It’s been a quiet few weeks on the disc golf front for me. Work has been busy, which is good! However, I have also been trying to recover from a rib/sternum injury that has made it hurt to do much of anything, much less disc golf.
That said, today?! Today was FAR too nice to not get out on a course somewhere. Upper 30s Fahrenheit, light wind, and dry ground! I cannot ever remember a December in Minnesota with not so much as flurries…twenty days into the month! Our last snow here was in the middle of November, and all of that snow melted weeks ago. So even though I’ve been hurting, nothing was going to stop me from trying to sneak in a couple of new courses before the holidays.
My first course on the day was Hudson High School in Hudson, Wisconsin. I had no idea if this course would be playable in the Winter, and when I arrived on the property, I saw nine DGA portable baskets sitting along a fence line. It wasn’t looking good. 🙁 But then as I got a little further behind the school (to the North), I saw several baskets in the ground, along with rubber tees and tee signs. Hooray!
Hudson High School is a quick, easy nine, though not all nine holes are “gimme” deuces. Hole 5, for example (pictured above). Throw it too high, and you get into the tree branches. Throw it too low, and you hit the fence. I missed my deuce on the 300+ foot Hole 3! But I managed to get my other eight deuces, for an estimated round rating of 989.
After the course in Hudson, I headed over to Golden Valley, Minnesota to check out Brookview Winter – Blue. I had played Brookview Winter – Red a while ago…but had yet to see the additional eighteen holes on the property. I remember on Red, trudging through snow with cold temps and a howling wind the last time I played there. So temps in the 30s, dry ground, and calm winds was a MUCH more pleasant experience! I didn’t play my best round, a -1 (53), for an estimated round rating of 918. But I had to be careful on the tee with a majority of the holes being 300+ feet. My ribs and back are not good at the moment. Lots of pain, with me being on a “no lifting” restriction for at least two more weeks. So I supposed anything under par was a decent showing, under the circumstances.
I think that will probably need to be my last disc golf of 2020. 163 new courses played across eleven US States. Not the 200+ new courses I was hoping to play. But considering the coronavirus pandemic? It could have been so, SO much worse. Particularly since I tried to set a good example by exercising extreme caution and limiting my exposure to just about anyone I possibly could. Not because I was worried about being infected! Rather, because I did not want to have an asymptomatic case of COVID-19, then spread the virus to others who might wind up in the hospital (or worse). So 163 new courses played is an achievement I can feel good about…even if it is not as many courses as I had been hoping to play this year.
Here’s to hoping for a happy, healthy 2021 for us all! Take care and happy holidays, everyone. And remember: “The player that has the most fun wins!” 🙂
Magic Number = 315 (1,685 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 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.