4th Annual Chick Flick!

On August 13, 2011, nearly 100 women gathered in the forrested canyons of Horning's Hideout to play disc golf at the fourth annual Chick Flick, sponsored by Next Adventure. Lady golfers of all experience and ability levels, many with caddies in tow, participated in clinics, learned official rules, and gained tournament play experience, all while enjoying delicious food and making new friends in our private event campground.

Chick Flick 4 presented a new set of challenges for myself and my co-tournament director and Flight Crew teammate Cindy McMahan in our second year of tournament directing. When Cindy jumped on an opportunity to play Worlds in Santa Cruz, she knew she couldn't be a physical presence at an event very dear to her heart. Instead, she used her incredible organizational abilities to accumulate shirts, discs, donations, supplies, and more so that it would be ready for us while she was gone. I picked up the ball and ran with it on tournament weekend, and got my hustle on all weekend to ensure each lady had a positive golf experience (not to mention competing myself).

Thanks to our private fundraising, in combination with Next Adventure's GENEROUS sponsorship, golfers checked in and received a player’s pack loaded with goodies. Chick Flick pint glasses, printed towels, and engraved acrylic crystal bag tags, along with disc models and weights that work well for ladies and beginners, topped with the usual pile of stickers, minis, and other treasures. The dry fit shirts by Paragon looked incredibly sharp on the ladies, and the caddies looked fly and official in their new tees from Next Adventure!

Fundamentals of throwing, x-step, forehand, putting, rollers, and trick shot clinics were highly attended and helped golfers build their skills, whether they had played for years, or were touching a golf disc for the very fist time. The ladies quickly got over any sense of bashfulness when they realized the clinics are a safe place to experiment, and especially when they started making connections that equal great throws. Big ups to the caddies and other male volunteers who shagged hundreds of discs and gave the ladies maximum opportunities to practice throwing!

After the clinics, Bryan manned the HUB kegs while Ian and his crew grilled up a delicious lunch. This gave us the energy we needed to power through a recreational, mixed-division round on the canyon course.

Morning came early, as it does on Tournament Sundays, but the ladies looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the players meeting. Carie, who always knows what to say and when to say it, plugged our sponsors and sent us out for a big day of golf! Junior and Recreational divisions dominated the Highlands, while Intermediate, Advanced, Advanced Masters, and Open ladies swarmed the Canyon. The first round played swiftly and we were early for another replenishing lunch, courtesy of Next Adventure. Round two was as smooth as the first, and tournament central tabulated scores while campers packed up.

Tired-but-happy-looking participants came back to tournament central to see the results, but not before a traditional Ring of Fire and a raffle. The raffle was highly anticipated, thanks to the three certificates for a pair of (any) Keen shoes, two mini baskets, two full size baskets, as well as some sweet Lego sets, internal frame backpacks, and more! Unfortunately, the $250 Next Adventure gift certificate ace pot, awarded for an ace during a round, went unclaimed.

Awards were a blast as we celebrated those who finished in the top half of the field, and bestowed framed-disc trophies to ladies who placed.

There are a few people who deserve an extra dose of gratitude for helping the event go smoothly. Loud shout-outs go to all the ladies who fundraise, find sponsors, and gather on an annual basis to prepare players packs, CTPs, tee signs, and more in advance. Steve McMahan, Cindy's husband, stood by as her proxy and was the ultimate go-to man for help around tournament central. His calm demeanor and constant physical presence at tournament central allowed female organizers to participate in the fun and not be stuck at a table--a huge gift.

Additionally, Nichola Landry deserves a big dose of appreciation. In recent years, she has been one of the first lady golfers to play both hearing and deaf disc golf tournaments. In this time, she has been a powerful ambassador, using golf to bridge the deaf and hearing worlds. By encouraging other deaf ladies to attend (as well as helping with hearing interpreters), our event is enriched with yet another layer of diversity. We look forward to playing with more deaf women, as well as taking steps to improve our communication in coming years.

Finally a giant load of appreciation is owed to Bryan and the whole Next Adventure Crew. This event is bigger and better every year, and we couldn't imagine a better partner to grow with. Our attendance this year topped out just under the national record for a women's-only disc golf event! The Chick Flick has always prioritized education over competition with the goal of growing the sport. With a truly unique mission and unprecedented support from Next Adventure, The Chick Flick is poised to become the queen of women's disc golf events!