Crush on the Concho, San Angelo's Pro Disc Golf Tournament Draws Nationwide Attendance

The 13th annual Crush on the Concho Disc Golf Tournament (CCDGT) will be in full swing this weekend at Middle Concho Park out at Lake Nasworthy.  The tournament is a Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) Pro-Am that will last through Sunday with almost 200 players registered.

The tournament has 21 holes, and was kicked off Friday with precursor for practice. Saturday will start the tournament with winners announced in each division in a ceremony Sunday afternoon. There will also be a long drive contest and a ‘closest to the hole prize’ on selected holes throughout the tournament.  

You may be surprised to know that disc golf has been taking shape and making its place in the world since the 1920s. It began as a game, throwing tin plates at targets such as trees and fence posts, and was called ‘Tin Lid Golf’. The scoring was and still is kept according to number of strokes taken at each hole, like golf.

In the 1960s, college students were holding tournaments with Frisbees using trees as targets. Over time those targets evolved into 50 gallon trash barrels, and eventually a man named “Steady Ed” Headrick invented the first formal target made with chains and a basket. The chains rope around an open face basket to keep the disc in place when it hits the target.

In 1976, Headrick formed the DGA, then later the PDGA .  In 1983 Dave Dunipace invented the modern disc with a beveled edge rim, adding weight , more control and accuracy , hence the modern day disc that’s used today.  The sport has with stood the test of time, and with nearly 4,000 courses in the US, five of which are here in San Angelo, it’s no surprise disc golf is popular.  The game is now played in more than 40 countries worldwide, primarily in the United States, Canada, Central and Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia.

Attracting the largest turn out in the history of the San Angelo tournament, players at the CCDGT will compete in different divisions much like a golf tournament.  The tornament prizes will be awarded in the form of disc golf merchandise and cash prizes.

Micah Mariano is this year’s Tournament Director, “Instead of the local disc golf club here running it this year… I wanted to give them a chance to play and hang out, so I ran it all through my non-profit, 3:8 Ministries” said Mariano.  3:8 Ministries is a non- profit organization that brings music and disc golf to churches and neighborhoods.

“One of the great things about disc golf is that you can pick up a disc having never played before, and have a fun time, everyone can throw a disc without being a pro or knowing all of the technical things about it,” said Mariano. “I see families in the parks here all of the time with kids as young as 3 out there tossing a disc around having a blast.”

CCDGT drew players from all over Texas and the US.

Edward Garcia, an avid player from Waco made the San Angelo tournament a stop off on his list that will take him as far as Michigan this summer.  “I’ve heard a lot of good things about the courses, everybody talks about how much of a good time it is,” Garcia said. “There’s a big community of disc golfers here, I thought I would give San Angelo a shot and see how it works out for me.”

“JohnE” McCray  is a seasoned player who made it to the CCDGT for thr first time this year. Mc Cray has been the Florida Tour Points leader 13 times, tied for first place at the 2014 US Disc Golf Championship, and has about  170 PDGA  tournament wins.  Once the Mc Cray’s daughters were grown and out of the house, it was at his wife’s suggestion that they spread their wings and leave home themselves to go on tour. They travel all over the country, tournament to tournament. Mc Cray was recently signed as part of the Latitude 64 Disc Team. (Latitude 64 is a Swedish disc manufacturer.)  “I’m 42 and I compete with the best in the world. It’s my goal to make it to 50 and still be competing with the best in the world,” McCray said.  

Brody Miller from Portland,OR plays disc golf 365 days a year. “I might take a day off here and there, but for the most part I’m gonna play all year,” he said. That drive to toss a disc is what brought him to the San Angelo tournament.  Miller is sponsored by Latitude 64, as well.  “When we are out in a tournament they try to help us out with discs. They also give win bonuses, so if you win a big tournament, they try and give you some extra money to keep you going and keep you out on the road.  It helps out because there’s not a ton of money in it, but there’s enough in it if you play well,” he said. Miller will be going on to compete in tournaments in Sweden and Finland this summer.

This years tournament is full, but if you are curious to know what it means to San Angelo you will find no better example than the disc golf community camped out at Middle Concho River Park this weekend. Just past the entrance look for the blue tent set up, there you will find tournament merchandise like t-shirts, and discs perfect for tossing around on a warm weekend at the lake.

For more information on disc golf visit: www.pdga.com

For information on local disc golf visit the Concho Valley Disc Golf Association on Facebook at : www.facebook.com/cvdga