Birdshot tournament august 9

[bmugwump]

For those of you who might still trust us to run one, Birdshot will have our next tournament in Kingwood on August 9, 2008. For some reason it's not up on titledisc yet, but you can download a registration form from our website (houstonbirdshot.com) & mail it to us. For those of you without a computer, then you're probably not reading this...but hopefully someone you know can get their hands on one of our registration forms & get it to you so you can get it to us. This a very tight, challenging course....so those of you looking to be challenged probably will be. On the plus side...virtually every hole is in the woods so there will be plenty of shade. Hope to see all your smiling happy faces out there...Billy "Birdshot" Gilbert

[scoot_er]

So have you guys played there before?

[bmugwump]

I've played 3 times now...not sure how many times Chuck has played...maybe about the same.

[Midnightbiker]

You can see pics of the course here. This will give you an idea of the course conditions:

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/gallery.php?id=1746&mode=gal

[ThePatrick]

The course isn't in too bad shape right now, parking may be rough with good weather. There is a large amount of trucks with boat trailers as the launch is right there. There is somewhat limited parking. What out for the extremely large amount of banana spiders, we counted over 100 on the course and you will cross them when you inevitably hit a tree somewhere. Tiff and I will be in Austin for this one, and I'm sad.

[ERicJ]

]Watch out for the extremely large amount of banana spiders, we counted over 100 on the course and you will cross them when you inevitably hit a tree somewhere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_spider

20cm?!? :eek:

[Midnightbiker]

The Banana Spiders out there can get quite large. They are a pain till October, then they disappear. You just really have to watch where you walk when you are out there this time of year.

[scoot_er]

You can see pics of the course here. This will give you an idea of the course conditions:

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/gallery.php?id=1746&mode=gal

Well the conditions look nice and it even looks like hole 16 has an actual fairway. Do any others have fairways?

[ThePatrick]

Streches of fairway... then some have kindof a scattered tree coverage starting 50ft from the basket. The ground cover's not to bad though.

[scoot_er]

That is similar to what I remember. I remember the 1st ten holes all had trees blocking the route to the basket from the tee. Basically a bunch of 250ft par 3.3s

[ThePatrick]

Yes...3.3s is pretty close... I played a fairly good round of +6 as an 870 rated player. It's there for you if you want it. I left a few puts out there.

[scoot_er]

Yeah and as a 870 player a 1000 rated guy would have to beat you by 13 which I don't see happening on a course you have to get lucky on to get birdies.

[ERicJ]

It will be interesting to see what sort of SSA this course generates.

[derek]

chip and putt course, there is no real line to a basket, except for 1 or 2 holes, just bring one putter.

[scoot_er]

chip and putt course, there is no real line to a basket, except for 1 or 2 holes, just bring one putter.


No its more like a throw.......whack (hope it doesn't kick to far), throw hope it gets close and putt for your three.

[derek]

i wonder if the teeboxes ever got switched around, they used to be backwards

[Midnightbiker]

chip and putt course, there is no real line to a basket, except for 1 or 2 holes, just bring one putter.

# 12 and #18 are can be aced. #12 is a straight , tight fairway 225 feet to the basket. #18 is a 200ft anny shot. I took a friend out there for the first time, and he missed the ace at #18 by two feet. It skipped right past the basket.

[ThePatrick]

i wonder if the teeboxes ever got switched around, they used to be backwards
Nope. still backwards... i laugh every time someone new goes out there with us and turns and faces the bush right behind one and says something like "wow they weren't kidding about this course it is really wooded...where's the basket"

[scoot_er]

# 12 and #18 are can be aced. #12 is a straight , tight fairway 225 feet to the basket. #18 is a 200ft anny shot. I took a friend out there for the first time, and he missed the ace at #18 by two feet. It skipped right past the basket.


That about sums it up! 18 holes under 320ft and only two holes you can get to.

[Midnightbiker]

That about sums it up! 18 holes under 320ft and only two holes you can get to.

Those are the two that are the easiest to ace. The only hole that does not have a great line to the basket is #3. The rest can be reached if you know how to work your discs.

[scoot_er]

Those are the two that are the easiest to ace. The only hole that does not have a great line to the basket is #3. The rest can be reached if you know how to work your discs.



Yeah and as they work you pray they don't hit one of the trees in the fairways.

[derek]

Those are the two that are the easiest to ace. The only hole that does not have a great line to the basket is #3. The rest can be reached if you know how to work your discs.

is midnightbiker the user formerly known as batman?

[scoot_er]

Yeah but he is more commonly known as the MNBK

[derek]

The only hole that does not have a great line to the basket is #3.

did someone go out there with a chainsaw>?

[FsRiey_24]

Yeah and as they work you pray they don't hit one of the trees in the fairways.

That's what I personally like about the course. If it wasn't so challenging it would just be like all the other Houston area courses and not unique.

[scoot_er]

That's what I personally like about the course. If it wasn't so challenging it would just be like all the other Houston area courses and not unique.



PLacing trees in a way that nobody can reach the basket is not challenging it is stupid. Now placing trees in the way that force you to hit a defined line on the fairway to get to the basket is what I consider challenging.

Then again by your thinking it is definatly the most challenging of the 150+ courses I have played but by my thinking it ranks in the bottom 5.

[FsRiey_24]

PLacing trees in a way that nobody can reach the basket is not challenging it is stupid. Now placing trees in the way that force you to hit a defined line on the fairway to get to the basket is what I consider challenging.

Then again by your thinking it is definatly the most challenging of the 150+ courses I have played but by my thinking it ranks in the bottom 5.

Well I haven't played that many courses but I'm not of the opinion that courses should be formulaic with every 320ft hole reachable. The variety is good IMO.

[scoot_er]

Well I haven't played that many courses but I'm not of the opinion that courses should be formulaic with every 320ft hole reachable. The variety is good IMO.



Yeah but making 18 sub 320 holes that you cannot reach is unheard of. We play a game that we love partly due to the flight of our discs yet the course has trees in all the wrong places which makes throwing a clean short almost impossible. It is the shortest course I have ever seen that I don't think a 1000 rated player would shoot under par on 75% of the time.

Maybe that is because when designing the course the designer put in a course she could play very well on that also suits her short game by taking away everyone else's good drives.

I have only walked the course and didn't throw any discs but from looking at the fairways I would be happy with 4 lucky birdies.

[Mr. Blue]

Jim Kelly, myself, Dixon, and Mark McCoin played out there today. Spider city. We all looked like blind dorks out there swinging sticks at all the spider webs out there.
Best score out there was +1. Need to do some debris removal for certain. :o

[JimKelly]

Does anybody know if there will be tree removal going on before the tournament? If so I would be glad to help and I am sure I can find friends to join.:)

[bmugwump]

does anybody know if there will be tree removal going on before the tournament? If so i would be glad to help and i am sure i can find friends to join.:)
lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[scoot_er]

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Why are you LOLing? I really happen to think you will have a lot of players complaining about the course at your event and maybe there should be something done beforehand.

[Mr. Blue]

I will only say that in it's current condition, pull carts will be futile! There have been some trees that have fallen in some "inconvenient" places. Jim, I believe that Andi mentioned that they were going to be going out there at some point to do some work. You might want to contact them directly. That goes for anybody who is interested in being a part of that effort. I'm sure they could use the help.

[bmugwump]

That's not Birdshot's course to trim, you guys. Andi & Don were out there last weekend, but I have no idea what or how much they trimmed. If Birdshot does any trimming it's usually just overgrown branches blocking a hole, etc....stuff that wasn't grown out when the course was installed. Also....we (Chuck & myself) are way down south & Kingwood is way up north! We do try to get around & do maintenance on as many courses as we can, but Kingwood hasn't been one of them. We actually had to get the city's permission to even hold an event there (and pay insurance that we don't usually have to pay)...I don't think they want us coming in & chopping stuff down without permission.

[scoot_er]

That's not Birdshot's course to trim, you guys. Andi & Don were out there last weekend, but I have no idea what or how much they trimmed. If Birdshot does any trimming it's usually just overgrown branches blocking a hole, etc....stuff that wasn't grown out when the course was installed. Also....we (Chuck & myself) are way down south & Kingwood is way up north! We do try to get around & do maintenance on as many courses as we can, but Kingwood hasn't been one of them. We actually had to get the city's permission to even hold an event there (and pay insurance that we don't usually have to pay)...I don't think they want us coming in & chopping stuff down without permission.



So what courses have you trimmed? Also hole numbers would be nice so I can complain.

[LOU18132]

The spoon !!!!!

[Throw Innova]

birdshot guys,

from talking to several people, i anticipate that the turn out for this one at kingwood might not be so good due to world's, dislike of that particular course and other commitments.

please do not let this reflect on any of your work in putting these tournaments together. having a monthly competition is very helpful to me personally and it definately helps to unify the golfers spread all over greater houston.

i am sorry that you have been so publically throttled for your efforts. if i can be of any help in your future plans, please let me know.

[bmugwump]

We definitely don't anticipate many people for this one. There are a few people already signed up....we just don't have the info on PDGA yet. Yes, the first time I played Kingwood I was calling Andi a sadist....but they were asked to come in & do what they could with what was given to them (i.e., the freakin' woods!) by the City of Kingwood. It's still fun to play, though...kinda puts everybody on a more even plane, if you ask me. Anyway...if anybody wants to sign up, titledisc is open until next Friday at noon or you can mail me registration at home...Billy

[ERicJ]

kinda puts everybody on a more even plane, if you ask me.Agreed. But I don't know if that's such a good thing for a sanctioned tournament. You want holes that better players will score well on and lesser players won't. Random luck of getting through trees doesn't result in the true cream rising to the top. Having said that I am still curious to play this course and see what all the hullabaloo is about.

ERic

[JimKelly]

Birdshot Guys, I look forward to your tournaments and I have had fun at every event! I will see you at Spring Valley Spectacular. I love tight courses but not incomplete ones… If you need any help at the tournament I will be free.:)

[scoot_er]

Birdshot Guys, I look forward to your tournaments and I have had fun at every event! I will see you at Spring Valley Spectacular. I love tight courses but not incomplete ones… If you need any help at the tournament I will be free.:)



Are you heading North this weekend Jimbo?

[LOU18132]

Putting everybody on an even plane is what ratings are for, or at least meant to be for. Though some lower rated players like myself in theory would have a chance to get lucky and beat a Climo or Jenkins on this piece of land. Just a thought, I'll go back to sleep now REM

[JimKelly]

Matt, Nope not going 2 make it but Dixon is going. It should be a fun tournament.

[bmugwump]

Not much time left to mail in registration...in fact, if you're mailing it should be in the mail TODAY! It ought to move pretty quickly since it looks like we'll have maybe 20 people (if we're lucky). Maybe Midnight can go by & see how muddy the storm has made it & post here....tomorrow or Thursday. I don't think we got as much wind as was expected, so hopefully there will be no more downed trees. We went out Sunday morning & I shot +14 first round & +11 second round. That's slightly better than the +18 & +15 I had shot out there previously. Of course...half the time I suck! But it still seems like the more familiar I get with where the hole is the better I shoot...even with all the trees! If anybody goes out to check it before the tournament, be aware that there is a yellow-jacket nest in the ground on Hole 17....as you approach the hole (maybe 50 feet in front & on the right) there is a little dirt path that crosses over to another hole. As you take a right on that path (and I suggest staying away from it if you can), there is some vegetation just to your left near the corner. That's where the hornets' nest is! Be careful! Phil set his bag down right on top of the stupid things Sunday & pissed them off something awful...and got stung three times! Andi, if you read this maybe you can call the city & see if maybe someone could possibly go out there & fog that thing before Saturday. If not, Phil was planning on running some tape or string around the area so people will hopefully avoid it. Hope to see a few of you out there Saturday...there is plenty of shade...everywhere as a matter of fact!

[Midnightbiker]

I can't get out there till Friday afternoon, but I will post my report. There are a few spots that get muddy after a good rain, but nothing you can't get around. The only places that really ever pond up are right in front of the #7 Tee box, and sometimes it ponds around the #15 basket. Also, about 25 feet in front of the #6 basket , it can get muddy, but that's about it. Most of the water drains off into the river. I am going to walk the course on Friday and try to mark areas on the ground with some paint to help people find their way around, and I am also going to mark off the area where the Yellow Jackets are. Those are some aggressive bees. I think I might take some of that Wasp spray that shoots about 25 feet just as a back up plan.

[derek]

downed trees is exactly what this course needs

[Midnightbiker]

downed trees is exactly what this course needs


We do have one down already. A tree about 40 feet infront of the #2 tee box fell over last week.

[Midnightbiker]

downed trees is exactly what this course needs

We had one fall over last week on the #2 fairway.

[scoot_er]

Not much time left to mail in registration...in fact, if you're mailing it should be in the mail TODAY! It ought to move pretty quickly since it looks like we'll have maybe 20 people (if we're lucky). Maybe Midnight can go by & see how muddy the storm has made it & post here....tomorrow or Thursday. I don't think we got as much wind as was expected, so hopefully there will be no more downed trees. We went out Sunday morning & I shot +14 first round & +11 second round. That's slightly better than the +18 & +15 I had shot out there previously. Of course...half the time I suck! But it still seems like the more familiar I get with where the hole is the better I shoot...even with all the trees! If anybody goes out to check it before the tournament, be aware that there is a yellow-jacket nest in the ground on Hole 17....as you approach the hole (maybe 50 feet in front & on the right) there is a little dirt path that crosses over to another hole. As you take a right on that path (and I suggest staying away from it if you can), there is some vegetation just to your left near the corner. That's where the hornets' nest is! Be careful! Phil set his bag down right on top of the stupid things Sunday & pissed them off something awful...and got stung three times! Andi, if you read this maybe you can call the city & see if maybe someone could possibly go out there & fog that thing before Saturday. If not, Phil was planning on running some tape or string around the area so people will hopefully avoid it. Hope to see a few of you out there Saturday...there is plenty of shade...everywhere as a matter of fact!


In a few more rounds when you get down to +6 you should challenge Climo to some skins. I'm sure he would shoot worse on his first time.

[derek]

welcome to river grove

[Midnightbiker]

I just got word from a friend if mine who plays out there, that the course was being cleaned up today. He said when he was out there today, there was a work crew out there, cleaning up the underbrush, clearing the down trees, and making the course look a whole lot more inviting. He said they had a tractor out there and were doing some serious mowing and brush clearing. He said the course looks great. He jokingly said the local players have lost their advantage because the course is a lot more open now. He said you can see the #1 basket from the practice basket, and in the past that was impossible, because of all the over growth.

I can't confirm what has been done till tomorrow afternoon, but I am going out there for sure, and I will give my report tomorrow evening.

[Mr. Blue]

I believe it is a team of elves that have taken up residence within the park. Word has it they found the living conditions to be unacceptable. And I don't need to remind of what happens when you piss off an elf. Hence, the renovation has commenced. ;)

[ERicJ]

Chuck/Billy/Matt,

Have you cleared the parking restrictions for tournament players with the city?

Per their website: "All parks require a K Sticker (http://www.kingwood.com/community_guide/ksticker.php). Vehicles without a K Sticker may be towed."

http://www.kingwood.com/community_guide/parks.php

[TracyP)]

Chuck/Billy/Matt,

Have you cleared the parking restrictions for tournament players with the city?

Per their website: "All parks require a K Sticker (http://www.kingwood.com/community_guide/ksticker.php). Vehicles without a K Sticker may be towed."


Matt said that Andi has been talking with Ethel McCormick with the city about these kinds of things so if you have any concerns I would talk to Andi about it.

[TracyP)]

I'm sure Andi has this cleared up Eric. There shouldn't be any concerns about this weekend. See you all on Saturday, I've decided to play although not one of my favorite courses.

[mattman]

until your towed!

[Midnightbiker]

I have talked to the Kingwood Civic Asso. about a year ago,and they told me that you are fine as long as you are not towing a boat. The sign at the entrance to the park also says that all vehicles towing a boat must display a "K" sticker. I have played there over 50 times and never had a problem.

[Midnightbiker]

I was out there the afternoon and the course looks great!:D

Hats off to the folks who did all that work. The course looks nice and open. I have installed some yellow caution tape marking off where the Yellow Jacket nest is. Please be careful tomorrow.

[Midnightbiker]

Here are a couple of pics I took this afternoon. My camera is going out , so they are a little fuzzy:

#16 fairway
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd166/Midnightbiker/16Kingwoodaftermowing.jpg
#11 Fairway
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd166/Midnightbiker/11Kingwood.jpg
#6 from the tee box
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd166/Midnightbiker/6Kingwood.jpg

[ERicJ]

i wonder if the teeboxes ever got switched around, they used to be backwards
Nope. still backwards... i laugh every time someone new goes out there with us and turns and faces the bush right behind one and says something like "wow they weren't kidding about this course it is really wooded...where's the basket"
That's funny... the tee boxes are even backwards on the course map!

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/gallery.php?id=1746&mode=gal

ERic

[Midnightbiker]

I had a great time. Thanks to everyone who came out. I live in the area, so if anyone is coming this way to play Kingwood again , shoot me a PM and I will be happy to meet you out there if I can. Great Tournament. Thanks to Andi, Matt, Billy and Chuck for a great day.

[ERicJ]

It will be interesting to see what sort of SSA this course generates.
Using results from 23 players rated >800 I get an SSA of 53.12 from the PDGA spreadsheet.

ERic

[tarazarr]

I had a few hours to burn yesterday afternoon while I was waiting for my son to come in on a flight, so I thought I'd run over to Academy buy a disc and go out here a get a round in. My first time at this course and holy crap! I've never seen so many dang Banana tree spiders in my life. It was like being in a horror movie! I don't see how anyone can throw a fifty anything on this course!:D You gotta walk around with a big long stick everywhere you go, totaly puts you on tilt from the start. Maybe it was just being out there by myself or something, but it was un-nerving:D

I think whoever threw the most shots at that tournament should have been declared the winner, just because they probably spent the most time off the fairways in spider heaven!

Do those things die off in the winter?

I totally just walked right on past #17 already being freaked out by the size and shear numbers of those spiders, I had no interest in walking into yellow jackets as well.

I felt like a little 6year old girl out there:eek: tiptoeing around with my big stick all freaked out:eek:.

Kudos to all the players who were able to throw a decent game out there...I know I sure couldn't yesterday.

I temporarily lost my disc on #6 (it faded hard right and buried itself under a bunch of pine needles) and I spent at least 35 minutes walking through that area of spider infested dead trees looking for my disc (I only brought 1 so I couldn't just leave it) that totally threw me off for the rest of the round

[mattman]

yes, those spideres die off in the winter or they go to Florida. I have seen lots of spiders at the wilmont course, but I remember seeing some spiders the size of small rodents way up in the trees at that one course... I won't advertise a place I can't play. booooh

[discmagnet]

Last year the spiders were gone before the fall season. And Mattman is correct about the other course's spiders putting the ones at Kingwood to shame. The only difference is that there are some holes out of the woods.
Last year I watched a one of those spiders catch and mummify a locust. It was crazy!

[tarazarr]

one wrong step and I thought I was going to be mummified:eek: You know it's bad when your disc deflects off a tree and sticks in the web:eek:

[mattman]

one wrong step eh? have you wondered what happened to Capt. America? Last seen being carried off by a spider.

[tarazarr]

I think it was the 35 minutes I spent looking for the only disc I had out there that freaked me out, cause you couldn't just ramble around looking for it, I had to watch every freakin step and the fact it was buried in pine needles, I probably tip toed past it 8 times before finally seeing it. After that I think I just got clostaphobic and arachnofobic at the same time, by hole 15 it was starting to get darker and I just wanted out of there....alive and unbit/stung

Funny how places like that screw with your head when your by yourself

[Midnightbiker]

After my Yellow Jacket attack, the Bannana Spiders don't bother me at all. Also, I am more afraid of the Copperheads out there. I have seen 4 out there.

As far as the spiders go, they are only out there May-October. Around October they completely disappear. Also, its nice to play out there in the fall and winter , because a lot of the undergrowth dies off, and the trees loose their leaves, and it makes the course play a little differently.