Romanian Double Header 2026: Transylvania Open and Bucharest Open

2026 is the year Romania joins the competitive disc golf map. Not once, but twice: the Transylvania Open in August and the Bucharest Open in September. Both PDGA-sanctioned, both C-tier, both open to players from across Europe.

We call it the Double Header, because they land six weeks apart and because together they tell the full story of disc golf in Romania: the Transylvanian hills and the middle of the capital.

Transylvania Open — the first PDGA tournament in Romanian history

7–9 August · Hillside Transylvania, Odorheiu Secuiesc

This is the first PDGA-sanctioned tournament ever held in Romania. It plays at Hillside, on the side of a hill above the town, one of the most spectacular courses in the country.

Friday 7 August is day zero: a practice round, the players' meeting and a barbecue to get to know each other. Competition plays Saturday and Sunday, 8 and 9 August.

The course has nine baskets and 18 tees, par 66 and 2,062 metres — one of the longest layouts in the region and unmistakably the most vertical. It plays across several levels of terrain, with open fairways, sloped landing zones and wide views over Odorheiu Secuiesc. The elevation is in play on almost every throw: ten-metre drops on some holes, climbs on others.

Odorheiu Secuiesc is a small, welcoming town in Harghita County, a few hours' drive through the best part of Transylvania. For visiting players, the tournament is a good excuse to see a region few people know.

Bucharest Open — competitive disc golf in the capital

18–20 September · Verdi Park and the Diplomatic Club, Bucharest

Six weeks later the competition moves to the capital, across two courses with opposite characters. Round 1 plays at Verdi Park, rounds 2 and 3 at the Diplomatic Club.

Verdi Park is our community's home course and, since June 2026, Romania's first permanent disc golf course in a public urban park. Nine baskets, 18 tee positions, par 55, 1,150 metres of tight lines through trees — a technical course that punishes imprecision.

The Diplomatic Club is the exact opposite: a historic golf course in Herăstrău with long, open fairways. The space invites you to throw hard, but it is scattered with golf traps — trees, sand bunkers and putting greens. Each one costs you penalty strokes.

Bucharest itself is part of the draw: one of Eastern Europe's liveliest capitals, with good food, surprising architecture and genuinely welcoming people.

Three courses, three completely different tests

What makes this Double Header interesting is not that there are two tournaments, but that they play across three courses that ask completely different things.

Hillside demands distance and slope reading. At 2,062 metres and par 66, drivers come out of the bag on nearly every hole, along with the nerve to throw across open air.

Verdi demands control. At 1,150 metres and par 55, it is midranges and putters down narrow lines through trees. A perfect drive is worth nothing if you cannot place it.

The Diplomatic Club gives you space — and that is exactly what makes it dangerous. Stay away from the trees, the sand bunkers and the putting greens, or you pay in penalty strokes. You do not lose shots here for throwing short; you lose them for throwing without looking at where the disc lands.

Whoever plays all three well has a complete game. That is exactly what we want to see.

Who can play, and how to register

Both events are amateur C-tiers, open to experienced tournament players and to anyone entering their first sanctioned event. You do not need a PDGA rating to sign up — only a current PDGA membership.

Registration is open on Disc Golf Scene:

• Transylvania Open 2026 — 7–9 August, Hillside Transylvania
• Bucharest Open 2026 — 18–20 September, Bucharest

Spots are filling. At the time of writing, dozens of players are already registered for each event.

Why it matters

Three years ago, disc golf in Romania meant a few people with portable baskets in a park. This year we have two permanent courses, a growing community, and the country's first two internationally sanctioned tournaments.

If you want to see what a sport looks like at its beginning, 2026 is the year and Romania is the place. See you out there — on the hill in August, in the city in September.