The History of the Great Lakes Open
Original story by Bob Huston modified/updated by Terry Calhoun, John Ferry

In the late summer of 1981, a few hard-core disc golfers put together a benefit tournament in memory of a deceased hamster. Oscar, affectionately known as Weenie, died of thyroid cancer despite major surgical intervention. The tournament was initially called the Weenie Memorial and, from its proceeds, $120 were donated to the American Cancer Society. The success of the Weenie Memorial led, the following summer, to the first Great Lakes Open which was held at Raintree Park in Troy, Michigan. The men’s division was won by Dale Hartzell who beat the other dozen or so players while throwing a Wham-O 119 gram disc. Susanne Crisafulli won the women’s division. Entry fees were $6 and it is believed that Dale took home a $25 payout.

The third GLO, in 1984, was the first to utilize more than a single course, it was played at Raintree and Starr Park, in Royal Oak. By 1991, the tenth Great Lakes Open, held at Firefighters Park in Troy, hosted 104 players. Discraft had already been playing a major sponsorship role in the event by this time. The 14th Great Lakes Open, in 1995 was the first held partially at Hudson Mills Metropark. It also utilized the now-mythical Kandahar course (and a few Lizard games).
In 1996, for the 15th GLO, Discraft’s continuing support was recognized by authorizing it to have title sponsorship of the GLO, which became the Discraft Great Lakes Open. The 18th DGLO, in 1999, utilized not only the Original and Monster courses at Hudson Mills Metropark but a 24-hole temporary course, the Campground course, that was put in the ground as part of the planning for the following year’s world championships.

The 2000 DGLO was put on hold in order to host the largest-ever disc golf event, the 2000 Discraft PDGA Pro-Am World Championships, an event marked by the attendance of 846 of the top amateur and pro golfers from around the world. The Ann Arbor Area Disc Indeuced Sports Club has continued to rise to the challenge of hosting some of the best disc golf events in the country.

Over time, the Great Lakes Open has been one of the top pro payout tournaments in the country, which helps to explain why the best players regularly attend this event. We look forward to hosting this important leg of the PDGA National Tour!