The 2026 Portage Open brought 46 disc golfers to Portage la Prairie on Saturday for a day of competition, community and plenty of time on the course.
Portage la Prairie Disc Golf Club chairman and tournament director Cody Buhler said the event went smoothly, with near-perfect weather helping create ideal conditions for competitors.
“It went really well,” Buhler said. Rain the night before left the course wet to start the day, but conditions dried up as the day continued and the rain held off.
Competitors took part across a variety of divisions, including male and female categories, age-based divisions, professional competition and a junior division.
Pro division goes to a playoff
The professional division was the largest it has ever been at the Portage Open, bringing some of Manitoba’s top players to Portage la Prairie.
Eric Giesbrecht ultimately claimed the pro title for the third time after a tie for first place forced the competitors into a playoff hole. Giesbrecht is a prominent figure in Manitoba’s disc golf community and also serves as coordinator for the Manitoba Disc Golf Tour.
The Portage Open is one of the tour’s stops, giving competitors the opportunity to earn points toward the overall Manitoba standings.
Other tour events take place throughout the province, including the Pembina Valley Open in the Morden-Winkler area and several tournaments in and around Winnipeg. The season wraps up with the provincial championships.
Eric Giesbrecht celebrating his 3rd win at the 2026 Portage Open. Photo submitted/Cody Buhler
Disc golf continues to grow locally
Buhler said the tournament is another sign of the continued growth of disc golf in the Portage la Prairie community.
The sport has been established in Portage since 2015, and awareness and participation have continued to increase. Local players once again took part in this year’s tournament, while disc golf is also becoming more familiar to younger players through local schools.
Buhler noted that the sport is being played in elementary schools and incorporated into high school curriculum, helping introduce a new generation to the game.
The continued use of the local course, both for organized tournaments and everyday recreation, has been encouraging for the club.
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New course layout adds to the challenge
While this year’s field of 46 competitors was somewhat smaller than the past couple of years, Buhler said players responded positively to changes made to the course.
The club modified the layout for the tournament and added three new baskets specifically for the event. Buhler said competitors have consistently enjoyed the tournament’s course setup.
Buhler also credited the event’s sponsors for helping make the tournament possible, with Homestead Co-op and Golden West among those supporting the 2026 Portage Open.
For the Portage Disc Golf Club, the event provided another successful tournament and another opportunity to showcase the continued growth of the sport in the community.
With the Portage Open once again serving as a stop on the Manitoba Disc Golf Tour, local players and visiting competitors alike had the chance to compete on the Portage course while contributing to a growing provincial disc golf scene.