Marquette June Classic set for PDGA-sanctioned play in Gary, Indiana

Marquette Park added another sanctioned stop to Northwest Indiana’s disc golf calendar as the Marquette June Classic opened in Gary with PDGA C-tier play hosted by Red Roc Disc Golf Club of NWI. The event was staged on the same course property for both rounds, a compact setup that kept the tournament centered on one of the region’s newer permanent layouts.

The course itself has become part of the story. Marquette Park Disc Golf Course was permitted by the City of Gary in 2022 and installed by Red Roc Disc Golf Club of Northwest Indiana with donations and volunteer work from Friends of Marquette Park. UDisc lists it as an 18-hole, par-54 layout playing 4,948 feet, with an estimated round time of about 1 hour and 28 minutes. The course sits in an open beach-side park with views and rolling terrain, while the PDGA course directory describes it as a mostly park-style course.

That setting matters in Miller Beach, where Marquette Park is one of the area’s signature public spaces. Visit Miller Beach describes the lakefront park as home to 2.5 miles of natural sand beaches, historic structures, two event venues, a public disc golf course, picnic areas and paved hiking and biking trails. Friends of Marquette Park says it works with the City of Gary Parks Department to raise funds and support special projects in the park, adding a civic layer to the club-run tournament scene.

The tournament itself carried the small-event details that often define local sanctioned play. PDGA electronic scoring was required, pushing players and cards to stay current with the modern scoring system. If no ace was hit, the event was set to finish with an ace throw-off, and the two closest players would be paid, a modest but meaningful payout twist that adds late-round pressure without changing the format of the day.

Event contacts listed for the tournament were Justin Hays, Brian Cummings and Michael Furst. Red Roc Disc Golf Club of NWI was also named as responsible for refunds and cancellations under PDGA Competition Manual 103, underscoring the hands-on role the club played from registration to administration.

The June Classic also fit into a broader local arc. A 2025 Marquette Park at Miller Beach Spring Classic, another PDGA C-tier at the same venue, drew 27 players and carried a $345 pro purse. That kind of turnout gives Gary a workable benchmark as Marquette Park continues to establish itself as a proving ground for summer disc golf in the Midwest.