It's taken a little bit of time to get everything off the ground.
But after five years in Centennial Park and four years of play at Fort Battleford, the Battlefords Community Disc Golf Club feel like they have a solid footing in the region.
“I would say that the growth that we have had has been exponential really,” BCDGC president Evan Zimmer said.
“When I started playing about four years ago there was about four or five of us that would go out to Centennial Park on a fairly regular basis and we would rarely see anyone else. Now we have about 10 of us in our group and there's two other groups out there at the same time. That's great to see.”
That growth was on full display Saturday during the third annual Fort Fest Disc Golf Tournament in Fort Battleford, as a field of 26 competitors took part in a two-round competition that stretched around the historical site.
“We had our local group with us and we had a solid group come up from Regina along with golfers from Saskatoon and Lloydminster that joined us,” Zimmer said.
“There's a movement on social media to grow the sport and if you search the hashtag with that saying on Twitter you can see it firsthand. To see where we've been here and where we are headed with more people getting involved and more tournaments planned for the future really shows that growth locally.”
Disc golf, which originated in Bladworth back in 1926 and started it's growth in the 1960s, is a sport that is similar to golf but uses a flying disc instead of a golf club and a ball.
“Instead of a standing in a tee box where you're almost 400 yards away from the hole, you usually have about three throws from where you are standing to put the disc in the target,” Zimmer said.
“We have specialized discs that have to be a certain weight and diameter and that can be used in certain situations or for certain directions that you want the disc to turn. I carry 16 discs in my bag at all times for different purposes, just like in the game of golf where you have to chip or putt.”
Most disc golf programs, such as the one in North Battleford, take place for free in city parks and take advantage of the natural terrain in the area to set up the course.
“It's shared with the space that's already there so you have to respect that and we have a great partnership with the City of North Battleford and Fort Battleford that allows us to have a pair of courses,” Zimmer said.
“Many of the players really enjoy the walk around both courses in addition to playing around. They get to see the scenery and notice the park in different angles that they normally wouldn't if they were just walking around the paths. I know the city is really happy to have us in Centennial Park, as it's a nice positive sport and it's also easy to get involved.”
The Battlefords Community Disc Golf Club holds a free league night in Centennial Park every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. that the public is invited to take part in.
“We bring out the discs so there's no worries for anyone there and we take them out in our group to show them what it's all about,” Zimmer said. “It's a free sport as well so it's pretty easy for a person to get into it.
“One of the biggest eyeopeners we've noticed from new people that are playing is just how quickly they feel like they can play at an acceptable level. Centennial Park is a nice course for someone starting out. It's shorter than the average course and it's pretty easier for a newcomer to get lower scores pretty quickly. It's pretty easy to get excited when you are doing well right away.”
More information on the club can be found by searching for the Battlefords Community Disc Golf Club on Facebook.
