek Tonn is a member of the DGA’s Ambassador Team. His company, Mapformation, LLC, has been DGA’s partner in the development of disc golf tee signage since 2012. The longer our two companies have worked together, and the more Derek has gotten to know all the great folks at DGA, the more he has wanted to formally sing the company’s praises. The more he has realized that “Steady” Ed’s (the father of disc golf and the modern-day Frisbee) vision for the sport and his company perfectly describes his own interests and priorities related to disc golf, and the more Derek has recently been encouraged to share his story.