Disc golfing at High Bridge, July 29-30-31

My "big trip" of the summer was a disc golfing junket in High Bridge, Wisconsin. Way up there by Ashland, the High Bridge recreational complex, or compound or something, housed 11 courses after taking hybrid/mixed courses into account. My friend Dan and I were determined to play as many holes, competitively, as possible. Although the initial over/under was 232.5 holes, it was adjusted to 200 after the first day.

We hit 201 holes for the three-day stretch, including having played every course (except Bear) multiple times, including Gold ("You've Got Gold!") and Granite Ridge by foot and by cart. (It was much more enjoyable by cart, which also marked the first time I've ever disced with a golf cart. Fun.)  Although we played 201 holes, I only have scores for 10 of those 11 rounds. (11 x 18 is still only 198 holes, although the "Blueberry" course, from which our third round I'm missing scores, had a "bonus" 19th hole leading us back to our cabin. 198 + 3 bonus holes = 201, bitches.)  (Note:  all courses and holes played as Par 4s.)

Steve                                          Dan

Wood1:  -6                                Wood1: -10

Blueberry1: -7                            Blueberry1: -7

Gold1:  +13                               Gold1:  +10

Wood2:  -12*                            Wood2:  -8

Granite Ridge1:  E                      Granite Ridge1: +6

Granite Ridge2: -5                      Granite Ridge2: +1

Gold2:  +6                                 Gold2:  +10

Wood3:  -9                                Wood3:  -11

Wood4:  -5                                Wood4:  -12*

Blueberry2:  -7                           Blueberry2:  -2

--------------------                 ------------------------

                    -32                                          -23

*-denotes low personal and overall scores of the weekend

We survived on burgers, dogs, and a steak, but without forks. Yup, steaks on a knife. The campfires were enjoyable though, in addition to general wilderness time. Pretty chill vibes all around.

Everything was rustic, including the overall scoreboard.

There were lots of crazy holes -- rock outcroppings  and treacherous turns and curves. The courses were extremely well maintained and groomed.

A sign on one of the hybrid courses. Blueberry combined with  some Granite Ridge holes to make the "Blueridge" course. We never found the "Blueberry Kush" course though.

Highbridge Hills. Do it.

This was our cabin. Ghetto couch on the porch, campfire, inside breakfast table, fridge, stove, and inflatable matresses and one bed. It was rustic, even a tad dirty, so I'd prepare a little better for next time. Overall though, it got the job done and housed us for 2 nights.

The basket that inspired the controversial "3-and-out" argument. Was it called?  Mark it 8?  These were definitely league games.

The scenery was spectacular.

Hole #2 on Blueberry. The hole was past the tractor, up on top of that rock outcropping. Much longer than it looked. Solid birdie hole, though.

At times it felt like we were on safari.

Hello froggy.

In Cold Blood

I just finished my fifth book of the summer. (Three more to go to attain that ever-dorky goal of having read eight books this summer.) I decided that, after a raunchy trilogy and new young adult book, it was time for a classic with a little more depth.

I liked how Capote beautifully presented the scene, the case, and the murder. I can easily see how film-makers adapted this into a film. (And apparently I have seen this movie, although I can't recall much about it, other than Phillip Seymour Hoffman played Truman Capote.) I ended up enjoying the introduction and Clutter family so much that I didn't want their murder to come.

Capote also nicely presents the criminal perspective, although the detail is a little too specific and in-depth for me. I think that their ensuing voyage post-murder is important, but a lot of other side-facts and back-stories are not. I even sympathize here that Capote is trying to really develop the personality of the murderers -- it's necessary to go deep into detail.  But some of the factoids and anecdotes still seemed superfluous and expendable.

Not that Death Row.

One other gripe. The ending. In the same fashion as Capote went into detail about the murderers' lives, as went ensuing descriptions of other death row inmates. (That's deaTH row, not DeaF Row, for clarity's sake.) Capote described of the crimes and rationales of other inmates for about 30 pages too long before finally wrapping up the horrifying story.

Read it if you have a little bit of time on your hands -- it's a dense read. Only 320-ish pages, but extremely detail-laden and dialogue is used more sparingly than paraphrasing with a dialect. Good for vacations, reading by the pool, extremely hot summers.