Nothing like a stolen basket to ruin what was otherwise a great disc golf weekend.  People suck sometimes.

Anyway, before that, it was a great weekend playing the Crane Hill Open in Wilbraham MA.  It was the fourth year in a row that I’ve made that road trip with the same good friend, and one I hope we keep making because even when we play poorly it’s a good time.

Round one got off to a cold start with a bad drive and a pole-bounce-out on the first hole for a bogey, another bogey on the third hole of the round, sandwiched around a drop-in birdie.  After that, I settled in and started piling up the birdies the rest of the way…six to be exact…to finish the round with a respectable 51.  Respectable, but well off the lead, unfortunately.

The second round got off to a slow and steady start with five straight pars, then three birdies in the next four holes.  Toward the end of the round, I took a couple fives on holes that are listed as par 4s for which a five doesn’t really feel like a bogey, and those took some of the wind from my sails.  I finished with a 58, good for a tie for 13th place and some cash.

The ironic thing is that 51-58 is just one throw worse than my scores from last year’s event (50-58) in which I finished in a tie for fourth.  The competition this year was just that much better, and there’s not a whole lot that you can do about that.  I was happy with the way I played and glad to finish in the money.  It certainly made the three hour drive home easier.

Sunday started quiet and rainy, so I expected it would be more of a lazy day until the first players of the day finished their round and reported that there was no basket on hole 14.  I quickly ran out to confirm the bad news: the basket was gone without a trace.  So my “lazy” afternoon was spent dealing with the police and moving the practice basket out to replace the missing basket so we can have a complete course.  Not fun at all.

The rest of the week has been spent trying to get ahead work-wise because the next few weeks are busy busy busy with tournaments.  That starts this weekend with my third trip to the Newton Hill Open in Worcester, then the big road trip of the summer comes next weekend with the Eric C Yetter Champions Cup in Pennsylvania.  After that, it’s back to back weekends running tournaments at home.  No more having a month off between events, at least not for awhile.  I think I’m booked through Labor Day at least.  At least it’s all fun.