Volume 2 Issue 3
March , 2004
If you have news that you would like in the next AADGC Flyer, let me know. Check out www.aadgc.com for more details on any of the stories below.
NEW 2004 AADGC MEMBERS
Please welcome the newest 2004 AADGC members:
Justin Lamers
John Terlap
Jim Simpson
FEBRUARY's AADGC FLYER IS POSTED ONLINE
As a reminder, the aadgc flyer (newsletter) will be emailed to aadgc members only. It will be posted online a month later.
AADGC WEBSITE GETS A MAKEOVER
I started to learn some code and script to make the website more functional. Take a look at the new home page and the members page. On the member's page, you can click on the drop down menu and click on a member to see their profile and more. Then just use your arrow keys to go from member to member. On the home page, you can see the next event by clicking on the next event link.
2004 WORLD INVITATIONS ARE ANNOUNCED
Six AADGA Pros and 2 AADGC Ams were invited to the World Championships in Des Moines, IA - August 7 - 14. For a complete list of invites, visit http://www.pdga.com/worlds04/.
This is going to be the biggest Disc Golf Party of 2004. Check out http://www.pdga.com/worlds04/ for details. The 2005 Pro Worlds will be in Allentown, Pennsylvania and the 2005 Am Worlds venue has not yet been decided.
2004 TEAM FLYING FORTRESS IS ANNOUNCED
Team Flying Fortress is made up of the top touring pro's that live in the Fox Valley. The Team consists of Mike Schwieger, Chris Olinger, Ken Kreie, and Pro Master, Tom Jenkins. Congratulations and good luck on the tour this year.
ONLINE MEETING
As you may know, we have our online discussion board up and running. If you want to get the latest news and updates emailed to you, make sure you set up a free account. Simply make News and Updates and Miscelleneous Club Discussion one of your favorites and customize your profile to have your favorite reply's emailed to you.
Here is how to start:
First, you need to set yourself up as a new user.
You'll then get sent an email for verification.
Once you've activated your account you can login with your user name and password
Now you can edit your profile and start posting and replying to messages
REMEMBER: If you want email notification, you need to make the messages part of your favorites and change your preferences in your main configuration.
PLAYING TIP OF THE MONTH
Distance - by Ken Climo, 11 Time World Champion
Buckle up for my driving school!
I once said that putting comprised about 25% of my game. Drives are 40-50% of my game simply because most holes can be reached from the tee. Yes, it all comes down to the putt, but you must be able to set yourself up nicely for the putt. And that takes power and accuracy off the tee. What should beginners focus on, distance or accuracy? Beginners should always focus on control. Once you have control you can out more power into the shot. But if all you have is distance it's harder to learn accuracy. So, buckle up for my driving school! More tips from Ken Climo
WISCONSIN DISC SPORTS SUMMIT MEETING
The Wisconsin Disc Sports Summit Meeting was held on March 13th in Steven's Point. This meeting was with the Board of Directors for Wisconsin Disc Sports and Key Disc Golf Organizers of Wisconsin. The topics mostly concentrated on the Wisconsin Tour and how to improve upon it. There was a lot of great discussion about improving the great sport of disc golf in our state. Look forward to a great Wisconsin Tour this year!!!
Below is a photo of the AADGC members that attended.
From Left to Right: Tom Jenkins, John Dorn, Ken Kreie, Barry Schultz, Terry Miller.
PDGA RADIO IS AVAILABLE
Need more disc golf news. Now the weekly radio show can be heard on your own computer at home. The show is a ten week pilot program. Learn more from the site. http://www.pdga.com/pdgaradio/.
NEW WEBSITE - HYDROPHASE
Fellow AADGC Member, Dane Miller has started a new website to display photos from certain event. The website is set up nicely and we look forward to more photos on future events soon. http://www.hydrophase.com/
AADGC FLYER SPECIAL
The first person that replys to this email can get this brand new tye died Challenger disc for only $5 (includes shipping and handling) from the Online AADGC Merchandise Store.
GATEWAY MAKES IT EASY TO HOST AN AMATEUR EVENT
Interested in running an amatuer event in the
Appleton Area?. Gateway and the Appleton Area Disc Golf Club can help make it as easy as possible for you.
Contact Gateway and the AADGC if you want to lead an event. We will help.
MORE UPCOMING WISCONSIN EVENTS
MEET AND GREET AADGC MEMBER TERRY MILLER
When and How did you get started in Disc Golf?
Originally I played at a camp in 8th grade. We were sent out with regular Frisbees and told to play the course by throwing these Frisbees into red, handheld grocery baskets. They were on the ground, hanging from trees and everywhere in between. I remember winning the competition and then playing 5 or 6 additional rounds alone because I loved playing it so much. A few years later I was told about a course in the middle of Appleton. I bought my first discs at Play It Again Sports and headed to Pierce Park. There were no baskets and the course was next to impossible to actually follow. The next day I rode my bike out to Plamann. From that point on, I played every day I could for the next few years. That was back in 1993.
What have you learned in your experience in the sport?
I don’t even know where to begin with that question. Since disc golf has completely taken over my life for the past 10+ years, I feel I have learned a wide variety of things. First and foremost would be friendships. Other things that I can attribute to disc golf include, honesty, respect, loyalty, traveling, business, and marketing.
How has the game changed over the years?
I feel that I am not as good of a putter as I was many years ago. I know that sounds backwards as one would think your putting gets better as the years go on. Simply put, I don’t think I am as good of a putter as I was 4 or 5 years ago. However, I have certainly learned to play smarter. Knowing which shots are the high percentage and what is the risk vs reward when throwing any particular shot is a huge part of this game. I picked that up from Terlap and Jenkins.
Which players do you respect?
I respect the up and comers. I think it’s amazing how good people get with such a small amount of effort. I used to rely on a cushion of time before I would think that a person could seriously compete. These days people are playing am one year and pro the next. It’s really amazing. I also respect anyone that continues to play this as part time hobby but stays competitive. A trend is shifting to people picking up this sport full time and I certainly feel that those people have a huge advantage over the majority of us that have limited practice time.
Who has helped you most with your game?
As I mentioned before, people like John Terlap and Tom Jenkins were a huge influence. I will never throw as smoothly as John but he really brought other components to my game. Sometimes it was directly and sometimes it was indirectly through Tom. Tom really turned me onto organized play and events and I’m glad he did. He also taught me the value of being there early, getting warmed up, and eliminating variables. I take pride in being the first one to a course on a tournament day. It means I’m excited and ready to play. Also, it wouldn’t be right for me not to list my original caddy, Jonny V, as a huge help during some of my earlier tournaments. Sometimes just having a caddy there to listen to your explanation out loud, really makes you realize if your next choice of shot is a good one.
What are the strengths in your game?
My biggest strength is certainly my approaching. I stated before that my putting isn’t the best around and I’ll say the same about my driving. I am usually pretty accurate with my drives but I don’t throw very far by “pro” standards. I am very good at getting myself out of trouble and saving par whenever the situation presents itself.
What are your favorite courses?
I would have to say that Sandy Point is my favorite course. The atmosphere and the pure beauty is not paralleled anywhere else. It’s no surprise that I like Coldbrook Park in Michigan as well. That course has a very similar type of style in that it’s short but very wooded. Plamann Park is certainly a favorite because it was the first course basket course I ever played and it was my training course for so many years. I also liked the ball golf/disc golf course at Space Coast National in Florida. Playing that with Jonny V and Dane a few years ago was a blast.
What's in your bag?
ALL DISCRAFT! I was recently picked up by Team Discraft so I am still learning the plastic. I certainly can tell you a few of the ‘must have’ discs from the Discraft line. The Challenger is a great putter and I like that in the D-Series. The Wasps, MRV, and Buzzz have all found secure places in my bag as well. The Wasp is stable, the MRV is slightly stable, and the Buzzz does whatever you want it to. My new absolute “go to” disc will be the Comet X. They hold a great line and will aide in my short drives and approaching. The drivers I have become attached to include the Talon, Wildcat, and Predator.
What's your favorite tournament?
That is a tough one. I would have to say that year after year, the World Championships seems to be my favorite event. I have been completing in Am and Pro Worlds since 1996 and even though I haven’t typically done well at them, it’s still my favorite event. Other great events include the Sandy Point Team Event, the Northwoods Open, Cracked Plastic Classic, and the Triple Double Trouble. Mobile, Alabama and Sarasota, Florida both put on great Springtime events as well.
What was your proudest moment playing? (ie. Biggest Win)
Winning back to back gold medals at the Badger State Games was very special to me. Winning sanctioned events along with the cash is great but I feel even more proud when I can say I am a two time gold medal winner of the Badger State Games. I don’t know if anyone else has one 2 gold medals in the pro division. Other very proud moments include my first pro sanctioned win in Green Bay, my pro win in Kalamazoo, and my pro win at the Parkside Prairie Open. Any sanctioned pro win is very special to me.
What do you do outside of disc golf?
I am currently in the computer systems area of the credit department at the Kohl’s Corporation Headquarters in Menomonee Falls. When going to college I came across the world of computers and I took a liking to them. I am however, far from being a computer geek. For now I’ll just say that it’s a job that pays the bills.
What do you see happening in the Appleton Area in the Future?
I see lots of potential for Appleton Area disc golf to grow. Getting more courses in the ground will certainly help accommodate the growing number of players. I think with the help of a few key people, the tournaments in Appleton could grow to being even bigger and better. I also think that the league scene is very appealing to many people and I hope that continues to grow as well. Now that I have moved away from Appleton, I want to remind everyone of just how fortunate they are to have 4+ courses in their area. Where I live In Milwaukee, we have just as many courses but a population over a million people. So, take care of what you have and continually look to improve it.
What are your goals for disc golf? - both personal and for the sport.
I don’t ever plan to be a World Champion. I accepted that a few years ago. However, I enjoy being a competitive pro player on any given day. I was the Advanced State Champion a few years ago and I would like to be the Pro State Champion. Our Wisconsin Tour is a very competitive atmosphere and I know if I rank well against Wisconsin players, I will rank well against any other players in the country. As for disc golf goals, I hope to further my business, Lifetime Disc Sports LLC and make it something that I can do for a living. I wish to do clinics, demonstrations, course design, and anything else involved with promoting disc sports. My dream job doesn’t consist of playing disc golf all day long, instead, I wish to promote it and get as many courses in the ground as possible.
What's one thing you would change about the sport if you could?
The very negative perception that it’s just a bunch of pot-smoking, tye-dye wearing, Frisbee throwing, hippies. The grass roots of this sport may have some of that background but as we move forward with local and national promotion, I wish to see more people and sponsors take us seriously. Disc golf is a great sport and everyone that is introduced to it knows that. If we could just get our imaged cleaned up, maybe we could get more courses in the ground and more disc golf classes taught at schools.
What's your favorite thing about the sport of disc golf?
Going to tournaments weekend after weekend and relaxing with friends. Sure it’s competitive and serious while you are playing but it doesn’t always have to be. Going to a different city, playing a new course, experiencing their night life, and hanging out with your friends can’t be any more enjoyable then it is on a disc golf road trip. If you haven’t taken one, get out and do it this summer! You will be hooked.
TRANSITIONS
Send your changes in your life (ie. Marriages, engagements, births, graduations, accomplishments, etc.)
NEWS STORIES NEEDED
If you have a newstory idea for the AADGC Flyer or if you would like to see something else in your monthly flyer, let me know.
Thanks to Terry Miller for his help with this issue
THANKS AGAIN TO OUR SPONSORS
Flying Fortress (The Club's Main Sponsor)
Disc Fly
Discraft
Discs Unlimited
Disc Shoppe
Disc N Dat