Final preparations are underway for All Joes Disc Golf tournament in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. —  Final preparations are underway for the All Joes Disc Golf tournament at Toboggan Hill Disc Golf Course in Fort St. John.

The event is the only Professional Disc Golfers Association (PDGA) sanctioned tournament throughout the calendar year for the club. 

With registrant deadlines having ended and the final roster of entrees being prepared, Fort St. John Disc Sports Club vice-president Josh Stokmans has seen a busy week.

Stockmans says the tournament, which started five years ago, has been growing steadily each year.

He sees the 39 entries as a positive sign more locals are becoming interested in the game of Disc Golf.

“There has been lots of support from the members of the course itself,” said Stokmans.  “Everybody has been taking ownership of cleanup, which is great to see.”

“The city has been amazing to work with, as far as working on the course, installing baskets, and moving the tea pads around. We are so lucky to be in Fort St John and the support that we get from the community.”

Getting sponsorship for All Joes has been “fairly easy,” according to Stokmans.  Mustang Rentals, an equipment company in Fort St. John, has been the title sponsor for both the tournament and golf league for several years.

Kili Landscapes of Grande Prairie has assisted with obtaining prizes for entrants. This year, each participant will receive a starter’s pack featuring a premium playing disc.

Four divisions will be entered, ranging from Mixed Amateur (MA) 1 to MA-4, indicating proficiency within the game.

Other divisions, such as a women’s only division and a professional division, were eliminated due to entry numbers.

“There’s a smaller pool of [local] players that are competitive,” said Stokmans.  “We really want to see more females being involved in the sport. It’s an incredibly inclusive sport.”

“We just don’t want anybody to feel like they can’t play because they don’t think they’ll be competitive.  I want to go from having 39 attendees this year to 60 people or 100 people playing every year.”

Each division winner will receive a new Yeti FSJ Disc Golf Cup, which will be engraved with the division and the club’s logo, courtesy of Ernie’s Sports Experts in Fort St. John. 

The tournament starts at 9 a.m. on August 17th at Toboggan Hill Disc Golf Course located on 93rd Avenue, with a shotgun start. 

The second and final round will begin after a lunch break around 1:30 p.m.  

Further information regarding Fort St. John Disc Sports Club can be found on the group’s Facebook page.