Festivus disc golf tournament celebrates 25 years at Adair County Park, crowns repeat champion
The 25th annual Festivus disc golf tournament returned to Adair County Park on Saturday, drawing players from across the region to celebrate both a winter tradition and 25 years of disc golf at the disc golf course in Benton County’s Adair County Park.
The tournament’s name comes from the fictional holiday “Festivus,” popularized by the television show Seinfeld. Organizer Greg Johnson, known locally as “Disc Golf Greg,” said the lighthearted reference fits the tone of the event, which blends friendly competition with humor and community spirit during the winter season. The name also reflects the creativity and playful personality common in the disc golf community, where themed tournaments, inside jokes and casual camaraderie are part of the culture.
Johnson and a team of volunteers placed sponsor signs and directional markers on every hole to guide players through the wooded and open fairways. In the weeks leading up to the event, younger members of the local disc golf club refreshed pathways and tee areas using gravel and bark chips provided by Benton County.
While this year brought a different winner than the past decade, largely dominated by professional player Scott Withers, it was not a first-time champion. Colin Sexton captured the title with a two-round score of 22-under par across 44 holes, shooting rounds of 9-under and 13-under. Sexton, who turns 40 this year, previously won Festivus in 2010 and became the third repeat champion in the event’s history.
Professional disc golfer Nate Sexton, a six-time Festivus winner recognized for his national and international influence on the sport, finished one stroke behind his brother — who is one year younger — after a dramatic closing stretch. According to Johnson, Nate Sexton was down three strokes with three holes to play. On the final hole, which is the only par-4 on the course, his drive landed out of bounds near the tennis court fence, forcing an awkward recovery shot. From roughly 250 feet, Sexton skipped in a long throw to save par and put pressure on Colin Sexton, who converted his birdie putt to secure the one-stroke victory.
Players like Scott Withers and the Sexton brothers reflect the depth of talent in the local disc golf community, which continues to produce strong competitors across multiple divisions. This year also marked the first time the lowest overall score came from a player in the Pro Masters 40-plus division.
In the Men’s Pro Open division, 13-year-old Jude Sweeny delivered a standout performance, shooting 10-under for the tournament to earn his first MPO win. Sweeney, who continues to compete at the amateur level in sanctioned events, plans to travel to Pittsburgh in July to compete in the PDGA Junior World Championships. His father, Andrew Sweeny, said the victory “stoked his already strong passion for the sport and growing the game.” Jude hopes to build on a fourth-place finish at Junior Worlds in 2023.
Event sponsors including 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Play It Again Sports, Innova Disc Golf and Honeybrine Catering helped make this year’s Festivus the largest payout in tournament history. Cash payouts to professional players exceeded $2,000, while amateur competitors shared nearly $1,500 in store credit redeemable at Play It Again Sports in Corvallis.
Kim Halsey, who has played disc golf for about 24 years, said the sport offers a reliable way to step away from work and reconnect with friends.
“It’s just a really fun way to break out of my work rhythm and have a great time with friends,” Halsey said. “Every time I come out with my friends, I have a great time. You’re outside, you come out and play in the winter — there’s a little activation energy to come out, but as soon as you’re out you’re like, ‘I’m so glad I got here.’”
Halsey said the community is what keeps her returning.
“You never know what people are doing or what their history is, but they’re all super kind,” she said.
Dan Rockwell, recently elected president of the Willamette Disc Golf Club and a member for about six years, said the anniversary highlights both the course’s design and the partnerships that sustain it. He previously served as greenskeeper at the Willamette Park disc golf course before moving into club leadership.
“It’s a completely fun, community-building tournament that is for everyone to come and have a good time,” Rockwell said.
He described the Adair County Park course as offering a wide variety of shots, including wooded lanes, elevation changes, open fields and short technical holes, along with a strong sense of history tied to the volunteers who built and maintain it.
Benton County Natural Areas, Parks and Events Director Jesse Ott said the County works closely with the club to balance recreation with stewardship of the park.
“I love that we are highlighting disc in Benton County,” Ott said. “NAPE supports tournaments and clinics by working with the club on basket layout. We review the plans for the course and the event through our Special Use Permit.”
Ott said Adair County Park remains open to the public during events, but the permit process helps reserve the course and protect sensitive areas. County staff coordinate with volunteers and tournament directors to address pathway issues and to select basket sites that minimize impacts to emerging native plants during certain times of the year.
Read the story about the 25-year history of disc golf at Adair County Park
View photos from the 2026 Festivus Tournament
As discs sailed through air and across familiar fairways, Festivus once again reflected the local disc golf community’s blend of competition, volunteerism, humor and shared time outdoors. It’s a formula that has kept players returning to Adair County Park for a quarter century, continues to develop the next generation of players, and for many, is simply good for the soul.
