Dec 27, 2013

I got up a little later than expected, but I got ready and headed up to Ringing Rocks County Park north of Philly. It was a long ride up, but I listened to some good podcasts and got there at the same time as Joanna so that worked out well. It was a quick walk to the main attraction. There is a boulder field with rocks that apparently ring out when you strike them with a hammer.

We tested that out and it appears to be true, but not quite as pronounced as I expected. It was still a cool sight with the light snow covering the rocks. She tested out a lot of the rocks while I watched on. Once the novelty wore off, we headed down the path where a waterfall was supposedly hiding.

We got to the waterfall where there was still some water streaming through the ice and it looked awesome. I had to carefully climb down over the icy rocks to get a good view from below and I was happy I did. It was an amazing thing to stand and watch. A beautiful winter scene.

We went over to Nockamixon DGC next. We had played here before a couple years ago and I had a pretty good memory of it. The course is challenging, but playable. It doesn't feel like you have to drive more than once, which is a complaint I have on some longer courses. This one is nicely laid out and rocky at parts.

It weaves in and out of the woods, up and down hills, and over a few water hazards. We both played pretty well considering the cold and difficulty of the course. I had quite a few drives I wasn't at all happy with, but I felt like it had to do with the weather and my hands being dry so the disc slipped. I made up for it with some really good ones at the end.

We went over to Tinicum Park next, which we had also played before. The taller grass had been cut so the field shots were just wide open now. Not too interesting. Hole 7, which is a tree-lined straight shot, is one that I had remembered doing really well on last time. I did not do so well on it this time. I was about done with disc golf for the day by this point so we quit after hole 9.

I came home and got my equipment ready for the wedding tomorrow and then just chilled out for the evening. I continued watching White Collar, which I started last night and have really been enjoying. Gotta love Netflix.

Jul 8, 2010

Once I decided to get up and drive north, I met Joanna and we headed into Pennsylvania via this tiny bridge over the Delaware. How different than the giant spans that we take into Philly. People were walking in the middle of the river, that's how shallow it was.

The first course we hit was Tinicum, which is a big park with open fields right along the river. The signs were amazingly nice and informative. The first few holes were mostly open with some trees and grass thrown in to spice it up a bit.

When we got to the woods, the first shot was a long, narrow, straight shot which I threw perfectly down the center. I don't know how I did it but I was just in the zone for that shot. The wooded holes were nice and there were quite a few different shots so it kept it interesting.

The back nine was a mix of wooded and open shots, with a few that felt like repeats but an overall nice variation. The last shot was almost 800 feet straight down to a grove of trees. You may notice that the disc in this shot is going hard to the right and into the grass, where thousands of tiny crickets live and jump around all day.

I really like the course for the most part. The park is beautiful and the fairways are well-maintained. Put this one in the "visit if you're in the area" column.

We grabbed some lunch on the way to Nockamixon Park and ate when we got there. After eating, we started on the back nine loop to avoid the large group starting at the beginning. The first hole was long and rocky. It was definitely a sign of what was to come on the course.

The tees were well-marked and the distances written on with sharpie. Pretty much every hole was over five hundred feet. It's not as bad as it sounds because each one was picturesque and fun.

One of the last holes shot to the edge of a nice little pond. This pond would steal one of Joanna's discs for a few minutes until we almost gave up on looking for it. It was recovered easily once it was spotted.

We began playing the front nine after we finished the back. Those nine holes felt like an entire course but they were awesome. Do I looked wiped out? I am a little. It was warm.

The front nine was nice as well, slightly different than the back. We were playing through one hole where I thought my disc was caught in a tree but it somehow sailed through the branches and up to the fairway for a great shot. I had some awesome shots on this course. This is a return-for-sure course.

After the grueling day of golf was over we made the drive back and went to see Grown Ups. It was funny most of the way through. A few of the funnier parts were in the previews so they were spoiled but a quality movie anyway. The ensemble cast makes up for the lack of glory day laughs. I want to watch Happy Gilmore.

I did a little reading before bed but after the long day I got sleepy fast.