After a long journey north to Oban, a ferry ride across to Craignure, and a fairly mind-blowing drive across Mull, I arrived at Windy Oaks on the Friday before the tournament.
I was welcomed straight away and joined some new friends for a practice round to get to know the course. All weekend I was struck by the friendliness, camaraderie, and general good feeling around the place. It was a brilliant start to a frisbee weekend.
A lap of the blues and then one more around the golds left me pretty worn out, but very ready for more. My first impression of the course was excellent. I also loved hearing some of the local details. I had no idea the poles are painted black and white as a nod to the passing place markers around the island, which were used as markers before baskets were first installed at the old course on Fanmore.
The scenery on course was ridiculous in the best possible way. Waterfalls, Highland coos, and huge views across the smaller islands. Playing with the sun setting over the ocean was something else.
After a night camped next to a waterfall, the tournament got under way on Saturday morning, with two rounds of the blues to play. Mixed cards for the first round meant I got to meet and play with even more people, before everyone was sorted by division for the later rounds.
A restful night at nearby Calgary Bay with the Toon on Tour crew was the perfect way to end the day and rest up for the final round.
Windy Oaks feels like an achievement just to get round. It has a healthy mix of attackable holes and punishing OB, which meant there was a wide range of scores after day one. Sunday tee times gave everyone a chance to watch other groups tee off on the first few holes, before the gold layout got under way.
The golds are absolutely huge. It was mega from the start. I was very glad the winds stayed mostly calm all weekend, as otherwise there could have been plenty of discs heading in adventurous directions.
It felt great to get through the round and then watch the pro divisions make their way through 17, 18, and then hole 1 down towards the Atlantic Ocean. Having the whole tournament cheering on the final few cards was fantastic.
It was also great to hear how much work had gone into the course and tournament to make the weekend run so smoothly. The effort clearly paid off, with the course still looking in fantastic shape after almost 90 people had played it across the weekend.
The handmade trophies were a lovely touch too, crafted from a fallen tree from the course, with shells from the beach included within them. That kind of detail makes an event feel properly rooted in its location.
The disc golf did not end on Sunday. Groups headed over to Aros Park on the bank holiday Monday. It is great to have two separate courses on the island, and I was quite thankful that Aros Park offered a different style. Lots of placement shots through the woods replaced the big smashes from the other side of the island.
The course still featured waterfalls and sits close to the lovely town of Tobermory, where plenty of seafood and other provisions could be found.
Before heading south to Box End Park, I spent some time exploring other parts of Mull, including the summit of Ben More, where I was lucky enough to get 360-degree views of the full island.
Overall, it was a fantastic week. I would strongly recommend everyone plays Mull at least once, if not every year. It is a proper disc golf trip, not just a tournament.
