Dillon Park hosts 14th-Annual Sumter Showdown Disc Golf Tournament

Some people searching the grounds of Dillon Park for colorful plastic this past Saturday were not looking for Easter eggs but for flying discs.

The Dillon Park Disc Golf Course played host to the 14th-Annual Sumter Showdown Disc Golf Tournament on Saturday, April 4. The event was organized by Sumter City Disc Golf Club and saw participants play two 20-hole rounds. The annual event drew 80 competitors from across the region with players from Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Charlotte and Augusta joining the fray.

The Dillon Park course has 20 Par 3 holes, with Pro Division winner Cody Taplin from Eastover scoring a remarkable -22 over two rounds, taking the win from Brandon DeGrosa from Florence, who shot 16 down. The winner of the Advance Amateur division, Carl Woods of Charleston, finished closely behind Taplin, posting a -21. On the women's side, Lea Tomas scored a +9 to take the pro division, and Taylor Baynard of Goose Creek took the Advanced Amateur title. Adam McJunkin and Heathley Johnson, both from Columbia, managed to "ace" (the disc golf term for a hole in one) during their second rounds. Full scoring report is available at www.pdga.com/live/event/99947.

Disc golf as a sport continues to expand, especially here in the Southeastern United States, considered the sport's global home. The Professional Disc Golf Association operates International Disc Golf Center in Appling, Georgia, with three championship courses. The center, which suffered severe damage during Hurricane Helene, remains closed to play since the storm but expects to reopen this fall. The Winthrop University Disc Golf Course in Rock Hill plays host to the annual United States Disc Golf Championship.

The Sumter City Disc Golf Club continues to work in coordination with Sumter County Recreation and Parks to grow the sport, with courses at Dillon Park and an 18-hole course at Live Oak Park on 15 South built with the help of club members and local volunteers. Event sponsor Puff-N-Go boasts the largest selection of disc golf manufacturers in the state.

The Professional Disc Golf Association reports membership continues its post COVID-19 growth, welcoming more than 33,000 new members in 2023 and 23,000 in 2024. In 2025, Dillon Park players using the U-Disc scoring app recorded 3,875 rounds, and Live Oak park users recorded 760 rounds.