Board Election Results
Votes were cast online over the past week and voting was conducted in person this past weekend in conjunction with the North County/South County Challenge. The top five vote earners will meet after tonight’s Board meeting to select the Executive Board. Vote totals are as follows:
Jeff Nichols – 62 votes
Allen Risley – 62 votes
Donny Olow – 52 votes
Mark Verrochi – 45 votes
Randy Wylot – 44 votes
Dan Lichtman – 27 votes
John Heaton – 21 votes
T.J. Cruz – 20 votes
Brian Akerson – 11 votes
Courtney McSherry – 6 votes
Chad Nichter – 3 votes
Another Year, Another North vs. South Challenge
This weekend will see the fourth installment of the San Diego Aces’ North County vs. South County Challenge. The details of this event are kept secret each year from the disc golfing public, with the team captains (Dan Lichtman/South, A.J. Risley/North) holding all of the information until the last possible moment. Why? Not sure. Perhaps it’s because it’s extremely difficult to put together teams of San Diego disc golfers who will commit to being someplace for two whole days, without the threat of losing their entry fee and where there’s no prize money on the line. Perhaps it’s because it’s so difficult to get the OK to play the courses on a given weekend at a given time. Perhaps it’s because the team captains can’t figure out how to type an e-mail to announce the details. Perhaps it’s because there are fugitives from the law on the teams and the captains are trying to make it difficult for the police, sheriff or Dog the Bounty Hunter to find them. Well…whatever the reason, we think we finally have enough info available to announce what is happening this weekend. Here goes:
The competition consists of four rounds of match play disc golf, played over two days, two courses per day. According to sources close to one of the team captains (OK, it came from a team captain, so that’s pretty close), Saturdays rounds will be at Kit Carson Park (8 am start) and Goat Hill (1pm start). Sundays rounds will be at Sun Valley (8am start) and Morley Field (1pm start). Players are responsible for paying their own greens fees at Goat Hill, Sun Valley and Morley Field. There is no truth to the rumor that any of the courses will let the South team trade in their spiffy team shirts for greens fees. Singles matches will be played at Kit Carson on Saturday and Morley on Sunday, with doubles matches played at Goat Hill on Saturday and Sun Valley on Sunday.
Scoring? No details have been released on how the matches will be scored. Standard match play rules call for players to compete for the best score on each hole, with the winning player/team receiving one point. We’ve heard some people muttering about keeping score by totaling the number of holes won by each player…we’re not sure.
What’s at stake? Well, obviously bragging and trash-talking rights for the next year. There’s also a rumor about a trophy, but very few people have ever seen it if there is one. That’s because the South team has won every time so far and team captain Dan Lichtman keeps the trophy at home in his kitchen, using it to hold down the napkins he brings home from El Pollo Loco.
Along with the disc golf competition, two other events will be going on in conjunction with the Challenge. The 2012 S.D. Aces Board Election will be held this weekend. The online portion of the election has been going on since last Friday night. Members who have not voted online (we have a list) will be allowed to vote in person at each of the courses this weekend, while the voting is going on.
Also, this weekend will be your first chance to join or renew your membership for 2012 and be able to receive a 2012 bagtag and 2012 membership disc. Bagtags have arrived, and the first 50 members to sign up will be given a chance at the top 50 tags. The new discs will be picked up from the Innova factory on Friday and will be available this weekend.
This weekend’s rosters:
Board Election is Available Online
Invitations to vote in the 2012 board election for the San Diego Aces went out over the weekend. Members with a valid e-mail address in the membership database were sent e-mails containing a link to the online ballot. The e-mails were sent out from “San Diego Aces Disc Golf Association” and had the subject line: “2012 Board Election“. If you are a current member and did not receive an election e-mail, please send an e-mail to rizbee@teamrizbee.com to get this taken care of.
If you do not have an e-mail address or prefer to vote in person, a ballot box will be available this weekend at the courses being used for the North/South Challenge. On Saturday, matches will be held at Kit Carson Park in the morning (roughly 9am-11am) and Goat Hill in the afternoon (roughly 1pm-4pm). On Sunday, matches will be held at Sun Valley in the morning ((roughly 9am-11am) and Morley Field in the afternoon (roughly 1pm-4pm). Bios for most of the candidates are available here.
If you have further questions regarding the election, please contact Aces Vice President Randy Wylot, at wylot@sbcglobal.net.
Nominations Open for 2012 S.D. Aces Board Election
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2012 San Diego Aces Board. You may nominate another person, or yourself. Please send an e-mail with the person’s name to rizbee@teamrizbee.com. If possible, include a brief (<100) word bio describing the candidate’s qualifications for the board. Nominations will be accepted until Sunday, Nov. 27th at 11pm. Nominations are not for specific positions on the board (President, Treasurer, Course Represenative, etc.) but are for the board in general. Positions are assigned at the first meeting of the new board.
The election will be held in two parts: an online ballot will be available from Dec. 1st to Dec. 9th and in-person voting will be available Dec 10/11 in conjunction with the North/South Challenge. Anyone with a valid e-mail address in the S.D. Aces database will receive an e-mail invite with a secure link to the online ballot. Those who do not vote online will be allowed to vote in person at the courses where the North/South Challenge is held. More details on the exact locations and times will be available on this website before Dec. 1st.
Ace Race Player Packs are In!
If you played in the Ace Race and did not receive a player pack that day, your player pack is in. Mark Verocchi has the player packs and will have them available at Kit Carson Park before and after Saturday Doubles (8:30am or 11:00am). Mark will contact you by e-mail if you can’t make it Saturday.
Aces Board Seeks Treasurer
The San Diego Aces Board is accepting applications to fill the position of Treasurer through the end of 2011. Sadly, we have to report that our current Treasurer, Michelle Chambless, has tendered her resignation from the board. What’s bad for us is good for her, though, as she is transferring to L.A. to accept an internal promotion at her work. Michelle has done an amazing job as Treasurer for the Aces, and was integral in the club’s receiving non-profit status from the IRS. If you see Michelle out on the golf course, please make it a point to thank her for all her hard work over the past three years.
If you are interested in applying for the Treasurer position, please contact club President Ryan Meyer at ramskemeyer@gmail.com. The board is hoping to interview candidates at the November Board meeting, Monday, November 14th.
Ace Race Update
The Ace Race is blowing up!!! As of Friday, Oct. 14th all 110 player packs have been purchased. 110 players!! That’s almost twice as many as our best previous year. So, you may be thinking…”@$%$&!, did I wait too long to sign up?” Well, yes and no. We’re out of player packs, but there’s a way we can squeeze in more players: if there are players willing to let a late-comer use one of their discs, we can squeeze in another player. The late-comer will still have to pay the $25 entry fee, and we’ll order the additional player packs on Monday. So, even if you’re not pre-registered it’s worth stopping by Montiel Park on Sunday, Oct. 16th.
And it’s worth it because the Ace Race is always fun. 36 shortened-hole chances to get an ace! 2 brand new prototype discs, a small golf bag and a full-color mini. And we’ve added more!
- We’ll have an ace pot – you can buy shares for $1 each, with 2/3 of the pot split among those who get aces and 1/3 going to our charity.
- You can also play the mini Ace Race for $1 a round. 9 mini baskets, playing with the Ace Race mini. 1/2 of the cash goes to the winner, 1/2 to the charity. And there will be some runner-up prizes.
- We’ll have a long-putting contest (you can use your own putter for this). $1 for 3 shots, first prize is a free pair of Keen Milo McIver Disc Golf Shoes! And there will be some runner-up prizes.
- Food!!! Aces Vice President and Chief Grillmaster Randy Wylot will be on hand cooking up burgers and hot dogs (the good ones they have at Costco). Donations appreciated.
And what’s the charity? We’ll be donating the proceeds from the Ace Race to EDGE (Educational Disc Golf Experience), a group that helps promote disc golf in schools. Our donation will be earmarked to provide EDGE equipment and materials for the Escondido School District. EDGE provides portable baskets, kid-friendly discs, instructional DVDs and a curriculum guide that has school lesson plans for integrating disc golf into PE, Math and Science classes. We have a very enthusiastic group of Escondido school teachers who are ready and willing to put this stuff to use in their schools. So help us grow the sport – show up for the Ace Race!!
Oh, and with such a big turnout, parking will be limited at Montiel Park. Please carpool to the park if you can.
2011 Ace Race is October 16th at Montiel Park
The only Ace Race tournament in San Diego County will be held Sunday, October 16th at Montiel Park in San Marcos. What is an Ace Race? It’s a tournament where all you do is throw tee shots, for 36 holes, trying to get holes-in-one (or aces). 
Montiel park sets up well for an Ace Race, because most of the holes are pretty short, but to make it even more fun (more aces = more fun) the course will be set up with several shorter-than-usual tees. Ace Races are generally more on the “fun” end of the spectrum than the “competitive” end, so even if you’re not usually a tournament player, this event is for you. It also has a very loose schedule – show up whenever you want between 10am and 3:30 pm to play your 36 holes, and you can play with whomever you want. No strict shotgun starts and random groups – you play it your way!
One of the things that draws lots of players to the Ace Race is the sweet players pack that they put together each year. this time, for your $25 entry fee you receive 2 brand-new-design proto-type discs, a full-color Discraft mini-UltraStar and a “weekender” golf bag. Yeah, that’s right, a bag! This year’s disc is a putter, and it’s a bit of a change. It’s a wider-diameter putter – 22.06 centimeters where most putters are 21 c. This should give it a little more float or glide than most putters, but also allow it to be heavier – as much as 183 grams! Here’s what the folks at Discraft 
have to say about this year’s Ace Race disc:
This year’s proto is unique and sweet, and we think you’re going to love it! It’s the widest diameter putt and approach model Discraft has ever offered, so it can legally weigh in at a hefty 183 grams (subject to PDGA approval)… that’s at least a full seven grams more than other putters! The disc is obedient to its master and goes where you throw it, delivering directional precision and soft, flat landings. The rim is beadless and feels great in your hand. Think of it as a shorter, slower Comet that is hungry for chains.
First prize goes to the player who hits the most aces, with the tiebreaker being the number of “metal hits” off the tee. And it’s a good prize – a large Discraft golf bag filled with a mix of brand-new Discraft discs. And there will be other side events as well:
- A cash ace pot where you can buy more than one share in the prize pot.
- A mini-Ace Race using mini baskets and the official Ace Race mini.
- A putting contest, with the prize being a pair of Keen disc golf shoes.
- Doubles, bag tag challenges and North Team tryouts as time allows.
The Ace Race is run each year as a fundraising event for the San Diego Aces. Because of this, we ask players to sign up in advance so we have the money to purchase the right number of player packs. On-line registration is available at DiscGolfU.com, or you can print out this flyer and send it in with you entry fee. Don’t expect to show up on the 16th with cash – we may not have enough discs for late-comers!
Our fundraising this year is going towards purchasing an EDGE disc and basket package for the Escondido School Disctrict. Several current and former Escondido teachers have contacted the Aces asking for help getting disc golf into the local schools. Help us grow the sport in this area and have fun at the same time – join in the race for aces!
North vs. South is on the horizon
The fourth installment of the San Diego Aces’ North vs. South Challenge is looming on the horizon, as South County looks to defend their crown. Each year, Aces club members are selected to play on two teams that divide the county in half (using roughly the 56 freeway). Captains are appointed by the Aces board, and these captains put together their own process for selecting their team. The teams are made up of about 20 players each, with spots reserved for players who play a variety of divisions (Open Men, Open Women, Advanced, Intermediate, Masters, etc.). The event consists of four rounds of golf on one weekend (this year it’s November 19/20), with two rounds being singles match play and two rounds being doubles match play. Players are matched up to play against similarly-skilled opponents by the two captains and play two rounds on South County courses (typically Morley and Sun Valley) and two rounds on North County courses (typically Kit Carson and Montiel). The team that wins the most matches walks away with bragging rights for the year. Last year’s matches were hotly contested, with the South jumping out to a big lead after Saturday’s play on southern courses, and holding of on a very wet Saturday up north, with a final singles round played in driving wind and rain at Montiel Park.
Aces Membership Director Dan Lichtman ha captained the South team every year of the challenge, and has begun to qualify his team. Last weekend’s Morley monthly was his first qualifier – if you’d like to be on the South team contact him @ lichtman@rock.com. A.J. Risley has captained the North team for the past two years and is back again, hoping to finally beat the South. His first qualifier is this weekend’s California State Flying Disc Championships at Kit Carson Park. If you’re interested in playing for the north, contact him at aj@teamrizbee.com.
