A weekend of flying discs and festivities
August 3, 2018 by Bennett Wineka in Coverage, News with 0 comments
It’s the year of the juniors, as another age-specific championship will be held for the first time this weekend.
Following in the footsteps of the first stand-alone PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championship in Emporia, Kansas, Kids Disc Golf will be hosting the inaugural United States Junior Disc Golf Championship at Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Jeffersonville, Vermont, the same venue that will host the 2018 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championship in one month.
“Smugglers’ Notch quickly rose to the top as the venue of choice,” says Kids Disc Golf founder Matt Grayum. “The resort at Smugglers’ Notch is renowned as “Americas Family Resort” and the amenities that it offers are second to none! A venue where families could enjoy a relaxing vacation after their child completed a single round of competitive disc golf during the day. This was our place!”
Grayum started KDG in 2015 after his 5-year-old son could not find local tournaments near their Massachusetts home with other players his age. What started as a single event morphed into statewide series with championships for juniors in Massachusetts and Maine. The group made it a goal that within five years it would make a bid for a stand-alone Junior World Championship.
With Dynamic Discs succeeding with an ambitious Junior Worlds plan beginning in 2018, KDG shifted focus to a United States title for junior disc golfers. Last year, KDG bid and were awarded the rights to the USJDGC.
Both courses at Smuggs’ will be in use, with every division playing rounds one and two on the Brewster Ridge course, and moving to Fox Run Meadows for the final round on Sunday. The event is also taking full advantage of the resort, with a Fun Zone takeover and pool party, as well as putting competitions, a clinic with Paige Pierce and Hannah Leatherman, and mini disc golf.
In all, 87 players will compete in 10 age and gender protected divisions, with each course utilizing one of four permanent tee pads on each hole to modify the layouts at Smuggs’ accordingly. Lilly Ruthen, Junior Girls <12, Wyatt Mahoney, Junior <10, and Landon Brooks, Junior <8, are all looking to follow-up their Junior Worlds crowns, which they won in Emporia last month, with a US title.
Follow along with the whole USJDGC weekend at the Kids Disc Golf website.
https://www.facebook.com/USJDGC/videos/1774933565889707/
