The Vibram Open at Maple Hill Review – September 2-4, 2011

Disc golf is fun for me on many levels --- athletic competition, design and educational principals related to landscape architecture, the mental requirements it demands of you, similarities to my childhood love of golf and best yet…promotion. Golf is fascinating to me, but to many it’s boring. I feel bad that they think its boring to watch or incredibly frustrating to play, but does EVERYONE know what the sport of golf is, right? Pretty much, yes. Can the same be said about disc golf? “What, you mean Frisbee golf?” Sure, I guess. It’s actually called disc golf though --- and you’ll like it. It never really struck me that I loved promotion, I just did it. I heard a band I loved and I’d go tell all my friends about it because it was so much fun and so good that I wouldn’t want anyone missing out on it. I didn’t want anyone to miss out on anything fun, simple as that. I went to more and more music as I promoted more and more bands. I’d get free tickets to shows, but it was never about that. It was me not wanting my friends to miss out on the fun. It was about promoting a band because that’s what they want to do it and I wanted to do my part in making sure that it was a reality. Promotion was always natural because there was always something fun going on. The deeper into the music scene I went, the more fun I found.

Now I’ve found my most recent, endless promotion: disc golf. How many people know about disc golf? A lot. How many are OBSESSED with it? A lot. How many don’t even know what disc golf is? More than both those a lots put together. Sad, isn’t it? Disc golf is a sport I will play until the day I die. I literally mean that with ever fiber on my being. The fastest growing demographic of disc golf players is seniors --- and they’re turning out in record numbers! Disc golf rocks! If you know me, I’m not a tattoo guy. I’m tall, skinny, have a beard and like disc golf, music

and excel spreadsheets --- a tattoo on me would be awkward. I would get a disc golf related tattoo, though, and it would be amazing. Constant promotion! Haha, now that I read that I think promotion is the reason I’d get the tattoo, but it wouldn’t --- it would be because the sport is fun and I love everything about it. You should too.

My growing love of disc golf over the past 6 years was taken to another level when I spent multiple days at The Vibram Open at Maple Hill in Leicester, MA. This was the last National Tour Event on the 2011 Professional Disc Golf Association’s (PDGA) schedule and the majority of the world’s top pros were going to be in attendance --- all of this a little over an hour from my house in Amherst. I was going to be viewing my first PDGA tournament through the eyes of my new company, Explore Disc Golf. Explore Disc Golf is me using my Master’s in Landscape Architecture, and fusing it with my knack for promotion and my connections within the music industry over the last 9 or so years. If there is only one thing I took from my graduate work in Landscape Architecture, it would be DOCUMENT EVERYTHING --- and I did. I took pictures of everything from tee pads and baskets to porter pottie locations, vending and tee time sheets. What a wonderful weekend it was!

When I pulled in, the family vibe was very apparent. I was parked by the Tournament Director’s mother, and pointed in the direction of the clubhouse where I walked around to check out some of the discs before heading over to check out some of the vending. I was expecting at least half a dozen vendors, but this weekend there were only a couple, Ten Down Disc Golf from Maine and Bachnein Disc Golf from Vermont. Some of the

vendors were also dotted throughout the course to provide hospitality to players, while trying to catch some tee shirt and disc sales as well. The only other set up I saw was at the first tee where a large tent was erected to attract patrons over to the tee. The tent and small trailer go from event to event promoting the sport of disc golf, but the first thing I wondered was, “why is this at a disc golf tournament and not at a music festival?” I get it --- it’s a disc golf tournament, but don’t the few hundred people in attendance already know about or play disc golf? Why not take this massive tent and portable baskets to a 25,000 music festival or a beach on a beautiful, yet calm day. Well that’s exactly what Explore Disc Golf is going to do!

After getting my bearings , I decided to go find the first Super Group of the day. I got a late start to my day, but found the group of Nate Doss, David Feldberg, Will Schusterick and Paul Ullibari on the 7th hole. I followed these guys until the 15th hole, where I would follow the other Super Group of the day, which included Nikko Locastro, Avery Jenkins and two others I can’t remember. I apologize for not knowing everyone’s name, but this was my first tournament and I don’t really know the players that well. The name thing was actually one of the first flaws I saw in the system. We are trying to promote this sport, but what about the common person who has no idea who the #1 player in the world is? At a Professional Golfer’s Association (PGA) Tour event, there are handouts that have a breakdown of each group. Each player has a color next to his name, and his caddy is wearing that color with his name on it. That makes it easy. Nikko Locastro (Blue) --- oh look at that guy in a blue bib that says Locastro handing that guy a disc; that must be Nikko Locastro. Done, problem solved. I’m not trying to be harsh; I’m just trying to help the sport. I was bummed when I had no idea who I was watching, but then

again I was thrilled I could walk right up to someone and bump fists with them after they threw 600’ bomb over water and sat it next to the pin just like they envisioned it. Ridiculousness.

Unless you have seen professional disc golfers play, you have no idea what you’re missing out on. It took me less than 10 minutes to start laughing uncontrollably, and even tearing up a bit. That’s what I did when I saw Zach Deputy for the first time in 2007. The same thing happened when I saw Rubblebucket in 2007, as it did when I saw Australian-based sensations OKA in Nova Scotia in July of this summer. It’s all I know how to do when I see something I can’t believe. I just have to laugh and cry --- and take pictures. The reason I get all weird is because I know I'm seeing the future right in front of me. I was formerly a Tour Manager for a nationally touring band, and went through college seeing music 3-5 times a week. I don’t drink and I don’t do drugs --- but when I see the FUTURE --- I lose it. Zach Deputy and Rubblebucket have one of the fastest growth rates of bands I’ve ever seen. OKA will destroy the U.S. music scene in less than 5 years. And disc golf? There is just so much goodness already in place, but still TONS of opportunity. I’m a nerdy, attention-to-detail guy and there is so much missing in the sport. These guys are INCREDIBLY talented, and once I really saw it in person, I almost couldn’t take it.

The one thing I really took from my time watching these players is the confidence they putt with. I remember watching David Feldberg putt on the island green of the 9th hole --- he had a downhill putt of about 25' with water less than 10' beyond the basket. He doesn’t see the water --- he sees individual chains. The guy strokes it and smiles as he walks back to his bag and onto the 10th hole. Unreal! They aren’t limping these putts in either.

The disc is going UP as it hits the chains. I usually throw a pancake putt in there so it’s high enough to give myself a chance to float it in, but if I miss, it’s not wet. I really think anyone can throw the Big D. That’s just technique and torque, but putting is where the money is made and championships are won.

This year’s championship was won by Nate Doss. Nate had just picked up his third World Championship five weeks prior in Santa Cruz, CA before trekking across the United States to win the year’s final NT event. I watched this guy for two full rounds and he was solid as a rock. I think over the two days I watched, he had two bogies, maybe three. If you saw this course, that fact would rock your world. He avoids the high highs and low lows. He doesn’t get pissed when he messes up; he fixes it. He doesn’t celebrate when he makes birdies; he marches to the next tee. It was such a pleasure to watch him play because he was almost robotic. There’s something to be said about playing with no emotion and ice in your veins. Like I said previously; all this on the PDGA Tour in related back to the PGA Tour. Some of my favorite golfers are the most boring --- not calling Nate Doss’ playing boring, but it was methodical. I distinctly remember him kicking a small rock on the 10th hole on his final road, and after a massive 500’+ drive over water and between trees, his disc nestled up next to the basket on the 16th hole where he tapped in his birdie and gave a mini fist pump before marching on. You should have seen this drive on 16 --- a huge carry over water, skirting between trees as it crossed land and before carrying another 100’ or so up to the pin before it came to rest for a kick in birdie. And all he did was a mini fist pump? He just locked down the tourney! I would have jumped in the fucking pond in early celebration! Did I mention he almost aced 17?

Not knowing or ever speaking to Nate, he seems like a great face to promote the sport through. Avoid the high highs and low lows, one stroke at a time, every shot counts, bogeys are easier to get back than doubles --- all that stuff. Too many people get all caught up in the fact that they just made a double bogey and they lose their concentration. Then when they lose by one shot at the end of the round, it’s the end of the world. If they stayed focused after that double and didn’t compound it with another bogey on the next hole, they would be tied at the end of

the round and going into a playoff instead of losing by one. Sorry to break off on a weird scenario there, but it’s true to the game, and true to how Nate plays. The three other players that played together in the Super Group on day one were some ofmy favorites as well. As enjoyable as following around the lead card on the last day was, day one really stole the show for me. I really enjoyed watching were Ullibari, Feldberg and Schusterick as much as I enjoyed Doss. The thing I remember most about watching these guys --- Schusterick in particular --- is the fact that they don’t step when they throw their mid range shots. They anchor their front foot into the ground and just uncoil on it. Uphill shots of 300’ with an anchored foot are no problem for these guys, as you could imagine.

To make this sport and tournament even cooler, there were dozens of other activities planned to round out this high profile event. There were putting competitions, accuracy challenges, long distance drives, speed contests, match play challenges, ultimate showcases, pie eating contests and more. These guys are very driven and very competitive, but they do enjoy the laid back atmosphere that the sport is based around. It seems that the disc golf community is very close and very supportive. I wish I could have spent more time at The Vibram Open, but I enjoyed every minute I had. I can

only wait for more tournaments and more exposure for the sport. My advice to readers is the next time you think or hear about disc golf, look up a course with a 5k loop or playground nearby. Tons of information can be found out about particular disc golf courses on on www.discgolfcoursereview.com. When you do finally find that perfect course --- go over to the 5k loop and take a walk or even branch off on some holes and use the fairway as a hiking trail. Maybe you’ll find hikers, dog walkers or off road BMX bikers. See how disc golf fits into the landscape with almost no visual impact whatsoever and think about how well it connects on-site features. Disc golf can be enjoyed on so many levels --- from the spectator to the promoter to the player. Go out and give it a try, I promise you will have just found a recreational opportunity that you will enjoy for the rest of your life.

The Vibram Open Course Preview - Maple Hill DGC in Leicester, MA

PLEASE NOTE: I wrote this review before The Vibram Open and posted it to Disc Golf Traveler. I will soon be following up with a review of the tournament, which will be posted on both sites.

The other day I had the opportunity to play Maple Hill Disc Golf Course in Leicester, MA --- it was the closest thing to playing on a major tournament course I’ve ever experienced. Playing golf since I was 6 years old, I have been brought up watching the sport’s majors intently. I used to dream of what it was like to play on the courses --- fully manicured, greens rolling 14 on the stimpmeter, grand stands erected, rough 4” thick and tournament officials walking about. What would it take to get me to be able to play those courses only days after the event? Probably nothing --- no chance. Now I’m 27 and have had a new passion for 6 or so years now --- disc golf. So what would it take to play in such a setting --- a major event on the Professional Disc Golf Association tour schedule? Apparently, simply driving to the course, paying my $5 fee and strapping up my shoes would suffice. Cool!

Wrapping up our 3-week Northeast tour with Zach Deputy, we enjoyed a couple days off in Massachusetts before having to head down to Fredericksburg, VA to pick up tour at The Otter House and follow up on successful summer music festival appearances at All Good Music Festival in Masontown, WV and Camp Barefoot in Bartow, WV. Our two days off proved to be very enjoyable, as I was finally able to play Maple Hill which has been a course I’ve had on my to-play list for a while now. Maple Hill will play host to The Vibram Open in a couple days, from September 1-4

to be exact. The Vibram Open is the 8th and final National Tour event on the Professional Disc Golf Association tour schedule. All the top disc golfers in the world will be there, and I’ll be ready to document every little sliver of information.

I’m a landscape architect professional and disc golf enthusiast. I have spent many hours documenting proposed courses all over the United States, but am yet to actually attend a disc golf event. I’ll be at The Vibram Open on Thursday, as well as the United States Disc Golf Championships at Winthrop Gold in Rock Hill, SC in early October. To be able to see the operation of the tournament directors, video crew, score keepers, hospitality staff, maintenance crew and more is something I will watch very closely. My life as Tour Manager for a nationally tour banding (and Innova-sponsored celebrity ambassador) has afforded me the opportunity to see massive production from behind the scenes. I am able to see the overall flow of it all, and get down to the nitty gritty and see the finest of details from paperwork in the production office to candy in the dressing rooms. Disc golf is an emerging sport --- I still can’t believe how unknown it is to many --- and I’m unbelievably thrilled to be able to see a National Tour event less than an hour from my home.

When we pulled up to the parking lot, I popped out excitedly with camera in tow --- snapping pictures of everything I saw! Taking pictures of the woodchips, signage, skid steers, pro shop, practice putting area, old signage from last year’s Vibram Open, and the extensive Christmas tree farm. I personally have always wanted a Christmas tree farm, so to see this course integrated so beautifully within one was a nice surprise. Douglas Firs acts as a whole other level of hazards in disc golf, too. Have you ever thrown a disc (or hit a golf ball) through a tree and heard someone say, “Trees are 90% air”? Ok, now let’s think about a Christmas tree. On the 11th hole, I had a routine second shot into the pin for what I thought was a solid par. I let down my guard for a minute and my Roc clipped the edge of the Douglas Fir, batting it down to the ground without a second

thought. There is no way to penetrate a disc through one of these trees, so to dot them around your course (or to put a course in the middle of a Christmas tree farm) is highly intelligent.

The 1st and 2nd holes are located within the Christmas tree portion of the property as well, but that should be the last of anyone’s worry. Standing on the first tee, disc golfers face one of the most difficult shots on the course right out of the gate. With no practice throws and only minimal stretching, I took my Umphrey’s McGee Valkyrie out of my bag in hopes that I wouldn’t plunk it in the drink. Maybe this was my demise --- thinking “Don’t put it in the water” instead of “Put it next to the pin.” I put a good huck on the disc, but not enough as it landed in the water about 3 feet short of the stone retaining wall. I hustled down to the basket, took of my sneakers and anything valuable off and jumped in to get my precious disc. I love this thing more than a lot of things in my life, and there was no way I was losing it! The next couple holes were routine pars, but things got exciting once we got back to the water again. Holes 4-9 were an absolute blast, as water was in play most of the time. I really enjoyed this stretch cause a lot of the shots were all about positioning --- leaving yourself on the correct side of the fairway, or putting your shot in a location that takes the water out of play, but still leaves you an uphill putt for par. The only shot on this stretch of holes that is all about muscle and less about discipline is the drive on the 8th hole. With a 275 foot carry all over water, you can’t miss your drive left OR right. Short and left is the large pond, while to the right side of the pathway that takes you to the

hole is more water! I tried to peel a left to right turning Sidewinder into this hole, but I didn’t get enough on it and left it about 5 feet short and wet. After plunking two discs in the water through 8 holes, I turned my game around and finished up quite nicely.

Hole 10 isn’t the prettiest of holes, but it does have a signature element to it --- a castle wall. The wooden retaining wall perches the basket well above grade, giving disc golfers even more of a challenge to this Douglas Fir-lined, uphill start to the back nine. The tee shot is pretty straight forward, while the second shot demands a pin high right approach, leaving a level putt for par. If you end up short on your second shot, par putts will be to a basket that is located 10 feet above grade --- very tricky par from there! The back nine is significantly longer than the front, but much more open for the most part. There were a couple wooded holes that really caught my attention, but were much more straight forward than their wooded counterparts on the front nine. I strung together a lot of pars on the back nine and escaped it only +2, which was a thrill for me after a +6 front nine. Ugh.

I was happy to keep it under +10 on my first attempt at this course, but was very disappointed with my play on the tight wooded holes, as those are usually my specialty. This wasn’t my best round, but it was more of a course introduction for me so I’ll be prepared for The Vibram Open, which starts in a couple days. I have seen the gold ropes laid out, making the course THAT much tougher for the world’s best. I remember standing on several holes, looking at the out of bands surrounding us, and just laughing at the gold rope. I’m a halfway decent player, but this blew my mind! I can’t wait for the tourney to start and see these guys BOMBING discs like I’ve never seen before. I’ve scouted out some slot holes that I’ll probably stake out just to see these guys peel it in, landing it within feet of the basket. The Golf Course was fun to see, but very humbling to say the least. Seeing the course in tournament conditions, the pin locations, the out of bounds, the tee signage, and the overall course layout were a treat. The world’s best are about to descend on Central Massachusetts and I hope that attendance for the tournament exceeds expectations. There is no reason for every avid disc golfer within a 4 hour drive not to be here. We are talking about seeing the world’s best at one of the finest, most demanding layouts in New England! For those who don’t come, look for a follow up to the tournament, chalk full of pictures, video and extensive review.

The Redwood Curtain in Arcata, CA

Have you ever played a disc golf course that you absolutely LOVED, never to have played it again? Have you only played HALF of a disc golf course that you absolutely LOVED, never to have played it again? Well, until this summer, I thought the second half of that statement was applicable to me. Here’s the back story on a beautiful course: In 2008, I took the summer off to travel. I spent the first part of the summer in Honduras and Guatemala, with the later half of the summer spent trekking across the US hitting up all the festivals I promoted for throughout the school year. Early July found me at High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA having the absolute best time in my life --- raging late nights into early morning, only to do it again the next day with new found friends. After four days at High Sierra, I hitchhiked back to San Francisco, eventually making my way to Arcata, CA for a couple nights of couch surfing before an even wilder trip led me to Oregon Country Fair in Veneta, OR.

The two days in Arcata, CA found me exploring ever piece of the town I could. I ended up in some park playing Frisbee and listening to some banjo pickers before seeing a couple kids walk by with disc golf discs. I picked up my gear, tracked the kids down and joined up for an afternoon of back nine disc golf. These kids were a blessing for a couple reasons --- 1.) I would never have found the course if it wasn’t for them and 2.) I would never have been able to find the next hole, either. This course was INTIMIDATING! If I could get past the sheer size of the redwoods

that laid the framework for each hole, I still had absolutely no idea where the next hole was or where an appropriate place was to miss, as the vegetation was so thick and the signage so poor. Playing the course several times, I was only able to play six or so holes before getting completely lost, only to find the remaining three holes a day later. I never did play the front nine as my time spent in Arcata was limited, but I did enjoy the local bars and music scene with the guys from the disc golf course a couple kids I met on the ride in. I was bummed to know I only played the front nine of this course, as I was leaving early the next morning to meet up with friends I met at High Sierra Music Festival for a couple day hikes that would take us to who knows where.

Fast forward to July of 2011 and I’m back at High Sierra Music Festival, tour managing Zach Deputy who is playing a total of four sets over two days. After a fly in date to Michigan and a show in Mendocino County, we were tired, but ready to wake up early for a trek up with Arcata and a round at The Redwood Curtain. Last time I played this course I walked from the park to the college then over to the back nine of the course. I can’t remember much of the back nine other than it started with a par 3 over water with an elevated island green. The island green was created by a three foot retaining wall that turned good enough shots into bad shots, as the wall would spit discs right back into the pond that your disc just cleared moments earlier. The rest of the back nine have a mix of long, narrow holes that are framed by towering redwood trees as opposed to the skinny pine trees that I’m used to in my home state of Maine.

We parked our 50 foot long Sprinter and trailer under the shade of the redwoods as those in the back laced up on shoes and get mentally prepared for what I thought was going to be a long, grueling round. Coming up to the message board that denotes the first hole, you could see that this course had put in a little effort to educate the public about the vegetation along the course. In my opinion, this is the least that a disc golf course can do, as the holes are just an extension of the landscape, grabbing you and forcing you to interact with nature. The message board, signage on the tees or even in the fairways can and should educate the public about their surroundings, as there is so much to be know about this wonderful world. How the hell do these trees get so big? Why can you eat some of the plants on the course and not others? How do you know which ones are edible?

The first hole wasn’t the hardest of holes, but the visual intimidation was extremely significant. The uphill, dogleg left hole called for an Eagle that would split a sliver of redwood trees, while making it far enough up the hill to leave yourself with a clear second shot to a pin that was guarded by a couple fallen trees. The fascinating thing about disc golf (as well as golf in general), is how some holes just don’t fit your eye.

The opposite end of that would be holes that perfectly fit your eye, but this was not the case on the first hole for me. Usually I pick a line and try to keep it, but this time I just looked at a couple big windows in a general area and hucked it.Lucky for me, it landed perfectly at the bend of the dogleg, leaving me with a kick in par and a significant weight lifted off my shoulders.The second hole boasted one of the more unique features I’ve seen in all my disc golf travels. The tee was located on top of a redwood stump! There were a couple hand and foots holes to help players climb up the stump, as it was a good 8 feet above grade, giving a neat perspective of the second hole, as well as looking back down to the first hole and the flying discs coming up the fairway. I ripped a Shark on this tee, turning the corner to the right and moving hard to the basket. There wasn’t a lot to this hole, but the experience on the tee is one of the coolest I’ve had yet.

The remaining holes then headed deeper into the Arcata Community Forest, at one point even criss-crossing and blending in perfectly with the local bike and hike trail system. I love disc golf so very much, and with more courses trying to fuse the sport with its surroundings will bring the sport more promotion as there are far more number of hikers, bikers and dog walkers than us disc golfers. The signage on the course was a unique feature, as the wood burned placards were nailed to the massive redwood trees, giving a unique appeal to a common feature (even though sometimes not so common) in the disc golf world.

Overall, the front nine of the course was relatively easy in comparison to what I remember about the back nine. I’m not going to say I was disappointed, but I was hoping for much more of a challenge and some better scenery. The trees were significantly smaller on the front nine and there were even a few holes that didn’t have the same feel as the rest of the course. These holes could be considered “field”

holes, but were just clear cut woods that were not home to access roads for a plethora of vehicles. This is all well and good; it just took away from the continuity of the rest of the course, as well as a lot of the challenge. I finished at +1, but felt like a left a couple strokes out on the course --- showing how easy it was playing. All in all, the course is one I would recommend to any avid disc golfer, as the sheer size of the redwood trees and the rugged terrain you play on makes it all worthwhile. There aren’t too many big D opportunities out there, but precise driving and precision approaches will be in high demand. With a couple pole holes dotted throughout the course, disc golfers must be ready for a challenge, as these narrow poles are significantly smaller targets than the normal baskets that we are used to. With a plethora of challenges and unique course features, if you’re ever in the Pacific Northwest for any reason, check out The Redwood Curtain in the quaint town of Arcata, CA for a real sleeper of a course. Don’t be awestruck by its beauty, cause if you’re not on your game, it will eat you alive!

Nature’s Finest: Flat Rock Disc Golf in Athol, MA

Every time I step foot on a disc golf course, it absolutely boggles my mind how the sport is completely unknown to the majority of the world. You ask anybody on this God’s given earth if they have heard of basketball, and what do they say? Yes. What about disc golf? It’s incredible that a sport that is so good on so many levels has yet to reach the mainstream public. A basketball court is comprised of two hoops, a large amount of cement and a basketball. It has a low start up cost (nearly free) for users, but the nearly $10,000 capital investment for the folks installing the court is a bit pricey. Add in the fact that cement is an impervious surface that contributes to erosion and degradation of streams, the court needs to be on a completely flat piece of land and that at its highest time of use can only accommodate 10 players, it’s funny how basketball is so common yet disc golf is so foreign.

With that being said, disc golf courses can go anywhere! Courses not only CAN go along riparian corridors and unbuildable slopes, but they SHOULD. Think of all the beautiful places you have seen in your lifetime and how badly you wished more people knew about it. Why don’t they know about it? It’s probably a bunch of reasons, but two of them are usually the fact that it is in a location that not many know about and that no one is taking them there. Well, enter disc golf. Disc golf can be the conduit for helping people interact with nature! Slopes over 25% are extremely costly to re-grade and situate a building upon, and with 200’ buffers along streams and riparian corridors, buildings simply can’t be located in these locations. Once again, enter disc golf. With no permanent foundations or playing surfaces, disc golf holes can follow streams and wetlands as well as ridge lines and even mountain tops. To tie back to the statement about basketball, disc golf can accommodate up to 72 people at one time (assuming the course is an 18 holes course and every hole has a foursome playing it), and the capital investment is minimal.

Assuming that the course uses top of the line baskets (18 of them), compacted gravel tee pads and signage for each hole, it’s still only around $7,000. Many courses decide to reach out to local businesses to sponsor holes. With a price tag of $250 per sponsor, and two sponsors per hole, the capital investment has now been recouped and now courses can think about spending the extra cash on course improvements. Sounds fun!

Spending the last four years living in Amherst, MA has giving me some of the best memories of my entire life. Having a huge work load at UMass, I was unable to venture out too far to see what Western Massachusetts had to offer. I spent the majority of my time doing school work and seeing music, but I would still frequent Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course and The Highlands of Conway multiple times a week, year round. Sadly, I didn’t get to play too many other courses besides Crane Hill Disc Golf Course, Wickham Park in Manchester, CT and a few others, but I still heard great things about some of the courses along Route 2 like Flat Rock Disc Golf in Athol and Tully Lake Disc Golf in Royalston. Finally, one my four day break from Zach Deputy tour, I was able to make it up to Flat Rock in Athol. The previous two days had seen my friends and I play rounds in Wilbraham and Conway, so to continue to the adventure, we drove 35 minutes north to Athol to play this private course.

Only getting some information from friends and DG Course Review, I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew the course was quite challenging and that it laid on private property with state conservation land flanking the holes as its boundaries. When we pulled up, we were all blown away. The disc golf store is situated in a rustic looking barn that lays adjacent to a small garden and the first tee box. The garden is closed by a twig laced fence and acts as an out of bounds on the 14th hole. While enjoying the garden, some of us take putts on the 14th basket to warm up for what is promised to be a memorable round. As we walk over to the 1st tee, we see wooden structures, rustic metal sculptures and environmental art dotted throughout the landscape. The message board is stocked with information, including an honest box, sign in sheet, hole in one shout outs and tournament announcements. The attention to detail that caught my eye was the pencil sharpener and bottle opener! It’s common for disc golfer to enjoy a nice beverage while they play, and not every pencil is the sharpest, so why not give the players what they need an want to enjoy their round to the fullest.

As we stand on the 1st tee and look down the fairway, we search for the pin as the dog leg right hole keeps the target just out sight. To our delight, we look to the sign for information and see the first ever 3 dimensional hole layout. Small rocks denote the rock wall that acts as the out of bounds along the roadway, while small plugs show the large trees that give the hole its shape. The pin and tee are marked with blue dots as we survey the landscape and map to find which disc we’re going to huck first. Naturally, I take out my Valkyrie as low flying bullet that turns a little right should leave me in perfect position to ease into this tightly wooded course with a par.

I’m awestruck as I approach my disc on the edge of the fairway that is lined with flowering mountain laurel and rock outcroppings. The course is absolutely gorgeous and we’ve only played one hole! As we walk down to the road to the far removed 2nd tee, we stare into the woods at the large canopy trees and ferns scattered along the forest floor. We’re all so happy to be with one another on this beautiful June day as we try our hand at what is to be an enjoyable day on the disc golf course.

The 2nd hole opens up a bit more, but a large put full of wood chips lies in the middle of the fairway, awaiting big booming drives or sloppy second shots. Just over the crest of the hill, the unassuming player will dump their second shot in this out of bounds pits, which is home to assortment of strawberry plantings. More out of bounds awaits players on the next 16 holes, so keep your shots straight and long. It is that easy, right? The 3rd hole is one of my favorites on the course, with a narrow fairway and a hanging basket. If you’re even lucky enough to hit the fairway, a Wolf would suit any player well as a disc that moves slightly to the right and sits quick will award a birdie opportunity. If you can pick you position here, be pin high left or a little long, as the hanging basket hovers over a ledge that drops off severally on two sides. If you don’t have a makeable put, take your par and leave, but if you feel like risking a birdie for a bogey, go for it…just don’t be surprised when you hit the basket and the disc rolls 30 feet to the bottom of the hill.

The 4th hole is a short, but challenging hole, but the 5th and 6th holes give each

player a fair shake at birdie. If you don’t make birdie on at least one of these holes you’re asking for trouble as the last couple holes of the front nine and the majority of the back nine don’t leave you with many opportunities to pick up strokes. The back nine is significantly longer than the front, but by the time you get to the 11th hole you’re ready to bust out a big Sidewinder and see if you can turn the corner on what is, in my opinion, the hardest hole on the course. If you were to remember one hole at Flat Rock Disc Golf, it would probably be the 12th, which demands a precise drive and approach shot to an almost island green that is 50 or so feet below, all the while surrounded by slow flowing water and more flowering mountain laurels.

The last three holes I will mention quickly catch anyone’s attention. The 13th hole actually made me laugh out loud. A short par three, this hole is boasts a multi leader tree that splits the fairway in two, offering players to either split their drive between the tree limbs or take it to the right of them. The only thing about going right is a small stick figure blocks your shot. Flat Rock is dotted with goofy faces carved into wood and sculptures to catch your attention. This stick figure sits atop a dead

tree with its goofy smile and an arm holding up a disc. The arm holding the disc is so perfectly positioned that it forces you to abort the low hyzer shot and makes you contemplate splitting the trees in the middle of the fairway. This was my worst shot of the day as I hit a tree and went deep into the brush on the right, forcing me to grind out an ugly bogey and be happy it was only that. The 17th and 18th holes are the first and only holes that really bring water into play. Crisscrossing a pond that sits in the owner’s backyard, these holes demand two opposite disc flights. A low hyzer Roc works just fine on 17, as the hyzer helps keep the disc under the tree limps past the pond, while allowing the disc to skip all the way back to the basket. The 18th hole asks for a long anhyzer drive with something like a Sidewinder, Beast or Katana. These two holes utilize the same pond, one being a short mid range with the other being a long driver, and really put an exclamation point on one of the finest courses in Western Massachusetts or New England as a whole.

To wrap this review up, I can’t stress enough how terrific this course is. From tightly wooded slot shots to big D field opportunities this course tests the depth of your bag. As you make your way through the 18 hole layout, stacked rock outcroppings and environmental art gives a delightful playfulness to the course. None of the tee boxes are permanent, but they are level and compacted so there really is no problem with them at all. Signage from hole to hole is very well done so wayfinding is fairly self explanatory. With a couple hanging baskets dotted throughout the course, there is even variety in the placement of baskets. I can’t say enough good things about this course as the towering pines, flowering mountain laurel and alternate pathways entice players to take a

stroll in the woods and almost forget about why they are there. Flat Rock Disc Golf is disc golf at its finest…testing every shot in the bag all the while taking players somewhere they’ve never seen before. We as disc golf course players and designers need to use the sport as an extension of the landscape, helping to bring players and non-players alike to some of the most beautiful, unexplored tracts of land that this fine country as to offer.

Disc Review: The Ion

After a year or more of switching from one to another, I have found my go to putter…the Ion! Manufactured by MVP Disc Sports, LLC in Michigan, this unique disc is where it’s at for me personally. Even though the Ion is my go to putter, I do keep two other putters in my bag. I tend to prefer to use my XD for drives and longer tosses from the fairway, while I use my JuJu for high arching shots that need to bend around tree limbs and sit soft. The Ion is primarily used for putts that I’m looking to drain as the high arching floaters from the JuJu are rarely high percentage shots. I’m just trying to give myself a chance, all the while having the disc sit soft enough where I’m going to make the come backer. As great as the XD and JuJu are, when I’m trying to bang one in the back of the chains…out comes the Ion.

The Ion is a straight flying putter with a lot of glide. The over-molded, soft edge is great for the chains to receive the disc, while providing unbelievable comfort in the hands of all levels of players. The main difference between this disc and common disc golf discs is the different materials it is constructed off. MVP Disc Sports, LLC has named this GYRO Technology. It is a dual-polymer concept where the flight plate core is constructed of a lighter plastic than the darker, heavier material that comprises the over-mold edge. The juxtaposition between the materials allows for a “stabilized disc flight that keeps it spinning later in flight to produce straighter, longer and more accurate results,” according to the manufacturer’s website.

There are multiple selections in firmness of these discs, but the heavier plastic material on the over-mold edge remains the same super soft, grippy egde that is optimal for grabbing the chains, minimizing kick outs. I see this point, but I also tend to use my Ion through twigs and underbrush like I do my significantly heavier Wolf. It has a great glide to it, but I feel the Ion penetrates through the trees like a mid range. Most putters get kicked directly down by twigs and the like, but my Ion just keeps on trucking, so I can confidently use it to get back into position or stroke a birdie.

I would suggest this disc to any fellow disc golfer that is looking for a new putter. Maybe it’s not for you, but what’s the harm in trying? The feel of the disc really works for me. I wouldn’t suggest using the disc off the tee or for longer shots, as I don’t have as much confidence in it as my XD, but when I get up to the basket, the Ion ups my confidence ten fold. The over-mold edge helps the disc “melt” into the chains like the JuJu, but the stability of the disc is so much better. The Ion comes in several colors and is one of the only disc golf discs that are distributed as blanks. The price tag on a new Ion is right around $14.00 and is worth a shot for any disc golfer looking for a new weapon close to the basket.

Disc Golf Mecca: Walnut Creek Park in Charlottesville, VA

Since this is my first contribution to Disc Golf Traveler, I wanted to take a second to introduce myself. My name is Brian Giggey and I’m the tour manager for nationally touring band, Zach Deputy. Zach and I met in 2007 when I was in my first year of graduate school at UMass where I was getting my degree in Landscape Architecture. When he came to play at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA in April 2008, I made sure to introduce him to a deep passion of mine: disc golf. I had only started playing disc golf about two years before that time, but it’s all I could think about. My golfer brain would think about flight patterns, course management and pin positions, while my land arch brain would drool over riparian corridors, ridge lines and the amicability of the sport with other uses such as hiking, biking and dog walking.

Fast forward two years and I find myself putting the final touches on my disc golf course design for Orchard Hill Disc Golf at UMass Amherst, which will hopefully play host to several Zach Deputy disc golf tournaments in the future. As I pack my bags and say goodbye to Amherst, I’m ready for my new full time adventure of traveling town to town and state to state across the country. Zach, Innova’s newest sponsored celebrity, is a touring machine --- six nights a week for months on end. As we approach markets with shorter drive times between shows, our angst for disc golf grows. We start paging through DGCourseReview for the local goodness. Ratings and reviews left by other players are like gold as we seldom like to derail from our path unless we know it’s worth it. Low and behold, almost a year to the day after I joined the road full time, I find my favorite course thus far.

After our show at Clementine Café in Harrisonburg, VA we headed south to Charlottesville, VA for two relaxing days off in the old of the Dave Matthews Band in the early 1990’s. As we traversed the hills and valleys of the local roads, I couldn’t help but wonder where Haunted Hallows was; the custom built recording studio for DMB and their associated projects. The farm lands and mountain vistas already have me thinking of a potential house here in the future, but the amount of disc golf courses in the vicinity is surprisingly low.

A little over 10 miles outside downtown Charlottesville lay Walnut Creek Park. As you drive down the entrance road, excitement grows as baskets and pin positions begin to reveal pieces of the course. I’m already making mental notes of where pins are tucked and where not to miss. The road culminates in an impervious parking lot with a large facility that houses vending machines, picnic tables and family gatherings, overlooking a large lake that’s pressed up against the backdrop of rolling hills and mountainsides. This lake will come into play several times throughout your round, so get ready for it. If it’s not hypnotizing you with its beauty, its making you sweat a couple bullets as it entices you to bit off a little more than you can chew. Flanking the parking lot are two small playgrounds and a few huts that are ready to host your family barbeque.

All of these separate entities are perfectly connected by a trail system that runs through the park, aiding bikers, hikers, fisherman and disc golfers in their daily activities.

Tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains, the disc golf course that circumvents the park is a shot maker's course through and through. With a 4.21 rating on DGCourseReview, I knew we we’re in for a treat. We all piled out of the Sprinter with excitement running through our veins, me especially, as tight wooded courses are my specialty. Zach is more of a rolling hills and fields player, while I could care less for those big D opportunities --- Walnut Creek Park: advantage me. Created in 2002, the course’s three designers put together a beautiful mix of uphill, downhill, open and wooded shots. This course is extremely challenging from either tee box, as each hole has multiple tee boxes and a variety of pin positions. Pin positions, as well as league information and course layout can be found at the message board near the parking lot, so head over to it before you venture off to the first tee.

As is standard with many disc golf courses across the nation, the primary feature that was lacking at Walnut Creek Park was signage between holes. Easily discernable to locals, wayfinding between some holes for us was quite frustrating. The only other negative in my opinion was that fact that all the tee pads were a compacted type of gravel, which depending on their structural integrity and amount of rainfall, were in either fair or poor condition. A course of this caliber should have permanent tee pads. Speaking from a landscape architecture point of view, less impervious surface (such as concrete or pavement) is a good thing, but in this case, concrete pads are a must.

After only three holes, you could see that this course was going to provide us with a wonderful mixture of both hyzer and anhyzer shots. Walnut Creek will bring out every shot you have in your bag! With tight fairways, water hazards and numerous elevation changes just on the front side, I was happy to be right around level par headed to the back. Notable holes on the front nine were the downhill, overwater 2nd hole, where if you split the uprights of the towering trees, you will be left with a short, level birdie putt. The 6th hole was the first of many holes with genius pin positioning. A relatively open field hole, the drive is uphill through a shoot of trees leaving players with second shot that only affords them a glimpse of the top of the basket. Situated on a 45 degree slope, players need to figure where they want to putt from. I decided short right would leave me the best putt, as who knows where my Roc would roll to if I flirted with that slope. I made par and left happy.

The 10th hole is your window to make up any shots you may have given back on the first part of your round. A straight shot, 235 foot hole, anything more than a par should make you think about heading to the car early.

The 11th and 14th are two holes that being too aggressive will only lead to birdie sometimes and bogies most of the time. With the baskets situated on severe slopes, unless you have a kick in, you might just want to take your par and move along. Saving the best for last, the 17th hole is one of the most breathtaking holes you’ll see. What initially looks like a big downhill drive and an awkward second shot slowly reveals itself to be so much more. With an elevation change from tee to basket of a couple hundred feet, this is your chance to let out all your frustrations. Be warned though, the lake on the right hand side is very much in play, while the thick woods on the left will catch the majority of drives, or if you go too far left, darn near impossible. As you make your way down to the plateau that catches most drives, a new obstacle presents itself --- more water! From the plateau to the basket isn’t much more than 125 feet, but the severe elevation change and water in the background should make you think for a bit before you throw. Remember that your disc is going to break A LOT when it slows down, so give yourself a large buffer from the water as it runs along the back and left hand side of the hole, leaving an almost island green to some degree.

Our round at Walnut Creek Park only took a couple hours, but this is a place where anyone could (and should) spend the day. If you’re in the area, block out a part of your day and really take the opportunity to explore this beautiful tract of land. Besides some wayfinding issues from hole to hole, there aren’t many negative things that can be said about this course. Charlottesville, VA has a prize in the form of Walnut Creek Park, so I urge you to put this course on your “to-play” list. You surely won’t regret it.

Four days of musical goodness: Zach Deputy and Umphrey's McGee

I’m in the back of the box truck, updating documents en route to what is going to be a crazy night at The Engine Room in Tallahassee, FL. Tallahassee always gets down...hard! We’re coming from Atlanta, GA where we just sold out Smith’s Olde Bar after only our second play in the room. With 95 presales and a strong buzz about the show, we were confident about the attendance, but when the show sold out 20 minutes into Zach’s first set, we were all smiles as 338 stuffed into the 300 person capacity room for a fun ass Friday night.

With that being said, we’re back in our normal routine as a national headliner, heading into Florida for a week’s worth of shows before we start heading West for the rest of the month of March. When I said back to our normal routine of national headliner, I’m referring to us coming off our recent 4 gig stint as support act for Chicago-based Umphrey’s McGee. My two favorite live bands touring today...ZD and UM. I got a late start on the UM train in comparison to others, but have been going hard with them since 2006. I have been able to see them all over the US and in several different countries, including Jamaica and Amsterdam. I have been able to lock into one of the most passionate, dedicated fan bases I have come across. From seeing show after show, to paying attention to press releases, new show ideas, and trolling The Bort (UM forum) for many years, I have been able to study the UM model. I haven’t copied it by any means, but remember the good things, noted the bad (very few), and used the UM model for everything I do on Zach Deputy tour.

Then in late November, we were in a routing meeting with management, and I got the confirmation we would be supporting UM for 4 shows in the Southeast in February. As pumped up as I was, I’ve changed from the music rat that drools over everything to chipping away at the day by day tasks. I’m not able to get excited anymore until I’m IN the moment. Then it’ll kick me in the face, and I’ll stand there with my arms crossed, doing whatever it is that I’m doing, rocking the biggest smile humanly possible. Either way we were all still very excited to be supporting such a great band as my production manager and I were looking forward to seeing the inner workings of everything on the production side of things.

We haven’t opened for another band in almost a year and a half, so being in the support role was a huge juxtaposition for us all, yet the trade off was significantly larger crowds and AMAZING rooms. I had heard some great things about each of the rooms we were going to be playing (Music Farm, The Orange Peel, The Fillmore and The National), but never been to any of them. The Music Farm in Charleston, SC was our first stop and was a decent start. Both shows were good, but probably my least of the run. We spent the first day trying to wrap our heads around exactly how we fit in this puzzle, as we were trying to do our thing, but at the same time realize that this wasn’t our show and try to stay out of the way as much as possible.

Next up was The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. A larger venue than The Music Farm, The Peel had enough room for all our gear (we had to store our gear outside at The Music Farm) as well as multiple greens rooms for the bands. The green rooms are on opposite sides of the venue; tied together by a corridor lined with everything UM production. This was nice to see. Loads of pictures taken, check. Robbie, UM’s stage manager has his production station set up along this corridor. He’s got space for his laptop, storage space for gaff tape, a clock, the night’s setlist and the daily production schedule at his disposal. Tech stations and guitar racks were set up outside the greens rooms for fine tuning of anything that needed repair. Don, UM’s tour manager, is around somewhere running the tightest ship I’ve seen. Very polite and to the point, Don gets shit done! He is a great example of a top of the line TM, and someone I watched very carefully during my time on the road. I don’t mean for that to sound stalker style, I was busy doing my thing, but I believe that everything has been done before and that we should all pay attention/learn from the best.

After two shows, we all went our separate ways, only to reconvene a day later in Charlotte, NC at The Fillmore. These next two shows were my favorite ZD shows. The crowds were big and the response was great. UM was nice enough to extend our 45 minute sets to 60 minutes, and we even got to see some collaboration.

Joel Cummins, Umphrey’s keyboard world extraordinaire sat in on Scrambled Eggs and Lincoln Continental to end Zach’s set at The Fillmore. Zach then sang lead vocals on Let’s Get It On in the encore slot for UM’s set. What a night! After the show we all hung out in the green room for a bit, enjoying one another's company as we’d all started to fall into a groove with each other after 3 shows.

The last show of our 4 night run brought us to The National in Richmond, VA. What an unbelievably gorgeous room! An old theater, this revamped venue has unobstructed sight lines, great sound, and some of the best backstage perks one could ask for. Separate dressing rooms, green rooms, rec rooms and even a sauna. There aren’t many opportunities at a show to find yourself with enough down time to have full blown conversation, but from our experiences on the road with Umphrey’s McGee for 4 shows, we only have great things to say. Every single band and crew member were extremely polite, accommodating and fun to work with. We didn’t get to see them load in every day as they get to the venue at noon after driving through the night from the previous venue, but we do see how much gear they move, and we love it! It’s amazing what a tour bus, a tractor trailer and 12 guys can do. The amount of lights alone that are brought into the venue is mind blowing, but so is the quality of work that Jefferson Waful is producing.

Just to wrap it up, I need to move away from production and talk about some stand out versions and the fan base. After all the conversations I got to have with the UM team, after all the insight I was afforded, and after getting all my work done for the last night of our run, I finally let loose and went out and danced. I climbed to the very back row of the venue, dead center with one of my best friends, Jeremy Cobb, and handful of his friends. Jeremy hit up 3 of the 4 shows; we both had a bunch of friends that hit up the first couple shows in Charleston and Asheville. The first few shows had some stellar versions of songs, but standouts for me were Get In The Van and Great American from The Music Farm; the entire first set of The Orange Peel show (that was seriously fuckkkkkked up; I couldn’t help but laugh at how amazing that was); Rocker Pt. II, Wappy Sprayberry, and a Ringo sandwich with Bulls On Parade thrown in there from The Fillmore; and lastly, Band On The Run and Smell The Mitten from The National. I’ll never forget that last night at The National, as Jeremy tried getting me to rage all week long. Smell The Mitten hit hard and we were on cloud 9 as the thick groove hit every square inch of the venue. Jeremy said something along the lines of, “Oh yeah, Giggey’s dream...in the back getting funky to Mitten!” Haha, music family knows each other! That’s my dream...in the back of a venue, with no talkers and all the space in the world, getting funky as shit with some of the greatest people I know!

A couple of days ago, I celebrated my 27th birthday on the road. A couple months ago, I was in a routing meeting with Zach Deputy Management and thought I would be in Mississippi for my birthday. I thought, 'sure, I’ve never been to Mississippi, it should be fun,' but I knew I wanted more. As the weeks passed and the tour developed, we got a contract for February 11th, 2011 at Skipper’s Smokehouse in Tampa, FL. Fuck yeah! Skipper’s is one of my favorite venues in the entire country. When I was younger I used to go on Dave Matthews Band tours, seeing them play in large sheds and higher capacity venues. When you get to that size, things become much more sterile and the venues lose their “flavor.” There are many venues out there that are absolute gems that I have had the privilege seeing, but the scale rooms we play on Zach Deputy tour are so unique. So believe me when I say I was stoked as shit for this Tampa play on my birthday.

I’m not much of one to tell people when my birthday is. I’m not sure why, I just never have been. If you ask, I’ll tell you. If you don’t, it’ll just pass on by. We played a show at Common Grounds in Gainesville, FL at the end of February and I got to see my good buddy Jarrod, his niece and many other friends. He lives in the Tampa area, so we got to talking about the Skipper’s show and I guess I mentioned it was my birthday. He got all amped up for the show and told me he’d see me on the 11th. Fast forward a couple weeks and I’m at Musica in Akron, OH with our good friend Michelle. Michelle travels a lot in her work and has been able to see us in five states so far. I told her our upcoming tour schedule and started raving about how amazing Skipper’s was in Tampa. She found out it was my birthday and then became really excited about the possibility of a Florida Zach Deputy show.

Next thing you know, it’s February 11th and we’re pulling up to Skipper’s for our 5:30p load in. The purple façade greats us as we back in to the load-in door with large towering trees covered in Spanish moss hanging overhead. We get the stage and merchandise set up quickly so we can all relax before the show. Skipper’s Smokehouse is a 700 person capacity outdoor music venue that boasts some amazing features. The wooden planked floor connects the venue to the restaurant. The restaurant and other building facades are so natural looking, with rustic tin roofs offering quite the complimentary aesthetic value. The restaurant and adjoining buildings is a maze for the first time visitor, but for those returning can quickly manage the venue quite easily. Either way, it’s a treat being about to cut and dodge through all these rooms and nodes to get through a show at Skipper’s.

Off to the corner of the venue are benches with their foundations rooted in the sand. The upper deck porch and bar overlook the venue as it slopes down to the stage, all encompassed be large multi leader trees strangled with Spanish moss. This venue is heaven for me…the perfect blend of music and landscape architecture. Landform, plants, water and structure make up the floors, walls and ceilings of the venue, all rotating around and feeding off the good energy of Zach Deputy, his music and the kind-hearted, fun loving fans he brings out.

Very early in the night, I walk out from the backstage area into an empty venue, as doors have just opened. Sure as shit, there’s Jarrod and four of his friends. He gives me one of the biggest, most genuine hugs as do my new found friends. All so kind and entertaining in their own right, these four new friends are joking with me and enjoying some good laughs. That’s music family for ya! I have a tough time expressing how amazing music family is sometimes. To put it in simple terms, music family brings accelerated friendship. If you’re friends with my friend, you’re a friend of mine. You have this trust and confidence that you’re friend only keeps the best of company, and 98% of the time, that’s true. You don’t need to do introductions and background checks…you skip straight to hugs, badass conversation and great times!

After I open my singing birthday card from Jarrod, I walk back to merch, only to bump into my friend Ashley. Ashley and I met in Asheville, NC a year or so ago and we have crossed paths again many times since then…including shows in Boston, California and now here in Tampa. It’s fun to be hanging with a dear friend half way across the US in some instances and not even think twice about it. It’s not weird, it’s not a coincidence…it just is. Then I see Michelle and her son Patrick. They hoped a flight from Philadelphia and came to take me up on my recommendation of Skipper’s Smokehouse. We all enjoyed one hell of night that consisted of lots of laughs, dancing and good company.

It just absolutely blows my mind that all of this that lays at our fingertips on my birthday is a byproduct of liking music. I’m a rat. I’ll see any music and I love the majority of it. I don’t do drugs, I don’t drink; I just fucking looooooooove music, traveling and friends. How is that fair though? I feel music at this unbelievable level and absolutely drool over the business side of it. I close my eyes and dance by myself, I run around and see all my friends, I get to see the United State and beyond, and I get to celebrate my birthday at one of the premier music rooms in the Southeast with some of the best people I know. And because of what…music? I still have a tough time wrapping my head around how lucky we all are to share these times together just because we have the same common interest in one of life’s most common things.

And to top it off, I got to pick up a package at Skipper’s the next day that consisted of some of my favorite goodies from Atkins Farm in Amherst, MA as well as birthday cards, winter gear and notes from home (thanks Zeena)! What an absolutely beautiful day. I never draw attention to my birthday, so for all these things to fall into place as they did really was touching and repeatedly blew my mind as I quietly stood in the back of the venue with my arms crossed and smiling.

Disc golf discs don’t fly as well in Colorado!

For those who know me well, you could say disc golf is a huge passion of mine. I’m still relatively new to the sport as I have only been playing 5-6 years, but I’ve had the privilege of seeing some of the country’s finest courses. What started out with throwing one disc with friends in the woods in Maine has turned into a nerdy obsession. I’m an archiver by nature…I take pictures of EVERYTHING. Not so much people, but things. When I was getting my Master’s in Landscape Architecture, I heard the quote “nothing is original, it’s all been done before.” I took that quote, fixed it up a little bit to pertain to myself, and added it to a document that only I see. This document is a gold mine of inspiration for me as I visit it constantly. That being said, I have accumulated thousands of pictures of things --- seating, signage, pathways, lighting, structures, waterways, landform, etc. These picture come in handy in my designs, be it in the design of the 7,000 person amphitheater at Mountain Park in Holyoke, MA or my proposal of Orchard Hill Disc Golf at UMass Amherst. I aim to provide UMass, my alma mater, with one of the finest disc golf courses in the state, hopefully to be talked about within the community for years to come. You can find a link to the course’s official Facebook page in the sidebar to your left. The page includes excerpts from the proposal I provided the University, as well as some kind words from local supporters. Please ‘like’ the page, and keep in touch with the ongoing process.

Having the ability to play a different course in a different state almost daily, I decided to include course reviews in my blog. I love the sport so much, and part of the fun in it is to educate the public. My travels and pictures afford me the ability to expand my archive catalog, while my blog can hopefully bring some more light to the sport as well as some incredibly beautiful (or brutally hard) courses that you need to know about, and hopefully play in the future. This review is about

the disc golf course at Golden Bell Camp and Conference Center in Divide, CO. This course has been a fixture on our Zach Deputy tour’s in Colorado. On tour we have played Manitou Springs, CO (just outside Colorado Springs) twice, with our next gig being Three20South in Breckenridge, CO. This is a great drive because it’s all back roads through some beautiful meadows and mountain ranges with hardly any traffic. With a drive time of a little less than two hours, we never miss the course in Divide. The course runs through a valley set against mountains in the backdrop. Every time I get there, I'm pumped up! Let’s go, time to birdie the first hole! Sure as shit, terrible drive on the first hole! Disc golf discs don’t fly as well in Colorado! The air is thinner, I’m not in good enough shape to traverse the hills and valleys of the course, my discs are dinged up --- there’s got to be a reason! Luckily enough for me, after bogeying the first hole both times, I stick it 10 feet from the basket on the second hole with my Star Eagle to get back to even.

The next couple holes crisscross the valley with each of the baskets set under a grove of pine trees. These holes are a lot of fun as if you really get behind a Valkyrie; you can get to the pin on your drive. The tees are so elevated that the natural flight of the disc is straight into the tree tops, so you really have to come down on the release and risk throwing the disc straight into the ground. After some huffing and puffing from my fellow playing partners, a break is welcomed. You can sit on the hillside and look over the rolling landscape onto the mountains in the distance. What a sport! Look at where it has brought us. Somewhere in Colorado, en route to a show at one of the premier music markets in the Mountain West. Would we have known about this Camp and Conference Center if it wasn’t for the sport of disc golf? Nope. And that’s why I love it.

As the front nine ends (and we usually only have time to play the front nine), the final hole takes advantage of a logging road to be utilized as the fairway on this dogleg left. I’m just gonna go ahead and bust out my Star SL and throw a nice banana in there. Nope -- good idea, poor execution. Like I care though, as I got to my disc I look off to my right and see something awe inspiring. After I finish the hole with a disappointing bogey, I walk into a grove of birch trees. Sporadically placed, this resembles a vision I’ve had in my head from years. So what do I do? Snap a couple dozen pictures and file them away, of course! This living example will be revisited down the road when I design my next course, but for now, I’ll leave it at that as I don’t want to ruin the surprise.

Another trip to Divide, CO is finished, but we’ll be back in March of 2011. And damn it, I will learn the flight of the Colorado disc golf disc, and I WILL NOT BOGEY THE FIRST HOLE! If you’re ever in the area, check out Golden Bell Camp and Conference Center. With multiple baseball and softball fields, a disc golf course as well as a performance amphitheater, this tract of land provides plenty of opportunities for the outdoor enthusiast.

Umphrey's McGee, ter, and Penn's Peak - all good things!

This show review might be a bit lengthy for most, but when I wrote it back in August, I hadn't seen the band live in months, and was headed to a venue I'd had on my list of must-sees for years. I never posted this review, but with our (Zach Deputy) upcoming opening slots for Umphrey's McGee in February, I thought I'd get this blog back up and going again with a piece that I had a blast writing.

If you’re a traveling music fan, you may have already had the pleasure of seeing such venues as The Gorge in George, WA, The Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA, Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO, or Alpine Music Valley in East Troy, WI. These are revered as some of the top notch outdoor performance spaces in the nation, all of them possessing the ability to take your breath away in a matter of seconds. The east coast is dotted with some spectacular outdoor sheds, but this review will talk about an indoor venue that any music fan is lucky to see. Situated along a mountaintop in Jim Thorpe, PA, Penn’s Peak posses the same “wow factor” as the aforementioned outdoor music venues that attract legions of fans to their shows each year.

As one traverses the mountainside down into the quaint town of Jim Thorpe, you know you’re in for a treat. The small town that lies along a river at the foothills of these Pennsylvania mountains is the home of my new food recommendation, the French Dip sandwich at Maggie MaGuire’s. A great little restaurant in the heart of town, Maggie MaGuire’s patio offers up a meeting spot for the car loads of fans and friends that are making the trek in from last night’s Umphrey’s show at The Westbury Theater on Long Island. The Westbury show was a treat, showcasing the ability of sound engineer Kevin Browning and lighting director Jefferson Waful, and how they can easily adapt to the most unusual of scenarios, as the rotating stage was nothing more than an absolute delight as fans were offered never before seen sightlines that night. This new perspective for fans offered the ability for everyone to see how the band interacted with one another on a completely different level, as well as showcasing the two brains of Andy Farag and Kris Meyers, and how they become one. Watching these guys work together is a treat to say the least, and something fans rarely get to see in its entirety from their normal perspective within a crowd.

Back to Penn’s Peak. Anticipation was building as we drove up the mountainside to the venue, ultimately culminating in panoramic views in every direction down to the valley below. The lot scene was rippin’, with faces both old and new, ready for a Friday night rager somewhere in Pennsylvania. As friends poured into the lot, I could barely contain myself as Penn’s Peak has been a venue I have had on my list of places to see for 3-4 years now. I just finished my graduate work at UMass Amherst and always thought I would make it out to a show here, so when I found out I had a 10 day break from Zach Deputy tour, I planned my entire schedule around this one show. The Westbury Theater show was a great start to my four night run of Umphrey’s, but as I walked around the grounds of Penn’s Peak, I couldn’t break the overwhelming feeling of “this is gonna happen.” That feeling right there doesn’t come around that often, but when it does, you’re in for it.

As I walked into the venue, my jaw dropped. Wooden trusses support two floors of this cathedral-like venue. We were greeted by dim blue lights cutting through the fog that filled the large open space of the dance floor as hugs, smiles, and high fives were customary in the greeting of the masses. Umphrey’s tour (also known as ter) is fun because no one ever really says bye…you just know you’ll see each other at the next show, whenever that may be. Many fans figure out ride shares or meet ups via The Bort, but others just fly by night, knowing that they’ll see whoever it is they’re supposed to see. As the family greeted one another, I took a tour of the venue. The flow of the venue was superb. Circulation ran around three sides of the dance floor and upstairs to the balcony, offering up a different perspective of the show, as the raised outer edge of the dance floor was home to chairs for those who preferred to take it easy for the night. I got all sorts of excited when I saw decals on the floor, labeling the rows of seats…talk about attention to detail. Track lighting overhead made it easy for patrons to find their seats and played nicely off the dim blue lights that Jefferson Waful had set as house lights, creating some ambiance for friends and fans to greet one another and rest up for what was in store. The back of the venue housed a kitchen, bar, band merchandise and venue merchandise, en route to the outdoor patio that captures views into the extended landscape. With small cities in the far distance rendered to nothing more than a clump of lights, the foreground of the panoramic view offered up by Penn’s Peak was a blanket of dotted lights running along the valley floor, instilling in fans the notion that they are in a very rural part of the country, atop a mountaintop, and about to feed off the energy of one of the most progressive bands (both musical and intellectually) in the music industry today.

So let’s meet some of the family. My name is Brian and I’m a music rat. I currently tour manage Zach Deputy (www.zachdeputy.bandcamp.com for name-your-price soundboard recordings) and have been street teaming for Umphrey’s, amongst dozens of other bands, for a long time now. I’m not much of one to have a list of songs that I want to hear on a tour, but I had picked a couple originals as well as covers for this run (Dump City, Bad Poker, We’re Going To War, Bloody Well Right) since Umphrey’s shows are few and far between now. The pictures you will see throughout this article are the handy work of Beau Blackburn, a photographer from San Diego, CA. Next to me is Jeremy Cobb, one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Jeremy is from Virginia, loves journalism, baseball, music and...Water! I’m very confident that Jeremy is one of the most in-depth music listeners I will ever come across. He hears where the music is going, from the slightest of chord progressions and teases, and can name the next song long before Umphrey’s even drops into it. Jeremy has been running all over the place, buying beers for everyone in sight, including my UMass friends and driving partners, Mike and Meg Dawg. Joining us is Spud and Andrew, dear friends of mine from Queens who put me up last night after the Westbury show. Without mentioning everyone in our little traveling posse, you can quickly see how going on tour with a band is so easy. We’re not here solely for Umphrey’s, yet they are the common element that brings us together. We’re here to see venues and friends, to drink beer, to rage hotels, to travel, to get away from work, and much more. We’re so very lucky to have each other and in all honesty, Umphrey’s is lucky to have us. We feed off them; they feed of us…simple as that. Luckily for us, Umphrey’s McGee is in touch with their fan base. They know they have legions of followers; they thank the first timers, the second timers, and the travelers. They throw out guitar picks, hand out setlists, and remember faces and names. If you’re in a bind, talk to a band or crew member, 95% of the time, they’ll figure out some scenario to get you out of the pickle you’re in.

At 9:00p, the members of Umphrey’s walk out from behind the curtains, ready to rip Jim Thorpe a new one. Never to keep their fans waiting too long, they quickly launch into one of their newer songs, entitled Conduit. A short, yet hooky song, Conduit is soon followed up by Atmosfarag and The Bottom Half. None of these songs really put me into a frenzy, but nicely built the set to a point where The Bottom Half and its cascading lights segued into 2nd Self, where Brendan Bayliss stepped up as the featured artist. With his cutting vocals and loose guitar work, Bayliss ripped apart 2nd Self, setting a launching off point for the songs to follow. Cutting vocals and loose guitar work is not a knock on Bayliss, it’s a compliment if anything. A very original sounding vocal presence, Brendan Bayliss is one of the founding members of the band. His “loose” guitar work is only complimented by the band’s lead guitarist, Jake Cinninger. Jake, a naturally born drummer, tends to fill the negative space of the songs, with creative fills and licks, before unleashing his uncanny ability to shred a solo like no other. Bayliss is the opposite, possessing a much fuller, rounder sound to his guitar work, naturally fitting best on songs like 2nd Self. No slouch in the shredding category, I best describe Bayliss’ guitar work as loose as it’s much less choppy and percussive as guitar counterpart Jake Cinninger.

Next up, Water! Someone’s ears must have been burning when Jeremy was talking about how he wanted to hear Water earlier that night at dinner. Our friend Ian had informed us that Water was indeed soundchecked; only leaving us stirring with excitement as this song doesn’t seem to come around nearly enough. Seamlessly segueing into Andy’s Last Beer was the only thing that could possibly make me okay with the band leaving a stellar version of Water. As if things couldn’t get any better, next up was Umphrey’s rendition of Supergroup’s hit Bloody Well Right. Okay, I’ll take it; I haven’t seen this song since the barn burner of a show at The Avalon in Boston on 4.12.07. We music nerds can spit dates and versions of songs like it was nothing. Maybe that’s why I like tour managing and archiving, I just have a knack for remembering things from a decade ago like it was yesterday, and being able to spit off tour dates well into the future. As the first notes of Intentions Clear were strummed, I saw my buddy Mike take off for the bathroom, and I almost grabbed him and told him it was a bad idea, but decided against it. Judging from the jams in some of the previous songs, tonight was lining up to be one of those shows were everything Umphrey’s touched was gold…Intentions Clear was no different. Disgusting jam, go download it from www.umlive.net. The jam was one of the highlights of the night before The Bottom Half came back to end the set. The end of this song is a great opportunity to compare the guitar stylings of Bayliss and Cinninger. Similar to 40’s Theme, The Bottom Half initially features Bayliss as he builds the song to its climax before Cinninger comes in and kicks the song square in the face, ending each version with a bang, and in this case, the first set at Penn’s Peak.

After a half hour set break, the band came out at 10:40p, ready for another go around. Things got going quickly with a great version of Miss Tinkle’s Overture. One of the best built songs in their repertoire, this version peaked hard, whipping the crowd back into the state of mind they were just in during set one. Words slowed things down a bit, but once again offered a glimpse at the brain that is drummer Kris Meyer’s and perc world extraordinaire, Andy Farag. Last Man Swerving was the highlight for many, and in my opinion, showcases Umphrey’s McGee for exactly what they are. Last Man Swerving is always a great vehicle for a jam, and this version was no different. The first jam that came out of the song was a heavy, almost death metal progression, giving the song a rare dark feel. After a quick build to the jam, the band flipped the song on its head, laying down one of the best grooves of my four show run. Quickly driven by Jack Cinninger and complimented by Waful’s change of color palette, bassist Ryan Stasik wasted no time finding the groove and kept it going.

In my time following this band, I’ve had several music fans tell me how Stasik needs to be replaced because he’s not flashy enough and never takes a big solo. Flashy solos aren’t Stasik’s MO, though…he’s the root. He is the most fundamental layer in a sound that is completely comprised of layers. He finds the groove, lays it out and stays right on it. He rarely ventures off course and just sits in the pocket, usually capping it off with a smile from ear to ear. Jake usually leads these impromptu jams, with Bayliss filling in where he sees fit. Keyboardist Joel Cummins adds his own layer, and even though often overlooked in many jams, is an integral part of the Umphrey’s McGee sound. Pushed by the backbeat of Kris Meyers and Andy Farag, this six piece band always delivers when they’re given the opportunity to explore outside the structure of the original song.

Immigrant Song/Thunder Kiss ’65, a mashup of Led Zeppelin and White Zombie followed Last Man Swerving, before segueing into an 18 minute version of Utopian Fir. Always a monster jam vehicle, Joel Cummins quickly threw down a danceable synth layer, and when paired with the beats of Kris Meyers on the electronic drum pad, this Utopian Fir jam was already in high gear. Lighting director Jefferson Waful put a gloomy, dark wash on the band, turned the lights around and painted the back wall with gobos, nicely completing the vibe of the song. As the rotating gobos took the crowd’s eyes for a ride, the band’s layers continued to compliment and pass one another, as the initial layer that was turned down and buried, slowly built momentum until it was later the driving force of the jam. After the electronic dance party was over, Cemetery Walk made an appearance. The only song off Umphrey’s most current album, Mantis, I would have liked to see its counterpart, Cemetery Walk II continue the dance party vibe and end the show with a bang. No worries though as JaJunk in the encore slot offered fans one more song to get out any air guitar that they had been holding back.

As punctual as they were with their 9:00p start time, like clockwork, the band exited the stage at 12:00a on the dot. As fans fleeted into the night, sound engineer Kevin Browning could be seen burning out a copy of the show at front of house, ready to hand it off to tour manager Don Richards, who is stationed at the merchandise table with two CD duplicator towers and a line chalk full of fans eager to take home the set they just witnessed. Seeing this affords me the opportunity to make a point: one common misconception by fans is thinking the band is just the guys on stage.

Umphrey’s McGee has six men on stage, but they are a full 12 person team while on the road. Everyone knows their job and executes it to a T. Besides the constant evolution of the Umphrey’s family, the scenarios you get in on the road and the blissful music the band produces, my absolute favorite thing about this band is the feeling that you just got in the way of a 12-headed monster. They come into a venue, do their thing and leave…we were all just lucky to be in its path.

After a two great nights at Penn’s Peak and The Westbury Theater, we travelers packed up with excitement, ready to go from mountains to beaches, as we got in the van for a trek over to the New Jersey Shore, with Saturday and Sunday shows in Asbury Park and Atlantic City. The Penn’s Peak show was everything I hoped it to be and more, and with the chance to see four new venues on my short four night run, I couldn’t have been happier to share it with all my friends and one of my favorite bands on the scene, Umphrey’s McGee.

Penn’s Peak
Jim Thorpe, PA

Set I:
Conduit, Atmosfarag, The Bottom Half > 2nd Self, Water >Andy’s Last Beer, Bloody Well Right, Intentions Clear > The Bottom Half
Set II:
Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Words > Last Man Swerving > Immigrant Song > Utopian Fir, Cemetery Walk
Encore:
JaJunk