Disc golf tourney returns to Maricopa

Some of the country’s top disc golf players will compete in Maricopa on Jan. 17 in the second annual Maricopa Meadows Open.

Professional and amateur competitors will play 40 holes and compete for more than $10,000 in prizes, tournament organizer and player Paul Brenner said.

“We had a great tournament last January, and we’re back for another fun event,” Brenner said. “We’ll play two rounds of 20 holes each. We’re hoping to have 100 players again.”

The disc golf course at Maricopa Meadows will host the tournament. Maricopa Mayor Christian Price was on the Maricopa Meadows board when the course was developed and opened in 2011.

Six of the holes wrap around a lake and provide a picturesque backdrop for players, many of whom compete in tournaments around the world.

Last year’s winner in Maricopa, Ricky Wysocki, won the Japan Open this year. Wysocki is from Fort Mill, South Carolina.

“The people who will compete are really good,” Brenner said. “Most of our holes are par 3, so many of them will finish an average round of 20 holes at 60 or below.”

Disc golf has been growing in popularity since the 1990s. Hundreds of courses have been developed in parks across the country. A tournament in Scottsdale annually offers a purse of $100,000 and attracts 300 players.

***ADVERTISEMENT***“Disc golf is played much like traditional golf,” the Professional Disc Golf Association said on its web site. “Instead of a ball and clubs, however, players use a disc or Frisbee.”

Brenner said sponsorship opportunities are available for the tournament.

Anyone interested in the tournament may contact Brenner by going to the Maricopa Meadows Disc Golf Club’s page on Facebook.