Hi-Line Hyzers Host Fall Fling To Bring Course To Fort Peck

Area resident Kevin Vogel hosted and directed the first ever Hi-Line Hyzers Fall Fling disc golf tournament at Centennial Park in Glasgow on Oct. 10. This event was Vogel's first as a tournament director.

"One day, about a month ago, I decided that this will never happen if someone doesn't step up to make it happen. BOOM, I was now a new tournament director," said Vogel.

The Fall Fling was also the first fully planned out and sponsored disc golf tournament for the course at Centennial Park. The competition for the event included two rounds of 18 holes, with the first round setting the competition tiers for the second round. Later in the evening, there was a random draw best-shot doubles event where 18 holes were played with glow in the dark discs and small lights taped to the tops of the baskets so players knew where the targets were. Vogel stated that this part of the event was a highlight for him, as the stresses induced by both playing and managing the event were mostly gone at that point, and all that was left was a fun round of disc golf with a group of friends.

There were multiple reasons that this event was put on this year. One of those reasons was to raise money to install a new disc golf course down in Fort Peck. "The perfect location was found in an under-utilized 70 acres of land in Fort Peck's Downstream Campground. But we needed to raise money to fund the purchase of equipment and installation costs for a new course. So all the proceeds of this event are going to this new course development," Vogel stated. Another important reason was to continue to grow the sport of disc golf in northeast Montana, and bring both experienced disc golfers and those new to the sport together to play disc golf in our community.

The Fall Fling brought 26 players to Glasgow from many locales across the region. Participants from places such as Havre, Williston, Glendive, Sidney, Wolf Point, Poplar and Lustre joined players from the Glasgow area. The first round divided these players into one of two groups; the Advanced players group (who typically score lower relative to par) and Recreational, for those who typically score higher when compared to par.

In the Advanced group, Kyle Jensen, of Williston, took home the tournament victory, shooting a six under par for the final round. Glasgow's own Tim Phillips, who ended one stroke back of Jensen, followed him by coming in second place. In third place was Lloyd Smith, of Glendive, who also finished one stroke back of Jensen. There ended up being a four-way tie for second, with Phillips winning the first playoff hole to take second, and Smith winning the second playoff hole for third.

In the Recreational division, Ben Wetsit, out of Wolf Point, took first place in a playoff with Glendive's Austin Smith, who took second. Third place out of the Recreational group was Glasgow's Gabe Lagree.

Prizes for the top competitors included items donated from local businesses and disc golf products from Prodigy Disc Golf, headquartered in Georgia. Participants in the tournament received a player pack that included a Prodigy Disc Golf disc, a hand drying bag for use while playing, a pencil, a sticker and a small disc that is called a "mini marker," which is used to mark a player's lie while on the course, similar to a ball marker that ball golfers use to mark their lie on a golf green.

Attaining these items took a considerable fundraising and donation effort. Vogel stated "this tournament would not have been possible at the level we got it to without the incredible generosity of our donors from throughout the community." Once the expenses were taken into account, the leftover donor funds, player registration fees, and sales of Prodigy Disc Golf equipment at tournament headquarters throughout the event, $869.54 was raised to fund the construction of the new course in Fort Peck.

When asked why a new course is desired considering that Centennial Park already has a course, Vogel responded by saying; "I played in a tournament at Makoshika State Park in 2019 during their Buzzard Days festival. They had a foot race and a disc golf tournament as part of the event. I thought, 'Why doesn't Fort Peck have this with events like the Longest Dam Race?'" An additional course in the downstream recreation area would also provide campers at the Kiwanis Park with another activity during their stay.

By having a tournament-ready course on site, hosting events would bring more economic influx to the area. Vogel also stated that in an ideal situation, some of the top-level professional disc golfers could come to our corner of the world and participate in a tournament at the course in Fort Peck, and host clinics for teaching disc golfers of all levels new skills and aid in their development in disc golf, all of which will work towards continuing to grow the sport in northeast Montana.

Plans have already been put into place to begin parts of the construction process for the new course in Fort Peck. A local resident, who donated the baskets that are currently used in Centennial Park, committed to donating eight more baskets to the new course in Fort Peck. Combining that donation with the money raised during the Fall Fling, Vogel expects that the first nine holes of the new course can be ready to be played by summer of 2021. Finishing the course, by adding the back nine holes, will be dependent on acquisition of the additional necessary funding, stated Vogel. For a tournament-ready course that can be certified for top-level competition by the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), Vogel said "The cost for all of the equipment and other construction costs will total around $10,000."

While no subsequent fundraising events or tournaments are currently in the works, Vogel states that he hopes to have at least a couple of annual events/tournaments each year with the goal of raising funds for the new course. If anyone wishes to donate to the cause, Vogel and the other club officers, to be elected, will be working to set up a Hi-Line Hyzers Disc Golf Club account with Thrivent Financial to host club finances, and he states that there may eventually be an LLC set up in the club's name through which folks can make donations.

In the meantime, Vogel states that the best way to get a hold of him or someone with the club to discuss donating to the new course would be through the club website at http://www.hilinehyzers.com.