For many, disc golf is the grownup version of a childhood joy we are all familiar with: the thrill of hurtling a frisbee across a park on a sunny day, watching it elegantly soar and spin before landing in the hands of a friend.
That joy is what drew hundreds of disc golfers from all over New England to the fairways of Riverhead Field Frisbee Golf Course on Barnes Road in Edgartown to compete in the Vineyard Social Disc Golf Tournament.
On Saturday and Sunday morning, under a long-awaited spring sun after a harsh winter, competitors trekked to their assigned holes for an 8:45 am shotgun start — a tournament format in which groups of disc golfers start from different holes all at once, rather than sequentially from the first tee.
The tournament has been hosted by the owners of the Lazy Frog — a popular beach, game, and sport store located on Circuit Ave. in Oak Bluffs — Jake Gifford and his wife Sarah Gifford, for the past 20 years, and it has become a popular event within the New England disc golf community.
“This is a big part of our store, the disc golf scene,” said Jake Gifford to The Times. “It has been from the beginning when we started, and people from all over New England come play every year. It’s really cool to see the familiar faces, and some new faces come every year to enjoy the course.”
The tournament accommodates all skill and age levels. The junior, recreational, amateur, and “amateur 2” division competitors took the course on Saturday, March 14, while professionals took on the course on Sunday. Each player competes in one morning round, and one after lunch, for a 36-hole total. Age divisions range from “open” (all ages) to over 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 65, and 70, although not all divisions received signups. Divisions are mixed-gender, but there is a women’s division option as well.
Gifford said the Vineyard tournament is perfect for first-time disc golf players as well as experienced competitors. “For people who haven’t tried disc golf, and they want to come out and give it a try, I would recommend the amateur section of the tournament. You’re only playing against your similar skill levels, so you wouldn’t be playing against more experienced players,” he said.
At the tournament, the professionals are an exciting watch, with first-place finishers earning a total of $3,000 in cash prizes, while amateur day is all about fun and community, featuring merchandise prizes for getting closest to the hole, and discs and other apparel for high-placement finishes. There are also lunchtime giveaways totaling around $2,000 in prizes.
It was the 20th year at the tournament for Mike Saimond, of South Windsor, Conn., who competes in the amateur division of the social tournament. “I come because some people I only get to see in this tournament. It’s a social tournament,” he said.
For Saimond, disc golf is about reconnecting with the joy that came from throwing a Frisbee as a boy. “I’ve been throwing a Frisbee since I was a child, and disc golf just continues that,” he said.
At the professional competition on Sunday, Dylan Cappaccioli from Chestnut Hill, claimed a $675 first-place prize in the Mixed Professional Open (MPO) division, shooting a score of –16 under par, and Rose Shertick from Nashua, N.H., took the $245 first-place prize in the Female Professional Open (FPO) with a +17.
First place in other professional divisions:
- Mixed Professional over 40 division (MP40), Justin Chiu, Watertown, –8, $425
- Mixed Professional over 50 division (MP50), Bob Kulchuck, Littleton, –3, $340
- Mixed Professional over 60 division (MP60), Ken Gary, Georgetown, +7, $165
First place in amateur divisions:
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- Mixed Amateur 1 (MA1), Denver Leadbetter, Cranston, R.I., +2
- Mixed Amateur over 40 (MA40), Nathan Hamlett, Narragansett, R.I., +7
- Female Amateur over 40 (FA40), Melissa Collins, East Wareham, +18
- Mixed Amateur over 50 (MA50), Jim Asam, Milford, +9
- Female Amateur over 55 (FA55), Kelly Killeen, Marlborough, +36
- Mixed Amateur over 60 (MA60), Glen Holmes, Vineyard Haven, –1.
- Mixed Amateur over 65 (MA65), Mike Saimond, South Windsor, Conn., +7
- Mixed Amateur 2 (MA2), Christopher Mangsen, Marlborough, +7
- Mixed Junior under 15 (MJ15), Theodore O’Connell-Koep, Centerville, +27
The tournament has final scores posted on the Professional Disc Golf Association website; amateur scores are available here, and professional scores can be seen here.