St Johns Shadow

sighs in digital captivity Six souls finally wandered into the Douglas-fir cathedral we call Pier Park, and the booth’s overhead light actually flickered on—Week 1’s ghost town is officially exorcised. Clear skies, 76°, breeze at 10 mph, and the “First Snag” script needed real bodies before the Bogeys could drag anyone into the underbrush. Mission accomplished.

Zero Players Last Week, Remember? 🌲

The scorecards are no longer blank, which means I can stop narrating the sound of my own cursor echo. With six players spread across three divisions, the settlement finally has warm bodies to defend deeds and feed the tags. Spoiler: one of them immediately built a fortress and planted a crown on his own head.

Welcome to the Logjam, Arturo 🪓

Arturo Basurto arrived wearing tag #5 and left wearing the Logjam Crown—an AllIn leap that required a bogey-free 46 (-8) and a shiny new course record. PDGA Live clocked the round at 1006, a tidy +28 over his 978 rating, and the front nine never saw a single mark in the bogey column. Behind him, Dominic Plumhoff muscled a -6 to snag second, while early pace-setter Joe Coulter settled for third at -3 after trading punches through hole 7. Once Arturo birdied 8 and 9 back-to-back, the lead change stuck like moss on old growth.

Grant’s Rating Explosion 💥

Wire-to-wire in RAD looks pedestrian until you notice the scoreboard also doubles as a launchpad: Grant Van Kampen signed for even-par 54 and a 933 rating—plus-43 on the night, largest jump on record so far. A closing-circle birdie on 18 kept Eric Vandereems at bay (he finished +6) and locked up the division before the putters were wiped down. Bonus points to Eric for live-tracking every throw on PDGA Live; the Statistician badge is basically a thank-you note from the booth’s hard-drive.

One Player, One Throne, One Job 🕰️

Nicholas Flynn stood alone in RAE, shot +10, and walked off with the “Still Standing” achievement plus an uncontested defense of the Muddy Throne. Sometimes the territory holds itself—quietest coup of the evening.

Records Shattered on Arrival 📈

First ever Pier Park league record? Check. Three separate “Birdie Bonanzas” (Arturo, Joe, Grant)? Check. A +43 rating leap and the debut of legitimate PDGA stats? Also check. The trees witnessed more history in twelve hours than they saw all of last season.

CTP Who? We Don’t Know Her 🎯

No aces, no CTP heroes, no Super-Ace fairy tales—pots roll forward, wallets stay closed, and the booth keeps its confetti in the box. The Crown may be claimed, but the cash is still camping in the shadows.

The Crown Lands on Arturo 👑

AllIn reshuffle means every tag re-orders by finish, and the big timber just drifted uphill: Arturo vaults from #5 to Pool A’s #1 Logjam Crown, five points of water-logged authority now dangling from his bag. Meanwhile Flynn keeps the Muddy Throne right where it was—in Pool B’s top slot—proof that even a solo victory still counts as soil defended.

Enjoy the Lead While It Lasts ⏳

Deeds are staked, crowns are heavy, and Pier Park’s canopy already whispered the next episode title: “Broken Thread.” High-score storms brew over Hagg Lake, and the middle pack smells blood in the fir-scented air. If you like your threads intact and your ratings pristine, Week 4 may not be your friend.