By Times Staff
The Summer Solstice in Wells Gray disc golf tournament is going into round two this year and organizers want to welcome spectators to go and check out the action.
The event was extended to cover two days this year, June 23 and 24, with tee time starting at 8:30 a.m. and the event finishing at about 6 p.m.
“Spectators are more than welcome; there’s going to be lunch available up there for purchase if people want to come up and spend the afternoon or day,” said Dennis Greffard, tournament director.
“We have some of the best players in B.C. coming out.”
Summer Solstice at Wells Gray is sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association and Greffard said registration for the tournament doubled from its inaugural run last year.
For those unfamiliar with the sport, disc golf is played a lot like regular golf, but instead of balls and clubs, players used a flying disc instead.
Disc golf was established in the 1970s and like its traditional counterpart, the point is to finish each hole in the fewest strokes, or in this case, fewest throws.
A disc is thrown from the tee area to a target, which acts as the hole, with the most common target called a pole hole, coming in the form of an elevated metal basket.
“It’s fun to watch if you’re into golf,” Greffard added.
“I developed this tournament more or less in the sense of trying to build some shoulder season economic drivers and I’m hoping to develop another one for the fall.”
As the player makes their way down the fairway every consecutive throw has to be from the spot where the previous throw landed.
Changes in terrain like trees and shrubs in and around the fairways make for challenging obstacles players have to work around; at the end the putt throw has to land in the basket before the hole is finished.
Clearwater has three disc golf courses, with two of them free to play, including the Clearwater Ski Hill and Clearwater Secondary School.