Rain hits North Ridge event

The North Ridge Disc Golf Daredevil Challenge Tournament was held Saturday (July 23) in Birtle, MB.

It was the inaugural event at the course installed earlier this year on the hills of the Birdtail River Valley overlooking the town below.

The weather however, was not particularly accommodating to the event, having rained prior and through tournament registration, and then coming down steady on the brave players who took to the course shortly after 11 a.m. local time.

“It was quite disappointing. I can’t deny that. But it is one thing we couldn’t plan for,” said Brenda McKay, the driving force behind the course. “We know we lost some players who likely looked at the weather forecast and decided to stay home and dry.”

Trevor Lyons, Tournament Director with the Parkland Association of Disc Golf of which the North Ridge Course is a part, said one thing you can’t play for.

“Everyone wants sunny weather for summer events, but that isn’t going to happen. This time we got the rain. It happens, although this was a definite soaker. The players came in off the front nine looking rather bedraggled and dripping. I know I was one of them.”

With players drenched, the sky still filled with grey-hued clouds, and enough breeze to be chilling on the more open back-nine, the event was terminated after nine.

“Some players were ready to forge forward,” said McKay. “But there had been some thunder and lightning, and no one needed to chill and deal with summer colds, to we ate some burgers, handed out the prizes, and went home to get dry.

Doug Kerr of Yorkton topped the men, McKay captured the women’s side, and Maximus Willmott-Bennion topped the youth division.

“It was not exactly fun, but it will be a remembered event,” said Kerr. “It’s nice to win, but a bigger field and weather where we weren’t battling the elements along with the course would have made it just a bit more gratifying.”

McKay said disc golf is still growing in Birtle, and that is the main thing.

“It was not quick the event we dreamed of for our first year, but we have people out on the course regularly and loving the sport, and we can build from there,” said McKay.

Plans are already in place to upgrade the course from it’s current tonal targets to baskets as soon as possible.

“We’ll have another event next year, and as they say, it will be bigger and better,” said McKay.