The staff is bigger. The courses are more numerous. The amount of players has grown. The distances traveled are greater than they’ve ever been.
The Ledgestone Open is the largest disc golf event in the world and the numbers behind it are mind-blowing. We’ve picked out key stats and fun facts to give you a better picture of what goes into making Ledgestone happen and why it’s the greatest tournament on earth.
Let’s start with the biggest numbers and work our way down.
6,673,000 milliliters of bottled water. This equates to 1,763 gallons and over 13,000 bottles. This water goes out to each of the courses during the event, including the 16 flex start tournaments and numerous other festivities throughout Ledgestone week.
634,000 dollars donated to charity. This is a running total since 2014 when Ledgestone first partnered with St. Jude in the fight against pediatric cancer. Since then, Ledgestone has continued to come alongside additional charitable organizations like Easter Seals, South Side Mission, EDGE and the Paul McBeth Foundation. This number will grow significantly larger following the 2024 event.
106,895 feet of fairways. This is equivalent to more than 20 miles, enough to cover the distance between the 36-minute drive from Lake Eureka to Sunset Hills for the MPO and FPO rounds. The 2024 Ledgestone Open will feature 15 different locations across Greater Peoria. Each course varies in difficulty and length, but together they each average 7,126 feet.
15,000 feet of rope at Eureka Temp for out-of-bounds lines. This is enough rope to encircle the circumference of Lake Eureka twice. For more context, that’s enough rope to climb to the very top of the infamous water tower 150 times.
8,173 miles to New Plymouth, New Zealand. This is the home of Aimee Whitmore, the farthest traveler at this year’s event. This is her second consecutive trip to Ledgestone. This year, Whitmore is joined by her friend Michaela Kerr (also from New Zealand). The two will be competing in the Female Amateur 1 division.
4,500 pairs of Merrell shoes. Each amateur player will receive a brand new pair of high-quality Merrell shoes in their player pack. The entire Ledgestone staff will also receive a pair along with an additional amount being set aside for player packs at the Discraft Great Lakes Open in September. Models include the Antora 3, Moab 3, Crosslander 2, Nova 3, and Accentor 3.
2,424 players participating in the 2024 Ledgestone Open. This is up over 500 players since 2020. The craziest fact is that it’s a 2,209% increase from the inaugural event which fielded 105 players less than 15 years ago.
1,403 feet of mandatory, high-stakes OB carries at Lake Eureka. This isn’t including the numerous opportunities to shave off distances by flirting with OB on different parts of the course. It equates to 14% of the whole course and is a big reason why 856 shots from the MPO field found their way OB during the 2023 Ledgestone Open. At Sunset Hills, the FPO field has to battle 422 feet of OB carries, about 6% of the course.
126 players with the name of Matt/Matthew or Mike/Michael. This means there is a 23% chance of having a player with this name on your card during the Ledgestone Open. Almost one in every four cards going out over the entirety of the weekend will have a Matthew or a Michael on it.
45 states (plus Puerto Rico) are in attendance. The only states missing are New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wyoming. Even Alaska and Hawaii have a representative at Ledgestone this year.
17 feet down to the deepest part of Lake Eureka. The 27-acre lake has an average depth of 6.5 feet meaning the majority of discs thrown into the water during the event each year have no chance of being found and now belong to the fish.
10 countries represented across all divisions. Europe, South America, Central America and Oceania natives are joining North American players at this year’s event.
4 aces at Eureka Temp in 2023. There were two in each round at the course. Justin Rozak and Andrew Marwede aced Hole 7, while Nikko Locastro and Calvin Heimburg aced Hole 10. Sunset Hills gave up no aces to the FPO field in 2024.
1 putt to win a coveted trophy. In 2023, Missy Gannon and Cole Redalen’s winning putts were ceremonial tap-ins as they enjoyed comfortable victories on the final hole. A clutch putt to win the tournament hasn’t occurred since 2017 when Valerie Jenkins edged Jessica Weese in an epic four-hole playoff at Sunset Hills in the course’s debut event. Will this be the year someone needs to hit a big one to win the title?
