24th February: One day event which is part of the MODS Tour (Midlands One Day Series) organised by Richard Hatton. See details here
7-8th July: The 24th Quarry Park Open has now been upgraded to be the 40th British Open!!! Our main event of the year with a full field of 90 players expected, including more than 20 Pro division players competing to win over £1000 in cash. Details and registration to follow in March. Spectators very welcome for the finals on Sunday afternoon. Due to lack of parking we cannot accommodate spectators before 13:00 on Sunday.
29-30th September: The Quarry Park Masters with divisions for players born on or before 31.12.1978
The above events will be PDGA sanctioned.
We also have a our regular monthly handicap which is usually on the 1st Saturday of the month. This is a much more casual affair and open to players of all levels with no requirement to be a member of Quarry Park or any disc golf organisation.
You might imagine that evening play will cease as the nights draw in, but we are looking to start night golf, using strings of LED's on the baskets and discs with LED's. It's looking like this may happen on Thursdays, so keep an eye on the facebook page and group for news on this.
Just because it's getting quieter on the course, doesn't mean we are sitting back. As I write this I await a new shipment of Innova and Discmania discs, staff kit is on order, more videos are in the pipeline, landscaping to the social area will soon be completed, off-grid electricity is coming, tee and signage improvements are planned, and there will be a realignment of the 18th hole.
Paul Claridge has been putting together some videos featuring me, Derek Robins, talking about the course, what's "in my bag", tips on technique etc. It's all posted on the facebook page and Youtube, so be sure to follow us. Earlier this week we were on Made in Birmingham tv, so check that out too - episode 162 and the QP segment starts at 15 minutes.
Last week I was lucky to have the opportunity to travel to Ukraine, to play in the first ever disc golf tournament to be held in that country. I came back with the trophy and title of Lutsk Disc Golf Open Champion. It was a great experience and I love to combine my passion for disc golf with my passion for travel. I have now competed in disc golf tournaments in 27 countries.
In addition to the classes, I am offering "in round" coaching whereby I will accompany a player or players on a round and coach on the go. This scenario allows for focus on shot selection and adapting to difficult lies as well as standard technique. The charge is £20/hour for my time and that can cover 1 to 3 players, the normal round fee is payable in addition. There are no set times for this, just contact Derek on 07780727921 to arrange a suitable time.
In the womens division, Sue Underwood won by a wide margin. The Masters division (40+) was dominated by Jester Wilson after Icelands Thorvaldur Thorarinsson's challenge fell away in the 3rd round. Quarry Park's Mark Davis took an early lead in the Amateur division with a 59 on the Black course layout, but fellow club member Phil Blount slashed that lead with a 54 on the Blue layout and then edged ahead in the third round and sealed the victory with a solid final 9.