Story by Marilyn Estes. Photo by Scott Walker.

After years of people bemoaning the death of The Crucible in Athens, GA, never to return, last year’s sudden proclamation that “IT’S ALIVE!” with the Prodigy Disc Presents the 2014 Flying Eye Open on November 1 and 2 sent excitement through the disc golf world. $100 player hole sponsorships guaranteeing a registration slot sold out within an hour. General registration sold out in less than 3 minutes. Long retired players emerged from the shadows just to play course designer (and tournament director) Doug Porter’s masterpiece.

Was it worth it?

The answer from Ams and Pros alike is a resounding, “Yes!”

“I had an awesome time. It lived up to everything I heard about it,” said Nathan Sexton #18824, who placed third behind Jeremy Koling #33705 (in his third A Tier win this year) and second-place Josh Childs #13007 in Open. “It's really fun.”

Concern that the course’s legendary reputation that grew larger with each passing year wouldn’t live up in reality was quickly quashed by the disc golfers’ joyous attitudes coming off the course during beautiful fall weather practice week, and especially by their smiling faces after two rounds in the brutally cold 35-mph wind on Saturday. The tournament champion added another benefit of the 5-year break.

"I'd never been west of Texas last time I played it," said Koling, whose career has since taken him around the world. "It gives you a better perspective of what's good and what's okay, and this place is awesome."

Even Scott Stokely #3140 came out of retirement after 14 years to tour this year and play The Crucible for the first time - adding to the fun by roaming the course as a zombie on Halloween Friday practice day. Having not played in so long, he still tied for last cash finishing in 18th (in an Open field of 44) with Georgia upstart Bryson James #56345. “Pretty fly for a dead guy,” a fellow disc golfer commented.

Rachel Conley #33485, a 2007 Advanced Women’s division winner, also returned from retirement to tie with Courtney McCoy #18835 (the 2008 Open Women winner) for second place. 2014 World Champion Catrina Allen #44184, on pace for a historic 30 wins this year and who crushed it in the 35-mph winds during the second round with a 71 on the unforgiving par 69 course layout, took 1st place.

"Four people under par out of 48 pros?” said Childs after Round 1. “Four people? That's The Crucible."

“Considering the incredible winds on Saturday and the gnarly rough just off the fairways, I was very pleased to only have 2 bogies in 54 holes, including 2 bogey-free rounds,” Koling posted on his Facebook page. “The 8-stroke win was my best ever in an A Tier and the $2000 payout is 2nd only to my win at Maple Hill ($2500)!”

Rounding out the top 5 in Open, Will Schusterick #29064 placed 4th, with Joey Lutz #45887 and Kevin McCoy #9453 (who got his 100th PDGA win this season) tying for 5th. In Round 3, Koling missed breaking McCoy’s course record of 57 by one stroke, but joins McCoy and Phil Arthur #7289 as the only players to score in the 50s.

The top three places in Advanced went to Ryan Watson #55417, Ryan Harris #61358 and Wes Campbell #15001. Disc golf karma (and skill) paid off for the second and third place finishers, as Harris and his business partner Ryan Fickel donated their Planet Earth Designs’ time and equipment to getting the course in shape per county stipulations, which otherwise would have broken the bank on the tournament. (Organizers had to plan their first workday around the impending birth of Harris’ first child last spring. “Note his priorities!” said Porter during the awards ceremony.) Campbell runs the Georgia Super Series tournaments despite barely having time to play disc golf, and his private course Haywood Valley in Rome, GA is home to the Crucible tee pads.

Community spirit from a town known more for music, Terrapin beer and UGA football than disc golf was also overwhelming, from off-duty policeman Sean Palmateer - who not only donated both days of his off weekend as free security for the tournament, he also spotted – to Heirloom Café, a local restaurant who treated the Tournament Director and his wife to a romantic post-tourney dinner since their 10th wedding anniversary coincided with practice Friday. Tournament organizers also asked participants to share their love of the weekend by supporting the Pamela B. Childs Memorial, established by their friends, Josh and Paul Childs.

Spectators and volunteers traveled from as far away as Augusta to watch and help. Families just reading about the tournament in the local paper came out to learn what the sport was about and got to witness 13-year-old Isaac Robinson #50670, already with 3 PDGA victories under his belt, place 1st and 3rd in Saturday’s putting contest prelims. He finished 3rd behind Prodigy Teammates Joey Lutz and Paul Ulibarri #27171 in the tournament-style finals. (Isaac’s brothers Ezra, 12, and Joel, 9, also spotted for the players during the 3 rounds.)

Turnout was so big during the 3 practice days leading up to the tournament when the course was open to the public, the $5 gate covered not only county expenses, it allowed the tournament to give 100% payout to the Open Women field of 6 ($100 to last place, reimbursing her registration fee).

Another tip of the hat to the women – and a first for the Flying Eye Open – the course added a second port-o-potty, strategically placed far from home base, on special request of the tournament’s female organizer.

“Yay! On behalf of women disc golfers everywhere, thank you,” said Sara Nicholson. “That means so much.”

This year also featured the longest round in The Crucible history, courtesy of the mighty winds slowing down play, with just a touch under 5 hours for the longest groups in Round 1. Fortunately, all cards managed to finish Round 2 before sundown.

This was also the first tournament in the history of The Crucible to drop the 2-meter rule. That change came in handy during Round 3 for Childs, whose driver was wedged so tightly between two limbs, it needed his caddie Swami to punch it out –literally - with a 10-foot pole.

“The Crucible temp course in Athens, GA is a true southern gem,” Koling posted on Facebook. “It has been 5 years since anyone has had the pleasure of playing on this beautiful piece of property. I desperately hope that we won't have to wait that long again! The tournament staff did a fantastic job getting the course ready for action after such a long hiatus.”

Will The Crucible come back? Not even the organizers know at this point. But for this year, that gloriously freakish fall weekend in Athens, GA can best be described in the words of a six-year-old sitting atop his father’s shoulders watching a pro drain a 40-foot putt:

“That… was… awesome!”