Two-day Tournament At Queens Park This Weekend

It’s been helping Southlanders get more active for the past six months and now the Queen’s Park disc golf course will host its very first national tournament.

The two-day tournament will be held on April 21 and 22 and will be part of the New Zealand disc golf national tour.

As well as a division for experienced players, the tournament will also include junior and recreational grades.

Disc Golf South president Martin Conway said having the junior and recreational grades meant the tournament was perfect for anyone wanting to not only come along and have a go, but also watch some highly skilled players in action.

Entries have already been confirmed from as far away as Tauranga, and the tournament is expected to attract more than 50 players from all over New Zealand, he said.

Funding for the tournament had come from the Invercargill Licensing Trust, the Invercargill Licensing Trust Foundation and Kiwi Sport. The funding had covered the cost of trophies and other items, as well as the entry fee and disc golf starter pack for the junior entries.

Having the free entry and three free discs for the junior entries, thanks to KiwiSport, was fantastic because it would help encourage younger players to take up the sport, Conway said.

“Having such great support means we can really work on growing this sport here in the south.”

The disc golf course was officially opened in November and since then has attracted thousands of players.

Hundreds of disc golf starter packs have been sold by Rebel Sport in Invercargill within the first few months of the course opening.

Its creation was a collaboration between Healthy Families Invercargill, Sport Southland, the Invercargill City Council and Disc Golf South. Funding came from the Invercargill Licensing Trust, Community Trust of Southland and the Invercargill City Council’s Active Communities Funding Scheme.

Disc Golf South became an incorporated society earlier this year, and now has 46 members.

Anyone wanting to enter the tournament or find out more about Disc Golf South should visit the club’s Facebook page.