Spradlin edges Goodman in wind-swept round in Coney

LONACONING — The casual but official Allegany County Disc Golf Club round on Monday afternoon at Living Waters Family Life Center in Lonaconing was not for the faint of heart.

Josiah Spradlin laments what was nearly a birdie that turned into a double bogey.

The small band of disc golf brothers — Jay Goodman, along with father-son duo of Kevin Spradlin, 43, and Josiah Spradlin, 13, all from Frostburg — journeyed south of the Mountain City for a Presidents’ Day round of 18. The environment included a start-time temperature of about 50 degrees and sunshine — and lots of wind.

A steady wind of up to 15 mph, plus gusts much faster than that, had every player laugh or cry — maybe sometimes a little bit of both at the same time. The wind assured that the plentiful out-of-bounds areas were utilized frequently, including parking lots (all three players at least once), the creek (Jay and Josiah) and state Route 36 (Josiah). And putts? Sometimes they were just downright hilarious.

But in between it all — fall-down laughter, cold hands rescuing a disc from the creek — there was a competition. And at the end, it was very close.

Kevin Spradlin was one over par with a 28 after the front nine. Goodman was four strokes back and Josiah Spradlin, playing his first round on the course, tallied 36.

Goodman cut his four-stroke deficit by three strokes on No. 10. Spradlin missed the mando on his drive and re-teed. That stroke — number three — barely made it through. A putt saved Spradlin from true disaster and he maintained a one-stroke lead into No. 11. But not after it.

Goodman threw for par and again, Spradlin struggled from the tee. His drive landed in the parking lot and he was forced to re-tee. He finished with a double bogey. The five-stroke swing gave Goodman a one-stroke lead with seven baskets remaining.

Jay Goodman points out where his EMAC Truth landed in the creek.

Spradlin and Goodman both bogeyed Nos. 12 and 13, but Spradlin threw for par on  No. 14 while Goodman threw for double bogey — aided by OB — putting Spradlin back in the lead by one. Goodman’s drive wasn’t great, but it was in the middle of the field and his EMAC Truth had a clear line to the basket. It also had a clear line to the creek, and it chose that path. The OB penalty was difficult to stomach. But it sparked a series of OBs.

Both players managed par on No. 15, and both bogeyed Nos. 16 and 17. They were tied with one to go. All three players missed the island hole. Josiah threw from the drop zone first and landed in the grass. Goodman’s disc, aided by the wind, carried passed the basket and into the parking lot for an OB penalty. Kevin, then, chose the safe route and laid up to seal the win.

Kevin Spradlin finished with a 67, which included the only birdie — on short 9 — among three players over a combined 54 holes. Goodman was two strokes back with a 69, and Josiah Spradlin finished his first time on the course with an 80.

Josiah Spradlin had some of the best drives of the day, but he also struggled. The wind didn’t help. Both short and long 6 caused him some pain. On long 6, he hit the first available tree from the tee pad. Then he threw his driver nose up, and the wind escorted it across the railroad tracks and into the middle of Route 36.

Spradlin also threw into the garage on short 4 (not OB, as it was not declared OB before the round began) and, after the best drive on the card on long 5, his approach shot sailed into the creek.

It should be noted that both discs were recovered, as well as two others from the creek whose owners have been contacted.

 

Josiah Spradlin wasn’t the only one who had a disc land and stay on top of a basket. His dad did, too.

 

 

 

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