Disc will fly as the US Disc Golf Championship comes to Winthrop
Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 9:09AM By David Thackham
thackhamd@thejohnsonian.com
Billed as “a championship course with championship experience,” the Gold Course at Winthrop has been selected for the 12th straight year to host the U.S. Disc Golf Championship.
From Oct. 6-9, Winthrop will welcome professional talent hailing from across the globe that has event director Jonathon Poole thinking this year will be the best yet for the tournament.
“We take the areas for improvement very seriously,” Poole said.
“We’re taking in all the feedback, sitting and poring over details, and when you do that, you learn every little bit more than last year.”
Poole is adamant that no other course and management group can pull off the performance he and the Gold Course are able to consistently put on display.
“No one could possibly do what we’re doing,” he said. “Disc Golf has got such deep roots here in Rock Hill… it’s a model city for how disc golf should be, and that’s a really important proponent.”
Rock Hill native and two-time World Disc Golf champion Harold Duvall designed and developed the Winthrop Gold Course.
It has been home to a plethora of tournaments, including the USDG Championship (12 times), the World Disc Golf Championship (one time) and the President’s Cup (one time).
From opening tee to the final round, players will be have to keep their focus as they battle tricky holes on the stunning Winthrop gold course.
The website, www.dgcoursereview.com, gives detailed reviews of disc golf courses throughout the country and has described Winthrop’s course as “spectacular,” adding that there’s a “sense of emotion and awe” that one gets from staring down the green.
If the play in previous championships is any indication, this year’s tournament could be just as splendid as the course.
The U.S. talent will try to continue their hot streak. The Americans have won every tournament since 2002.
The European delegation will have a hard task on its hands trying to defeat the Americans.
They will have the experience of three-time U.S. champion Ken Climo ready and available.
While the U.S. has been dominating lately, Poole thinks the international flavor is always beneficial to the health of the sport and to Winthrop.
“When you start talking about disc golf,” he said, “Winthrop is part of the vocabulary - a common part of the conversation. This place is known worldwide as THE place to play disc golf.”
This year also marks the birth of something new for the historic Winthrop gold course.
The President’s Cup will be hosted on Oct. 5 at the course; the first time the professional competition has ever been held on American soil.
“Bringing the Cup here adds excitement that players, sponsors and spectators sink their teeth into. It adds a pride element that will attract even more people than ever before,” Poole said.
For the past three years, the President’s Cup has been showcased in Tampere, Finland, but to Poole, the move to the States feels right.
“Winthrop is set up very well for spectators. The course design has really improved. We have all the materials to take care of the course, and it sets Winthrop apart from other courses,” he said.
A press conference will be held in the President’s Room at Winthrop Coliseum on Monday, Oct. 4, beginning at 1:15 p.m.
America’s first President’s Cup will begin 24 hours later.
Tickets for the President’s Cup are free with admittance to the U.S. Disc Golf Championship. Patrons can pay $25 for all three days of play or $10 for a one-day pass.
