| Loose Change |
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The year was 2000 and the first ever Amateur-AND-Professional Disc Golf Championship was being held in the Ann Arbor Area of Michigan. During such events, there are many various contests and prize giveaways for contestants and spectators alike, and this was certainly no exception. One such event had a basket to giveaway and, for only $1 per shot, persons making an est. 90' putt would qualify for a later, final shoot out for the grand prize. At that time, Hudson Mills had added another 24 hole course across the street (a.k.a., the "green" course) to accommodate the heavy volume of players in town. The particular putting-contest in question was being held at each course from time to time so that as many people as possible could participate in having a chance to win a basket. While at the green course one day, I observed Gunars Knollendorf running the contest and thought I'd "give it a shot". When I realized that I had just spent all of my money for lunch, I began to comb through my car for loose change. I managed to scrape together $1 in nickels, dimes and pennies and so I headed over for a shot. Gunars chuckled when I paid him in loose change, as many players were spending $10-20 at a time for a chance to make a putt and subsequently have a shot during the final shoot out. And there was no limit - a person could spend as much as he or she wanted, gaining an extra shot at the basket for each preliminary shot made. Nevertheless, with only one shot to take I leaned into the release and sent my putter afloat on the wind, sailing on and right into the chains! It was a moral victory, of sorts, to make the shot having only needed $1 to do so. When the final shoot out came around, though, I wasn't even close...oh, well. |
