October 29, 2011

The fourth annual autumn doubles tourney was one for the books.  Competition began on a typically brisk but overcast autumn day and finished in a raging blizzard.  The players got their first experience of the freshly-completed new layout, and the course held its own against the onslaught.  The team of Kelly Conroy (one of the course designers) and Isaac Bromberg triumphed in the Pro Open division with a 9-under 103.  In the Advanced Open division, the team of Kyle Moriarty and Eric Kretschmar did nearly as well with a total of 104.  Their second round set the current course doubles record at a six-under 50.

Even so, the general consensus was that the course plays tougher than its original configuration.  Though there are now arguably three holes that could produce an ace, none of the players in this tournament was able to muster one.  The CTP playoff after the second round took place in driving snow off of the first tee, and Michael Habets dropped his disk just a few feet from the basket.

All in all, everyone had a great time.  Karen once again provided exquisite food, including her popular curried tortellini salad.  And all of the players got an early taste of the Winter Winds!

FINAL RESULTS

PRO

Open
1. Isaac Bromberg & Kelly Conroy  52  51  103
2. Michael Habets & Edwin Bedell  54  53  107
3. Jason Johnson & Will Greenleaf  54  57  111

AM

Open
1. Kyle Moriarty & Eric Kretschmar  54  50  104
2. Tim Matusko & Josh Bergman  55  53  108
3. Nick Gross & Evan Ralph  55  56  111
4. Joe Allen & Jacob Batrano  56  56  112

Intermediate
1. Matt Mourovic & Tom Paret  54  56  110
2. Mike & John Kielb  57  57  114
3. Will Edwards & Kyle Ford  55  60  115
4. Brandon Reinle & Jason Charpentier  61  59  120

Recreational
1. Gabe Stetson & Justin Goldberg  66  71  137

Joe Allen fires a drive off of the new fourth tee.  Most players would have been penalized for foot faults on this tee; many commented that there simply wasn't enough room for a run-up with the big shed behind them, especially considering this is now the longest hole on the course.

Tim Matusko watches as Nick Gross putts out at 6, a new short but tricky hole that winds through a little park at the front of the HCC campus.

Isaac Bromberg and Kelly Conroy make the approach to hole 7, a long S-shaped par 4.

Josh Bergman backhands a drive off of the new ninth tee, a short but challenging shot where the ground drops sharply down to the road.

Will Edwards and Kyle Ford putt out at the basket for hole 9, which used to be the finishing basket on the old layout.

The new tenth tee presents a perfect opportunity for a flick (forehand) shot.  Backhanders beware: this fairway loves to produce dangerous rollaways.

If you look closely at the center of this image, you can barely see the player driving off of the spectacular tee 11, about forty feet above the ground.  Many players considered this their favorite hole on the course.

Hole 12, on the other hand, became one of the most dreaded holes on the course, an almost inverted version of hole 11 where a drive off the tee had to make it up a seemingly insurmountable hill.

And once over the first hill -- players were confronted with yet another steep hill up to the basket.  Here Brandon Reinle gives it his best shot as Gabe Stetson and Justin Goldberg look on.

Making it to hole 14's basket requires a long arcing drive over a craggy hill.  And on the other side of that hill is this challenging pin placement.

Edwin Bedell's disc is a green streak as he drives off of the fifteenth tee, which was hole 13 on the old layout.

The view of the basket from the 18th tee looks so tempting.  But there's plenty of opportunity for trouble with the numerous trees and sloping fairway.  There's also a stream off to the left, the first time the course introduced a water hazard.

Will Greenleaf makes his putt on hole 18 as his partner Jason Johnson watches.

By the middle of the second round, the weather began to get ugly -- especially for October.  Here Will Edwards drives his disc through the wind and snow ...

... and it only got worse.  By the time of the CTP contest, the campus was a winter wonderland.

Michael Habets stands near his winning throw in two inches of heavy snow, a surreal ending to the successful inauguration of the new layout.  Merry Christmas!