Time to ring in the new year with a little disc golf! The Inland Empire Disc Golf Club will be hosting the 3rd Annual Redlands Ice Bowl at Ford Park in Redlands on Saturday, January 2, 2010. Registration begins at 8:30am and the player's meeting will be at 9am. This event will be the first in the four-part "Golden Sombrero Winter Series 2010," the other events being held in Palm Desert, San Marcos and San Diego.

As with the last two years' Ice Bowls in Redlands all proceeds will go to Redlands Family Service Association and their important work in our community. Last year we raised $400 and I would love to beat that sum this year.

The entry fee is $20 and here's what you get for that:
- a nice walk in a lovely park
- 27 holes of play: 2 rounds of 9 holes on the Ford Park Pitch n' Putt Deluxe layout and 1 round of 9 holes in "Metal or Nada" format (one shot at the basket per hole)
- a sweet premium disc with the Golden Sombrero Winter Series 2010 stamp (Star San Marino Rocs and R-Pro Bosses - thank you Innova!)
- Three mulligans (more for sale - "Buy a tournament win!")
- voluminous trash-talking among friends
- a "unique" trophy for the winner, found by Samuel and me and currently undergoing "modification"
- some nice prizes

Many thanks go to the City of Redlands, Redlands Morning Kiwanis and Innova Champion Disc Golf.

We have had only one champion in our first two years, Allen "Rizbee" Risley, who has utilized a precise mid-range game and strategic mulligan management to claim the top spot. Who will it be this year? Could it be you?

Questions? PM me or email at [email protected]

Hope to see you there.

Golden Sombrero Winter Series 2010 Star San Marino Roc

Weather forecast for the four Ice Bowls to be held on Saturday, January 2, 2010:

- Newtown, PA: snow flurries, high of 30 degrees
- Easley, SC: sunny, high of 37 degrees
- Huntsville, AL: mostly sunny, high of 34 degrees

and your 3rd Annual Redlands Ice Bowl:

"mostly sunny, high of 71 degrees"

It's nice to live here.

Come out and join us in the suffering Saturday morning, registration starts at 8:30am with players meetings at 9am.

Weather forecast for the four Ice Bowls to be held on Saturday, January 2, 2010:

- Newtown, PA: snow flurries, high of 30 degrees
- Easley, SC: sunny, high of 37 degrees
- Huntsville, AL: mostly sunny, high of 34 degrees

and your 3rd Annual Redlands Ice Bowl:

"mostly sunny, high of 71 degrees"

It's nice to live here.

Come out and join us in the suffering Saturday morning, registration starts at 8:30am with players meetings at 9am.

Went with the family to the tail end of the Rose Parade today. Started to feel sunburn on the back of my neck.

Update: Redlands weather for January 2: 74 degrees and mostly sunny.

Thanks Bill for running a great event. The Redlands Family Service Association will be very grateful for all the mulligans bought by the Beanieman.

A hearty thanks to all 33 folks who participated in our Ice Bowl yesterday. We roughed it in weather that topped out in the mid-80s with nary a cloud to be seen.

Much fine golf was played and a lot of laughs were had. As has been reported Evan Taylor shot a magical tourney, 17 birdies and an ace (and darn close to at least one other), all with fairly limited mulligan usage. -19 is the tourney record and will be tough to better: it will take more than one ace! The trophy and bragging rights are Evan's for the next year. (For picture of the trophy and its owner have a gander at the San Diego Aces thread.)

Right behind Evan were Allen "Rizbee" Risley, Patrick Paramore, Carl "Beanieman" Renda, Bert Cotton, AJ Risley (must have been a long ride home Jr...), Jon Berg and Suzette Simons. Mid-range mastery and strategic use of mulligans were on ready display. It was a particular pleasure to have Rizbee and Beanie back playing (and playing well) after their respective stints on the DL, and to have Suzette out showing her considerable skills while simply playing and not having to pull double duty as the fine TD she always is.

The "Metal o Nada" format was a fun experiment that I want to continue in the future. With many ace runs available, a lot of metal was hit in short order. Matt Esber took the honors with two hits, followed by Ronnie Buckner, Samuel Maury-Holmes, Patrick P., Rizbee and Suzette.

I am grateful for the generosity of all and am pleased to announce that we raised $538 and 19 cans of food for Redlands Family Service Association, which surpassed my goal by a good stretch. It has been a treat to watch this grow the past three years and I look forward to continuing both the fun and service to our community in the future.

And I now have almost twelve months to be scouting for next year's Championship "trophy"...

Struggling in the wintry conditions:

After the Palm Desert Ice Bowl, the following day while heading back home, I stopped by Redlands Ford Park with my wife to take a walk around the park. I brought out the Roc I got from the Redlands Ice Bowl and started throwing on hole 2. When I got up to hole 4, I threw a clean run at the basket and it went in for an ACE. Ah, so that's how Evan aced this 110ft putt! If only I had done that during the Ice Bowl.

After the Palm Desert Ice Bowl, the following day while heading back home, I stopped by Redlands Ford Park with my wife to take a walk around the park. I brought out the Roc I got from the Redlands Ice Bowl and started throwing on hole 2. When I got up to hole 4, I threw a clean run at the basket and it went in for an ACE. Ah, so that's how Evan aced this 110ft putt! If only I had done that during the Ice Bowl.

It wanted to go to its home. (Cue Happy Gilmore..."GO TO YOUR HOME! @$#%^& GO TO YOUR HOME!)

I'd like to do a longitudinal study of the ratio of aces tossed with charity discs to those of normal production/consumption. I wouldn't discount the potential within chaos dynamics that those with that added little something of charity contribution love are fractionally more likely to be thrown for aces than the others...

Congrats Patrick. Seems like the disc does alright by you.

After getting 8 Rocs last year at various events, I finally found the one I like and it is staying in my bag and I should make good use of it at Chavez.

2010 Golden Sombrero Yellow Star Ontario Roc 175gm