If you’re anything like us, the end of every summer marks the start of your planning for the next one. There are a lot of things you could spend your time on. Concerts, festivals, and disc golf tournaments are just a few of the many activities people look forward to. But with limited time available, we have to choose wisely.
You could go to a concert… Or you could do it right and go to Lollapalooza
You could attend a local festival… Or you could make the pilgrimage to Burning Man.
You could play a local disc golf tournament… Or you could treat yourself to the Glass Blown Open.
In other words you could spend your valuable free time going to an event, or you could give yourself the gift of an experience.
When we sit down every year to plan the Glass Blown Open, this is goal we set for ourselves. This is the filter through which every single aspect of the GBO passes. We don’t want you to attend an event. We want you to have an experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. The feedback from past players is that we’ve been successful so far. 2016 will be no exception and is shaping up to be the most epic GBO yet!
So let’s take a moment and compare. Here’s how most bigger tournaments usually go:
-You have a players meeting and a fly mart.
-You play 2-4 rounds of tournament golf on one or two courses.
-You win a trophy if you played well (and maybe some cash if you play in the open divisions).
-You go to a player’s party.
-You go home.
-Overall, you have a good time.
These are always fun, and we encourage you to go to as many as you can. The more disc golf you can get into your summer, the better the summer will be. But now let’s take a closer look at the Glass Blown Open. How do we make it an experience instead of just an event? Here’s some highlights from 2015:
-Everywhere you looked in the town of Emporia, there were signs that said “Welcome Disc Golfers”.
-The player’s pack was legendary.
-There was competition before the tournament even started with two warm up tournaments and a greatly anticipated multi day putting contest.
-At the free bowling night, Steve Rico (owner of Legacy Discs) bet Paige Pierce $200 she couldn’t pick up a spare with a disc. She did and YouTube went crazy.
-There was a free movie night at the historic Granada Theatre.
-There was a bonfire behind the distribution center surrounded by a very cool glow course.
-People toured disc golf nirvana (also known as the Dynamic Discs distribution center) and got to stamp their own disc.
-Over 800 players played on 5 championship caliber courses across 3 days.
-There was a street festival complete with music, food, vendors, and the world’s largest ring of fire.
-Jay “Yeti” Reading beat Nikko Locastro in the finals of the putting contest to win $1000.
-The GBO winners were awarded the single coolest trophy in all disc golf.
-Everyone drove or flew home with a grin on their face that wasn’t going to leave for days.
Each of the over 800 players went home with their own version of this list. It’s a list they will cherish for many years to come. It’s a list that only forms when you step beyond merely going to events. Summer is over. It’s time to plan next year. We would love for you to join us for the 2016 Glass Blown Open .
We promise it will be an experience you’ll never forget.
