Disc golf lovers hoping for permanent course

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/08/2022 (1136 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sunday’s intense heat couldn’t deter some local disc golf enthusiasts from gathering at Rideau Park, where they focus-tested a course that could be set up in Brandon all year round.

This proposed course consisted of five baskets and nine tees, which gave participants the opportunity to play throughout the entirety of the park outside of the Kinsmen Centennial Pool area.

According to Sharon Enns, a local member of Disc Golf Manitoba who is spearheading this campaign, Brandon is in desperate need of a permanent disc golf course right now, especially since the city’s multimillion-dollar outdoor sports complex (located at the corner of First Street and Veterans Way) is a couple of years away from being completed.

“But we’re looking to get a course installed before then so we can use it as a stepping stone to then do a more intermediate course perhaps at that location,” Enns said on Sunday.

“Brandon has more than enough of a population to support more than one course, and this location [at Rideau Park] is ideal.”

Enns told the Sun she has been obsessed with disc golf since the summer of 2018, when her brother gave her a crash course in the sport after years of playing ultimate frisbee.

The game uses similar rules as golf. Several players compete by throwing a disc from a tee area toward a basket that’s made of hanging chains.

Whoever places their disc in the basket in the fewest possible throws over the entire course is the victor.

“The great thing about disc golf is that you can play in any season,” Enns said.

“You stay warm [in the winter] as you’re moving. So it’s not just a two- to three-season sport. It’s a four-season sport.

Despite the growing enthusiasm for disc golf worldwide, Brandon still doesn’t have a permanent course to speak of, forcing people like Enns and her friends to visit nearby communities like Neepawa or Minnedosa to get their fix.

While it’s true that anyone can play disc golf by simply launching a frisbee at a tree or makeshift target, Enns said installing official baskets and tee-off locations is the best way to improve people’s “short game,” which is crucial for those who want to get into tournament play.

Plus, Enns believes that a permanent disc golf course would do wonders for the community at large, since it can generate tourism dollars by attracting nearby players and provide local families with access to a new low-cost sport.

“If you own a frisbee or if you find a frisbee, that’s all you need to play,” she said. “So it’s a low barrier to entry, the community is so kind and generous and supportive. Don’t be afraid to ever approach someone who is disc golfing because they’re usually excited to talk about disc golf.”

Enns herself has been working hard to introduce disc golf to Brandon residents more broadly, having collaborated with the city over the past two summers to set up a couple temporary pop-up events.

Enns is looking to take this campaign one step further and convince the city to install a permanent course, encouraging other disc golf enthusiasts to help her lobby the municipal government to move this process along.

“If people are interested in seeing a course installed permanently at Rideau Park or anywhere else in the city before the outdoor sports complex, I urge them to contact their city councillors to advocate for the installation of a course,” she said.

According to a 2021 year-end demographics report from the Professional Disc Golf Association, the non-profit organization currently has 109,862 active members worldwide. This represents a significant uptick from the 71,016 active members the PDGA registered in 2020.

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson