Disc golf learn-to-play event coming up next week

Want to learn the difference between a driver and putter in disc golf? Figure out how to throw hyzer and anhyzer? What under stable and over stable mean? Maybe even become the next Paul McBeth or Eagle McMahon?

Wakamow Valley has just the thing for you.

An Introduction to Disc Golf event for youngsters age 8-to-11 and hosted by players from the Moose Jaw Disc Golf Association will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 19 and Thursday, Aug. 20 at the local course, located on Wellesley Street just off the No. 2 highway.

The classes will mark the latest step in sport’s rapid growth in Moose Jaw, which will soon see the expansion of the course to a full 18-hole layout from the current nine-hole set-up.

“I think the best thing is we’ve seen young kids playing, all the way up to seniors playing, they’re all trying to learn and learn off each other,’ said Wakamow Valley general manager Todd Johnson. “It’s a great group of people that seem to just want to advance it and make sure everyone just gets a little bit better every time they play. It’s done really well for us and it’s a really welcoming sport, so we’re really happy to have it in the valley.”

One of the most popular aspects is how everything involving the sport is free – players can show up any time and play a round, prior to COVID-19 disc sets could be rented free-of-charge from the Wakamow Valley office and the upcoming introductory course is free and will even come with a free disc for players to keep.

Best of all, it doesn’t take much at all to play a round. A simple Frisbee will get the job done.

“We have everything from Frisbees to people with full sets of disc golf discs, people are starting out just with what they have,” Johnson said. “That accessibility definitely helps a lot.”

Of course, like any sport, the proper equipment makes a difference, and that’s where the learn-to-play event will come in handy. Youngsters will learn the difference between drivers, mid-range and putter discs, how to throw properly – including getting the type of flight shape to deal with proper approaches, which brings the aforementioned hyzer and anhyzer throws into play – as well as some of the intricacies that can help lower scores.

“It’s an eye-opener,” Johnson said. “Some of these guys show up and they have multiple discs in their backpack, and it’s extremely fun to golf with guys like that, because they can walk you through each hole and teach you some of the tricks and just how to play the game.”

To get an idea of how the sport looks at its highest level – including two of the world’s top players in McBeth and McMahon -- you can click right here.

For the Introduction course, two classes will take place each day, running from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Limited spots are available and players are asked to register at wakamow.events@sasktel.net or by calling (306) 692-2717.