⛳ What is good disc golf course design?

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The best newsletter to read as you wait for your late friends on Hole 1.

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If you missed MCO’s recap, then I got you: Turned Rock Stars

Let’s get into it.

GOOD COURSE DESIGN?

As the Pro Tour matures and events create their legacies, the conversation surrounding good course design continues to pop up. With the Tour’s variety of courses, not everyone can agree on certain points.

One constant that gets repeated by pros and fans alike is "The ultimate course has no mandos or artificial OB”. Clearly, that’s easier said than done with public properties and other obstacles.

But in a perfect world, what else makes the list for an ideal course?

• Rewards good shots and punishes bad shots - “fluky” courses do the opposite, per Lizotte

• Holes with good scoring separation while achieving close to 50% at par, 25% under, and 25% over

• Avoids “gotcha holes” that double penalize mistakes, per Oakley

• Par 5s that allow for an eagle chance or at least don’t involve 3 bombers

• Easy-to-follow design and features that can come across on coverage - landing zones, mandos, & OB markers

• Tests all parts of the game and discs, including mids/fairways that seem to be going to the wayside

• If on a ball golf course, utilizes the features outside of existing fairways and OB greens

At the end of the day, the Tour needs to ensure the best player wins while keeping it entertaining. There’s no simple answer to good design, but as money grows it’ll get there.

The onset of private courses showcased every weekend will become the norm. There’s a reason why courses like Maple Hill, Brewster Ridge, and McBeth’s Gran Canyon show up on UDisc’s top ratings.

With all that said, now’s the perfect opportunity to see a new private property with the Silver Event tomorrow. From every pro’s Instagram, I think we’re in for a treat.

BLUE RIDGE CHAMPIONSHIP (SILVER)

PREVIEW (4/14-16)

Here we go again, folks… This week is another Silver Event at a never-before-seen course on Tour. But the hype surrounding this property has been building for years.

Back in 2020, word spread like wildfire throughout NC that a ball golf course was converting itself into an outdoor hub centered around DG. Just 2 hours from Charlotte, North Cove Leisure Club opened to the public in 2021 with 2 courses designed in part by Innova.

From 2021 to just last weekend, College Nationals has been held at North Cove. Now with 3 courses at the property, MPO will attack “The Gorge” (championship-level) while FPO soaks in the scenic “Boulders” course.

In a nutshell, “The Gorge” is kind of gimmicky like USDGC but with elevation, length, and filled with OB. On the other side, “Boulders” has mountain backdrops, rock-shielded greens, and creeks running through.

While some are skipping, those attending are excited to soak in the blue ridge mountains and escape into one of the most beautiful areas of the country.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Besides Heimburg continuing his podium streak, Wysocki is putting his wrist to the test for back-to-back weekends. His impressive top-10 at MCO proves extremely promising for the rest of his season.

Over in FPO, Caroline Henderson will continue to prove herself with a new sponsor on her back - Prodigy. Despite the turmoil with Buhr’s lawsuit, Henderson signed a 3-year deal with the GA-based manufacturer.

She fast-tracked herself onto Prodigy’s highest touring team and will have the Air Spectrum X3 as her Signature Series. With such a slim FPO team, Prodigy hopes Henderson’s signing will pay off with her media presence and continued improvement.

COLLEGE NATIONALS RECAP

Due to this being a new event, there’s nothing to recap. In its place, here’s a quick rundown of College Nationals from last weekend (4/5-8).

For 4 days, over 700 players from 80 schools competed for their version of March Madness. Participating in a unique team format, schools included Emporia State (coached by Eric McCabe), Missouri (defending champs), and local North Carolina St.

Men’s D1 Team Results: 🥇Cincinnati (-30) 🥈Emporia State (-28) 🥉Missouri (-26)

Women’s D1 Team: 🥇Missouri (-1) 🥈Brigham Young (+1) 🥉Liberty (+5)

Men’s D1 Singles: 🥇Tanner Young - Cincinnati (-9) 🥈Calvin Caldwell - Cincinnati & Ryan Montgomery - Mississippi St (-6) 🥉Ethan Owens - Ohio St & Samuel Clark - Kentucky & Hunter Williams - Pitt St (-5)

Women’s D1 Singles: 🥇Tailey Rowley - Brigham Young (+5) 🥈Alexis Kerman - Missouri (+6) 🥉Ceci Vollbrecht - Wisconsin (+7)

Why should you care about College disc golf? Because the camaraderie and team atmosphere is unmatched in any other event.

Within the lineup of schools, you can find a team to root for as alumni or a local. Several known touring pros have emerged from the young college scene - James Proctor, Robert Burridge, Raven Newsom, and many more.

PUTT FROM C2 WITH POWERGRIP USA

With Powergrip on his sleeve, Simon Lizotte took down his 1st win of the season at the Music City Open. Besides his many tap-ins, he smashed chains with his Electron Anodes from C1, C2, and beyond.

Grab a stack and practice your spin putts, so that you too can win from chase card at your next tournament. Hit 70 footers today!

RANDOM DUBS

1️⃣ Surprise, surprise. Simon’s good at everything… well, at least what he spends his free time doing - darts & pool. In SmashboxxTV’s interview, he shared that he’s on the roster of a darts A-Team in Massachusetts.

1.5 years ago, he attended a random tournament and placed 2nd while beating several known players in New England. Since then, he’s been playing on the Scallywags team in the Minute Man Dart League.

The Scallywags are soon going to States Playoffs for a chance at Nationals and eventually England for real money. So remember, Lizotte is the wunderkind in more than just disc golf.

2️⃣ I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for niche products in our niche sport… especially when they’re free to try. Two days ago, Erik Page posted on Reddit about his journey of being jobless and dedicating his time to a DG app.

He explained how the idea came from his own laziness and spawned a 6-month timeline that eventually became Putt Buddy. It’s available now on the iOS app store and is compatible with LiDAR-equipped iPhones.

Once calibrated, here’s what it does:

MEME OF THE WEEK

Thanks for reading today. Get out and play like you practiced this weekend!

- Charlie