The Brandon Disc Golf Club is ramping up for the Grand Opening celebration of Brandon's first disc golf course at Canada Games Park on Hilton Avenue this coming weekend.
The Saturday event will feature a free BBQ lunch & games with speeches from 12 to 2:00 pm as well as opportunities to try disc golf with guidance from members of the Brandon Disc Golf Club (BDGC).
"We are thrilled to be hosting the Grand Opening celebration for the Assiniboine Ridge Disc Golf Course! It's Brandon's first disc golf course! It was installed this spring, and we are just so excited to have the community come out and check it out and give it a try," shares President of the BDGC, Sharon Enns.
The BDGC is an organization of disc golf enthusiasts who have been pursuing the development and expansion of disc golf in the City of Brandon. Members have been working on several initiatives to promote the visibility of disc golf in the Westman Region, from designing and installing Brandon’s first permanent course, to organizing community events.
Assiniboine Ridge Disc Golf Course is a 9-basket course with 16 unique tees. There are two tees one would play twice if they wanted to make a round of 18 tees.
Tees range from 9 short tees to 7 long tees that lead the participant through a wooded area and green space, with signage helping to navigate from tee to tee.
Enns says it's easy to get involved and one challenges themselves or each other, just like in a golf game. Only this type of golf game is more easily inclusive, and open to all ages and abilities. She says folks can simply grab their own or purchase any Frisbee and go on out to the Canada Games Park and play the course. There is no registration, and no participation fee. The course is free to the public to enjoy!
Reaching out to their community for sponsorship and grants to help fund the project, the BDGC acquired an $8500 grant through the former Westoba Credit Union's Inspire Program prior to the merger with Assiniboine Credit Union.
"We are very grateful for their generous contribution and the generous contributions of all of our other sponsors," says Enns. "We've had businesses in the community step up and contribute, which was really wonderful. We had different tiers of sponsorship available to groups, and I believe we got sponsorships in each category, which again is so appreciated."
Membership is available to the Brandon Disc Golf Club where members can participate in tournaments and special events. The very first official club tournament will take place on Saturday, the day of the Grand Opening.
"But along with the tournament, for people who maybe are new to disc golf and aren't ready to jump into the tournament and play, we will have stations set up where club members can introduce the sport to people and give them a chance to try out a few disc golf discs. And we will also be having some course marshals so we can take people around to sort of catch tournament action and cheer players on," explains Enns.
"So, people are welcome to drop by anytime between 9:30 AM and 4:30 PM. We'll have members there to chat and sort of introduce the sport as I said, and then there is that specific time window for the BBQ lunch from 12 noon to 2 pm."
"And if people are wandering by, they're on a bike, they're out for a walk in that park and they see people playing and they have questions, feel free to ask," adds Enns. "Disc golfers are a super friendly bunch, and we love to recruit new players, so we're very enthusiastic when people ask us questions. So, don't hesitate to just ask us how do you play? What's going on? How do I join? That kind of thing. We're more than happy to answer questions and help people out!"
- Who: Brandon Disc Golf Club
- What: Assiniboine Ridge Disc Golf Course Grand Opening
- When: Saturday, September 20th, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Where: Canada Games Park, Hilton Ave, Brandon
- Parking is available in the John Reilly Rugby Field lot.
- Event headquarters will be located across from the parking lot (see map below).
For more information visit the BDGC website HERE and Facebook page HERE!
(All photos submitted by Sharon Enns BDGC President)
