24th Annual Frontier Open – September 6 and 7
The Frontier disc golf course in downtown Hays will be the site of the 24th annual Frontier Open September 6 and 7. The tournament will be a Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) sanctioned event, as well as part of the Kansas Disc Golf Association’s (KDGA) annual Oz Tour.The Frontier Open, featuring 72 holes of golf, will offer divisions for all players at any skill level. It will feature alternate tee pads, alternate pin placements, closest to pin shots, an ace fund and a putting contest, as well as a few new elements. “The course layout is a little different from years past. This year each hole will have at least four different looks between alternate pin placements and alternate tees. We also added six temporary holes to the course so participants will play three rounds of 24 holes,” explained Brett Straight, Tournament Director.
With the first ever Frontier Open Tournament occurring in September of 1984, this year will not only mark the 24th annual tournament, but also the course’s 24th birthday. The Frontier Park disc golf course, located in Frontier Park in downtown Hays, was designed in September 1983 by Ron Rice, Karen Elder, Les Dreiling, Deb Ewy and the City Parks Department. According to the 2003 Professional Disc Golf Association Course Directory, it is not only among the first 113 disc golf courses built in the United States, but also the fourth disc golf course built in Kansas.
Players in the tournament will not only be competing against the other disc golfers, but nature as well. The Frontier Disc Golf Course is also known for its natural difficulties including water hazards from Big Creek, heavily wooded areas creating tricky elevation shots, and last but not least Mother Nature’s wind.
Competition aside however, this year’s 24th Annual Frontier Open is shaping up to be another exciting tournament. “This year I hope to break the 100 player mark. Last year we had 92 participants which was our highest total turnout since I’ve been involved,” explained Brett. “There just seems to be a lack of awareness amongst some individuals in the community, so just promoting the sport in general is one of our objectives.”
Registration for the tournament will begin Saturday, September 6 at 8:00 a.m. at Frontier Park with tee-off at 10:00 a.m. Divisions and fees for the tournament are as follows: Open men- $65; Open women- $65; Masters-$65; Advanced men- $50; Intermediate- $35; Amateur women-$35; Novice- $35; Juniors- $15. Non-PDGA members will pay an additional $10 fee.
