Dedicated winter disc golfers set to battle each other and the elements

There's only a few of them, but Winnipeg's most dedicated disc golfers are set to battle it out against each other — and the cold — in an annual winter tournament on Sunday.

The Happyland Winter Memorial will pit the city's toughest players against each other in a bragging-rights tournament set to take place at noon at Happyland Park in St. Boniface.

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Disc golf — a version of golf using discs and baskets instead of clubs, balls and holes — is usually a summer sport, but tournament organizer Greg Hanec says it doesn't have to be.

"It's just fun to play in the winter," he said.

"We live in a city that hates winter for some reason. You can improve your marriage or change your job, but you certainly can't change the fact that it's 30 [C] below when you wake up. Might as well relate to it."

Small but dedicated group

Winter disc golf isn't as popular as its summer counterpart, Hanec said.

"Not too many people do play in the winter, but there's a good, hardy, 10 to 20 people that go out and try to play," Hanec said.

He said he expects to see 10 to 12 people at Sunday's tournament.

If you're new to disc golf, it's not far off the traditional version.

Players can choose from a variety of discs, including a driver, a fairway driver, a mid-range and a putter. Each style specializes in a certain movement, but Hanec says individual discs develop their own quirks over time.

"They have, like, personalities, each individual disc," Hanec said. "When you lose it, it's just like — I call it the 'dead pet' feeling. Maybe more of a gerbil than, like, a dog, but you get the idea."

The aim of the game is to sink the discs into metal baskets, which stand on poles throughout the course.

Hanec said you can purchase starter kits for around $30 and play for free at four different courses in the city.

"It's a very accessible sport," he said. 

"You just go out and it's free. There's no charge to play. ... It's just very family-friendly, I would say."

If you want to try your hand at disc golf or watch the experts play, you can check out the Happyland Winter Memorial at 12 p.m. on Sunday at Happyland Park on the corner of Marion Street and Archibald Street in Winnipeg.