Over the last few months, we’ve been hyping up what’s about to take place this weekend in Seaside, CA. We, the PDGA, have been blessed with an amazing partnership and opportunity with one of the most successful and life-changing charities in the world, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. After months and months of planning, the players and fundraisers for the inaugural St. Jude Disc Golf Charity Invitational tee off tomorrow morning.

This is much more than just a disc golf competition. In fact, it serves a much higher purpose. Competitors and non-competitors alike were tasked with raising money for St Jude, either as individuals as part of a team, or both. We’re extremely proud to be able to say that the disc golfers of the world raised over $170,000 for this amazing cause!

There’s still opportunity for last minute donations to come in as the event goes on this weekend, so if you’re interested in contributing, visit the St Jude Disc Golf Charity Invitational fundraising page!

Dream Courses

The first thing that comes to mind when you head down the paved drive leading to the Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Courses is, “There’s NO WAY people are going to be playing disc golf here this weekend”. The grounds of Bayonet & Black Horse are absolutely gorgeous, both with a breathtaking backdrop of Monterey Bay. It’s truly a magnificent setting, and an extremely difficult course, even in the high-caliber world of championship level ball golf. In fact, these same courses were home to the 2012 PGA Professional National Championship.

Aerial view of the Bayonet Golf Course.

The temporary disc golf courses that have been designed for the event are just as difficult. The disc golf tournament uses only the Bayonet course on the complex, but that course alone is easily large enough for some of the best course designers in disc golf to put in championship courses. Baskets are placed in around bunkers and putting greens, both of which are out-of-bonds per the rules of the disc golf event. Cart paths are OB as well, meaning every throw has to be placed with absolute precision.

The front nine of the Bayonet course, AKA the St Jude Johnson DGC was designed by disc golf legends and Hall of Fame members Tom Schot #3303, Merle Witvoet #5175, and Jim Challas #160. This course, named after another Hall of Fame member Dr. Stancil Johnson #009, comes in at 8,802 feet and a par of 62. Yet somehow, this is still the shorter of the two courses. It will be played one a day by all of the Amateur divisions plus the Open Grandmasters and Open Senior Grandmasters.

The St. Jude Headrick Disc Golf Course, designed by disc golf pioneer Jussi Meresmaa #14600, is a beast. The par of 62 matches the Johnson course, except with an additional 1880 feet. Meresmaa himself has said that he designed this course to push the skills of the best players in the world to the limits. Another way to put it; the average hole length is 605 feet. Did we mention how windy it is by the bay? The Open, Open Women, and Open Masters divisions players better bring their stable discs!

Coverage

The St. Jude Disc Golf Charity Invitational will have plenty of video coverage. However, due to a lack of cell towers in the area, live streaming coverage isn’t an option. As usual, several of the finest YouTube channels dedicated to covering disc golf will be on the premises. As soon as their videos become available we will release a PDGA Announcement and we’ll be updating it with new videos as soon as there are released.

Follow the PDGA on Facebook and Twitter to find links to the latest videos and live scoring on pdgalive.com. And don’t forget, it’s never too late to donate to this amazing cause. We can’t thank St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for the opportunity to be a part of their team!