Professional Disc Golf Association Brian Hoeniger, International Director 5 Dacotah Ave, Toronto ON, CANADA M5J 2E4 Tel: (416) 203-0912 Email: [email protected]Headquarters: 3828 Dogwood Lane Appling GA USA 30802-3012 (706) 261-6342 [email protected]www.pdga.com January 23, 2013 To PDGA Canada Provincial Coordinators, Tournament Directors, Current & Past Members Subject: PDGA Canada – Review of 2012 & Planning for 2013 Introduction: Greetings Folks, and welcome to a new year of disc golf across the great white north. PDGA Canada was set up a few years ago as a small branch office of PDGA headquarters in USA. Its purpose is to support and promote disc golf and PDGA activities in Canada. The PDGA International Director works as Canada Manager about 4-5 hours a week. His roles include Treasurer of PDGA Canada funds, working with the TDs in scheduling events and processing their results, coordination with the elected PDGA Provincial representatives, and responding to general requests for information and support. This annual report aims to inform you about PDGA Canada and its activities. Hopefully it will also encourage you to renew your PDGA membership and sanction your events in 2013. At the end of this document you will find a few attachments, including a 2012 Financial Statement, reports on the 2012 ODSA (Ontario) Series from Dean Aelick, and on developments in Quebec from Peter Lizotte, as well as a letter from the Grande Prairie Club in Alberta, on how PDGA Canada support for their new course has been put to good use. Part One: 2012 Year in Review Events and Members: Here is a summary of PDGA Tour Events and Current Members in 2012 by Province, as compared to the 3 previous years. PROVINCE 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 Tour Current Tour Current Tour Current Tour Current Events Members Events Members Events Members Events Members Alberta 2 26 0 26 0 28 4 37 Br Columbia 3 63 6 58 6 66 4 65 Manitoba 0 3 0 1 0 5 0 6 Maritimes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Ontario 14 100 15 118 14 127 14 140 Quebec 1 11 2 15 1 13 1 9 Saskatchewan 0 3 1 2 0 1 0 2 TOTAL 20 206 24 220 21 240 23 260 Comments: PDGA membership is now growing by close to 10% a year, which is encouraging. Of particular note in 2012 was the sanctioning of the Alberta Tour’s pro divisions and the growth of memberships in that province. Thanks go to Craig Burrows-Johnson for all his efforts in these regards. In 2013 we are hoping to have the Quebec Tour Finals on board, as well as increased contact with Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Maritimes.
January 23, 2013 To PDGA Canada Provincial Coordinators, Tournament Directors, Current & Past Members Subject: PDGA Canada – Review of 2012 & Planning for 2013 Introduction: Greetings Folks, and welcome to a new year of disc golf across the great white north. PDGA Canada was set up a few years ago as a small branch office of PDGA headquarters in USA. Its purpose is to support and promote disc golf and PDGA activities in Canada. The PDGA International Director works as Canada Manager about 4-5 hours a week. His roles include Treasurer of PDGA Canada funds, working with the TDs in scheduling events and processing their results, coordination with the elected PDGA Provincial representatives, and responding to general requests for information and support. This annual report aims to inform you about PDGA Canada and its activities. Hopefully it will also encourage you to renew your PDGA membership and sanction your events in 2013. At the end of this document you will find a few attachments, including a 2012 Financial Statement, reports on the 2012 ODSA (Ontario) Series from Dean Aelick, and on developments in Quebec from Peter Lizotte, as well as a letter from the Grande Prairie Club in Alberta, on how PDGA Canada support for their new course has been put to good use. Part One: 2012 Year in Review Events and Members: Here is a summary of PDGA Tour Events and Current Members in 2012 by Province, as compared to the 3 previous years.
PROVINCE 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012
Tour Current Tour Current Tour Current Tour Current
Events Members Events Members Events Members Events Members
Alberta 2 26 0 26 0 28 4 37
Br Columbia 3 63 6 58 6 66 4 65
Manitoba 0 3 0 1 0 5 0 6
Maritimes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Ontario 14 100 15 118 14 127 14 140
Quebec 1 11 2 15 1 13 1 9
Saskatchewan 0 3 1 2 0 1 0 2
TOTAL 20 206 24 220 21 240 23 260
Comments: PDGA membership is now growing by close to 10% a year, which is encouraging. Of particular note in 2012 was the sanctioning of the Alberta Tour’s pro divisions and the growth of memberships in that province. Thanks go to Craig Burrows-Johnson for all his efforts in these regards. In 2013 we are hoping to have the Quebec Tour Finals on board, as well as increased contact with Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Maritimes.
While the PDGA is USA based and led, each year it is becoming more of a truly international association, with members in more than 30 countries worldwide and a global system of Tour events and player ratings. Details on the many direct and indirect benefits of PDGA membership for players in Canada and other countries can be found here: http://www.pdga.com/documents/benefits-of-pdga-international-membership . Recently the PDGA improved its system of collecting supporting (or temporary) memberships, and reduced the work of TDs in this process. Players who have never been a PDGA member who pay the $10 fee at a PDGA event can now sign up directly for their membership number on line here: http://www.pdga.com/supporting . Events Summary: Canada’s 23 Tour events in 2012 are summarized in the following table:
EventDate OfficialName Province Tier Pros Ams Players ProPurse
May 6 Christie Lake Spring Fling Ontario C 23 48 71 $940
May 26-27 9th Annual Black Fly Fling Ontario C 11 45 56 $1,010
Jun 9 Alexander Graham Bell Invitational Ontario C 19 33 52 $780
Jun 9-10 Ultra Glide Sponsored By Dynamic Discs BC C 7 26 33 $415
Jun 10 Waterworks Championships Ontario B 26 35 61 $1,755
Jun 16-17 2012 Isle of Mull Disc Golf Tournament Alberta C 39 0 39 $1,870
Jun 16-17 Summer Solstice III Ontario B 13 42 55 $1,150
Jun 23-24 2012 Capital Classic Quebec C 10 17 27 $675
Jun 30 9th Annual Lizard Range BC C 25 0 25 $1,035
Jul 7 Toronto Island Open Ontario C 11 27 38 $440
Jul 7-8 2nd Canadian Masters Ontario B 14 13 27 $1,475
Jul 14-15 15th River City Cup Disc Golf Tournament Alberta C 37 0 37 $2,210
Jul 14-15 Canadian National Doubles Ontario XA/XB 24 42 66 $4,058
Jul 21 BC Open BC C 26 43 69 $995
Jul 28-29 DGI 2012 Ontario C 23 28 51 $1,380
Aug 4-5 2012 Lost Egg Disc Golf Tournament Alberta C 36 0 36 $3,146
Aug 18-19 2012 Alberta Open Disc Golf Tournament Alberta C 21 0 21 $1,166
Aug 18-19 28th Annual Flatts Classic Ontario B 22 48 70 $2,540
Sep 8-9 Toronto Island Maple Leaf Ontario A/B 38 52 90 $6,600
Sep 15-16 BC Provincial Disc Golf Championships BC C 34 56 90 $2,249
Sep 15-16 Dream Makers Ontario B 9 17 26 $600
Oct 6-7 CAN-AM Finals Ontario B 22 62 84 $2,260
Oct 20-21 ODSA Gold Series Championship Ontario B 30 39 69 $3,455
Canada Totals 23 Events 520 673 1193 $42,204
Canada Event Average 23 29 52 $1,835
Comments: Compared to 2011, in 2012 PDGA Tour events in Canada grew by 10%, the total number of event participants increased from 1012 to 1193 or by 18%, and the total Pro Purse grew by 11% from $38,155 to $42,204. The average number of players per event also increased from 49 to 52. The Toronto Island Maple Leaf, hosted by Dave Slater and the TIDE Club, was Canada’s leading event last year. A celebration of the 25
th Anniversary of the 1987 PDGA Pro Worlds, it attracted 5 World Champions from the USA,
including 1987 World Champ Gregg Hosfeld who returned to the scene of his historic triumph. Many other Canadian tournaments featured strong fields and generous sponsorship, notably the Alberta Series, the BC Provincials, all the events hosted by the St Thomas Disc Sports Club, and the inaugural ODSA Gold Series Championship. These are all positive signs pointing to the commitment of local clubs and TDs to running quality events. In 2013 we can also look forward to the return of the biennial Canadian Championship in Kamloops BC, which prides itself on being Canada’s sports tournament capital. Hopefully a bunch of players from eastern Canada will be convinced to make the trip cross-country to compete in this renowned event.
Canada's Top Players based on 2012 PDGA Tour Statistics, Current Members only
Rank First Name Last Name PDGA# Class City Prov Rating Events ProCash
Men
1 Kim Scott-Wood 19777 Pro Toronto Island ON 1022 2 $1,384
2 David Ross 7190 Pro Coquitlam BC 1001 5 $897
3 Chris Alden 9160 Pro St Thomas ON 999 5 $1,817
4 Branden Dobson 23310 Pro St Thomas ON 997 9 $1,526
5 Michael Sullivan 3028 Pro Toronto ON 996 0 $0
6 Rob Sharpe 53667 Pro Edmonton AB 993 3 $810
7 Matt MacDonald 15540 Pro Nanaimo BC 992 1 $290
7 Dave Northrup 9448 Pro St Thomas ON 992 14 $2,516
9 Martin Hendel 39469 Pro St Thomas ON 991 14 $1,790
10 Jamie Pay 14000 Pro London ON 990 9 $1,295
11 Mark Dakiv 12505 Pro Calgary AB 978 3 $465
12 Glen Oliviero 6905 Pro Tsawwassen BC 977 2 $195
13 Glen Whitlock 3513 Pro Gibsons BC 976 0 $0
14 Adam Hazel 13933 Pro Toronto ON 975 2 $784
15 Stephen Crichton 27749 Pro Vancouver BC 974 3 $78
16 Neville Collett 31495 Pro Coquitlam BC 968 4 $338
16 Steve Soucie 12477 Pro St Thomas ON 968 10 $2,295
16 Chris Shier 39564 Pro North Bay ON 968 3 $150
34 Wesley Eccleston 25876 Am Kamloops BC 958 3 $0
41 Patrick Huot 35589 Pro Montréal QC 949 2 $66
Women
1 Leanne Fulton 27048 Pro Vancouver BC 887 3 $0
2 Melissa Lancaster 29335 Am Brantford ON 873 5 $0
3 Selena Tank 27432 Pro Vancouver BC 852 1 $135
4 Rebekah Walker 46965 Pro Toronto ON 847 1 $0
5 Carrie Neal 21336 Pro Kamloops BC 841 1 $180
Comments: Playing a limited schedule, 2006 PDGA Rookie-of-the-Year Kim Scott-Wood remains Canada’s man to beat. Out west BC’s Dave Ross continues to play World Class golf, while Rob Sharpe has become the top dog in Alberta. Patrick Huot is currently the top Franco-Canadien. Otherwise the stats are dominated by shooters from the long-time small-town hotbed of St Thomas ON, including the top 4 spots in terms of pro cash won. Another St Thomas resident, former leading shooter Jeff “Maltbag” Malton, brought his bag of old school plastic to the Can Am Finals where he walked off with the Pro Master title. Hopefully 2013 will also see the return to competition of Rookie Grandmaster and Hall of Famer Mike Sullivan, as well as the sport’s original Tourist, Glen Whitlock.
Course Growth In Canada
Source - PDGA Course Directory Listings
Province 2001 2004 2007 2010 2012
Alberta 6 7 10 11 15
British Columbia 15 21 33 37 36
Maritimes 1 1 3 6 7
Manitoba 1 1 2 4 6
Ontario 10 23 25 30 32
Quebec 1 1 4 6 10
Saskatchewan 0 0 2 2 4
YK/NWT/NUN 1 2 3 5 5
Totals 35 56 82 101 115
Comments: While the focus of this report is on PDGA initiatives, the PDGA represents only a fraction of overall disc golf activity. The best indicator of how the sport is faring in Canada is the growth of course installations. While the traditional centers of southern BC and southern Ontario account for a little over 60% of all courses in Canada, it is very encouraging to see new courses going in across the Prairies, in Quebec, the Maritimes, and the far north where there is now a course in Iqaluit, Nunavut!. Congratulations to everyone involved in these efforts! Financials & Sponsorship: The decision to invest Canadian event fees back into Canada is the PDGA’s commitment to provide more direct return to its Canadian members and the game in Canada. With more events in Canada, and many players paying the $10 temporary/supporting member fee, PDGA Canada is collecting and distributing significant financial resources. In 2012 we had an opening balance of $5,657, income - by and large tournament sanctioning and player fees - of $9,811, sponsorships and other expenses of $8,793 and a closing balance on December 31 of $6,675. Sponsorships included $1,896 for course equipment in Grand Prairie AB, Midland and Christie Lakes ON, $3,750 in event sponsorships, payment of Ontario’s USDGC representative’s entry fee, and a new PDGA membership for an Amateur event winner. Other expenses included membership $ received and forwarded to headquarters, the 5%-13% HST (depends on the Provincial rate) on tournament fees sent to RevCan, bank paypal and postage charges, and the Canada Manager’s $1000 annual consultant’s fee. Please see the attached 2012 Financial Report for more detail. This is how the PDGA gives back to Canada. In view of the fact that event related fees cover such organizational programs and global resources as the PDGA database and website, the player ratings system, the work of the Rules, Tech Standards and other Committees, the headquarters staff time in processing memberships, event results, etc., it is hoped that this commitment to maintain and invest Canadian resources in Canada will be recognized by our Canadian members and players as meaningful. Part Two: 2013 – the Year Ahead Memberships & Events - PDGA Canada Protocol In regards to 2013 Canadian memberships and events the basic PDGA procedures and prices remain the same as in 2012. Renewing and new members send their information and membership $ to PDGA headquarters in Georgia USA. All of you who were current in 2012 should have received the call to renew from headquarters in December. You can find all the information and payment options on how to renew or join here: http://www.pdga.com/join On the other hand, Canada event TDs send all their information and fees, including pre-event sanctioning agreements and fees, and post-event TD reports and player fees to the Canada Manager in Canadian $. He in turn sends event listings for the schedule and, after review, the event reports received from TDs, to headquarters in Georgia, USA. Already a bunch of Canada events, including the Canadian Championship, the Alberta Tour, and those in and around St Thomas are on the 2013 PDGA Tour schedule. Currently the Ontario Disc Sports Association (ODSA), which is doing a terrific job of promoting Disc Golf and Ultimate – see www.ondisc.org - is coordinating the rest of the Ontario schedule. We expect to hear from BC and hopefully other provinces soon in regards to their 2013 sanctioned events. Individual tournament listings will be posted at www.pdga.com when their information and sanctioning fees are received. A number of resources for Canada event TDs and members have been posted at the pdga.com International webpage, including the Canada event sanctioning agreement and TD report forms as well as links to Provincial Disc Golf websites. You can find these resources here: http://www.pdga.com/international PDGA Leagues: In 2012 the PDGA introduced sanctioning for Leagues, the main benefits of which are player ratings and points for the PDGA member participants. By year’s end over 125 Leagues had been sanctioned in USA plus several in Europe. The cost of sanctioning a 10 week League is a $25 sanctioning fee, and $1 per player per week of which 50
cents per player stays with the League. Here is the link to Leagues FAQs page and other information on PDGA sanctioned Leagues: http://www.pdga.com/faq/leagues-0 . Rules of Play and Officials Tests The Rules of Play have undergone a major reorganization and rewrite for 2013, although only a few rules have been fundamentally altered. A summary of the changes made can be found here: http://www.pdga.com/rules . Every 2013 renewing or new PDGA member will receive a copy of the new 2013 Rules Book/Competition Manual, in English, when their 2013 membership is processed by PDGA. Note that all TDs and all players participating in Majors and National Tour events are required to pass the official’s test so if you are intent on TDing or playing Pro Worlds, Am Worlds, a US Championship or NT event please note you must take and pass the test. The test, which costs $10 to take, can be found here: http://www.pdgastore.com/store/officials-exam.html . 2013 PDGA World Championships This year’s PDGA Amateur & Junior Worlds will be held July 7-13 in Emporia, Kansas, while Pro Worlds will return to Crown Point, Indiana, August 3-10. The lists of invited players – based on their 2012 Tour stats – will be posted by the end of February at www.pdga.com . Those players will then have about 2 months to sign up and pay their entry fee before registration is opened up to all current PDGA members. If you are intent on attending either of these events make sure you sign up early as they are expected to fill quickly. More info on the 2013 Worlds can be found here: http://www.pdga.com/world-championships 2013 USDGC Qualification As in 2012, the 2013 USDGC will be a hybrid event featuring both the traditional Open Pool and a Performance based Pool with 72 players each. For the Open Pool please note the only ways that a Canadian player can qualify are either by finishing in the top 5 among previously non-qualified players scores at one of the qualifying events, or by having one of the lowest 5 scores at “Monday qualifying.” For the Performance pool there are up to 4 spots available for Canada, and the Provincial Coordinators for Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and BC are responsible for determining the 1 spot available to a player from each of their respective provinces. Such spots are also available to each US State, and PDGA affiliated International country. Note that “All Performance Flight candidates and participants must have a PDGA Player Rating of 875 or higher, and must have a minimum of 12 PDGA Rated rounds between January 1, 2013 and the last ratings report prior to the 2013 USDGC”. Note also that these spots must be filled by August 31. For more information please see the event qualification standards here: http://www.usdgc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2013-USDGC-Qualifying-Information-1.4.13.pdf
2013 PDGA Canada Sponsorships As noted the sanctioning, player and non-member fees collected from PDGA events in Canada stay in country, and, as of January 1, 2013, PDGA Canada had a balance of almost $6,700. Plus we expect to collect about $10,000 in event sanctioning and player fees this year. This means we will have a total of at least $12,000 available in 2013 for sponsoring new courses, upgrading course equipment, single baskets for schools and dg promoters, sponsorship of leading and new events, and other good ideas that will help to promote the sport and the PDGA brand in Canada. At present we have already committed to supporting the following in 2013:
- $750 towards baskets for Baker Park in Calgary AB - $500 towards baskets for Abbotsford BC - Cost of 2 baskets, 1 for each new course in Surrey BC - Cost of a practice basket for Fernie BC - $1000 sponsorship for the Canadian Championships in Kamloops BC
All of you are encouraged to email me requests for support – a couple of well written paragraphs outlining your proposal and its impact will suffice. Please also make your fellow local players aware of this opportunity. In these ways we will all be helping to grow disc golf and increase support for the PDGA in Canada. In return all you are expected to do is provide proof that the funds have been spent and promote PDGA Canada and its contribution to your club, course, event or school.
Outro For more information on PDGA Canada and Tournaments across the country you can contact your provincial representatives or myself as follows:
Thanks everyone for all your efforts in support of disc golf and PDGA Canada. On behalf of the PDGA, I look forward to working with you in 2013. Cheers! Brian Hoeniger PDGA International Director/Canada Manager Toronto Island, ON
2012 PDGA Canada Financial Report as of December 31, 2012
Rate of Exchange: CAD $1.00 = US$ 1.0051 as of 12/31/12 per Bank of Canada & http://fx.sauder.ubc.ca/data.html
Description CAD US$ Notes
Opening Balance $5,657.55 $5,541.00 Per 2011 Year End Report to HQ
Memberships $875.00 $879.46 Received in CAD, paid to HQ in USD
Event Insurance $50.00 $50.26
Miscellaneous $2.00 $2.01 Overpayment of sanction fees
Difference in Rates of Exchange $145.40 Gain in US$ value of opening balance
Sub Total Income $9,811.00 $10,006.44
Total Year Opening + Income $15,468.55 $15,547.44
Deduct Sponsorships
Course Equipment $1,895.50 $1,905.17
Grande Prairie AB $1000, Christie Lakes ON $500,
Midland ON $395.50
ODSA Series Events $2,750.00 $2,764.03 1 x $1000, 1 x $500, 5 x $250
Can Am Finals $500.00 $502.55
Canadian Doubles $500.00 $502.55
USDGC Player Entry $120.00 $120.61 Ontario Performance Division Representative
PDGA New Memberships $55.48 $55.76 TIO Amateur Winner
Sub Total Sponsorships $5,820.98 $5,850.67
Deduct Other Expenses
Canada HST 2011 $678.14 $681.60 % of event income to RevCan less HST paid
Memberships $889.50 $894.04 USD 875 sent to HQ at Paypal exchange rates
Bank Charges $134.76 $135.45
PayPal Charges $103.96 $104.49
Postage $36.32 $36.51
Canada Manager Consultancy $1,000.00 $1,005.10 Per Contract CAD $1K in 2012
Canada HST on Consultancy $130.00 $130.66
Sub Total Other Expenses $2,972.68 $2,987.84
Total Expenses $8,793.66 $8,838.51
Closing Cash Balance $6,674.89 $6,708.93 Year Opening + Income - Expenses
Add Accounts Receivable $1,453.00 $1,460.41 Player & $10 Fees from 3 2012 events
Add Pre Paid Expenses $0.00 $0.00 None
Deduct Deferred Revenue $725.00 $728.70 2013 event sanctioning fees received in 2012
Deduct Accounts Payable $0.00 $0.00 None
Net (Accrued) Position $7,402.89 $7,440.64 As of 12/31/2012
Closing Cash Balance Represented by
PDGA Canada Bank Account $5,998.98 $6,029.57 Per 12/31/12 Bank Statement
PayPal Account $620.12 $623.28 Per 12/31/12 PayPal Statement
Cash on Hand $55.79 $56.07
Total $6,674.89 $6,708.93
Prepared by: Brian Hoeniger, PDGA Canada Manager 1/8/2013
Dylan Bressey
Grande Prairie AB
November 5, 2012
Professional Disc Golf Association
c/o Brian Hoeniger
To Whom it May Concern;
On behalf of the Grande Prairie Disc Golf Club, I would like to thank the Professional Disc Golf Association for its
generous grant of $1000. This allowed us to purchase 115 discs with our club logo, 3 portable baskets, and 80 mini-discs.
This equipment has made a significant impact on our club’s ability to promote disc golf.
We made use of this equipment in the following ways:
• Teaching disc golf in local schools. We have taught classes in one high school and two junior highs, and have already
been invited to teach at three other schools in the spring. Schools love that we can provide all necessary
equipment.
• Lending discs to any beginners who did not own equipment
• Giving “thank you” discs to city politicians, key civil servants, and managers at the pulp mill which has donated land
for our course
• Giving a free disc to all beginners who signed up for our first tournament
• Setting up a putting game in a busy public park and inviting random people to make a few throws
Our promotional efforts have been successful. Our club was incorporated in January, 2012 with 5 members. At that
time, few people in Grande Prairie had ever heard about disc golf, the closest actual course was 500km away, and there
were only a dozen or so disc golfers in town. Today, our club has 17 members and, thanks to radio and newspaper
interviews, most people in town have heard about our sport. We had a permanent course installed at the end of
September, and I estimate that- despite winter arriving a few weeks after baskets were put in the ground- over 150
people have already made use of it. We hosted a Doubles tournament which had 27 players, and an Ace Race which had
16 players. Three local schools have bought disc golf equipment, and at least five are planning to teach disc golf in the
spring. We have had a lot of success in under a year, largely because we have had promotional equipment available.
In addition to this grant, the resources available on the PDGA website have been a great help in establishing our club
and designing our course. I feel that the legitimacy we received by being aligned with a sanctioning organisation gave us
much needed traction with city administration, and it certainly generated media interest. We have also received great
advice from several contacts we made through the PDGA.
I am thankful for all of the support the PDGA has
provided.
Next year, we are planning to host our first ever singles
tournament, and hope to make it our first PDGA
sanctioned event. We also have many people interested
in traveling to other sanctioned tournaments throughout
the province. Our club looks forward to working with the
PDGA in the future.
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Dylan Bressey
President
Grande Prairie Disc Golf Club
Ring of Fire at Grande Prairie’s first disc golf tournament.
Discs and basket courtesy of the PDGA.
PDGA Québec 2012 Report
2012 was an excellent year for disc golf growth in Quebec. In fact, even conservative estimations would conclude that the player base has doubled. Judging by the enthusiasm I've encountered, this growth trend should continue for several years.
Besides the great summer weather-wise, several factors have contributed to this success.
Obviously new course installations effect this growth and we have 4 new permanent courses.
Longueuil – This course is closer to downtown Montreal (12 minutes ) than the ' Ignace Bourget' course. The course was installed in mid July. Its adopted name is the “Pic” ( Parcours Ilses Charron ) http://www.pdga.com/course_directory/course/parcours-ile-charron-pic
This course has been in the works for 3 years. In my view the ADGM ( association de disc golf de Montreal ) accomplished an amazing feat by establishing an 18 hole course within the limits of a major city. They even financed the course equipment. I am astonished to note that the participation level at this course is 4 years ahead of time from what I had estimated. So many new players on this course 7 days a week.
Mirabel – This course was just installed in the 3rd
week of October 2012. http://forum.adgm.ca/viewtopic.php?id=2123
Another effort from the ADGM paid off this year with this 9 basket installation. They had held several demonstration events in the last few years here prior to this installation. Once again the course hardware was financed by the ADGM. This course will serve the well populated communities north of Montreal such as Laval, St.Jerome and Terrebonne. All these communities currently have active players. A second annual tournament will be held there in February and the real impact of this course will be felt next year.
L'Avenir - ( Drummondville ) This course was established last year with portable baskets, and 9 permanent baskets were installed this past May 2012. They hosted 3 tournaments and ran 2 regular club nights. This is a private course that actively introduces disc golf to many communities in the surrounding areas in 'Central Quebec'.
Beaupré (Mont-Sainte-Anne ) – A 12 basket public course was installed at the famed Ski hill in June. This location provides great visibility for the sport in the Quebec city area. The course was installed with the influence of the ADGQ. (Association de Disc Golf de Quebec) They held 1 tournament this summer and it may take a few years before this course is taken fully advantage of. This course will serve to help the small ADGQ to continue to grow and establish goals. This course could be influential in the promotion of disc golf at the many other ski-hills in the province, many of which are in search of summer activities. http://www.pdga.com/course_directory/course/mont-sainte-anne
The other courses :
Ignace Bouget-Montreal - the course was busy again this year
Mont Ham - The course re-designed hole 6....surprisingly this change incredibly affected the whole lay-out . It is now gone from an "its OK course" to being recommended. The fellow who does the 'grounds' has taken a particular interest and has done great work. The course saw an increase in regular players from central Quebec and the Sherbrooke area.
Granby - This pay-to-play course, established last year, re-couped their investment in 2012. The player base is small but now identifiable and surrounding communities have par-taken in the activity. The sky is the limit once they decide to properly promote this installation...but they have yet to do that despite their very real appreciation for the sport.
Sherbrooke - The baskets are still in the ground at 'Golf de L'Estrie, unfortunately the most important basket is the basket-case that owns this golf course. He won't let us play and he didn't return repeated calls. The city has moved on the proposal for Atto Beaver park that they accepted in 2009....??? . Nettle Gardens has matured into such a cool place but the tonal kept getting thrown in the river. To my surprise...many players show up from time to time to play the course as a natural object course. It’s all too bad as there are many players in the woodwork in this university town. In fairness...I didn't have much time to donate the perseverance needed to make any advancements this year as my attention was geared province wide.
Rimouski – no news from them in 5 years despite efforts to make contact
The Quebec Disc Golf Tour (Season 2): This tour was established last year to introduce tournaments to the new courses in the province. We held 10 events at 9 different courses. We averaged 40 players per event, my guess being that 50% of the players had their first tournament experience. About 70 % of the players attended another event outside of their community. A definite success.
We collected a series fee and have about $650.00 to kick off the new year. Many improvements need to be made. So far it looks positive.
Schools : About 6 more schools are including disc golf as part of their physical education programs including Quebec’s largest English speaking school. http://www.hrhs.rsb.qc.ca/
Tournaments: There were about 15 tournaments held this year and the ADGM's 'La Grosse Coupe" attracted 75 players which is a record in Quebec.
The provincials, aka 'Le Championat' held their 4th annual in October. It showed a little growth with 36 attending...a record. However for the time being this tournament stagnates due to tardiness of promotion. Once a simple logo/image is produced, this event will start to become the prestigious event one would expect. No offense to the tireless TD who devotes himself entirely for 10 days, but a common advanced effort with early promotion would serve this event well.
PDGA : As predicted, the focus has been on development of courses and a player base for the last few seasons. I believe we will host a C or B tier event next summer in Montreal. Once again efforts will be made to invite our neighbours in Vermont and Ontario.
I believe that a little less than a dozen players attended PDGA events in the USA this year.
There was an event hosted on Provincial soil in the Gatineau region, however this is more the doing's of the Ottawa (Ontario ) club. Not that there is anything wrong with that ...but I'll be more impressed and satisfied when an event is produced out of the Montreal area. This of course will lead locally to increased memberships and PDGA visibility not to mention a boost to the formal version of the game.
I may enquire about some tournament support if available for the Montreal sanctioning effort if it indeed it strives to be a B-Tier.
Submitted by
Peter Lizotte #9189 Quebec Provincial Coordinator
2012 Disc Golf Report
Dean Aelick - ODSA Disc Golf Chair
Disc Golf Committee Rob Wormald - Eastern Representative
Joel McEwen - North Representative
Steve Soucie - South Representative
Chris Lowcock - Provincial Championship TD
2012 Gold Series
In the Fall of 2011, the Ontario Disc Sports Association (ODSA) sent out a request-for-
feedback to the Ontario Disc Golf community’s stakeholders, namely the players and
Tournament Directors (TDs). This request was largely due to informal discussions that
had arisen during the year that concerned the 2011 Provincial Disc Golf Series. We had
the idea that we should be listening to these stakeholders themselves, for constructive
input for the next season. This way, the shape of Disc Golf in Ontario could be molded
by the very people who participate in, and run, the disc golf events in our province.
The results of this request were plentiful, and input was given through public forum
discussions, as well as private emails and messages. The Disc Golf Committee then went
through all of these suggestions during various teleconference meetings. The result was a
season-long 7-tournament Gold Series, with the top 3 players in each of 5 divisions
obtaining a Gold Pass, which qualified them for the ODSA Provincial Championships in
Belleville on Oct. 20-21. This would be the first year that the ODSA hosted the
Provincials as a stand-alone tournament, on a course that was brand new to all players.
Silver Tournaments
As well, the ODSA sanctioned 12 Silver Tournaments throughout the province. These
tournaments were one-day events, and created localized participation for players, as well
as visibility of our sport to the general public.
Tournament Directors
In February, a series of teleconference meetings took place with Ontario’s TDs to finalize
the 2012 schedule of events. During this time, the TDs were briefed on the new
tournament format and all of them were on board with it. It was during these meetings,
that the 7 qualifying tournaments were chosen and confirmed. Choosing the date for the
Provincials was difficult to do, as we didn’t want to step on the toes of TDs that had held
their tournament spots on the calendar in previous years. The only available date was
October 20-21. A late time in the season for sure, but was chosen nonetheless.
Before the season began, each TD was sent an official online sanctioning/registration
form which clearly spelled out what the Tournament Director could expect from the
ODSA and what the ODSA expected of the TD. This helped us early in the year getting
organized with prizing (ordering trophy discs) and insight into what each of the TDs
needs were, be it providing tents, score-ports or online registration services.
A few days before each of the Gold Series Qualifying Tournaments, each TD received an
email information package, including updates from the previously scheduled tournament,
as well as documents to help them with the Gold Series, and who the existing Gold Pass
recipients were. After each tournament, TDs were required to send in their collected
ODSA fees, as well as sending in the list of the 15 Gold Pass recipients from their
tournament.
During the tournament’s awards ceremony, each of these Gold Pass recipients received a
Gold Pass Letter, outlining to them, what was required to register for the Provincial
Championships. As well, they received a Gold Pass bag tag, and the divisional winners
received a Gold Pass Winner trophy disc.
USDGC Performance Division Spot
Each year, the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) holds the prestigious United
States Disc Golf Championships (USDGC), and has annually allowed one entry spot
from Ontario to compete in the tournament, since the ODSA’s inception. This spot was
traditionally given to the winner of the ODSA’s annual Open Division championship.
This year, the USDGC changed their tournament structure somewhat, and allowed this
spot to be given to the winner of the newly-named Performance Division. The ODSA
chose this spot to be awarded during the Black Fly Fling tournament, held in South River
on May 26-27. The winner of the spot was Justin Cook, and he attended the USDGC,
held in South Carolina on Oct. 3-6th, finishing in 44
th place.
Gold Series Tournaments and Winners
The Black Fly Fling was the first of the 7 Qualifying Tournaments of the 2012 Gold
Series season, with the others being: Summer Solstice (Midland ON), Capital Classic
(Chelsea QC), D&G Invitational (Oakville ON), Flatts Classic (St. Thomas ON), Toronto
Island Maple Leaf (Toronto, ON), and the CanAm Finals (St. Thomas ON).
The Gold Series culminated in late Fall, with the city of Belleville hosting the 2012
Provincial Disc Golf Championships on the weekend of Oct. 20th
- 21st. The full field of
72 players competed on a temporary course that was laid out over the city’s beautiful
Zwick’s Park. The championship layout proved to be a great test, as the winner of the
Male Pro Open (MPO) division was decided in a sudden-death playoff. It took an extra 2
holes for Jamie Pay to clinch the title.
The Divisional winners were:
MPO - Jamie Pay - London ON
MPM - Steve Soucie - St. Thomas ON
MA1 - Dustin Fournier - Waterdown ON
MA2 - Aaron Clarke - Peterborough ON
FA1 - Holly Decoste - Ottawa ON
ODSA Members and Clubs
Along with the 7 Gold Series Tournaments, the 12 Silver Tournaments that were held
throughout the province created a combined total attendance of 901 players. This resulted
in $1334 in sanctioning fees to the ODSA. These 19 sanctioned tournaments helped
increase ODSA membership by 126 new players. Add that to the 319 renewed
memberships, for a total of 445 members this year.
In 2012, the ODSA had 19 member clubs, 15 registered as non-profit and 4 registered as
corporate, which raised $775 in club fees. All in all, $3488 was raised in membership
fees.
ODSA and Disc Golf in Ontario
The ODSA continues to promote Disc Golf in many ways throughout the year. The sport
is becoming more and more popular, and the mission of seeking out new course locations
in the province is now tilting somewhat, as the towns and cities that the ODSA once tried
to sell the sport to, since the organization’s inception, are now contacting the ODSA to
bring it to them. This trend reflects the years of hard work of not only the ODSA, but all
concerned disc golf stakeholders in the province.
New players that want to see disc golf in their hometown, are coming to the ODSA for
help. Parks and Recs managers from neighboring towns that have an existing course, are
inquiring as to how the ODSA can assist them. Community groups are contacting the
ODSA, wondering how a course installed on their private campgrounds can benefit their
members. Applicants for Trillium Foundation grants, receive help from the ODSA, in
creating their plan for local development. The list goes on and on.
Thank You!
In closing, as the outgoing Disc Golf Committee Chair, I can honestly say that the future
of Disc Golf in Ontario is alive and well!
I’d like to personally thank the Disc Golf Committee, for their time and effort this year;
all of the TDs, for their hard work and cooperation; the Players, who continue to improve
their games, thereby growing the sport; the Course Caretakers, whose love of
lawnmowers and brush cutters takes precedence over their own play; the PDGA and
Tournament Sponsors, who add both tangible and intangible value to our sport; and most
importantly, to Ontario’s Disc Golf Pioneers (you know who you are), who had a dream
30 years ago. I hope we can all continue to make it come alive for you.
