‘A hidden gem of a sport’

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/04/2025 (483 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winds gusted Saturday as Anton Sawka pulled a driver from his bag. He set his feet and launched his disc through the narrow tree gap on the second hole, landing on the fairway.

Sawka has been disc golfing since 2021. He and a couple friends run the Manitoba Disc Golf Tour, which began last weekend in the fourth annual Spring Fling at Kilcona Lakes — one of Winnipeg’s 11 disc golf courses.

“(People) wanted to get outside,” said Sawka. “It’s an easier barrier to entry than golf, because you can buy a disc and just throw it.”

Graham Sereda, vice-principal at Niverville High School, said disc golf has all the benefits of golf, without the financial commitment. He added disc golf is also more welcoming for beginners.

“There’s a very high minimum skill for traditional golf, where anybody can throw a disc,” said Sereda. “Anybody can throw yards down the field and feel like you’re making progress.

“It’s a nice free way to get outside, get some exercise,” he said.

The sport became increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing people to get outside while maintaining social distance guidelines.

“I was looking for something to do through COVID to be active,” said Jeff Burns, father of two. “I turned 50 that year, and I was kind of heavy, so I lost 60 pounds and started playing disc golf.”

Before he was a dad, Burns would golf 50 rounds a year. In fatherhood, Burns couldn’t commit to the time that golf demanded, eventually selling his clubs.

“The time commitment, the financial commitment, you know, when you have a young family, it’s just tough to do,” said Burns.

Sawka has been golfing for 20 years and still finds time to go regularly. Still, both Sawka and Burns agree that a free round of 18-holes that takes less than two hours to complete is an attractive sell.

Sawka said roughly 50 disc golfers are signed up for the tour, he expects a few more will sign up now that the season is underway. The tour helps run five to seven events during the year.

“The main point is to bring people to the course,” said Sawka. “If you’ve joined the tour, you’ll be more committed to playing more tournaments. And that just benefits everyone. Bigger tournaments, bigger community.”

Sawka said the tour partners with sponsors to provide prizes for tournament winners, culminating in a year-end cash prize for the best performers on the tour.

Each disc golfer has a minimum of 10 discs in their bag. Jason The (pronounced Tay), owner of Disc Republic on Archibald St., said much like golf, each disc performs differently.

“You can select ones that fly differently,” said The. “That will fly to the right and finish to the left, or vice versa, some of them are better in a headwind, some of them are better in a tailwind.”

While more experienced players employ a variety of discs in their arsenal, The said starting out is quite simple. A starter kit provides you a driver, a mid-range and a putter — selling for as little as $25.

“You can select ones that fly differently. That will fly to the right and finish to the left, or vice versa, some of them are better in a headwind, some of them are better in a tailwind.”– Jason The, owner of Disc Republic, discussing how a disc golfer has a minimum of 10 discs in their bag.

He said worldwide accessibility is a reason for the sport’s increased popularity, where players can still experience the scenery and challenge that golf offers for a fraction of the price.

“It’s fantastic that there’s all these free courses across the world,” said The. “It’s got a lot of the same appeal as regular golf.”

The said he sees a wide variety of customers in his store from families, to kids, to seniors.

“We had groups of senior citizens in their sixties that would come into our store, talk about their favourite discs, and go play together every weekend,” said The.

But even disc golf can’t escape the effects of the ongoing tariff war between Canada and the U.S., with many major disc manufacturers based south of the border.

“It’s definitely hurt us. It’s not that we’re struggling to bring (equipment) in, but it’s costing 25 per cent more,” said The. “These Canadian tariffs definitely put a pinch on cash flow for small businesses importing from the U.S.”

“It’s low cost, a variety of people can play it, for families, young people, athletic people… it really seems like a hidden gem of a sport.”– Jason The

The said he’s imported from Europe and explored other options, but shipping fees make it more expensive. He adds that equipment quality is also a factor, something U.S. manufacturers are known for.

Still, The is happy to see Manitoba’s disc golf community continue to grow. Disc Golf Manitoba’s Facebook page has more than 700 followers, while the Disc Golf Manitoba Group Facebook page has more than 1,600 members posting about course information, equipment and more.

“It just seems like such a fantastic sport,” said The. “It’s low cost, a variety of people can play it, for families, young people, athletic people… it really seems like a hidden gem of a sport.”