If you haven’t read previous parts please start here:

http://authspot.com/short-stories/a-day-at-devens-prologue-the-gift/

Chapter 1

Guardians at the Gate

Everyone has “that” hole.  The one that gets you every time.  The one that no matter what you throw it never seems to work out right.  Not too often though is that hole the first one you face.

My albatross so to speak is Hole 1 at Devens Disc Golf Course.  It is a hole that is deceptively hard.  It isn’t until your really examine it that the genius of its creation enters your mind.  The hole starts with a wide open shot across a field, in fact the only wide open shot of the whole course.  After about a hundred and fifty feet though your disc plunges into the forest.  The land rises forming the base of the hill that the course is built upon.  At the point of entry the hill also slopes down to the left actually falling about twenty feet from your starting plane.  The basket sits slightly to the left approximately fifteen feet up the slope.

The direct line to the basket is blocked by two trees.  Two trees doesn’t sound like to much of a big deal until you realize you can’t throw high to the basket due to the foliage.  To the left of the trees is a window that is the best option, perfect for a forehand throw.  Unfortunately for me I can throw a boulder further than a forehand.  To the right and the best option for a right hand back hand shot is a window of 15 feet.  Further to the right of that is a denser stand of trees.  Throw your disc into these and it might take 2 or three throws simply to get out of them.   The problem with the right window is that any fade of the disc will send it skipping downhill from the basket, actually ending up beneath you.

I approach the hole like I do every time.  For some reason I check the box of where scorecards are provided, not that I ever take one.  I have a notebook in my bag that I use for that.  I guess it just makes me feel good knowing the course is well used by seeing the status of the scorecard pile.  After a quick perusing of the bulletin board I take a quick look in the lost and found bin just in case I see a disc a friend might have lost.  That’s what I tell myself, of course, but in reality it’s to make me feel better about my beginner style play that others actually loose discs too.