3 Merry Kings is a one-day tournament that will be played on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, in a format of two rounds of 14 holes each. The tournament is held in a “super light” model – without additional side activities, with the focus exclusively on disc golf play, while prizes for the top finishers are purely symbolic (e.g. a chocolate bar for the winner).
This will be the first edition of the tournament.
The competition will be played in two mixed categories: one intended for more experienced players and another for beginners, i.e. players with a rating below 800.
The tournament also represents the first in a series of donation tournaments aimed at raising funds for the purchase and installation of permanent disc golf baskets and tee pads at the Drava Forester course. All collected funds, after covering the basic organizational costs, will be allocated to a dedicated fund from which, once a sufficient amount is collected, the purchase of baskets that will remain permanently installed on the course will be financed. Accordingly, and in order to further reduce organizational costs, Arena Varaždin facilities will not be rented for this event.
At the tournament itself, a donation box will also be available, allowing players to contribute additional funds as a voluntary supplement to the entry fee.
The plan is to purchase and install one permanent disc golf basket for every €350 collected, with Lagoda Disc Golf covering the remaining installation costs.
Registration
The competition will be held in the following categories and under the following participation conditions:
| Category | Additional information | Entry fee |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Open, mixed | 15 € |
| Purple | Players rated up to 800, mixed | 5 € |
The number of participants is limited to 64; the competition will be played in a maximum of 10 groups of 5 players and 4 groups of 4 players.
The entry fee includes tournament organization and the fee to the Croatian Flying Disc Federation.
The entry fee should be paid to the following bank account: Lagoda j.d.o.o., Varaždin, HR6323400091110550349
Exceptionally, if the entry fee is not paid in advance, payment in cash at the tournament itself will also be possible.
Competition results and live scoring will be published on the PDGA website.
Scores will be entered into the PDGA live scorecard system.
Players who are not PDGA members and do not have a rating may play in the Purple category only if they have not previously played PDGA tournaments, or if they have played PDGA tournaments and their last 6 rounds (or fewer if they have played fewer than 6 rounds) do not average more than 800 rating points. If those rounds average above 800, they may play in the Gold category.
Schedule
Provisional tournament schedule (minor changes possible up to the event itself):
| Tuesday, January 6 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00 | meet-up at the course, warm up |
| 8:40 | players’ meeting, outdoor area |
| 9:05 | start of play – round 1 (expected round duration approx. 2 hours) |
| 11:30 | lunch (self-organized) |
| - | start of play – round 2 (around 12:30, i.e. 60 minutes after the last group finishes round 1) |
| - | winners ceremony, around 14:30 |
Play
The competition will be played in the following format:
| Round | Group formation |
|---|---|
| 1 | Groups will be formed with mixed categories and strength groups determined according to PDGA rating. We will try not to place players from the same clubs / countries in the same groups in the first round, so they can socialize and play with players they do not regularly meet. |
| 2 | Groups formed based on results, without mixing categories |
Course
The 14-hole course is set up in the forest area next to Arena Varaždin.
Temporary Disc Golf Park target baskets are used for play.
Tee pads on all holes are covered with artificial turf.
The course layout is the same as used at the Merry Forester tournament played on December 20, 2025 (see PDGA page).
Other information
Communication with participants
A WhatsApp group will be opened for communication with participants, accessible via a link that will be sent to them by email.
Joining the WhatsApp group is not mandatory, but during the tournament all announcements (schedule changes, groups for rounds 1 and 2, etc.) will be communicated exclusively via this group.
Through this group, participants can also inform the organizers if they are running late for the players’ meeting, if they have lost or found something on the course, etc.
Parking
If you arrive by car, you can park at the Arena Varaždin parking lot (Google Maps location).
Toilets
There are toilets at several locations within the arena and the tournament center, BUT since the tournament is held on a public holiday, it is POSSIBLE that all Arena facilities (including toilets and the café) may be closed.
We will check the details in the coming days and inform registered players accordingly.
Weather
You can follow the weather forecast for Varaždin on the Yr.no website. Based on previous years, we are hoping for dry and cold weather, but with temperatures above freezing and comfortable for play.
Photos and social media
All photos taken during the tournament will be added at the end of each day to a Google Photos Album, where you can download and use them for social media.
When posting on Instagram, please use #3merrykings #varazdin @lagoda_disc_golf @volim.varazdin