Contestants enjoyed near - perfect weather as Orange County Parks & Recreation hosted the 2nd Annual Turkey Toss, a disc golf tournament, at the Orange County Disc Golf Course on Saturday, November. 21, 2020. The course played host to 28 participants, making up 14 teams for this doubles tournament, a 67% increase in participation over last year ’ s event. Parks & Recreation is thrilled to witness consistent growth in the course ’ s use since its opening in June of 2019. They believe its popularity stems from filling a niche that is not readily found in the region. Although designed to avoid intimidating those new to the sport, it is maintained at a level usually reserved only for top - tier courses. This has led to usage beyond department expectations from both residents and non - residents. The course has received an average rating of 3.8 in 101 reviews on the UDISC app. This rating exceeds most public courses in the area despite it being on the landscape for a much shorter time. The Turkey Toss Tournament reflects the spirit of the course itself as it allows for light competition (the event is not PDGA sanctioned) while encouraging a lot of fun through its use of two - person teams and fun formats like “ Captain ’ s Choice ” and “ Alternate Shot. ” Hosting an event like this lets seasoned players enjoy a new experience while allowing beginners to dip their toes in “ competitive ” waters without being intimidated. All players receive a commemorative disc and have the chance to win prizes like discs, hats, water bottles, and even a turkey - shaped trophy! Dynamic Discs, one of the leading suppliers of equipment for the sport, sponsored the event, provided many prizes, and created the custom - stamped discs that each player received. Two rounds made up the event, with the first round ’ s score determining the makeup of three flights for the second round. This is a way of handicapping the event so players can compete with those of similar abilities, at least for the latter half. The title, “ Overall Champion, ” went to first - time event participants Matt Beaulieu and Austin Gerber with a total two - round score of 93. Par for the course is 55, which makes their score a whopping 17 under - par! The top spot in flight two went to Jeremy Butterfield and Darren Jones, who scored 102. The third flight was won by Parks and Recreation ’ s own Tim Moubray and Jayson Woods with a score of 106. The tournament was a great success. Organizers were especially proud that most of the participants from last year ’ s event returned and that participation significantly increased. Parks & Recreation looks forward to hosting additional events at the course, perhaps even a spring or summer tournament. Disc golf is a fun activity that requires very little investment to get started. Parks & Recreation has worked to further remove any roadblocks that might remain. The course, located in the Lee Industrial Park at 11144 Litchfield Drive, Orange, VA 22960, is free to play and easily allows for social distancing. New participants need not even spend money on discs if they want to try the sport. The Orange County Parks & Recreation Department offers loaner discs through their office at no cost. Simply pick them up, try it out, and return the discs once finished. They sanitize the discs and keep them in a quarantine period before loaning the same ones out again. If you are interested or have any questions about the sport or the course, call (540) 672 - 5435 or visit www.orangecountyva.gov/772/Disc - Golf - Course.
Page 16 | December 2020
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter