The Moose Jaw Disc Golf Association (MJDGA) is an organization still in its infancy, but it’s being helped along by a global surge in popularity for the sport — Moose Javians looking for a group to play with now have both casual and competitive options.
“We started this group about two months ago now, we had our first meeting back in March, and it’s basically about eight of us who are regular players on the disc golf course down in Wakamow Valley, here,” explained Tripp Sevs, co-founder and enthusiastic player.
“It was Zach Renwick and myself that initially got together a few months ago over coffee, and we talked about getting other players that he plays with regularly and people I know and regularly with, getting them together as the MJDGA.”
Moose Jaw received its first 9-hole disc golf course in 2019 in Wakamow Valley, expanded to 16 holes shortly after. A group of enthusiasts calling themselves the ‘Moose Jaw Huckers’, in which Sevs is also involved, have been playing ever since.
The Huckers are so devoted to the sport that they play straight through winter, regardless of weather or temperature.
Renwick is the local expert who initiated and designed the Wakamow Valley course, and the consultant behind what will soon be Moose Jaw’s second disc golf course — 18 holes in the Sunningdale Nature Park, sponsored by the Sunningdale VLA Community Association.
“We’re hoping to make the city a top disc golf destination in the province,” Sevs said. “There are at least three ways to do this. One is to organize tournaments and leagues, another is to promote the building of new courses, along with making improvements to existing courses. And lastly, encouraging and helping anyone who wants to get into the sport, including kids and the elderly, because it’s a great low-impact form of exercise.”
The MJDGA has two player's leagues this summer: Casual meet-ups on Mondays at 6:30 p.m., starting May 29 and running until August 28, and the Bag Tag League, a more competitive group meeting on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., starting May 30 and running until sometime in September. The competitive league has weekly challenges and prizes, and a $40 registration fee.
The bag tag league works with small, numbered tags that players keep with them during the season. The top-ranked player gets the number one tag, and so on. Players can challenge each other during any mutually agreed-on round of gold, and if the lower-ranked player wins, the tags are exchanged. As players continue challenging each other and exchanging tags, the rankings morph throughout the season.
Disc golf follows most of the same rules as golf in a more easily accessible format. In fact, those wanting to try the sport can borrow a basic three-disc set from the Wakamow Valley Authority for free. The discs are ‘flying discs’ or ‘disc golf discs,’ by the way — anything else is a brand name.
“It gets me out of the house, gets me moving and enjoying the surroundings on a nice day when it’s perfect to be outside,” Sevs said. “It’s also fun to see your skills improve, get out with friends, and try to get around the course with less throws each time.
“I’d also like to mention the Wakamow Valley Authority for their commitment to work with us in making sure the course is maintained and letting us use it for our events, so we’re grateful for that.”
Sevs said that cities like Regina and Saskatoon already have huge disc golf communities with events and tournaments happening all the time — Moose Jaw needs to catch up.
More information on the MJDGA is available by emailing [email protected] and on Facebook through the Moose Jaw Disc Golf Association group.
Saskatchewan’s 18th Annual Open Provincial Championships take place on Peepeekisis First Nation on August 19 and 20 — officially sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association, the sport’s global governing body.
