Simon Lizotte kicked off a stellar season with a win at the 2022 OTB Open. Photo: Kevin Huver / DGPT

This weekend, the Disc Golf Pro Tour kicks off its West Coast swing with the OTB Open presented by MVP Disc Sports.

The OTB Open started as the San Francisco Open in 2018 as part of the Disc Golf Pro Tour, then moved to Stockton, California and partnered with OTB Discs in 2021. A new course was designed at Swenson Park by Leonard Muise, who had also designed the course at Gleneagles for the SFO. Now in its third year on the Elite Series, the OTB Open is the sixth Elite Series event of the 2023 season.

As is the case with most disc golf courses installed on a ball golf course, Swenson Park is extremely long. The course is an 11,388 foot par 66 for the MPO and a 9,113 foot par 67 for the FPO field. In particular, holes 4 and 6 are over 1000 feet for the MPO and over 800 feet for the FPO.

However, players will need more than distance alone to score well at Swenson. Unlike many other ball/disc golf courses, Swenson features gap shots, tight OB lines, and plenty of trees forcing players to shape their shots through the fairways. The back 9 includes multiple water carries and baskets placed close enough to the water line to test the nerve of even the best putters on tour.

Swenson Park was made for the pros and has been updated to accommodate each field. Only Hole 5 has the same teepad and basket position for both the FPO and MPO fields while every other hole has a different teepad or basket position.

Last year, the two-meter Rule was in effect on certain holes, but the rule will not be in effect at this year’s OTB Open.

Paige Pierce is battling an injury, but is in action looking for the three-peat at the OTB Open. Photo: Kevin Huver / DGPT

Paige Pierce shot back-to-back hot rounds in the first two rounds of the 2022 OTB Open, giving her a nine-stroke lead going into Championship Sunday. While Pierce was in great position to defend her 2021 title, a slow start gave room for Natalie Ryan to make a charge. Ryan scored ten birdies to get to 9-under for the day and catch up to Pierce by Hole 16. Ryan finally had a chance to take the lead, but went OB approaching Hole 17’s difficult green, resulting in a double bogey. Pierce took par on the last two holes, finishing at even par for the day and securing her second OTB Open win.

So far, Pierce is the only FPO player to win the OTB Open and she already has one Elite Series win this season. With…