Ice Bowl 2026 to Benefit TCRM

By Wendy Post —

On Jan. 31, beginning at 11 a.m., The Greater Binghamton Disc Golf Club will host Ice Bowl 2026 at the Campville Commons. The event will benefit Tioga County Rural Ministry, with organizers hoping to exceed their fundraising goal through donations and sponsorships. 

“This year we hope to raise over $10,000,” said Rick Powell, vice president of GBDGC and this year’s tournament director.

The Ice Bowl® is a series of disc golf events that are held each year from January through March, with an overall mission of raising funds to fight hunger. Related goals include having fun and connecting the disc golf community in a positive way to the community at large. 

In 2025, there were 156 Ice Bowl events in North America and Europe that raised over $450,000 for charity. In the past six years, the Greater Binghamton Disc Club has raised over $30,000 in cash and 500 pounds of food.

The 7th Annual Greater Binghamton Ice Bowl 2026, under the direction of the nonprofit Greater Binghamton Disc Golf Club, has a goal of $8,000 and 350 pounds of food to benefit Tioga County Rural Ministry. 

Organizers are hoping to draw the support of more than 70 players and sponsors this year. Other funding will be from disc golfers who collected donations from friends and family, and the sale of closest-to-the prize contest tickets. 

The Greater Binghamton Disc Golf Club was established in 2014 to help promote the sport of disc golf as well as other flying disc sports. The GBDGC, now about 50 members strong and growing, works in cooperation with the area’s parks and recreation departments in maintaining and improving the many public courses in the area. Most club activities involve taking care of courses, running leagues and smaller local and regional events, and working with communities to get new courses installed.  

GBDGC helps local parks departments because, besides being a great sport, disc golf is an excellent low-cost, healthful, and fun recreational opportunity for people of all ages. Members of the GBDGC have been involved, in varying capacities, with the installation of all of the free-to-play courses in the area. 

In 2017, the club installed the Campville Commons Disc Golf Course in Endicott, N.Y., which was completely funded and installed by the club members. 

In 2019, in cooperation with Broome County, Nathaniel Cole Park Disc Golf Course began and was completed in 2022, this is a championship-level course. The club raised $10,000 to support this project. 

Besides taking care of courses and running weekly local events, the GBDGC runs or promotes special regional events, such as the Southern Tier Open and Ice Bowl. The GBDGC is currently a registered not-for-profit corporation in New York. 

Disc golf is similar to golf (disc golfers often call it “ball” or “stick” or “traditional” golf) in procedure, pace, and psychology. Instead of clubs and balls, disc golfers use golf discs (smaller, heavier, and aerodynamically superior to the Frisbees used for playing catch). Instead of a cup, disc golfers “hole out” in a disc golf basket or target. Usually made of steel, it features a basket that is attached to a pole about two feet above the ground and has chain assemblies above the basket that act as a backboard, stopping the disc’s forward motion and causing it to drop into the basket. Disc golfers play the throw from where it lies and count each throw until the disc lands in the basket or within the chains. 

Organizer and VP Powell shared, “Disc golf shares the same joys and frustrations as traditional golf, whether it’s sinking a long putt or hitting a tree halfway down the fairway,” and added, “There are a few differences, though: disc golf rarely requires a greens fee, you probably won’t need to rent a cart, and you never get stuck with a bad ‘tee time.’”

“It is designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages, male and female, regardless of economic status; disc golf is a lot of fun, quite challenging, and relatively inexpensive to play,” Powell added.

To learn more, contact Rick Powell by calling (607) 972-7525 or email rick@hydroheaven.com. You can also check things out at the Campville Commons, located at 259 Brainard St. In Endicott.