Howland Honey Open, one sweet event

It was a hot, actually a very hot, more accurately a scorcher of a day as disc golf took to the Links Under the Spruce course Sunday.

The course, which was installed earlier this year at Good Spirit Provincial Park, is a highly technical one with trees coming into play on virtually every basket.

The players at the Howland Honey Open faced the challenge through four play-throughs of the course and it was 13-year-old Josh Istace who tamed the course best.

Istace, a disc golfer out of Moosomin led from the first round, when he threw a course record tieing 28, held by Adam Daniels of Yorkton, through the rest of the day recording a 113 (plus-five).

“The key to winning the tournament this weekend was just to play par golf and get your birdies when you have a chance but don't be mad if you miss birdies then you get your par and then focus on the next hole,” said Istace. He added, “The greatest challenge was to avoid the trees because they were really tricky at this course.

“The hardest basket was probably hole #4 because there is so much trees in the way and there is no windows to hit but if there are it was very small.”

Making the win even sweeter for Josh was the fact he topped his father Chris Istace who shot a 118, and was awarded second place on a count back after finishing in a tie through 36 with Doug Kerr of Yorkton.

Josh Gregory from Melville rounded out the top four placing fourth with a 119.

The event qualifies both Istaces and Kerr, as Parkland Association of Disc Golf members for the Farrell Agencies Champions Challenge to be held at the Asessippi Beach and Campground course Oct. 15.

“I was very happy qualifying for the Champions Challenge because my goal is to qualify for the Champions Challenge every year,” said Josh Istace, “and I was even more excited when I beat my dad because I am very competitive against my dad.”

Rounding out the prizes at the Howland Honey Open was Riley Maloney of Yorkton taking the Asessippi Beach and Campground sponsored closest-to-the-pin award, and the Yorkton Dodge best drive award went to Chris Istace.