Behind the scenes look at preparations for Ledgestone Disc Golf Open

WASHINGTON, Ill (WMBD/WYZZ) — Disc golf continues to be a growing sport, especially in central Illinois, says the tournament director of the largest disc golf event in the world.

“Locally here we have ten percent more players in the Ledgestone Event than last year. Over 2,400 players signed up,” said Nate Heinold, tournament director for the Ledgestone Open.

The tournament is Aug.1-4 on over a dozen golf courses throughout central Illinois. The top men will play at Eureka Lake, the top women at Sunset Hills in Pekin.

And all those players coming to Peoria need stuff. Heinold has it in a 10,000 square foot Washington warehouse.

“They love playing the courses, the love the (local) food and they love free stuff,” Heinold said the players entered for the tournament. “Most disc golfers do.”

Players will receive a duffle bag filled with goodies like discs, shoes, hats, a t-shirt, even poison ivy cream. Some players will take home baskets which act as the holes on a disc golf course.

Heinold says these give-away items are a way to continue to grow the game.

“We have wholesale customers from Japan, China, Estonia, and all over the United States,” said Heinold. “We design special Ledgestone discs for the event and ship them all over the world.”

Heinold started the Ledgestone Open in 2011 as a way to drum up business. He had just been hired by Ledgestone Insurance and he was looking for a way to develop a client base.

The first tournament featured 105 players on one golf course in Morton. This year 2,450 players are entered in the Ledgestone Open and they’ll play on 15 central Illinois courses.

Casual players and fans can access the same merchandise the top players will receive in Peoria by purchasing it off the Ledgestone disc golf website.

The massive merchandising aspect of the tournament is a side to the world’s largest disc golf event that most people don’t see.

Heinold and his team also design disc golf courses. One of their projects is set to open at Brady Park in East Peoria this summer.

“Right now our goal is to open one new course in the area, central Illinois, every year,” said Heinold. “To keep growing the event growing and growing disc golf.”

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