I found out this morning that my wife and daughters were making a trip to Mankato, Minnesota to shop, catch a movie, have fun…just the girls! No humans with XY chromosomes allowed. 🙂 So with about 7-8 hours of newly-found free time on my hands, I quickly decided that I would cross a 2018 “Bucket List” course off the To Play List: Cedar Creek Central in Fairmont, Minnesota. Designed by Trevor Boehne, who I always say is probably Minnesota’s best tournament director, as a part of the now 54-hole disc golf complex at Cedar Creek Park (which is widely regarded as the top area for disc golf in Southwestern Minnesota), Cedar Creek Central is my kind of disc golf. “Billy goat golf,” up and down lots of hills. With lots of narrow alleys that double as fairways and water O.B. on eleven of the eighteen holes. And while the course only measures 5,403 feet in length? It plays a lot longer than that, due to the elevation changes, narrow fairways, and lots of twists and turns between the tees and baskets.
Conditions were less than ideal today, with lots of mud around the course, as well as lots of areas where the rough was fierce. So I decided to sacrifice ego/score in order to save time avoiding the searching for discs off the fairway. I decided to play the entire round using only my Squall and my Steady. Which turned out to be an excellent decision in hindsight. As while I probably sacrificed 2-3 strokes on the card? I only missed one fairway off the tee…and never went in the water.
Hole 10 (above) was one of my favorites on the course, and my tee shot landed in nearly perfect position “around the corner” to the right with a good line from there to the basket for my second. However, that hole nearly spelled disaster for me, as while I was approaching the water and bridge, I suddenly found myself sliding on the mud. With me coming to a stop via my right shin hitting the front of the bridge. It hurt, but I wasn’t hurt (if that makes sense). Had I hit that bridge with a bit more force, however, that could have resulted in a pretty nasty leg injury.
It was only in the mid-70s for temps, but with all the humidity and “billy goat golf,” I was able to wring my shirt out by the time I got to the car. The course was every-bit as good as advertised. There are still dozens of trip hazards in the fairways, and I think that course will be very slippery to play in the rain and snow. But it is probably my favorite course of the three at the park, at least based upon potential (once they get after those trip hazards, tighten a few screws around the rough, and do what they can to make the walk between holes and up/down hills to various baskets a little less treacherous). Excellent job with the design, Trevor! It was even more fun to play than I had expected. And I’m curious how my Squall-/Steady-only round of 59 measures up against how other players have been doing on that new course.
Magic Number = 595 (1,405 Courses Played)
About Tonn’s Travels
How it All Got Started: Tonn’s Travels >>
A main purpose of this blog will be to share information, helpful tips and tricks (everything from health and fitness to methods for saving money while you’re out “bagging courses” of your own), and ideas for better, safer course design. But I am also hoping to inspire others with my passion for the sport, via the stories I can share about all of the interesting experiences I have. All of the interesting people I meet. All of the amazing courses I am blessed to have the opportunity to play. If I can inspire even a handful of individuals to get off the couch, get “out of their bubble” or “security blanket” and explore more of this big, beautiful planet we all call home? Then I will consider this effort a success.
About Derek
Derek Tonn is a member of the DGA’s Ambassador Team. His company, Mapformation, LLC, has been DGA’s partner in the development of disc golf tee signage since 2012. The longer our two companies have worked together, and the more Derek has gotten to know all the great folks at DGA the more he has wanted to formally sing the company’s praises. The more he has realized that “Steady” Ed the father of disc golf and the modern day Frisbee vision for the sport and his company perfectly describes his own interests and priorities related to disc golf, and the more Derek has recently been encouraged to share his story.