It started as a hobby spurred on by the COVID pandemic.
But for 11-year-old Guelph native Austin Hill, playing disc golf has turned into a passion, plenty of success and some recognition on the world stage.
Hill will be competing at the PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma later this summer.
“We were driving by the far side of Riverside Park, and we saw (a disc golf hole) during COVID,” Hill said. “There was nothing to do, and we had ultimate discs with us, so we just went out and played the hole.”
“Normally in the winters, he’s indoor baseball training, or he’s doing basketball because he plays all of these other sports too,” added his mother Amelia. “But everything was shut down.”
Austin took to it almost immediately, spending hours on the course.
Over time, he has collected about 150 discs. There are over 20 discs in his bag for regular use.
“They go out in the cold, they go out all year round,” Amelia said. “We do have a practice basket in our garage. He will sometimes take that to the basement, or he’ll just practice putting in the garage.”
The work has paid off in spades. Austin was registered with the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) as an amateur in 2022. Of the 13 events he’s competed in, he’s won nine.
That includes some local tournament victories, a few provincial crowns and the 2023 Canadian National Championships.
Qualifying for the worlds is based on a few things, including wins and points collected in tournaments.
This is Austin’s second time at the worlds. He finished tied for 37th in the Mixed Junior 12 (MJ12) division at last year’s Junior Worlds in Illinois.
“Guelph Disc Golf Club has been really big in supporting and helping him progress,” Amelia said.
“He goes out and he plays in leagues here in Guelph, which is mostly how he gets his practice. But he’s playing against adults.”
He is holding his own, and Austin will look to add to his collection of hardware this summer.
It’s all part of what looks to be a nine-day trip, from the tournament to programming and activities ahead of time.
But in order to get to Oklahoma in July, the family admits it is an expensive endeavour.
“We’ve budgeted it at about $5,000 for us as a family to go,” Amelia said. “For him alone, just for registration and his flights is close to $1,000 just for himself, but obviously he’s 11 so he can’t go by himself.”
The Hill’s have done some fundraising, a 50/50 draw, Austin has a sponsor for clothing.
Amelia said anyone looking to help the family get to Oklahoma can reach out to her by email.
