The special registration period for local participants in the Timber Beast Challenge disc golf tournament in Troy, which will be held Saturday, June 29, is now open.

Tournament director Brian Bjortomt said that these two weeks leading up to Monday, May 6, are a chance for people from the area to get registered before the May 6 general registration, when he expects the remaining spots to be snatched up quickly.

“When it opens to everyone, it will fill up in about 15 minutes,” he said.

“We built that two-week window in just to make sure that locals had a time to get in before they got pushed out of the tournament in their own backyard,” he said.

The early registration period for locals includes both the junior and adult categories.

This is the first year the competition will have a cap on participants, Bjortomt said. There will be spots for only 180 competitors total.

Last year, the Timber Beast drew 209 participants for its largest crowd to date.

But, Bjortomt said that logistics and player experience led to the cap to ensure that the competition stays fun for everyone and things run smoothly.

Last year, the Timber Beast brought competitors such as top-ranked pro disc golfer Paul Ulibarri from Arizona.

Ulibarri said he travels around to different tournaments across the country to keep things fresh, but that he was impressed as a first-timer on the Timber Beast with the challenge the course presented.

“It’s definitely funner than other courses — shorter holes, technical holes, but still difficult,” he said.

This year will also feature the Discs Across the Kootenai distance contest in Roosevelt Park following an awards ceremony Saturday night.

Early registration is also open to women, men rated at least 970, and some tournament sponsors.

Entry fees are: pro men, pro women, pro masters, pro masters women, pro grandmasters and pro senior grandmasters - $62, advanced men, advanced masters, advanced grandmasters, advanced senior grandmasters - $52, advanced women and intermediate men - $42, intermediate women - $32, recreational men - $32, juniors - $15.

Current Pro Disc Golf Association members receive a $10 discount.

More information and a link to registration can be found on the Timber Beast Disc Golf Course Facebook page at facebook.com/timberbeastdiscgolfcourse.