Names

Stephen, Fred, Joe & Stefan

How did the name “Blue Goose” come about?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fred, Stephen, and I were planning a pheasant hunting trip to North Dakota. We had been playing and creating the disc golf course and had been dreaming of this trip for a while. Stephen and I had never hunted before, and in fact, none of us had ever held a shotgun. To prepare for the trip, we practiced shooting clay on the same property.

Stephen and Stefan holding a shotgun for the first time.

Two weeks before departure, we traveled to Cabelas, where the weather forecast predicted temperatures between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit (10 and 12 degrees Celsius). We accordingly geared up for the trip. However, on the day of departure, I checked the weather forecast again and found that the predicted high temperature had changed to 17 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit (-8 to 0 degrees Celsius).

The only thing I found that could withstand such a temperature was my very light blue snowboard jacket. The next morning, in North Dakota, we woke up to find an inch of snow on the ground. I had no choice but to wear my light blue snowboard jacket. As I held my shotgun in my hand, Fred started laughing and pointed at me, telling Stephen, “Look, look at that blue goose, fighting crime in North Dakota!” And so, the nick name “Blue Goose” was born.

First day in North Dakota

Names for the yellow course.

  1. Hougies Hollow. Fred Hougland, our esteemed co-designer, holds a particular fondness for the designated hole on our golf course. His signature technique involved either flicking or forehanding his Corvette, consistently placing it beneath the basket.
  2. Three Amigos. There are three large oak tree to the left of the fairway so everyone time we hit one of the trees we call them the “Three Amigos” that block the fairway.
  3. Cardiff Bastards. Stephen holds a strong affinity for Swansea City Football Club due to his longstanding familial ties to Wales. In 2019, Manchester City Football Club engaged in a match against Swansea City Football Club at the FA Cup. Consequently, Fred, Stephen, and I resolved to attend the live game in Swansea, Wales. In preparation for the match, we diligently memorized all the Swansea songs, but the majority of these songs were against Cardiff, the capital of Wales. This revelation did not sit well with us, and like Swansea, we harbor negative sentiments towards Cardiff and this basket.
  4. Ski jump. I went to boarding school in Switzerland when I was 13/14 years old. During the winter months, we built ramps and jumped off the ramp with our skis. We do that same thing here, and the location of that basket is our foundation for the ramp.
  5. Keyslot. This hole was discovered, because of a buckeye tree with large buckeyes. Nature gave this hole, because no tree have been cut it was all there for us disc golfers.
  6. Self Pity. Self-pity is an emotional state characterized by a sense of remorse or pity for oneself. It can be a challenging and emotionally taxing experience, often leading to feelings of inadequacy and frustration. This is the most difficult hole on the yellow course.
  7. Stump. The name is quite evident, as the basket is positioned atop the stump. The tree fell approximately 15 years ago, yet we retain the stump as a poignant memorial. In Fall 2025, the old stump was completely rotten, and the basket needed a new foundation, so we took a recently fallen oak tree that fell during the storm Helene to make it authentic. 
  8. Tombstone. The name of this graveyard is quite evident. It has existed since 1850 and remained in operation until 1928.
  9. Hells gate. The tee pad was situated directly beneath a gate that led to a trail leading to our campsite. Consequently, the shot was highly original, albeit challenging due to the restricted space.
  10. Mark it Zero. This hole has about 200 trees, so the fairway is very narrow. Originally, we tried to go through, and every time we hit a tree, we called out “mark it” so we know which tree to cut later.
     Apparently, we called out “Mark It” so many times that the name stuck. Mark it zero was added later because we didn’t have tee pads, and every time someone had a good shot, we called out “Mark it zero” because they stepped over the imaginary tee pad line…just like the movie “The Big Lebowski”
  11. Birdie, This is the most straightforward hole on the course, making it an ideal opportunity for players to achieve a birdie. It is advisable to consider attempting an ace on this particular hole. 
  12. Dikembe Motumbo. There are 2 cedar trees blocking the fairway so every time we hit these trees we called out “No No No Not Today”. In the middle of the fairway is also Motumbos little cousin that nature gave us.
  13. Dead Pheasant. The disc has to go high and curve to the left so every time a disc hit a branch or a tree it droops like a dead pheasant.
  14. Alomost. Last hole before the course leads you out of the wooded holes. “Almost” out of the foods.
  15. Brambles: The fairway is big, but if you crash early you land into the brambles which are on both sides so you might land back into the woods. “You think you are out of the woods”. It should be a bar 3, but we like birdies so you may look for a bigger bird here.
  16. Barndo: Original we had the basket next to the barn, but our disc always landed in the middle of the barn so we decided to put the basket in the barn. Mando through the barn.
  17. LoopHool: We love this hole so much so we play it twice. Same as number 5. It’s the most beautiful shot of the course, especially during glow rounds and evening hours.
  18. Bomber. Finally for all the long distance thrower, here is your chance to shine.

Names for the Blue Course

  1. Release the Hounds: We had two dogs, Max and Marley. Stephen brought out his dog, Cassius, so every time we teed off, the dogs went absolutely insane and jumping up and down for joy. Their behavior changed completely as soon as they entered the woods.
  2. Lumberjack: There is a very large tree lying split on the ground for a very long time. The basket is on top of the tree, so we could use a lumberjack to clean up the area.
  3. So Simple. The basket is very visible on the top of the hill, so we call it so simple, but it’s one of the toughest holes on the course.
  4. I’ll take it!: It’s a beautiful hyzer shot, so even when you don’t hit the line, but you don’t hit a tree, you are some kind of happy that your approach shot is so you take it. The name came actually while playing and not hitting the line, but for some strange reason, it went through all the trees.
  5. Boomrang: It’s one of the most difficult hole on the course. It’s shaped like a boomerang, but it’s impossible to get there because you have to shot 150 feet uphill shot, but if you up the hill you need to go down again 100 feet.
  6. Tree Boy: -It’s another nickname for Stephen. He was hitting trees left and right during our disc golf tour, so Fred called him tree boy. It’s very fitting here, because there are endless trees that you can hit, but if you avoid them, you may see an eagle.
  7. Old Beechridge Road:It’s a very old road from the 18th. Hundreds of years ago it used to be Perkins Road, but when we moved in in 2003 it was on Google Maps as “Old Beechridge Road”.
  8. Mudslide. The old road doesn’t have a very good drainage system, so in the winter time, this area is always muddy.
  9. Eagle: During the time creating the course, this hole was the only hole we ever eagle-eyed.
  10. Lowbrow: Stephen nick name is high brow so go low here.
  11. So Stupid: I guess we ran out of names, but this hole always reminds me of playing it so many times and for all the stupid shots we had. Very difficult shot uphill on the left.
  12. Honey Hole: It’s one of the prettiest holes on the course, but that’s not the entire story. We went pheasant hunting in North Dakota, and one of the locals called one of the pheasant hiding spots “honey hole.”
  13. Field Goal: There is a tree shaped like an American football field goal. Kristin recognized the shape of the tree and thought it would be fun to play through it.
  14. Shit Hole Country: To the left of the fairway is deep bushes and brambles and every time our disc there we got a bogie or double bogie so we call it “The Shit”. We added “County” due to Trumps common about immigrants common only from shit hole countries.
  15. TeeBee: The basket is next to our Teepee.
  16. HighBrow: The basket is high in the tree and your approach should be high as well.
  17. That’s It: The second-to-last hole is one of the most difficult, but if you hit the line, it’s very rewarding. You know when you hit the line and automatically the sentence “that’s it” comes out…at least that’s what we did.
  18. Don’t make me do it: It refers to Panther Creek disc golf course hole number 5. We went to Tennessee for a disc golf tour. We played Panther Creek multiple times that day. We took the RV and camped close to the park. We played cards until deep into the night and had a bottle of Japanese whiskey. The next day, Stephen was hungover and didn’t want to play Panther Creek anymore, especially hole number 5, which goes uphill the entire time. He woke up and said, “Don’t make me do it,” so we found it very fitting to this hole since it’s a par 5 going uphill the entire way.