During what we consider to be the disc golf season, we travel far and wide for both the PDGA National Tour and PDGA Major events. In 2016 alone, we’ve been fortunate enough to have had events in 12 different states and three countries. Now, at nearly the end of the season, we are for the first time in a very special place, one that is new to both the PDGA tour and to most of the touring disc golfers alike; Sabattus, Maine. To make a long story short, the Sabattus Disc Golf venue has far surpassed our already high expectations, and we couldn’t be more excited about the 2016 PDGA United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships (USWDGC).

The man behind the curtain at Sabattus Disc Golf is a rarely seen character in the world of disc golf entrepreneurialism; Peter Ruby. His goals for the future of the sport are shared by only the elite few, but there’s one big difference between Peter and the big names you’ve come to know and love in the disc golf world. Peter’s experience in disc golf as a player is minimal, to say the least. His passion for the endless hands-on work required on the 100-acre property as well as his vision for what professional-level disc golf can be is what drives him.

That same vision is what motivated him to create the dream disc golf complex that exists today. What started as a farm and a horse barn many years ago eventually evolved into a property that contains three 18-hole championship-level disc golf courses, not to mention a nine-hole course specifically built for beginners and juniors, all of which are constantly in pristine condition during the months where the property isn’t buried in snow and ice.

Sabattus Disc Golf's amazing brand new pro shop got finished just in time for the 2016 USWDGC!

Peter’s enthusiasm is matched or perhaps surpassed by the state of Maine itself. One of the biggest sponsors of the event is the Maine Sports Commission, but many others have come on board including the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development, & Baxter Brewing Company just to name a few. The Chief of Police and City Manager are even involved. The list goes on and on. Sabattus and the many towns of the Midcoast Region of Maine are just as excited as the players themselves.

In standard USWDGC tradition, the efforts here in Maine this weekend will benefit more than just the players involved with this year’s charity organization of choice being the Dempsey Center. If the name Dempsey sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve probably seen the founder’s name, actor Patrick Dempsey. Dempsey has starred in dozens of films and television shows including Grey’s Anatomy, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and of course his latest film, Bridget Jones’ Baby.

“Founded in Lewiston, Maine, the Dempsey Center offers a vibrant and compassionate environment where an interdisciplinary team of oncology professionals improve the healing experience for those impacted by cancer. Through our on-site customized programs, and the annual Dempsey Challenge, we provide support services that complement treatments, support caregivers, patients and their families equally.

www.dempseycenter.org

To add to what was already a heartwarming Players Meeting, Patrick Dempsey’s sister, who works closely with him for the Dempsey Center played a video for the nearly 100 women from 34 states and three countries of Patrick himself wishing all of the women good luck at the disc golf tournament this weekend, and thanking them for helping grow his organization.

With so many great people involved, it’s no surprise that great courses are involved for the event as well. Regardless of division, all the women here in Maine this weekend will be playing four rounds total split between two rounds each on two different Sabattus Disc Golf courses; The Hawk and The Eagle.

Both courses provide their own specific challenges, but both have a few things in common: dangerous basket placements, tightly wooded fairways, meandering OB creeks, and a few sporadically placed short par 3 holes that have just the right amount of length and difficulty to wreck the mental game of those that expect to birdie them, and don’t.

The Eagle is the harder of the two, and will be the course that the professional divisions play for both the first round on Friday (tee-times) and the last round on Sunday (tee-times), with their Saturday being back-to-back shotgun start rounds on The Hawk. The amateur divisions will do just the opposite.

With Sabattus being far from a major metropolis, cell phone towers are few and far between. Live streaming coverage isn’t really an option, but we’ll be doing everything we can to keep you updated via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. With help from a few volunteers and scoring stations, all divisions will have hole-by-hole scoring on pdgalive.com.

Tune in tomorrow as the best disc golfing women in the world take on one of the most unique and beautiful disc golf complexes in the world here in Sabattus, Maine for the 2016 PDGA United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships.