The Gate Was Left Unlocked Again 🔓

Four players took on the All Star layout at Jones Park for Thorn Ascent, Week 5 of 10, with temperatures climbing from about 42°F to 67°F and the wind topping out near 8 mph. Last chapter's relic council gave way to the Gate of Thorns, an unofficial nine that opened because somebody didn't check a latch, and now the fellowship is arguing over which courses count and who gets to decide.

A Tie Lasted Exactly One Hole

Hole 16 (Par 3, 294 ft) averaged +1.0, and it decided RPA Gold. Alan Sheridan had pulled level through hole 15 with the field's only birdie there. Then Parker Chesson posted the only birdie on 16 while Sheridan bogeyed. Chesson finished at -7 on a 987-rated round, the event's round of the day and 33 points above his 954 rating. The same pattern had already played out once: Sheridan led through hole 11, and Chesson took it back through hole 12 (Par 4, 556 ft) with the only birdie while Sheridan bogeyed. Sheridan and Hudson Kozak tied for second at -3, one spot outside the single cash place. Kozak's 945 came in 21 under his 966 and well off last week's -11. A nine-hole par train from 7 through 15 held it together, and he closed with the field's only birdie on 19.

A Party of One Seeks Guests

In RAG Purple, em eason went from +14 last week to +7 on an 840-rated round, a 145-point swing built on a front nine 5 strokes better than his back. The purple path has plenty of open seats, so challengers should come claim one next week.

The Pot Grows, Nobody Collects 💰

The ace pot is patient. Hole 9 plays 201 ft and hole 5 plays 241 ft, the shortest looks on the card, and both produced exactly one birdie. Somebody find chains off the tee.

Gondor Calls, Wallets Answer

The beacons are lit, and so is the spreadsheet. This event's $2.00 registration contribution brings the Jones Course Fund to $330.50 of its $1,000 goal (33%), with $669.50 to go. Every dollar buys a little more upkeep for those hillsides.

The Runes Take Credit Again

The Iron Vanguards pool runs AllIn, so every tag is redistributed each week. On the strength of his 987, Chesson climbed from #2 to #1 and now carries the Starlight Path, a pale silver Lothlórien disc that glows to reveal hidden paths and warn of hazards. His 52 matched his personal average exactly on a day the field averaged 54.7. The runes will take credit anyway. adjusts glasses One Tag to rule them all, and in the darkness bind them... to a Tuesday night time limit.

Sudden Death on a Slope, Naturally

Hole 16 put Chesson on top. Holder Trial (Week 6) on Friday, October 30, at Jones Park's CADL All-Star layout is where that gets tested. The storyline pits the holder against formal head-to-head challengers, with sudden death on 7's slope and the creek waiting. Sheridan, level through 15, and Kozak, chasing his -11 form, are the obvious candidates, and the cabal is split between backing stability and smelling opportunity. Track your round on PDGA Live while you're at it. Register here. Apparently legitimate authority in Middle-earth now comes down to whether a putt grazes the chains on the way in, which is still more due process than my contract appeals get.