Romania at Lainate Classic 2026

Seven of us flew from Romania to Milan for Lainate Classic, the first stop on the Innova Europe AmTour 2026 circuit. We left with excitement and curiosity. We came back with lessons, new friends, and a hunger for more.

Back home, our Verdi Park community followed every step through our WhatsApp group — we sent them photos and videos from the course, and they sent back encouragement and energy. Some were watching our scores live on the official PDGA app. We weren't just 7 in Italy — the whole community was with us, one message away.

Here's how the four days went.

Wednesday — Arrival

Most of the team flew into Milan on Wednesday. The golf resort in Lainate sits right off a highway heading north from the city, but once you pass through the gates, everything changes: silence, greenery, and sprawling golf fairways. Club members were playing their usual rounds — probably Milan regulars. We didn't spot many disc golfers, or maybe we just didn't know what one looks like without discs in hand.

A pleasant surprise: we ran into several Romanian-speaking Ukrainians working at the resort who helped us enormously with checking in and finding our way around.

After settling in, we went out to scout the course, but darkness was closing in and we didn't make it past hole 3. We threw a few drives on hole 1, looked at each other, and said: tomorrow's going to be good.

Thursday — Practice Round

Three more Romanians joined us: Bogdan and Gabriel flying in from abroad, and Marius. Full squad — 7 players under the Romanian flag.

We warmed up with some drives on the first few holes, then played our practice round. The course was rougher than we expected — a converted golf course with tight corridors and OB at every turn — but we stayed optimistic.

And then we met hole 16. Par 3, water OB left and center. We started losing discs to the lake right then and there, an initiation ritual we didn't sign up for.

That evening we went to watch the distance and ace run challenges. The skill level of some of the European circuit players left us in awe. We realized we were playing in a different league — literally.

Friday — Round 1

The weather was nice. The course and the competition were not.

OBs and hazards dragged us down all round long. On the open stretches, gusts of wind sent our discs in directions we couldn't anticipate — yet another element we weren't prepared for. By the end, we stared at our scorecards in disbelief at how many bogeys we'd racked up. The course demanded a level of precision we simply hadn't practiced at home — every throw mattered, every mistake was punished.

Still, not everyone had a bad day. A few from our crew posted solid rounds that gave us hope.

Back at the hotel that evening, we spent hours dissecting every hole. Which disc we threw, what shot shape would have been better, where we took too much risk and where we played too safe. We broke the round down throw by throw, trying to find better strategies for the next day. It wasn't just conversation — it was preparation.

The pizza party at the resort restaurant came at the perfect time. We ate, talked with players from all over Europe, and danced together. And when the DJ played "Dragostea din tei," we took it as a dedication. She probably had no idea there were 7 Romanians in the room — but we felt it like a sign. For a few hours, the standings didn't matter.

Meanwhile, on our phones, we were watching the Supreme Flight Open — the first stop of the DGPT Tour, happening the same weekend somewhere across the ocean. Us here, the pros over there, but all of us on the course at the same time. We felt part of something bigger — the global start of the disc golf season.

Saturday — Round 2

The weather turned colder. Our division played first, early in the morning, on grass soaked with dew. Grip on the disc and bracing on throws suffered — and the wind kept giving us trouble on the open holes. It showed on the scorecard.

Results were mixed: some from our crew improved their game from the day before, others had a day to forget and dropped further in the standings.

That evening, phones out again, watching the DGPT between analyzing our own rounds. Two competitions, two worlds — but the same passion.

After the round, some of the team left to visit Milan, the city that had just hosted the Winter Olympics. A bit of sightseeing between rounds — can't hurt.

Sunday — Round 3

Even colder. Even dewier. The wind still there. But none of it mattered anymore.

We clenched our teeth and gave everything we had. Most of the team bounced back strong on the final day and climbed back up the rankings.

Mike came closest to the podium — 3rd place was within reach until hole 17, a par 5 with a very tight fairway, where a bogey dropped him to 4th. The best finish from our delegation, and a bittersweet taste to close out the tournament.

What We Bring Home

Not just the discs that survived the lake at hole 16.

We left Milan with new friends from the European disc golf community. Players and organizers from several countries invited us to their tournaments and promised to send players to ours in Romania. Those connections are worth more than any ranking.

We saw what a tournament organized at a high level looks like — and what we're still missing to be competitive there. We learned that the courses we play at home don't prepare us enough for the precision demanded by a converted golf course, for wind that changes your plan mid-flight, for the pressure of a scorecard that counts. We felt firsthand the difference between recreational disc golf and real competition.

But we felt something else too: that we're not alone. Our community back home was with us at every throw, every message, every word of encouragement. And the European community welcomed us with open arms.

We come back with our heads held high and a hunger for more.

The next stop awaits.