By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Disc golf players from across the region descended on Hays this weekend for the 37th annual Frontier Open in Frontier Park.
Since 1984, players have made their way to the course, now the last remaining grassroots course in the state.
It was the fourth built in Kansas, according to the Kansas Disc Golf Association, with the first three courses having been redesigned or removed.
"It's a fun course," Trevor McMurray, Salina, who participated in the juniors event. "With some monster shots, for us anyway, junior wise."
He was especially impressed with the first hole, with a tee-off crossing Big Creek.
Hays resident Bryton Unsworth, played in McMurray's group and also said he enjoys the course.
"Honestly the layouts they have right now are really fun, I enjoyed them a lot," Unsworth said. "There are some hard shots, some getable birdies that you should walk out for because they can easily boogie them."
"The terrain of the Frontier Disc Golf Course, which is built in 75 acres of parkland, presents natural difficulties including water hazards from Big Creek and heavily wooded areas with creative elevation shots," the KDGA said. "The biggest potential hazard of tournament play during the Frontier Open is not so much the course as it is Mother Nature's wind. Tournaments are played in all weather conditions, excluding life-threatening ones, and test a player's skills."
The course was the 113th in the U.S., originally built as disc golf gained recognition and increasing popularity.
"The concept of the game was to create a recreational sport that would be free of charge to local citizens," the KDGA said. "The city provides the course and the players provide their equipment."
While the course dates back to the '80s, the game itself was being played in Hays long before, by Fort Hays State University students.
"Players included Ron Rice, Karen Elder, Les Dreiling, and Deb Ewy; most were students at the university," the KDGA said. "Fort Hays' security officers opposed the activity because they felt the student disc golfers were damaging the grass. Although names and faces have changed, disc golfers now have a course less than a mile away next to the bison in Frontier Park."
Along with the Hays Parks Department, those players would design and construct the Flying Bison Course.
"Rice left the university in 1976," The KDGA said "In 1982 he became an employee for the City of Hays Parks Department. He is still currently employed with the City as the Parks Technician, completing his 36th year."
Now across the U.S. there are now more than 8,000 courses and a growing number abroad, with more than 2,500 tournaments each year, they said. And the sport continues to grow.
Take a look at some of the tournament action below.
