It is 9:30 a.m. on New Year's Day at the Offshore Ale Company in Oak Bluffs. A minor din, which sounds more like Friday afternoon than Friday morning, rises as the crowd devours plates of eggs and quaffs pints of Lazy Frog Ale. A frisbee disc basket swings from a rope. A competitor steps up, ready to fling a tiny disc at the moving target. His first shot sails into the fireplace. His second shot careens into the kitchen. His third shot hits the basket but glances just short of the goal.  There are organized crowd chants, cheers, jeers and lots of laughter. And this is just the pre-game.

 

A record number (54) players turned out for the eighth annual New Year's Day Disc Golf Tournament, under partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the 40s. The field played 27 holes, nine from each of the three courses carved out of the Manuel Correllus State Forest, off Barnes Road. 

 

“It started as something to do on New Year's Day,” said Phil McAndrews, owner of Offshore Ale and one of the event sponsors. “The second year, we decided to do it as a fundraiser.” Proceeds from entry fees go to a local non-profit organization.

 

Jake Gifford, owner of The Lazy Frog, a store dedicated to fun and leisure pursuits in Oak Bluffs, is also a sponsor. He said the Island hosts an annual tournament with Nantucket players in the fall, and a very competitive tournament in the summer which draws top players from around New England, but the New Year's Day tourney is an Island event.

 

“It's a local tournament,” Mr. Gifford said. “Ninety per cent of the players live here year round.”

 

The all-volunteer designed and all-volunteer maintained Riverhead Disc Golf course weaves through pitch pine and scrub oak, with open terrain as well. The game is played with specialized flying discs. The discs are weighted for different distances, flight patterns and roll. The shape and design allow players to play sharp curved flights, high floaters or short, straight shots. Some players carry as many as 10 different discs.

 

After the morning festivities at Offshore Ale Company, the players trek to the state forest courses, and fan out to their assigned starting holes. They carry bags tightly packed with discs, along with a variety of liquids to help with proper hydration over the grueling course. 

 

The two minute warning rings through the state forest, relayed from one tee to the next with a yell, until it reaches the far end of the course.  Then comes the signal to start, and the competition is on.

 

There is an air of irreverent fun among the disc golfers, but make no mistake, these people are serious about the sport. One golfer sails a disk off the tee toward a tight fairway framed by pitch pine branches. He talks the disc toward the target.

 

“Get around it... settle... okay got a good roll out of it.” 

 

Par for the course is 81.

 

The tournament winner with a 3-under par 78, was Lucas Brewer, who honed his competitive instincts during a standout soccer career at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School. Mr. Brewer was tied with Alex Maloney after 27 holes, but prevailed in a 3-hole playoff to take top honors.

 

There was a tie for third, between Paul Cotton and Nick Gross, both past winners of the New Year's Day tournament. They broke the tie with a fierce game of rock, paper, scissors.

 

The winners were awarded honors at an afternoon wrap-up party, held this year at the Barn Bowl & Bistro.