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There Once Was A Tournament In Nantucket

There Once Was A Tournament In Nantucket

...And There Still Is.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014 - 16:39

To most in New England, the end of June on Nantucket Island means two things…the start of summer and the beginning of the tourist season. To disc golfers in New England, however, the end of June means only one thing…it’s time for the island’s premier disc golf event, the annual Nantucket Disc Golf Open!

That’s right, the 2014 Nantucket Disc Golf Open, a PDGA B-Tier Event, is coming up on Saturday, June 28 (Pros) and Sunday, June 29 (Ams). Played at the new par 68 championship caliber John Houck-designed Nantucket Disc Golf Course on beautiful Nantucket Island, this tournament is becoming one of New England’s can’t miss events of the year.

For those who haven’t been out to play the Nantucket Disc Golf Course, let me tell you that the short ferry trip over from Hyannis is certainly worth your time. From day one, the course was designed both to be first class in every regard and to reflect the style of the historic architecture on the island. “From the Fly18 teepads to the wooden teepad posts installed with top-of-the-line HouckDesign tee signs to the custom Nantucket Cottage Red-colored baskets to the newly stumped and seeded fairways, nothing was spared during the two years it took to install the course”, said Todd Rainwater #57622 and Mike Harter #39474, the 2014 NDG Open co-tournament directors.

The course itself was designed to be challenging, but fair, with wide fairways that take you on a tour of the entire South Pasture of the Nantucket State Forest. At 8,773’ from the long teepads, the course is the longest in New England. Course designer John Houck #1688 explained, "My goal was to give the players of New England a different challenge from what they are used to, to provide touring pros with a test that will require a high level of shot-making skills and strategy, and to provide a fun first experience for Nantucket's new players. I've been very pleased with the response we've received from all three groups. And beyond what I did, the people of Nantucket Disc Golf continue to do an amazing job with the development and maintenance of the course; it's been absolutely great to work with Todd Rainwater and all the other NDG folks who have put heart and soul into this course”.

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All players this year will receive Nantucket Disc Golf’s recently published caddy book with full-color pictures and descriptions of each hole and tips on how to best navigate every fairway. All Amateurs will receive very generous player packs that will include a custom tournament disc and t-shirt designed by none other than famed disc golf artist, Skeet Scienski. And as If that wasn't enough of a deal already, the pros will have $5000 cash added to the payout!

The top four Pros (those who finish #1-#4) and their caddies (those who finish #5-#8) will also have an opportunity to win even more cash following the tournament at our annual and exciting Caddyshack-style (non-PDGA sanctioned) 3-Hole Playoff. This one-of-a-kind playoff also offers prizes to the gallery! Spectators will choose the player they think will win the playoff and will be given a colored wristband that corresponds with their chosen player. Should your player win, you win a prize! You really have to be there to experience it, but I can assure you that, with the music playing, and all the booing and cheering going on (including during the players' throws), you are bound to have a lot of fun! New for 2014…skins (cash) prizes on each of the 3 holes (in addition to the big cash prize for best overall score over the 3 holes)!

An added benefit of coming out to the 2014 NDG Open is the opportunity to enjoy all that Nantucket has to offer during the weekend day that you are not playing. Whether it's enjoying Nantucket's clean and beautiful beaches, shopping and walking around the cobblestone streets of the island’s historic downtown, visiting the Nantucket Whaling Museum, or enjoying an afternoon at Cisco Brewers, the island’s quaint local brewery, Nantucket has something to offer everyone.

A final benefit of coming out to the Nantucket Disc Golf Open is that you will be able to feel good about helping us fulfill NDG’s charitable goals. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Nantucket Disc Golf’s mission is to promote the mental and physical well-being of the youth on Nantucket by providing for a healthy, inexpensive, family-friendly, year-round recreational alternative on the island. Holding our annual tournament is part of our effort to promote the sport of disc golf to the youth on the island, and we’re very excited about seeing all of you in June!

Even though the pro division is already sold out, you can still join the waiting list or sign up for one of the open slots in the amateur divisions. You can find more pictures of the course and of Nantucket Island on the Nantucket Disc Golf website and updates on their Facebook page and/or Twitter account.

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