MONROE — Disc golf enthusiasts and members of Team Outta Bounds Jared Dillon and Ryan Stoneback organized the first annual Jack Morris Memorial Tournament at Twining Park on Saturday, Sept. 28. The event drew 49 players and others who gathered to remember a significant local disc golf mentor, Jack Morris.
“There is nobody more deserving of a memorial tournament than Jack Morris,” Ryan said. “He was a big figure in the Monroe disc golf area. He meant a lot to a lot of people in the community. He was a leader and role model to new players.”
Jack embodied this for me — a teacher, mentor and role model. I picked up disc golf during COVID-19 when I was itching to do something active since my collegiate softball season was canceled. Jared, Dad and I often threw with Jack, especially during league play.
“He impacted my view and knowledge of disc golf from the first day we went to league,” Jared said. “He immediately welcomed us into the league and helped us grow.”
When I returned to campus the fall after COVID-19, I took a blogging class. We could write about any topic that interested us, so I chose disc golf. In one of my early posts, I played a round with Jack and wrote about the experience — namely the rules of the game and throwing technique he taught me. You can read about it here: https://tinyurl.com/3atbydwu.
One piece to pick out of the article is the fact that Jack got me hooked on MVP, a brand of discs. He let me throw some of his discs to get a feel for them and even gifted me his Entropy putter — a disc I still use to this day.
When Jack died on July 11 this summer, his wife Gail gifted some of his disc golf equipment to those players closest to him — which included my Dad, Jared and I. I selected an MVP Wave, and when I approached hole 10 during the memorial tournament, I pulled the disc out of my bag. I turned around to the other players on my card, who also knew Jack, and told them, “This was Jack’s disc.” I flung it toward the basket and won the women’s division closest to pin (CTP) — thanks to Jack’s disc.
I ended up taking second in my division, just three strokes behind my brother’s girlfriend, Murielle. First-place finishers received a special dyed disc from Ugly Hand Disc Dyes out of Platteville, while second-place finishers got to pick an item out of Jack’s bag. I selected an MVP Reactor with a Sarah Hokom stamp.
In addition to funds received through entry fees, there were also 18 hole sponsors and a raffle. All in all, the event raised $2,350. With this money, Jared and Ryan hope to install a memorial bench on hole 12 — Jack’s favorite hole.
“I wouldn’t imagine that we got the numbers we did,” Jared said. “Our initial goal was to get $1,000 raised for some type of memorial, and we more than doubled that in the end with a big help from the raffle.”
Jared and Ryan hope to continue the annual memorial tournament in Jack’s honor, giving back to the disc golf course. Their goals include a second set of baskets, new tee signs and a Lost and Found box.
— Natalie Dillon is the sports editor of the Monroe Times and can be reached at 608-324-3617 or
ndillon@themonroetimes.com.
