National Disc Open comes to New England for the first time
For some, golf doesn’t imply walking expensive greens, buying putters and expressing frustration
over knocking a small ball into a hole with a club.
For some, golf means discs — and their frustration comes when they try to fly that disc toward their goal. You can sink a long shot or “tap” in a putt just like you can in “real” golf. But you won’t pay as much to do so.
Disc golf is growing. In Central Massachusetts alone, there are lots of courses to choose from. The PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) lists 17 organized courses in the state, including Charlton and Leicester. If you don’t know what disc golf is yet, it’s a sport that uses a flying disc (you know, like a Frisbee) and plays much like traditional golf. But instead of balls and clubs, you try to get your disc to the target — the most common target is called a Pole Hole. The sport even uses, like traditional golf, discs that are drivers, mid-range discs and putters (which means the sizes and weights vary, depending on the shot you’re trying to make). The quicker you get to the hole, the better your score.
It’s played at all levels, by all ages. But for the more serious player, there are pro opens. This weekend, The Vibram Open at Maple Hill in Leicester is the largest disc golf event in New England, and the first PDGA National Tour event to hit the state. To boot, the event has the third-largest disc golf payout in the world, with cash prizes of more than $40,000 and $2,500 going to the Pro Open winner. More than 150 players compete in this inaugural event. 
It’s quite a big deal to have the PDGA hit not only New England, but Central Massachusetts. The last stop on the tour, the next-closest venue, is Ohio. The tour itself is eight years old. And it wasn’t so easy for Steven Dodge to get on board.
“They have to invite your event to become part of the tour,” says Dodge, tournament director and co-owner of Maple Hill, along with Jason Southwick.
A quick history: Dodge founded the company called Marshall Street in Leicester, along with Jason Southwick, joining a bunch of disc golf players on the street. But in February, fueled by a difference in vision, Jason and Dodge split the company and Dodge started Prime Discs. Now, on one side of Marshall Street is Prime Discs, and Marshall Street is on the other, both selling disc golf supplies. Jason, too, runs the Pyramids course. “He wanted to go regional and I wanted to go national,” says Dodge, who ran, along with Jason, the Marshall Street Disc Golf Championship (MSDGC) for four years. “We agreed never to run the MSDGC again.”
Dodge is a player himself, and started playing the sport in 1987, when it was just catching on. He’s seen a dramatic increase in interest, especially over the last five years. “We’re hitting the correct side of the parabola,” he says. “It’s growing exponentially at this point. The courses are getting busier and busier. The pro shops are packed. Disc sales are through the roof.”
Vibram in Brookfield, a company that makes shoe soles, stepped up to sponsor the open, and will be introducing their first disc golf disc at the event, and also are making a rubber blend T-pad for courses made out of recycled shoe pads. 
The event features 120 open division players, 20 pro women players and a dozen pro grandmasters (50+). Spectators are invited to the event, and there are a few highlights they may want to check out. On Saturday at 6:30 p.m., there will be a putting slam with the top putters of the event, followed by a driving competition at 7:30 p.m. at Tatnuck Driving Range (which is down the street). Chris Max Voigt, who in 2001 set a distance world record of the time of 712 feet, will be in the driving competition, as well.
As Dodge reminds us, the competition gets stiffer as the event flies on, so he recommends attending Saturday, and especially Sunday, when the open whittles down to the best of the best.
“There are a couple of points that are really exciting to me this year,” says Dodge. “We have the top five players on the men’s side from the national tour points race, and also have the top five ladies as well. It’s one of the strongest ladies’ fields ever assembled in disc golf. It just so happened they could all make it. It’ll be quite a show.” o
