PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — The 303 Open disc golf tournament wrapped up this weekend at the City Park Disc Golf Course in Pueblo, marking the first time the event has been held in the city.
Kyle Maute, event organizer for the 303 Open and tour director for the National Amateur Disc Golf Tour, said the tournament is one of Colorado's largest disc golf events and has been held annually since 2011.
"The goal of the event was to bring Colorado together as a disc golf community," Maute said.
The tournament featured multiple divisions, including Mixed Amateur 1, the highest level of amateur play, along with age-protected pro divisions, a female pro open, and a mixed pro open.
Joel Freeman, a touring pro from Colorado, won the mixed pro open after going to a playoff against Kyle Krieckhaus.
"Been really close to winning it several times and so to finally come out with the win today feels fantastic," Freeman said.
Freeman said he stayed focused during the playoff round rather than looking ahead to the finish.
"I was trying to just not get ahead of myself, just trying to tell myself like, hey, there's more to play. The job's not done," Freeman said.
Santos Montoya of Colorado Springs finished 12th in the open division. He said the competition was fierce but the atmosphere among players remained positive throughout the tournament.
"47 players in the open division, only one winner, and I mean there's a battle going on with each individual player. We really just had a good vibe smiling, high fiving." Montoya said.
Freeman echoed that sentiment, highlighting the culture of the sport as one of its defining qualities.
"Very distinct within disc golf is the sportsmanship. Everybody roots for each other all the way to the best players in the world, to the local players," Freeman said.
Organizers chose Pueblo's City Park course in part because of its age and history. Maute described it as one of the oldest courses in Colorado, if not the oldest, and one that has held up through decades of changes to the sport.
"Something in Colorado that we don't have a lot of is grass and trees and shade and lush, beautiful city parks, and Pueblo is all of that," Maute said.
Pueblo Parks and Recreation worked with organizers ahead of the tournament to upgrade the course. During a pre-tournament visit, Maute found that some equipment had deteriorated or been vandalized, including baskets with broken welds and missing chains that did not meet Professional Disc Golf Association tier specifications.
"I contacted the Parks and Rec. We had a great meeting out here, and they went to work trying to figure out how they could come up with a way to start polishing the gem of City Park that they have right here in their backyard," Maute said.
Within 4 months, the city installed new baskets, added new tee signs, and built out multiple pin placements and 2 tee pads on nearly every hole.
Maute also credited Visit Pueblo and the local disc golf club, the Steel City Shooters, for helping make the event a success.
Looking ahead, a National Amateur Disc Golf Tour qualifier is planned at City Park in August. Maute said conversations with Pueblo Parks and Recreation and Visit Pueblo point toward the 303 Open returning to Pueblo in 2027.
"Parks and Rec went out of their way to make this event happen as smoothly as it could. The players noticed it. The staff noticed it, and so did the spectators," Maute said. "I can't see a reason that we wouldn't be coming back down here, and I'm super excited to do it."
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