2026 Boulder Woods Ice Bowl

I arrived early (beating most of the tournament staff as usual), got everything set up, and headed out to warm up. As others started arriving, I got a few complements on some of the videos that I had posted, which game me a big of an emotional boost. (It's always nice to have your efforts appreciated). I recorded the tournament intro that I hoped to use for the video, then played holes 16A through 4 to get the blood moving. Everything felt pretty solid, and I was getting a bit of extra distance on my drives, which was unexpected. My putting warmup was shaky -- as usual -- but I was determined to push through the negative self-talk and make the new putting mentality work.

In a nutshell, "Stop being such a frightened little bitch, and put the disc in the basket with authority!"

After a short player's meeting, the customary group picture, and a muddy slog back to hole 17, it was time to begin. (There was an issue with my UDisc scoring app -- later to be determined to be "user error!" -- as we started, but a card mate stepped up and took over the scoring duties.) The first 3 holes (17, 18, and 1) are holes that I expect to birdie, and I got the first 2, missing the third when my drive had a bit too much hyzer and hit a tree in circle 2. Holes 2 and 3 are out of my "driving range", so I played them for par (successfully). I shorted the drive on hole 4 (as usual) and rolled part of the way back down the hill -- putting the desired birdie out of reach. I saved the par, then ran off 4 straight birdies (holes 5A, 5B, 6, and 7) to find myself at -6 at the halfway mark, and I'm feeling really good about my round.

And now I'm standing on the tee pad of hole 8, and the intrusive thoughts begin.

"Here is your nemesis."

"You always screw up on this hole."

"Always."

Then I promptly leaked my forehand drive to the right, landing in the rough. There wasn't any openings that would allow me to get to the green, so I pitched out, then went up-and-down for my first bogie of the day. My drive on hole 9 leaked left (another early release), hit a tree, and led to another bogie. I played hole 10 well (turnover backhand Hatchet, then up and down with the Swan putter), but overturned the same Hatchet on hole 11, which lead to a third bogie.

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

I tried to "goose" the power on the forehand Ahti drive on hole 12, but not enough anhyzer angle put the disc short and right and into the brush.

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

A simple up and down par -- and move on to hole 13. Step up with a simple backhand Stag drive -- one that I've thrown many times...

...and badly "early-release" the shot to the left, missing the mando.

"I'll mulligan that shot."

I step up with my other, less stable Stag...

...and again "early-release" the shot to the left, again missing the mando.

Oh, right. I missed a step.

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

Now I step up with a slightly understable Hatchet and pure the gap with a hyzer-flip that hits the landing zone perfectly.

I get up and down for the par, then proceed to par hole 14 with a pure forehand drive (Orbit Sword) and a quick up-and-down putter finish.

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

It's working!

I pure the drive on 15 and leave myself a 15-foot put for bridie, then play the final two holes "unspectacularly" for a pair of pars to finish the 20-hole round at -4 (56).

Not bad -- but not great, either. I got 7 birdies (5A, 5B, 6, 7, 15, 17, and 18), and missed 5 that I should get (1, 4, 12, 16A, and 16B). Of the "par-only" holes, I got pars on 5 (2, 3, 10, 13, and 14) and bogies on 3 (8, 9, and 11).

Getting back to "Tournament Central", I discover that the camera was not running. I found that the cable to the external battery had worked itself loose, and the camera had shut down when the internal battery expired. I reconnected the cable and got the camera back up and running, grabbed a bit of food, checked in with home, then headed back out to try to stay loose for round two. Before I head back onto the course, I check my starting hole one final time, see that I'm slated to start on hole 5A. I play my way to that hole (playing holes 16A, 16B, 17, and 4), and arrive at hole 5A to find it empty with about 10 minutes before start. I throw a few drives, then walk toward the basket to pick up the discs. Looking back toward the tee pad, I still don't see any other players -- and get a bad feeling. I scoot back to Tournament Central to find that my card had been moved to hole 8!! I run back to the tee pad of 5, grab my cart, and begin the "speed slog" through the mud toward my new starting hole. The "two-minute warning goes up when I'm halfway there, and I get to the hole just as the "start" cry goes up.

What a way to start round 2; out of breath, legs burning, and mind spinning!

My card mates cut me a break and let me catch my breath for a moment. Then I step up and throw a low forehand to the perfect landing spot (for me, at least) in the fairway. I leave my approach short left and obstructed...

... the 3-putt my way to a double bogie!

No, no, no!! I'm NOT going to let this round spiral out of control!

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

Pure the straight drive on hole 9, and get the expected par.

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

Pure the turnover drive on hole 10, and get the expected par.

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

It's working!!

Over-turn the drive on hole 11, but throw a great recovery approach and save the par.

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

The mantra has taken hold.

I recover from a short right drive on hole 12 with a good approach and save the par. I recover from a early-released drive on hole 13 (that hit the left mando tree) with a high spike forehand to get through the mando, then drain a circle 2 putt over the guardian stump to save par on hole 13. I play hole 14 almost identically to the first round for another par.

And somewhere in the series of holes, my lower back began to seize. It twinged during my drive on 15, causing my disc to head into the right rough. I call another mulligan, then step back and try to relax the tight lumbar area,

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

I step up and pure the drive, leaving myself another 15-foot birdie putt, and getting my mind off of the back pain and back into the game. I short the drive on 16A, leading to a par, but then I pure the drive on hole 16B and grab another birdie. Holes 17, 18, and 1 follow suit, with perfect drives and short birdie putts. Hole 2 leads to the expected par, but an early tree hit with a ridiculously long carry to the left on hole 3 leads to a bogie. I throw a better drive on hole 4, but still hit the left corner trees and can only get up-and-down for a par.

At this point, my lower back is completely immobile. I manage to grab birdies on Holes 5A and 7, and easy pars on both 5B and 6, to once again finish the round with a -4 (56). When it was all said and done, I was pretty happy with that round. I recovered from the pre-round "swamp sprint", shook off the double-bogie on the first hole, scrambled well when necessary, and played through the diminishing flexibility from the lumbar muscle spasm. I again got 7 birdies (1, 5A, 7, 15, 16B, 17, and 18), and missed 5 that I should get (4, 5B, 6, 12, and 16A). Of the "par-only" holes, I got pars on 6 (2, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14), a bogie on 3, and that unfortunate double-bogie on hole 8.