With three days of disc golfing planned, we visited each of the three closest major courses to us. Today was at The Rivery in Georgetown and it was Adam’s first time at this course. He did pretty well as a beginner here.

On hole 5, I got my disc stuck high up in the grape-vine on a tree. Without Jon here, I was forced to try and climb the tree myself. I got halfway up and decided that that was as far as I was willing to climb. So I started shaking the tree. But it wasn’t budging. After trying to reach it with a metal sign pole (far too heavy), and a big rock (far too awkward in my left hand), I resorted to shaking the tree even harder. It finally fell down! And I climbed down hot, sweaty, and covered in stuff…

On hole 7, I was behind. But I had a lucky 40′ putt to remain tied with Adam. Previously I had used a tree as a back-board to make another putt here.

For Saturday, another round of disc golf at Cat Hollow. No temporary fencing fortunately. I did notice that there is an aweful lot of beer drinking going on. 50% of the cans in the garbage seem to be beer cans…

The usual Friday afternoon of disc golf was held along with Adam. When I got there, I admit that I was worried. For as far along the course that I could see, there was plastic orange barracade fencing up. I was initially worried that there would be construction going on here. But later on I decided that all of this fencing is for crowd control during the 4th of July celebrations. Here you can see fencing cutting across the course of hole 17 and running along the river. It also interferes with hole 2.

We had to deal with fencing across holes 3 and 4. We started throwing for hole 5 and when we got close enough, we noticed that the basket for hole 5 was missing! Not a good sign!

There were workers doing something in the trees next to hole 6. And, of course, there was orange fencing and rope fencing.

Hole 11 was a little tricky to throw past the trees and the fence, but we made it.

Oh look, the Alamo Drafthouse truck!

The fence at hole 12 was more immediate! I threw past it with no problems. Adam bypassed it and John hit a tree and did a do-over when we found a new temporary tee.

This time the fencing runs along the embankment. We kept to the left of it.

Sadly, Adam looses his yellow disc in the lake and was not able to feel it. This wate is just too damned murkey!

Well it rained again this morning. What is going on with the weather? It is supposed to be hot and dry by now with a month of no rain. But instead it is raining and messing up our plans. Once again I wasn’t gonna the weather rain on my parade, or at least my day out side. Previous die hard Jon joined my along with new die hard John.

I found this disc right out in the open. When I flipped it over, I found this. Apparently someone was playing a game of disc golf at night. The disc landed on the other side and the light was covered. Seems like a flawed design with a 50% chance of working.

The rain had stopped by the time we got out to the course. The only thing that we had to deal with was a flooded plain. This stream ran pretty much along the entire open area. It was too wide to cross without getting my feet wet, so I just gave up and sloshed away. Fortunately, I had a set of dry socks and sneakers in the truck. Along with a towel.

The usual day of disc golf at Old Settler’s Park. Except Adam shows up! We even start to look for a disc on hole two. Our mighty powers of prediction fails us and we have to search for the disc.

On hole 10, John comes this close to an ace or hole in one. Needless to say, he birdies it. And look where Adam is? He sinks his putt from there for 3!

Can you find the bug in this picture? Adam did after it bit him on the leg when he was teeing off…

Adam wedged his disc into a tree on hole 13. That was thrown pretty hard to wind up in an almost vertical position.

We were planning on playing disc golf at Cat Hollow today. But when I woke up it was raining (and fortunately turned off the sprinklers). As is was still raining at 9am, I started making calls. John was no where to be found, but Jon answered and was still game to play. We switched to Old Settlers Park because it still playable when wet.

And boy was it wet out! The tiny river was swollen and the lake had overflown its banks. Fortunately, hole one was playable. The rain had also churned up the water and turned it into a murky mess. If we threw a disc in the water, it would be likely that it would be lost. So I aimed away from the water.

It didn’t seem to me that it rained all that much at my house to account for all the water here. It rained heavily for an hour and lightly after that. In fact, it cleared up as we were playing. 2 inches of rain at most. And yet the pedestrian bridge is under water. The water was up to the pole for hole 16. And hole 17 was under water.

We played that any new water was not a hazzard. Which was lucky for us. Jon threw his disc into one of the many temporary streams. And mine skipped into the murky lake at hole 4. Fortunately, Jon saw it go in and was able to rescue it.

Another hot Friday afternoon disc golf game. On hole 4, there is a small river along the left of the hole. And when I throw on that hole I try to aim my disc to the right hand side in order to avoid the water hazzard. Of course my disc never cooperates. And it landed on a small island surrounded by water. At least it didn’t fall in it and dissapear. It was a tough throw out into the open but I made it.

On hole 6, John pulled a Gravitt and threw his approach shot way off course. It flew behind the trees and out of site. So we crossed the fence into the abandoned pasture and went looking for it. Fortunately we found it.

On hole 8 I had my best approach shot of the day. It landed very close to the hole. You can see where John’s next shot landed. I putted it to gain the hole.

Well they finally mowed that painfull field of thorns that makes up hole 10. There are two types of thorns that can easily penetrate your sneakers and socks. So walking down that hill is always a challenge. When you get to the bottom and finish that hole, you have to take some time out and try to remove them.

Another day of disc golf. Marty said he wanted to play. But he did not want to go to Georgetown. So him and Adam played at the Lutheran Church. We had played that site last week. And, unfortunately, it is not that interesting of a course (having only nine holes doesn’t help either). John, Jon, and myself felt like a more challenging course was needed. So we stuck with our plans. It seems there is friction between the people who live in North Austin and the people who live in North Round Rock. Sigh…

I rode my bike today another 15 miles at 7 am when the temperature is a little bit cooler. Which is necessary since it was quite hot and muggy out. We were sweating like pigs and panting like dogs out there. I don’t mind that at all. It is just that I wouldn’t be in a mood to ride my bike after disc golf.

There still isn’t any signage at the course. But we remember where the holes are enough to play here. The next time that I come here, I am going to take my Canon with me and try and document the new layout. I will also try and draw a map as well.

I need to work on my approach shots. John and Jon seem to be able to consistently throw a disc. I seem to be much more random. I only had two decent approaches today.

On hole three we tee off at a medium sized opening. As you walk down the hill and avoid the cactus, you pass some tall trees. You then walk back up the next hill into an open area which forms a tunnel. At the end of the area and hidden from view is the goal. The tall trees that I mentioned earlier really block a straight throw from one hill to another. How we currently handle this hole is that we throw a high 45 degree arcing shot that goes up and to the right. If you throw it right, it will apex over the trees and fall back down to the ground at a 45 degree slope that is down and to the left. It will land in the open part of the next field. Unfortunately, my shot was not far enough to the right. It arced in the middle of the field and came down into unknown territory. But we were able to eventually find it. Fortunately, it was in a clearing. I was able to throw my putter in the same type of throw. John was calling out where the clearing and goal was. So I knew the general direction to throw. My shot was able to clear all of the trees and land back in play! In fact I was able to sink it for a total of four throws. Not bad for a wild beginning…

On hole 4, John stumbled and fell into a cactus plant! Ouch!! Fortunately, I carry tweasers with me. He spent some time picking them off his leg. We call this hole cactus-couch now… 😉

We had another adventure when we crossed under the bridge and played out in the open. I picked a disc that would fade right (my lightweight Valkrye). But I didn’t throw it far enought. So it crashed off into the brush before it got to the opening where the hole is. John threw his multicolored Orc but it went into the high grass on the slope of the hill. I spent some time looking for my disc but was unable to locate it. Jon eventually found it for me on the other side of the brush! It had punched through! I was able to throw my putter by sticking my leg into the brush was the disc was lying.

John also had lost his dic. So the three of us formed a search party line and walked back and forth on the hill. We eventually found that one too!

Jon was having a difficult in the forrested part of the course. He hit quite a lot of trees during this peroid. Here he is shaking his disc out of a tree.

On hole 17, someone stuck some dead twigs in the goal. It looks like Wilson!

Wwwwwiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllsssssssssssoooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jon left after we finished. So myself and John went back to Dos Salsas for lunch. I like that place. The brisket
Chiles Rellenos were excellent! Only in Texas…

After lunch we decided to stop by and play the San Gabriel Park. This is a short course consisting of only nine holes. And its missing signs for the tees for its holes! What with Georgetown and Williamson county? Why don’t they spend some money and keep the courses in good shape?!

Time for the usual Friday afternoon disc golf. And boy the weather is getting hotter and hotter. My poor garaged truck was whining, indeed. But after cooling off in the open air and calibrating itself, it reported temperatures in the high 80s.

John had to audacity of working today and told me he would show up late. So I waited until 4:45 and started playing. Unfortunately, on hole two, there were two fishermen using a big tree as shade to escape the heat. They were sitting right infront of the tee off box for hole 2! It seems that they are as unaware of their environment as the Boy Scouts were. So I threw on the other side of the tree.

John showed up in time for hole 5. I kept up a quick pace since I wanted to be on time for Pilates. Everytime I play with other people, the time it takes to finish this course grows exponentially. But today we were actually able to finish early! Imagine that. So we stopped by to the Mexian Ice Cream place. I bought a large Melon flavored water. I really like these. They aren’t that sweet and they have bits of fruit in them.

The weather seemed to cool down a bit as we played. Perhaps evaporation from the humidity in the air? There was no wind either. So it turned out to be pleasant to play.

We went to Cat Hollow since we would be gaming at Tim’s later on. The four of us split into what I thought were two equal teams (long throw John and Adam versus putters Jon and myself). And we started off equal in scores. First one team would move ahead by a point and then the other team caught up and then went ahead by a point.

Oh yeah, a couple of discs had to be shaken out of trees…

…and climbed up trees to retrieve them.

By the 14th hole, Jon and myself went back into the lead by one. Where we stayed until the 16th hole. At that point, we were on fire and birdied two holes for the win!