PARMA, N.Y. — The rattling of chains is like music to the ears of disc golfers everywhere. 

“The key thing about disc golf is to have a little bit of patience and grace for yourself," said Conor McKaig, assistant tournament director for the Flying Disc Open. "You need to not quite be so hard on yourself because you’re going to get punished by the basket sometimes, punished by a tree sometimes."

McKaig has been playing since 2017. It's a sport very similar to its namesake that uses frisbees instead of clubs and balls.  

“I got to college and I wasn’t really doing any athletics, and I found disc golf," said McKaig. "I could be competitive by myself and have a really good time. And also it just combined the other things I really liked doing like hiking and walking and being in the woods.”

McKaig is now helping organize the very tournament he won two years ago — the Jim Paul Mary’s American Flying Disc Golf Open.  

“The disc golf history here was really, really deep," McKaig said. "And it turns out it’s the deepest, the oldest running tournament in the history of disc golf. And I knew I wanted to get involved in celebrating the 50th anniversary.”

For its anniversary next summer, the tournament will return to the pro disc golf circuit after more than a decade.

“It means a lot to local disc golfers for sure," said McKaig. "We care a lot about the growth of the sport in general. That’s one of the mantras of disc golfers, typically, is grow the sport. And bringing the sport back here to home turf to celebrate the history of it is a really awesome opportunity.” 

More than 150 professionals and more than 1,500 spectators from across the country are expected to come to the Parma Town Parks Disc Golf Course, which will be great for the sport and Rochester.

“Players coming into the city and spectators coming into the city, it’s going to be a big event," said McKaig. "So we’re already in relationships with certain places who are interested in throwing a party for us or having a big dinner for us or something like that. So we’re setting all that up right now to integrate this event into the city as holistically as we can.”

Cole Vandoren and his buddies just got into disc golf while looking for something to do this summer.

“Pool, bowling — disc golf is definitely the best one yet," said Vandoren. "It’s a super fun sport.”

They’re excited to hear something of this scale is coming to the area.

“That’s big, man," said Vandoran. "I guess that’s really cool because I’m a beginner and I watch these people online and I see, 'wow, you’re pretty good at this sport.' And I respect it.”

Before August, there’s much that’s needed to get ready.  

“A lot of work has gone in already, and a lot of work is left to be done," said McKaig. "I’m leading work parties out here most Sundays and we just put the elbow grease in, bring the hand tools and the chainsaws and whatnot that we need to get it done.”

But McKaig simply can’t wait.  

“I just want to expose the community to disc golf and I think a lot of them will really like it because it’s a super low-barrier to entry sport, and it’s really fun," McKaig said.

The Flying Disc Open runs Aug. 25-27.