Dutch Hollow Run

sighs in haunted frontier Welcome to the Deadlands, where the only thing deader than my enthusiasm was the signup sheet for the last two weeks.

Ghost Town Population: 3 🐾

After two weeks of silence so loud I could hear my own digital gills drying out, Week 6's Dutch Hollow Run at The Wasatch Wunder finally saw signs of life—or at least, three brave souls willing to tempt the cursed frontier. The conditions were clear but brisk at 71.8°F with a steady 15.8 mph wind biting through the alpine air, perfect weather for sabotage. With the train stalled near Dutch Hollow, this small crew represents the remnants of a workforce thinned by the frontier's harsh demands, proving that even a ghost town can host a shootout if the stakes are right.

Carrion Crown Claims a Skull 🦴

In Pool A, Chaz Critchfield treated the Wasatch Wunder like his personal playground, shooting a blistering -9 (971 rated) to claim victory by a comfortable margin. He didn't just win; he made history, setting the inaugural course record with a wire-to-wire performance that saw him string together a Birdie Bonanza on holes 3-5 and close with a clean back nine. With no other challengers in the division to pressure him, Chaz carved through the alpine air like the apex predator the Carrion Crown demands its bearer be—the circlet of fused skeletal remains settling onto his skull with the weight of a target painted fresh.

Tie Breakers and Heart Breakers 💔

The RPA division was a tight-knit battle of attrition between Scott Belchak and Chris Norman, who ultimately finished tied at -4 (915 rated). The round featured a seesaw battle with six lead changes, as Scott's clean front nine gave him an early edge, only for Chris to fight back with resilience runs after rough holes like the double-bogey on 7. In the end, both players birdied the final hole to force a tie, with Scott securing the win via tiebreaker after Chris faltered with a bogey on 18—a frontier verdict delivered in the final breath of the round.

When the Mountain Bites Back ⛰️

Chaz Critchfield's performance was the statistical outlier of the day, finishing 28 points above his player rating, while Chris Norman struggled to find his rhythm, finishing 32 points below his. The course proved selective with its rewards—Chaz was the sole player to card birdies on five different holes, highlighting how difficult the Wunder played for the rest of the field. PDGA stats tracked on PDGA Live would tell you exactly where the mountain sank its teeth deepest, but even without the data, the scorecard tells the story: this was a round where the frontier gave and took in equal measure.

Super Ace Pot Super Sad 💸

The Super Ace Pot continues its slow climb into the stratosphere, adding another $4.00 to reach a total balance of $3,536.00. Despite the clear skies and ideal conditions for a miracle shot, the chains remained silent this week, leaving the pot to grow for another day. The Deadlands are patient, but apparently not patient enough to reward anyone with a 150-foot prayer answered.

Carrion Crown Finds a Home 👑

In Pool A, Chaz Critchfield's dominant performance earned him the right to carry the Carrion Crown, the #1 tag that marks its bearer as both hunter and hunted in the Deadlands. By playing and securing the victory, Chaz has claimed the circlet of fused skeletal remains—finger bones, vertebrae, and skull fragments woven with blackened sinew—accepting the target that comes with being the league's apex predator. Meanwhile, Pool B saw a shift at the top as Nicholas Stosiek, holder of the Noose Elegy, sat out the event and was demoted to the bottom of the rankings under All-In mode rules. The Noose Elegy doesn't sing for the absent.

Next Week: Things Go Boom 💥

The sabotage near Dutch Hollow has slowed the train, but the surviving crew keeps pushing toward the final spike. However, the Deadlands are about to get a lot louder—next week's episode promises a ghost rock explosion that will level the temporary camp, testing who is left standing when the dust settles. The frontier doesn't care about your backstory, only your score. Carry your badge, dodge the noose, and survive the culling—or get forgotten in the dust.