February is sneaking up and I figure I'd better start getting ready. I'm putting some feelers out for a 5 course swing on the 7th or 21st. Stay tuned for more info.

Updated 2/2
With the temperatures projected near 70 this weekend, it looks like it's time. Last year we had a big snow storm in late February, so I want to get this month's trip in. I'm looking at a swing south and west of Wichita or east towards Emporia to play Jones West as preparation for the GBO! It depends a little on weather a friend or two can join me.

Updated 2/4
I'm heading out solo again and this time I'm going East! Here's a look at what I anticipate Saturday (02/07) to look like:

Leave        Arrive         City                Course 
5:45 am        7:30 am       Fredonia             Rotary Park (9) 
9:00 am        9:45 am       Erie                      Erie DGC (6) 
10:45 am      11:45 am     Fort Scott            LUNCH and Gunn Park (18) 
2:00 pm        3:00 pm       Chanute              Highland Park (9) 
4:30 pm        6:30 pm       HOME

If you live close and want to join me, hit me up on the Comments page!

On this day when MLK and I could both say “I have a dream…”, I realized that his dream is way more significant than mine. That being said, I love playing disc golf and it was a great first trip on my journey! It played out pretty much as planned. It turned out to be a 12 hour day traveling 270 miles and included 18,000 steps (8.5 miles) over 6 courses. The weather was unbelievable for the middle of January in Kansas. Lunch was a delicious burger from Joe Snuffy’s in Abilene and if you’re ever there, you need to check it out.

I left Wichita about 6:20 am and hit up a local Starbucks for a jump start. Then it was an hour up the road to a small town, Hillsboro, where I completed my undergraduate degree. In the late 70’s I played Folf on campus with trees for baskets. Now there is a little 3 hole course on land that will soon be reclaimed for a new Fine Arts building. Then I was headed north again to Herington and arrived in town just in time to hit up Discs Unlimited for some new plastic. I purchased a Westside Harp to use as an upshot disc and an Innova starter set for our church youth group silent auction later this month. After about half an hour, I got to the Herington DGC. It was a pleasant surprise! Something I had heard some time ago left me with little desire to play the course and now I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long. By now, I was a good 45 minutes behind my schedule.

The next stop was Brown Memorial Park south of Abilene. The park is huge and the course a bit hard to find. Once I got there, I found tee 1 and it had a metal plate with the par and an arrow pointing towards the basket. There was lots of wood to hit and fortunately, I missed most of it. After finding my way out of the park, it was into town to find something to eat. Yelp pointed me to Joe Snuffy’s which was quite busy for 1:00 pm. The crowd was very local which is just what I wanted. I had the Hammer Burger which was a burger with a slice of ham, one egg, cheese and hashbrowns. It was delicious, especially with a bit of tobasco! The drive to Solomon was short and the course there was also. The holes run in and around the course and I was glad there were no kids playing.

I had to run through Salina to get to Goessel so I decided to stop and check out the Webster Conference Center since I was having trouble finding info online. The offices were locked so I drove around the grounds and found the course but construction is causing some issues. So I decided to hit up the K-State Salina course. I found baskets, but no tees and no one that could help me. Unfortunately, Salina was bust this time and more research is required. I had to punt in order to get two more courses played.

The next stop was Goessel. It was a small park with very short holes, the shortest being about 64 feet. Not wanting to end my first trip on this note, I jumped in the truck and headed for North Newton hoping to have enough sun to get one more course played. I drove up with the sun getting low. The instructions for the first tee were a little short and it took me a few minutes to find it. I enjoyed the course and on hole 8 I came as close as I ever have to my first Ace as it slide off the left slide and didn’t catch enough chain.

Getting home at 6:30 pm I knew it had been a long day, but I had a huge smile on my face. A good friend reminded me that it’s not just about getting the courses played, it is about the journey. I’m no professional and as I went through the day I tried not to worry about the details and just enjoy my time on each course. Throwing plastic is one of the most fun things I’ve ever done and this day was no exception. I can’t wait for next month!

The first trip to new courses is set for Monday, January 19. The weather is forecast for 52, partly cloudy and winds around 10 mph. The first stop will be Hillsboro for their 3 hole course and then on to Herington to play Father Padilla Memorial Park (9 hole). Hopefully, Discs Unlimited will be open for a quick stop before heading to Abilene to play Brown Memorial Park (9 Hole). This is the course I'm most looking forward to playing. Once that is done, it's off to Solomon to play a little 6 hole course and then head home. The last stop is Goessel which has a 9 hole course which most players think can be played with a putter and maybe a mid. That's the 5 courses which I need for January. If there is daylight left, I may sneak in the new Thresher National in North Newton.