Pro disc player takes top honours at St. Joe's tournament (18 photos)

Pro ranked, Ben Kurvits and team-mate, Ken Dolson left Sudbury early Saturday bound for St. Joseph Island. 

Neither had walked the grounds before the horn blasted to start the day but looked forward to the opportunity to play on the Jocelyn Township Centennial Grounds.

By day's end, Kurvits took home prize money and the best score of the day. 

"Not bad for the first time out," he said when asked after completing the first nine holes. "It's a very natural course." 

Kurvits's brother introduced him to the sport nine years ago.

"We found a course in Sudbury and I've been hooked on it ever since," he said. 

In those nine years, Kurvits grew from a novice competitor to professional attending numerous events across Ontario.

Kurvits presently owns about 60 discs. Some, he said, been purchased, won, or aquired as part of a player's entry pack. 

On tournament day, Kurvits entered the course with about 20 discs.

What spawned from an idea, the Island Disc Golf Club saw its inaugural tournament Saturday.

With discs in hand, 23 men and women from St. Joseph Island, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and London entered the recently completed 18-hole course at the inaugural Mountainview Colour Tournament sponsored by the Island Disc Golf Club and Jocelyn Township recreation committee.

The course winds its way throughout the Jocelyn Township Centennial Grounds. 

Players experience challenging and rugged terrain with holes varying in distance.

Players walk the course absorbing the natural surroundings, the camaraderie during play and exercise.

Earlier this year, the idea of having a disc golf course began.

"We seen a fun, family-friendly sport for all ages and we seen and knew that Jocelyn Township had a perfect place for a course," said co-founder and organizer, Cori Murdock. "We had a small dream that grew into something bigger and better than we were every expecting."

Cori and her husband Ian Murdock along with Mike and Jeri Bohms, formed a subcommittee under the recreation committee. The four who are passionate about disc golf hit the ground running.

The four pitched the idea to the Jocelyn Township recreation committee along with the support from the township, Murdock said, they were given the funds to put the course in.

The Bohms designed the course, Cori did the computer and logo work, while Ian installed the course material itself. 

"So the course is 100 per cent volunteer installed," she said.

The club is an approved event under the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) and the tournament is a sanctioned event.

The club opened the first nine holes in early June, opening the full 18 holes in late August.

"We have had an overwhelming response on and off Island," Murdock said adding every day there is someone playing. 

There is a local league running Tuesday evenings which attracted as many as 20 people on any given night and collectively over the summer they have seen as many as 50 participants.

The course is free to play. Regular Frisbees can be used but the preferred choice is a discal Frisbee.

Unlike the traditional golf, disc golf is played using a hard plastic disc. 

Each professional disc is weighed for specific action, such as the drop off, curve or drive. 

Novice players can start off in the sport with a borrowed disc or they can be purchased. Purchased starter kit provide the player with three discs, a driver, putter and mid range disc.

Over time a collection can grow. 

Each player has their reasons for belonging to, and for the Murdock's it had what they were looking for.

"We tried it in Sault Ste. Marie and discovered that it was a sport that any and all fitness levels could play, any age could play and we could go play as a couple along with our kids and friends," Murdock said. "It is relatively inexpensive to get into and was just downright fun. You can play for 30 minutes or several hours depending on the time you have."

Murdock went on to say that now that the course is up and running in Jocelyn, it's the first time something is literally five minutes from their home.

Tuesday outings will continue but without prizes or point tracking until the snow flies.

Several holes are located on municipal ski trails and the course is not available during the winter.  Play will continue in the spring. 

Learn more about disc golf at pdga.com

Final Score and first place winners:

• Division - MPO (open), Ben Kurvits - 103 (Sudbury)
• Division - MA1 (advanced), Mike Bohms - 107 (St. Joseph Island)
• Division - FA1 (Advanced women), Jeri Bohms - 139 (St. Joseph Island)
• Division - MA40 (Amateur Masters 40 +), Donald Corcoran - 118 (Sudbury) and Dan Doucette -118 (Sault Ste. Marie)
• Division - MA3 (Intermediate), Daniel Hermann -126 (Sault Ste. Marie)
• Division - MA4 (Novice men), Mike Boucher - 135 (St. Joseph Island)
• Division - FA4 (Novice women), Bobbi-Lynn Murdock - 167 (Sault Ste.Marie)
• Division - MJ15 (Junior under 15), Nate Bortolon -170