After two years in the works, it’s nearly go-time.

In September, Peter Ruby’s Sabattus Disc Golf course will host the Professional Disc Golf Association’s 2016 Women’s Disc Golf Championship, the PDGA’s first major event in New England.

Ruby beat out roughly a half-dozen other states for the chance to host. Now, the pressure’s on to make it awesome.

Name: Peter Ruby

Age: 51

Hometown: Sabattus

Profession/career prior to becoming a disc golf course entrepreneur: My last job was a subsidiary of Mobil Oil Corp., a company that specializes in oil-related services. I was part of a team that worked primarily in the power plant industry all over the East Coast.

How long was the process and what went into winning the bid to host the 2016 Women’s Disc Golf Championship? In 2014, Sabattus Disc Golf was contacted by the Maine Sports Commission, which is funded by the Maine Office of Tourism to bring in large sporting events for economic benefits. That sort of got the ball rolling.

The PDGA wanted to make sure there was community involvement, state government involvement, and what were the benefits of choosing Maine over other states for the players. We had to highlight the various things associated with Maine: That we’re a four-season state, that we’re one of the largest tourist capitals in the United States and that this was a unique experience for players because Maine has been known as a pay-to-play state for disc golf. Everywhere else in the United States, events are typically held in park and recreation locations.

Through a lot of networking and support from the community, we were able to rise above and come out on top of the rest. It’s a wonderful feeling.

What sort of behind-the-scenes prep goes into gearing up for such a big event? Over the last year of planning, SDG has had to overcome many different logistical tasks which were unexpected, to say the least. The way we’ve designed the event, it’ll be a nonprofit, so sponsorship is designed to cover the essential needs of the tournament, and then anything above and beyond that will go to a charity. And we’re pleased to team up with the Dempsey organization.

It’s taken lots of time, energy, capital and commitment. With that said, it is truly a great opportunity for the state of Maine, town of Sabattus and SDG to be part of one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.

How many folks will play and how many will watch? We capped it at 100 players and the anticipation as far as spectators is really dependent on the weather. Between the three days, we expect in excess of several thousand spectators over the three days from all over New England.

What’s your own disc golf game like? Do you have a handicap? I don’t have a handicap because I don’t play. I’m here for others’ enjoyment and to make this disc golf experience the best for everyone, but I really started this business to spend more time with my family. After traveling for work every week out of Maine I decided it was time to find something closer to home. The payback for me is seeing and hearing how much people appreciate and enjoy playing at SDG.

When you’re not at the course, for fun you can be found . . . I enjoy sea kayaking and hiking. Because this is a seasonal business, open seven days a week from April to December, I stick close to home for the most part. In the off-season, I’m usually looking for ways to improve the business.

You’re finishing a new disc golf pro shop now? We’re extremely excited and proud of our new disc golf pro shop. This new facility will showcase New England’s largest selection of discs and disc golf products for our customers. Just under 7,000 square feet of retail space and storage, it’s a first of its kind in the United States of size and design.

SDG is still a very young business, this being our 10th-year anniversary. We grew out of our previous building several times, so we built this with the intention to grow into it over the next few years. We have also been working hard over the last year preparing to enter into the disc golf e-commerce business. The intent is to debut our new e-commerce business in September during the USWDGC at SDG.

Piles of green M&Ms in the pro shop. Or maybe Perrier on tap. Expecting any interesting requests from the championship players this fall? Glad you asked. I think we are doing a good job at being proactive with those needs, including those who may want green M&Ms. The nice request would be: How can others have a facility like SDG in their state? Let me just say we are working on that and a few other exciting goals in the coming seasons.

kskelton@sunjournal.com

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