Canada's best disc golfers compete for national glory in Thunder Bay

Despite all his accomplishments on disc golf courses around the world, Toronto's Thomas Gilbert admits he's feeling a bit of pressure in Thunder Bay.

Gilbert, Canada's top-ranked disc golf player, is in northwestern Ontario for the 2023 Canadian National Disc Golf Championships, and is among hundreds of competitors.

"If you ask most people this weekend, I would be the favourite to win," Gilbert said Thursday morning at Dragon Hills Golf Course — one of three courses hosting national championship rounds through Monday. "That's also a little bit of pressure on myself to just compete as well as I know I can.

"But I enjoy the pressure," Gilbert said. "I always play really well here up in Canada. This year, I'm 3 for 3 in tournament wins in Canada, so hopefully just add another one on to that list."

Gilbert arrived this past Monday and has played some practice rounds at Birch Point and Dragon Hills, the two courses hosting professional players (amateur players will play rounds on those two courses, as well as the Bayview course).

The courses are "beautiful," with a good mix of strategy required to be successful, he said. 

"Birch Point is such an amazing public park that they have a disc golf course on — lots of really cool amenities there and lines to hit. Then here at Dragon Hills, it's a little more open. You can be a little more free with your distance shots." 

Andy Noel, a Thunder Bay disc golfer who plays in the amateur MA1 division, which is just below the pros, helped with the design of about half a dozen courses across Canada.

Noel said his love for disc golf grew out of playing traditional golf when he was younger. However, traditional golf can get expensive.

"One day we were walking around a local course here at