The Ledgestone tournament team is happy to announce several details as it relates to the 2023 Discraft Great Lakes Open presented by GRIP6. The DGLO announcement is the 10th in our series of announcements on the Twelve Days of Ledgestone. GRIP6 will continue to sponsor the DGLO event and will continue in the role as presenting sponsor to support Discraft’s efforts. This year’s DGLO will see the same course schedule used in 2023 that was used in 2022, the introduction of DGLO as a DGPT playoff event which necessitated a move to 4 days of competition on the DGPT side, additional added cash into the MPO/FPO field and the announcement of the 2023 DGLO players pack.
The Ledgestone team has had a long-standing relationship with GRIP6 and is thrilled to be working with them in an expanded role to support the premier event in the Great Disc State of Michigan. “GRIP6 is a company I am insanely proud to continue to work with. I love the fact that they, like Discraft, make their products in the USA. I am a proud supporter of GRIP6’s products and am excited to have them on board to support the 41st annual DGLO event,” stated DGLO TD Nate Heinold.
American manufacturer GRIP6 has been an ardent supporter of disc golf for many years and is now partnering with the Ledgestone brand for the 5th consecutive year. GRIP6 manufactures American Wool socks, minimalist wallets, and of course, their flagship low profile belts. All GRIP6 products have an unlimited lifetime guarantee and the Ledgestone team is proud to continue to work with a company that has their focus in the USA. "GRIP6 is proud to continue to work with the Ledgestone team. GRIP6 values working with a company like Ledgestone that is pushing the sport of disc golf forward while continually prioritizing their commitment to charitable causes. Relationships like this are what disc golf is all about." said Kevin Rogers, GRIP6 COO.
For the 2023 event, the same course schedule will be used in 2023 that was used in 2022. The event conducted a survey after the 2022 event to gauge how competitors felt about the event and the course schedule. The feedback from the survey indicated that competitors were generally happy with the schedule of courses. The survey indicated room for improvement as it relates to course conditions and communications. “Each year we do our best to listen to feedback from the players. We pride ourselves on listening to criticism and doing everything we can to make our events better,” said Heinold. While the course schedule will remain unchanged from 2022, some courses may see different teepads used to speed up play. As one example, the event may use the short tee on hole 14 at the Hudson Mills Monster course to help avoid long backups.
On the professional side, the event is planning to add additional added cash to continue to push the payout forward and to help highlight the events status as a playoff event. “We are excited to host the first playoff event for the 2023 DGPT season. Our plan is to add a minimum of $50,000 to the FPO/MPO purse, which will make it the largest DGLO payout in the history of the event,” said Heinold. MPO and FPO will continue to play the Kensington Toboggan layout for the event. While no major changes are planned for the course, minor tweaks will be made on a few holes. The DGPT event will be contested over 4 rounds of competition. The event is considering using alternate pins on a few holes.
The tournament plans on releasing three Limited disc releases to support the event efforts, as well as special apparel. The three limited disc releases that are planned for the event include a Z Swirl Force, TriFoil CryZtal Undertaker and a Colorshift Fierce.
And finally, the tournament is thrilled to announce that this year’s players pack will dwarf the player’s pack that was released last year and will include this marquis item: a limited colorway Ledgestone Rangefinder from Bushnell. Bushnell is a major sponsor of this year’s DGLO event, in addition to sponsoring Ledgestone’s other events. The rest of the player’s pack will include several additional items including 3 Discraft discs, a shirt, a tube of Zanfel, a GRIP6 Belt, a pair of GRIP6 socks and more items to be announced at a later date.
The 41st Annual Discraft Great Lakes Open will take place August 17th to August 20th in and around Wixom, Michigan. Registration will take place exclusively at Disc Golf Scene and will open in early 2023. Spectator passes will go on sale early in 2023. Demand is expected to be very high for players who participate in the event. Registration for AM players and age protected professionals will take place here.
