Course: Blue Mountain, Missoula, MT

Missoula in the distance at Blue Mountain Disc Golf Course. This was taken from between the 2nd & 3rd holes at the course.

I have a story about the real "first" time I disc golfed, but this is the first course I really played. It has baskets now, instead of the tone posts it used to have. I like baskets better, but understand why some were complaining about the tone posts being removed. I played Blue Mountain again on a recent vacation to my home state and college town. This is an excellent course in every way and is nearly identical (the back nine changed a bit) as when I started in the early 1990's.

Since I had begun planning my vacation, I dreamed about hitting a big shot on the 650 foot hill shot at #4 (I think it was four, maybe it was #5). Here's the view from the tee:


The tree in the foreground is at the top of the hill (the dirt area there is the amateur tees, but I was being manly on this day!). You go over this hill and straight down into a dry gulley with a lot of old pines towering high up (you can see their tops). I knew a guy who would aim for the tops of those trees to hit and then drop his disc down near the basket (tone pole then). I had high hopes for nailing a great shot here. Sadly, I couldn't do it. I had three drives (1st real, other two "tests" -- no one was behind me) that went off badly, though it was a good learning experience (read this). I was bummed to take a bogey on this hole.


This is the 5th hole at Blue Mtn. Medium length (about 315), with OB behind and trees in front and to left. If you can hit it down the middle it's good, but I tried to hook around to the right. I ended up with a tough par putt from under a sapling and hit it.

One of the nice improvements at Blue Mtn was the addition of a course guide on the pro boxes. Don't know when they were added (haven't played BMTN since 1995ish). Helped a lot, especially on the back nine.

I ended up with a +8 but didn't play well. I missed 3 long but makeable birdie putts and ended up dbl-bogey, bogey, dbl-bogey at one stretch. I played Pattee Canyon earlier in the day and was tiring. I ran out of water after 10, too. Not trying to make excuses, just say that because +8 under those conditions isn't too bad. I think I should have played it about even.

This is my favorite course with a lot of history for me, lots of rounds with friends I haven't seen in 12-15 years. I wanted to play BMTN to rate my game back then to what it is now. I actually surprised myself, figuring I probably was terribly horrible back then and would be much better now. But, I think I might have been better back then than I thought. It's interesting, because with Youtube and other sites dedicated to helping throwers and playing with a lot more people here in Corpus Christi, it's easier to progress nowadays.