Press Release

Montgomery County Becomes a Sponsor of the Stockyard Open Disc Golf Tournament

Tournament Being Held at Burbine Forest Disc Golf Course
(FONDA, NY) – With the rapid growth in popularity of disc golf, Montgomery County Executive Matthew Ossenfort called the county’s sponsorship participation in “The Stockyard Open” an ideal opportunity to capitalize on the sport’s craze.

Happening on April 9 and 10, “The Stockyard Open Presented by Discraft,” is a Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) sanctioned B-series tournament that will feature amateur and professional competitors from across New York, the northeast, and beyond.

“Disc golf is a relatively new sport for many of us, but it’s already had a profound impact on our community,” said Montgomery County Executive Matthew Ossenfort, who was a supporter of the disc golf course at Thomas H. Burbine Memorial Forest even before it opened in 2020.

“When the idea of a disc golf course was first pitched to me, I thought it sounded like a tremendous asset that could breathe new life into the forest and provide a boost for the town of Charleston.  It’s already done that and so much more. We’ve received rave reviews since it opened and every weekend the parking lot is full of golfers. It’s clear there’s a huge demand for these types of events,” Ossenfort said.

“It’s truly amazing having the support of the local county behind this event and disc golf overall. Over the past two years, our sport has exploded in popularity and events are now selling out within minutes of opening. Running events is a lot easier and way more successful when the county shows this kind of support, and we are excited for Burbine to be part of the 2022 Capital Discs Tour! Thank you to Montgomery County for the continued support,” said Jeremy Whitaker, the owner of Capital Disc, who is organizing the Burbine tournament as part of an eight-event series.

Ossenfort also signaled that the county is exploring other ways to make meaningful, cost-effective investments to attract disc golf enthusiasts to the county as part of a broader tourism initiative.

Burbine Forest Disc Golf Course is an 18-hole wooded disc golf course that travels through the mature pine and hardwoods that make up Thomas H. Burbine Memorial Forest. The course is maintained and overseen by Mark Hay, a volunteer who initially pitched the idea to the County Executive.

Hay said, “The growth of the sport both locally and worldwide has just exploded the past few years. Burbine is much like the line ‘If you build it, they will come.’ The course has a very dedicated group of volunteers that have helped to build and maintain it. Seeing people out enjoying the course year-round really makes all that work worthwhile. There is something about trying to throw a disc on a perfect line through the trees that keeps people coming back.”

According to the PDGA’s 2021 Disc Golf Growth Report* there are now over 13,000 disc golf courses worldwide, with more than 70 percent of courses having been built in the last decade. Burbine is part of a larger trend of play-for-free courses, with 90 percent of disc golf courses operating under such a model and 55 percent of courses being located in public parks.

Those interested in learning more about the course can do so by visiting the Burbine Forest DGC Facebook page and those interested in learning more about The Stockyard Open can do so by visiting Capital Disc’s Facebook page*.

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