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.
California State Championships this weekend!
The California State Flying Disc Championships will be held this weekend – Saturday, Sept. 17 and Sunday, Sept. 18 – at Kit Carson Park in Escondido. The focal activity of the weekend will be three rounds of disc golf played on the extended layout at Kit Carson. Two rounds of golf will be played Saturday, with the first round teeing off at 8am (7:30am players meeting) and the second round teeing off at 1:30pm. All day long players will be competing in some of the other events, including accuracy, putting, a flying disc skills contest and a hole-in-one contest. A Freestyle Frisbee demonstration will be held at lunchtime for your entertainment, and we also hope to have one or more of San Diego’s popular food trucks on hand to sell lunch.
Sunday’s round of golf tees off at 9am, followed by a Double Disc Court demonstration, Freestyle contest, hole-in-one contest finals ($250 payout) and awards. Players can register to play just golf, or for an additional fee also compete for the Overall Frisbee Champion title. Players and spectators can also compete in any of the non-disc golf events for a small fee per event. Come out and play, or support your favorite player!
New Course Preview!!!
The bad news? No doubles at Kit Carson this Saturday because of a cross-country race.
The good news? Aces board member Mark Verrochi has put together a field trip for Aces members to the new Olive Glen Disc Golf Course at Sycuan Golf and Tennis Resort! This Saturday (9/10/2011) at 10am, Sycuan will open up their new 9-hole course for a mini-tournament put together by the Aces. A $5 entry fee gets you an 18-hole look at the new course (maybe 9 short tees/9 long tees?), with prizes for the best 3 scores. And I wouldn’t bet against there being a bagtag melee as well…
The Olive Glen course is set, as you might guess, in the middle of an old olive grove. The holes are shortish, as the course was set up for kid’s camps and recreational disc golf by resort guests, but word from a few Aces who have had an early look is that it rewards accurate, straight shots down the rows of trees and punishes wild, errant olive-harvesting shots. The course is pay-to-play, with registration being handled at the golf pro shop: 3007 Dehesa Road, El Cajon, Ca 92019, phone 619.444.2128 for more info. Join us 10am Saturday for the unveiling of more San Diego baskets!
California State Flying Disc Championships – Coming Very Soon!!!
Kit Carson Park will host the second annual California State Flying Disc Championships on Saturday and Sunday, September 17th and 18th 2011. This is a So Cal and PDGA sanctioned event and will be three rounds of golf from the long tee pads at Kit Carson Park Disc Golf Course. In addition to disc golf, the event will have accuracy, putting contest, skills contest, freestyle and DDC.
Tournament Directors Randy Wylot and Mark Verrochi are planning an event that is very player-friendly, using the long golf layout that was a big hit for the Spring Fling, and bringing back the other Frisbee events that added spice to last year’s tournament. Tournament Central will be near the Kit Carson practice baskets, and the extra events will be held in that vicinity to make participation and spectating as easy as possible.
Online registration is available at DiscGolfU.com – check out the links to DGU and the tournament flyer on the right sidebar of this page. See you there!
More Trees at Montiel Park?
The City of San Marcos is applying for a grant that would (among other things) pay for the addition of irrigation lines and landscaping at Montiel Park in San Marcos. If you’ve played Montiel, you would probably agree that more trees and landscaping would improve the park and the disc golf course.
If you’d like to help make this happen, please send an e-mail to the San Diego Aces Course Representative for Montiel Park, Allen Risley @ rizbee@teamrizbee.com. Your e-mail should describe your use of the park and your support for the addition of irrigation lines, landscaping and erosion control measures for Montiel Park. All of the e-mails received from disc golfers will be collected and forwarded to the Director of Community Services, Craig Sargeant-Beach. Thanks for your help!
Oceanside Open this Sunday @ Goat Hill
Time is running out to register for the Oceanside Open, a multi-format disc golf tournament to be held Sunday, August 7 at Goat Hill golf course in Oceanside. The tournament, hosted by Kinetic Disc Golf, is being held to support the introduction of disc golf to the Oceanside Boys and Girls Club. If you’ve played Goat Hill before and wondered about the stuffed animals zip-tied to the fence near the 8th tee, that’s where the Boys and Girls Club is. These kids could use some discs and portable baskets!!
Sunday’s tournament has two different format tracks: a 2-round singles tournament using traditional divisions, and a 1-round recreational doubles tournament, in between the 2-rounder. T.J. Cruz and Courtney McSherry, the owners of Kinetic Disc Golf, have a variety of other side events (speed putting, longest drive, ring of fire) to keep players busy (and winning). Lunch is included in your entry, along with greens fees and cart. You can register online until Saturday at DiscGolfU.com. There is a flyer with more details and tee times located here.
Help support the Boys & Girls club of Oceanside !
Big Turnout for Aces Member BBQ
Mark Verrochi sorts the rainbow of tags
Over seventy San Diego Aces members took part in the Member Appreciation BBQ this past Saturday at Kit Carson Park (July 16, 2011), which made it the highest-attended club event ever. The day started out with a work party, where volunteers moved baskets, cleared brush along the fairways, trimmed low-hanging tree branches and picked up hundreds…no thousands…of cigarette butts.
After the work party 66 players assembled for the giant bagtag melee. Kit Carson Course Rep Mark Verrochi took on the gargantuan task of collecting names and bagtags, and then redistributing them in order them afterwards. The top round of the day was a 44 carded by Max Nichols, followed by luke Christiansen with a 46. Max and Luke walked away wityh bagtags #7 and #9 respectively. Luke also had the biggest climb of the day, jumping from bagtag #406 up to #9, a move up of 397 spots. Jamie Tuckey (tag #16) fired a 48, followed by 49s from Jeff Nichols (tag 30), Dale Chambless (33), Aaron Van Matre (35) and Alex Nichols (36). Full results can be found here.
Perhaps the highlight of the day was the free pulled-pork lunch provided by Aces Club President Ryan Meyer. Ryan served up 50 lbs of BBQ-ed goodness to the membership, which all quickly disappeared. For once, no complaints were heard from the assembled disc golfers.
The event was rounded off with a prize raffle for all participants, and a series of several rings-of-fire which went on until there were no more prizes to give. Many thanks to those who attended and helped out. The big question: when can we do this again!?!
San Diego Aces Disc Golf Club 