
Don’t wait for summer to bust out those golf discs.
The Winter Wizards disc golf tournament is coming to Antigo on Saturday. The event is a fundraiser for the installation of concrete tee pads on the city’s Springbrook course, and is being coordinated by HookUp Disc Golf LLC and the local disc golfing community.
Evan Stoiber is the founder of HookUp Disc Golf and has been plenty busy planning the tournament. He said one time-consuming aspect was the actual course layout and ground conditions.
“Last weekend, we walked the course for six hours setting up an alternate layout and compacting the snow on the temporary tee pads,” Stoiber said. “There have also been long nights doing score cards, player sheets, thinking about all the possible out of bounds, thinking of all the possible hazards that could affect players and ensuring they know to stay clear of certain areas. Hours and hours go into setup, ensuring every T is crossed and I is dotted.”
Publicity for the Winter Wizards tournament has been generated through fliers, word-of-mouth buzz, Facebook, and the website ‘discgolfscene.com.’ As of now, Stoiber expects at least 50 players, but registration is still an option on Saturday.
Registration begins at 8 a.m., with a players meeting at 8:45 a.m. and teeoff scheduled for 9 a.m.
Players planning to register on tourney day are advised that limited player packs are available, and players must purchase a pack as the discs in the pack must be used for tournament play.
Those player packs are a primary reason Stoiber and HookUp decided to host a Winter Wizards tournament.
“There is normally at least one winter tournament in Antigo every year,” he said. “I chose to go with the Winter Wizards because of the awesome player packs and special tournament style. This originated because the local players want to get concrete tee pads, so we decided to raise the money ourselves to get them installed.”
Sarah Repp of Antigo’s Park, Recreation and Cemetery Department said the city is likewise enthused about the tournament.
“We are excited that the disc golf tournament will be using the 18-hole Springbrook Disc Golf Course for their event,” Repp said. “We are also thankful for the club to take such an interest in assisting with maintenance of the course, as well as our department for future improvements.”
Of course, with the calendar turning to March, there is the consideration of weather conditions. For this event, players would prefer the thermometer to retain winter’s hold for the day.
“This might sound crazy, but the (hope is) not too warm,” Stoiber said. “Perfect would be about 25-30 degrees. When the snow gets too warm the discs hit and sink in fairly quick, and can get lost fairly easily.
“Also, warm weather could cause some issues with ice and slushy snow. Hopefully all the tee locations will hold up and not cause too much ice, or maybe even mud.”
HookUp Disc Golf’s fundraising goal for the tournament is $8,000. The group is always looking for sponsors to help improve the Antigo course.
For the Winter Wizards tournament, a hole sponsorship is $30, which features the sponsor’s name on a tee sign. A shared tee pad sponsorship is $175, earning a joint name plaque on the tee pad. An individual tee pad sponsorship is available for $350, with a tee pad name plaque.
In September, HookUp held the Tee Pad Bash tournament, which raised $2,500.
The group mentions, as part of the tourney promotional materials, that concrete tee pads are essential for player safety, and serve to improve the overall quality of the course. HookUp Disc Golf is committed to seeing the project through, and serve as a local ambassador for the sport of disc golf, bringing awareness to youth, families and schools.
For more information about the Winter Wizards tournament or the HookUp organizations, contact Stoiber at 920-204-5074 or hudiscgolf@gmail.com.