NEFA DISCussion

The Quarries Throwdown



Saturday, May 28, 2016
PDGA C-Tier, NEFA, GMPS #3
2 rounds of 18 holes (PDGA rules)
TD: Andy Powell

Registration

https://www.discgolfscene.com/tournamen ... wdown_2016

Total field size: 72

Player Divisions, Entry Fees & Tees
Open (MPO): $35 (Tees: Blue, Blue)
Open Women (FPO): $35 (Tees: Blue, Blue)
Pro Masters (MPM): $35 (Tees: Blue, Blue)
Pro Grandmasters (MPG): $35 (Tees: Blue, Blue)
Advanced (MA1): $25 (Tees: Blue, Blue)
Advanced Women (FA1): $25 (Tees: Blue, White)
Advanced Masters (MM1): $25 (Tees: Blue, Blue)
Advanced Grandmasters (MG1): $25 (Tees: Blue, Blue)
Intermediate (MA2): $25 (Tees: Blue, Blue)
Intermediate Women (FA2): $25 (Tees: White, White)
Recreational (MA3): $25 (Tees: White, White)
Junior (MJ1): $25 (Tees: White, White)

$2.00 Ace pot included in registration
A $10 fee will be added for non-PDGA members and this money goes directly to the PDGA.
$5 extra for day-of registration

Schedule
7:30-8:30 am: Player check-in (and order your Mad Taco burrito!)
8:30-8:45 am: Mandatory Players Meeting
9:00 am: Start round 1
½ Hour lunch after last card turned in.
Round 2
Top Player/Caddy competition while payouts are finalized
(see info below)

Payouts
Pros: Cash payouts
Ams: Marshall Street gift certificates
Trophies for all division champs

GMPS sponsor, The Mad Taco will be offering us a lunch of their awesome burritos! The choices will be the same as at the Sap Bucket:
Chicken
Carnitas
Veggie
$10 each. I'll be taking orders at check-in. Support them for supporting us!

Directions
I-89 to exit 6. Head east on VT-63 for 4.2 miles to the Barre Rd. intersection. Continue straight on Middle Rd. for another 1.8 miles and to a left to stay on Graniteville Rd. Drive for .5 miles to a left on Church Hill Rd. followed by a right on Milano Hill after .9 miles and then take a right on Brook St.

Park behind the village's garage on the corner Brook St. and look for the start of the course on the right side of the clearing.

An updated Withdrawals and Refunds policy that replaces Section 1.3 of the PDGA Competition Manual
NEW Section 1.3 Withdrawals and Refunds
A. Players MUST email or phone their withdrawals to the Tournament Director only at the contact information posted for the tournament. Discussions with persons
other than the Tournament Director, including other tournament staff, shall not be considered official.
B. Players who have paid MORE than a nominal waitlist fee of 10% or less of the Entry Fee to be on an event’s waitlist who do not get into the event, or officially
request to withdraw from the waitlist prior to the event, will receive a 100% cash refund minus up to a 10% handling fee. Waitlist players who ONLY paid a nominal
non-refundable waitlist fee of 10% or less of the event entry fee will not receive a refund.
C. Players who officially request to withdraw from an event prior to 30 days of the start of the event will receive a 100% cash refund minus up to a 10% handling fee.
D. Players who officially request to withdraw from an event at 15 to 30 days from the start of the event will receive a 100% cash refund minus up to a 10% handling fee
ONLY if their spot in the tournament is filled through either the waitlist or a walkup entry (if offered). If the player’s spot is NOT filled, the TD has the choice to
provide EITHER a 50% cash refund OR just the player’s pack the player would have received if they had attended (minus up to 10% of the player pack value to
cover handling and shipping.) In the case of a player in a Pro division for an event without a Pro player pack worth at least 25% of the Entry Fee, the TD will
provide the 50% cash refund.
E. Players who officially request to withdraw from an event at 14 or less days from the start of the event will receive a 100% cash refund minus up to a 10% handling
fee ONLY if their spot in the tournament is filled through either the waitlist or a walkup entry (if offered.) If the player’s spot is NOT filled, the TD has the choice
to provide EITHER a 25% cash refund OR just the player’s pack they would have received if they had attended (minus up to 10% of the player pack value to cover
handling and shipping.) In the case of a player in a Pro division for an event without a Pro player pack worth at least 25% of the Entry Fee, the TD will provide the
25% cash refund.
F. Players who do NOT officially request to withdraw from a registered spot playing in the event and don’t play (aka a no-show), forfeit their entry fee and do NOT
receive a refund or players pack. (This does NOT apply to a waitlist player, see 1.3.B above.)
G. Tournament Directors for Major, National Tour, and A-Tier events may petition the Tour Manager to change the timeline for items C, D, and E. If granted, the policy
will need to be clearly published with all registration materials.
Note: It is highly recommended that high-capacity events do NOT include personalized items within their player packs due to the complexity this creates for withdrawals/refunds.
Personalized items should only be offered as merchandise for purchase during registration for a separate non-refundable fee that is not part of the tournament entry fee.

Course Information
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=6781

Player/Caddy Competition

The 3 top scorers of the day will be paired with 3 "caddies" randomly selected from the pool of preregistered players. These teams will be put to the test in an abnormal disc golf related competition of my choice with the winning team earning $100. This is guaranteed to be amusing to watch, and heckling from the gallery is always encouraged.

love it!!!! Course is a hidden gem

I am going!

Hey All,

Bob and I are in...

Long trip from down here...maybe we can car pool/ride share...

Anybody else???Let me know...

Remember speaking to someone about this course going in several yrs back when I played at Paul's Place...sounds/looks amazing...can't wait to throw on this course...

Thanks,
T.M.DYER

PayPal sent! MPO. LETS GO VT!

So now that we're finally into the GMPS season, it's time to start thinking Quarries. We are already one-third full, so the time to get in is now! Players from Rhode Island to Montreal are already on board. It's great to see Bob and T.M. making their way up to VT to challenge the local pro GM's. (I encourage all of my north country folk to check out the RI Overalls at some point in their disc golf touring) Kyle Moriarty is always a contender in MPO whenever he sets foot on Vermont soil, but defending champ Travis Connolly has been practicing and putting up low numbers. Former course record holder Dave Frothingham is returning as well, so we have some great matchups developing.

As many of last year's players learned, this course can beat you up if you don't go in with a game plan. So to help out, I will be supplementing the traditional tournament forum updates with a hole-of-the-day caddy guide up until tourney day. So let's dive right in with hole 1:


The first third of this course is by far the easiest, and hole one is designed to gently ease you into your round (or lull you into false confidence). A solitary tree provides the challenge for this hole standing in the center of the gap about 60' off the tee, while the basket is easily visible just inside the treeline across the clearing. A line drive up the narrower right side or a left to right bender through the left gap will get you on your way. Be sure to put some extra zip on your shot as this fairway has some deceptive elevation change and plays longer than the 235' on the tee sign. Deposit this one in your birdie bank because you'll be needing it later.

Hey Andy,

Mary Fair Weather is coming as well...

Jeff Hayward...another master...

Got to figure a hotel/motel to stay over Fri night...

Close enough to Paul's course to stay in the Hotels I have used for his events at North Calais???

Can not wait for more caddy notes with pics...wicked cool idea...

Thanks for the Kudos on the RI Overall event...April 22,2017...put it on your calendars...

T.M.DYER

Hey Andy,

After the 12th... I will sign up Jeff...

Next credit card cycle...

Thanks,
T.M.DYER

Hole of the day, DOPE! Thanks for doing that man.

The MPO field just got a bit more stacked today with Canadian sensation Dario Re getting in on the action!

And for your hole-of-the-day we move on to the par 3 second.

This hole measures in at a measly 225' straight away with a slight fade to the left. It's another easy one for sure, but watch your landing! The basket is anchored into a green of solid Barre granite sloping away from the tee, which is not as effective as your traditional dirt or grass in putting the brakes on a drive. Come in too hot and you'll get to watch your disc skip off to somewhere near the New Hampshire border.

Andy Powell wrote:Player/Caddy competition info coming soon

What is this?

T.M.DYER wrote:Close enough to Paul's course to stay in the Hotels I have used for his events at North Calais???

I'm assuming you stayed in the Montpelier area, in which case yes.

Kyle Moriarty wrote:

Andy Powell wrote:Player/Caddy competition info coming soon

What is this?

This is what happens when your TD has sadistic tendencies. The basic idea is that the top 3 scorers for the day will be paired with three randomly drawn "caddies" from the pool of pre-registered players. They are then put through a hilarious disc golf related challenge with the winning team earning $100 for their troubles. The format for this year is still up in the air, but I'll settle on something next week.

For example, last year I invented a little game called 3 blind mice where the players had to play 3 short holes blindfolded with the caddies guiding them. It was fun to watch them holding hands walking down the fairway and missing 3 foot putts!

Just when you thought this course was going to be way too easy, along comes hole 3.

This 342', uphill, tightly wooded shot is arguably the hardest birdie on the course. If you've got a 400' flick that can push through the tight gaps straight ahead, you might get a look. My play is to lay up to the right side about two thirds of the way up. There is a shortcut lane that points directly to the pin. Give this one a long run if you want, but a 3 won't hurt you here.

FYI... There is a new blue tee on hole 16. We will not be using this tee box for the tournament. If you want to practice this hole, use the original raised tee to the right.

Well it's Friday the 13th, but have no fear because today's hole is the simple #4.

This downhill 222' par three is just a putter toss for most. An early center line of trees creates two tight lines to choose between, but there is no other real danger here. Card the 2 and move on!


I know the lines are a bit hard to see in these "stick season" photos, but don't worry because the leaves are popping out on the course right now and will be fully ready to grab your errant shots by the end of the month!

So since I missed yesterday, today will feature both holes 5 and 6.

Hole 5:

This is definitely one of the signature holes of the course. It also happens to be the shortest at only 163'. Sounds simple right? Despite it's innocent appearance, this hole still gets players' nerves going. Perhaps it's the fact that you have to throw out of a gap, over an O.B. quarry hole, and then hit the gap on the far side. Perhaps it's the fact that this hole plays longer than expected with elevation gain. Perhaps it's the sloped solid granite green that makes skips and rolls so easy. Whatever it is, just ignore it, put your shot under the basket, and walk away with the birdie. If you don't, you'll be losing a stroke to the field. No pressure!

Hole 6:

This hole is 295' away straight in front of you. The last 1/4 of the fairway narrows to a chute along the right side so you'll need to be hugging that half to make it into the green. This is where this hole gets tricky. If you go too far right and kick into the rough, you'll likely be left with a very tricky upshot or even just a pitch out. Fading early left will leave you a better chance to recover with some back door lanes to the green, but that's not how you get the 2. Besides, in terms of the ace pot these front 6 holes are likely where you'll be cashing in. After this one, you won't even see another par 3 until hole 11!

grrr just grrr

Andy Powell wrote:For example, last year I invented a little game called 3 blind mice where the players had to play 3 short holes blindfolded with the caddies guiding them. It was fun to watch them holding hands walking down the fairway and missing 3 foot putts!

I'm still not over this indignity. I don't remember my caddy's name but he had very soft hands.

The Quarries is super-fun and I love the hole previews, Andy. I'll do my best to make it again this year (despite Wadz "bagging" in Vermont!)

So we enter the middle third of the course with the par 4 hole 7.

The fairway forms a slight curve to the right before a sharper dogleg left to the green. Early trees limit the line for an anhyzer flex shot. Aggressive players looking for an eagle run on this 396' hole will instead most likely choose to throw a gentle turnover around the first corner that will get stable later in the flight to track back left toward the green. It's a touchy shot for sure. The higher percentage play here is to just dump a short drive to the landing zone on the right side around the first bend.

From this position you are left with a relatively easy approach to the green with either a spike hyzer over the lone apple tree or a low shot between it and the pine to the left. It's hard to see in the picture but will be clear as day on the course. This is a really simple birdie 3 if you don't overthink it.

Well the tournament is half full and we are just about half way through our course preview. Before we get into the 401' par 4 hole 8, I just want to remind you to get preregistered to avoid the day-of fee and to be eligible for the player/caddy competition draw. Now on to the 8th.

Most people like to just lay up around the first bend to the left off the tee here, but if you've got a decent flick this is a good place to use it. Just bend it left around that first corner and then let it fade right into the second leg of the fairway. Just be sure to hit your lines or you can end up in a tricky position with a lot of hole left.

Assuming you've managed to place your drive where I did in the picture above, you're now left with a straight shot up the hill to set up for your 3.

FYI, there are quarries holes far to the left of the first leg of this hole and long/left of the basket. These are technically OB, but I've never seen anyone come close to either so no worries.

Just one week left for online registration!
With that said, we close out the front side of the course with the par 5 9th.

At a mere 573', this hole may be putting aggressive thoughts in your mind standing on the tee box. Do not underestimate this hole! The key here is to just make the first corner safely. Most players just try to place a straight shot out about 230' to where the fairway makes it's first gentle bend to the right. A flick or late-turning hyzer flip can get some advantageous distance into the short second segment, but the important thing here is to not find the rough early.

from just around the first corner, you'll find just a short of section of fairway before anther gentle bend to the right into a longer straightaway. an anhyzer around this corner that flattens out can carry you most of the way there from this position.

As you near the green, there are two main landing zones. The first, pictured above, is about 60-70 feet short of the pin, while the second is also along the road, but just beyond the basket. Both offer clear uphill looks to the pin on its sloping green. Be careful with your approaches and putts as rollaways are almost guaranteed here.

In general, this hole is much more about accuracy than power. If you find yourself in trouble early, forget the heroics and just pitch out to a good position. Remember that taking a par of 5 on this 573 footer is just fine. Double digits are not unheard of here, and even some of the pro's put up huge numbers last year. You can't win the tournament on this on this single hole, but you can lose it here.

After the unforgiving hole 9, you're probably ready for a reprieve. That's where hole 10 comes in.

The tee shot here is simple. Land your first shot at the end of the lane in front of you to set up your second on this 374' dogleg left par 4.

From the corner you are left with a short uphill pitch bending slightly left to right to the basket. Get the 3 here to erase some of the added strokes from the previous two holes.

Hole 11 is an over-the-valley shot bending slightly to the right. While not particularly long, this hole can be very tricky. There is a low ceiling of almost invisible branches that will send you to the bottom of the hole in a hurry. The approach to the green is tight from almost any angle, requiring even good drives to get a bit lucky at the end. A two here can gain you a stroke or more on your less fortunate competitors.


Now go rest up! Tomorrow is Sap Bucket!

What a beautiful day for disc golf! I just want to thank John for running a smooth show at the Sap Bucket today. It was great to see a lot of new faces out on the course. We also got a great preview of some of the key match-ups for next weekend.

Hole 12 at the quarries is a 203' downhill par 3, and a great birdie opportunity. The smart play here is a righty flick right down the pipe fading right toward the basket near the bottom of the hill. There is a hyzer route to the right from the short tee that some people will try to flex a backhand into, but that just seems overly complicated. The green here slopes from right to left, so often even good looking drives often will have trouble sticking close to the pin. Get the 2 here if you can though and then enjoy the beautiful quarry views on the walk to 13.

So today's two-for-one special will be holes 13 and 14.
The first thing you need to do on hole 13 is get rid of any fear of heights. This is the drop that sits about ten feet behind you: https://youtu.be/6nyuE153lb0 I must mention that due to unknown obstacles below the water, jumping from the tee box is definitely not recommended. Once you are done enjoying the view from the cliff edge, you'll turn around to face an equally daunting sight.

This 344' tunnel shot down the hill is tight as tight can be. While the basket may sit just to the left, the shot here is just to go as straight as possible for as long as possible. You'll want to use an eagle-eyed spotter on this hole as shots fading or kicking left into the rocks early can easily disappear. Straying to the right is equally punishing. You could try playing it safe here, but it's questionable whether there is a truly safe option. Par is fine here, but you didn't come out to shoot pars did you?

While hole 13 was all about executing that one perfect shot, hole 14 is about choices.

The first shot on this 343' par 4 is quickly divided by a curtain of trees starting just in front of the tee box. A bit further down these two sides are each again bisected by lines or clumps of trees. I therefore I view this shot as having 4 distinct lines. The lines to the right side are generally more open. However, as the hole will eventually dogleg up the hill to the left, this will likely leave you with a longer approach. As you choose lanes further left, you can reach more and more favorable landing zones. Kicking into the far left rough early can be very tricky to recover from though.

One of the best spots to land is near this old foundation straight through the leftmost gap. From here you'll probably have an easy hyzer around the right side up to the green. Even if you came up a bit short, you should be able to thread something through the trees as you'll be close enough to have eliminated most of the obstacles.

As you walk near the piles of granite on these holes you may notice the temperature drop as much as 15-20 degrees. The air moving over the cold stone masses creates amazing natural air conditioning all summer long! Don't let your game cool off just yet, though. You're in the home stretch!

Chris Young? Are you out there? Looking to score some Heady this weekend. Will bring Trillium... That goes for anyone

Teddy Hopper? I might be able to grab some for ya, how much are you looking to get?

Big announcement today!

GMPS sponsor, The Mad Taco will be offering us a lunch of their awesome burritos! The choices will be the same as at the Sap Bucket:

Chicken
Carnitas
Veggie

$10 each. I'll be taking orders at check-in. Support them for supporting us!

First thing to mention today is that we are down to just 15 spots remaining. We had about a dozen day-of last year, so if you want to get in, now is the time to register. (Plus it makes things much easier for your humble TD)

Today I'm going to talk about holes 15 and 16.

Hole 15: so much O.B. that I ran out of string! Ok, it's not really that bad, but this 366' downhill anhyzer does present some serious challenges. A thin and porous stretch of trees partially protects you from an O.B. quarry hole down the entire left side. Much of this is now marked a bit closer with string and flags at the cliff edge since I don't want people trying to play dangerous cliff-side lies. If your disc makes it that far, it's probably going to find the water anyway. If you turn too far right approching the green, you may find yourself O.B. in that same water you threw over on hole 5. The later part of the fairway closes in with scattered trees which makes approaching the pin from a bad drive very challenging. This hole rivals #3 for least birdies given so don't feel bad walking away with the 3. Your card-mates will probably be wishing they could be so lucky.


Hole 16 is a welcome relief after a few trickier holes. Towering walls of granite frame one of the more open fairways on the course. The green of this 358' par 4 is definitely reachable with a good "S" shot, so big arms are given the green light.

If you're a bit weaker like me, you'll just want to play a position shot bending right around the first corner. With granite piled just 20' behind the pin, this is a good place to get aggressive if you're left with this long run.