Story by Carie Coleman; Photo of Lucy and Olivia Burks with TD Cindy McMahan by Marcus Burks.

With the United States Women's Disc Golf Championships right around the corner, we thought we'd highlight one of the most successful women-only disc golf events in the world, the Chick Flick Women's Disc Golf Celebration!

Horning's Hideout was the site of the 8th annual Chick Flick Women's Disc Golf Celebration presented by Next Adventure. The Chick Flick is more than a tournament; it is educational, builds community, and fosters friendly competition. The first Chick Flick brought in just over 50 players as a non-PDGA tournament. In 2015, we had over 135 women participate in at least one of the Celebration's events!

Education and community are two of Chick Flick's most important tenets. Saturday morning, 25 local men and women led 13 different clinics including Disc Golf Etiquette and Rules, Best Stretches and Exercises for the Disc Golfer, Advanced Putting, Rollers, and Tough Shots (getting out of trouble) just to name a few! Participants followed signs, directing them over the rolling hills and forested fairways of Horning's Canyon Course to their choice of four clinics that morning.

After a lunch break, the tournament crew ran a casual 18-hole round on two of Horning's Courses, taking care to place new golfers with seasoned veterans to show them not only the course, but to reinforce PDGA rules that are not normally followed in casual rounds. Saturday's weather was brutal. Temperatures pushed the high 90s, but our Mr. Chick Flick (Steve McMahan #39831) kept the water coolers stocked for all of the players and caddies. The wooded portions of Horning's Hideout provided much need respite from the glaring sun, as caddies carried the disc golf bags for their lady golfer.

As the sun dropped behind the canyon of tall Douglas Firs, the Chick Flick Celebration switched gears towards a more light-hearted game. Keeping with tradition, local disc golf club Oregon Disc and Wildlife organized a Kan-Jam tournament with 32 teams participating in a single elimination tournament on Hole 1's fairway of the Canyon Course. Prizes were award for best costumes and the participants did not disappoint the crowd of 100+ fans sitting in the shade at Hole 1's tee box. We saw luchadors, prom queens, fairies, and a variety of costumed teams duke it out for the trophies. Tournament Central had a festival atmosphere: Hawaiian shaved ice, massage chairs, disc vendors, and sponsor Cherry Bomm provided a beer garden and dunk tank!

Kan Jam tournament, hosted by Oregon Disc and Wildlife (photo by Steve McMahan)

On Sunday, two different courses were filled with just about every women's division possible, from Senior Women to Junior Girls 10 & Under, and everyone in between! On the longer Canyon Course, Sally West #22235 tossed in a 110' approach to hold off a second round surge from Amy Lewis #61950 and Emma Rose Hanley #42227, who tied for second place in the Open Women's division. In the Masters Women division, Carie Coleman #31663 won the playoff with Gail Pace #53791, each scoring 120. Hot player of the weekend was Shasta Conn #61951 of the Advanced Women's division who threw two 900+ rated rounds and beat the entire field with her overall score of 106. Erika Stinchcomb #71262 and Jennie Cartwright #56145 tied for second.

Other divisions that played the Canyon Course include Advanced Masters Women, which was won by Mindy Paulson #56216; Advanced Grandmasters was taken down by Christine Huestis #73010; Advanced Senior Grandmasters Women Eileen Graham #70550 was victorious, as was Intermediate Women's Mojo McGauhey, who tossed a 117.

On the shorter but more hilly Highland's Course, Elizabeth Esser threw the best round with a 10 down 98 for her first ever PDGA tournament, placing first in the Recreational; Women's division. Nicky Granger, participating in her second Chick Flick won the Novice Women's division.

Ring of Fire and Tournament Central at Horning’s Hideout (photo by Jackolyn Halstead)

This year we had 10 young ladies play in the Juniors divisions. Kalelee Bergsman #72637 shot a 136 on the Canyon Course to place first in Junior Girls 16 & Under. On the Highland's Course, Sara Hathaway won Junior Girls 13 & Under with a 112, and Avie Durrant (55316) threw a 113 to win the Junior Girls 10 & Under division.

What makes the Chick Flick special is the community atmosphere of the event, but also how many families and generations participate. Sisters Dawn Hotchkin #56217 and Wendy Robles #56319 have played in the last four Chick Flicks with their mom, Linda Hotchkin #60833. Audrey Webb #68256 has brought her daughters Kiersten (FJ3) and Ashley (FJ4) for the past two years. Sisters Olivia #77039 and Lucy #70025 played this year as their Caddie Daddy Marcus Burks #70024 navigated the courses with them. According to Mr. Burks, the highlight of his daughters' weekend was playing the casual round with Tournament Director Cindy McMahan #37716.

Advice for other Women's Disc Golf Tournaments

One reason why the Chick Flick has been successful is that it is run by women for women. The Chick Flick Planning Committee consists of six active disc golfing women - Cindy McMahan #37716, (Tournament Director), Celeste Scandiffio #34255 (Co-Tournament Director), Kirsten Voyer #31973, Carie Coleman #31663, Julie Choate #59429, and Tanya Spence #46849.  We have the pulse on what the women want to experience during a weekend of disc golf. We seek the opinions of a variety of players from various divisions and experience. And we foster relationships with other groups. We order lighter discs for a our players packs, offer women’s sizes in our shirts, and seek fun, unique players' pack supplements like purple coozies, Chick Flick knee socks, and healthy snacks.

One trend that is growing momentum is the inter-sponsorship of women's disc golf tournaments. This year, several Oregon and Washington golfers played in the Rocky Mountain Women's Disc Golf Championship and Northern California's Daisy Chains Women's Disc Golf Tournament. Additionally, we started a player's pack trade with other women's groups from around the US, like California’s Monarch Migration and Wisconsin's Wisco Disco Tournament.

One of the biggest assets we have is the Women of Disc Golf or Die! Club (Women of DGOD for those in the know). Their Thursday Women's League continuously breaks attendance records for a weekly league. We continually help each other at individual events, by donating swag and other resources but also come together at the Chick Flick to form the most powerful force for women’s disc golf in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The Chick Flick Leadership Team provides advice for female tournament directors. After eight years of organizing the Chick Flick, we have learned a lot of skills and developed a lot of ideas that we are willing to share with other women groups. While we are constantly evaluating our program, we are also continuing to learn from other groups as well.

Chick Flick by the Numbers

• 139 - total number of women participating in the Chick Flick Celebration
• 133 - number of women playing Sunday's PDGA Tournament
• 9 - number of FJ3 (4)  and FJ4 (5) players this year! Our biggest turnout yet for these divisions!
• 72 - number of caddies that officially signed up for the event
• 100 - number of 50/50 Chick Flick water bottles given for the first 100 women to sign up!
• 7 - number of years Next Adventure has been our title sponsor

The Chick Flick happens every year around the first weekend in August.  Join us for more information on the Chick Flick Facebook page! And don't forget to sign up for the upcoming United States Women's Disc Golf Championships in Mid-Ohio, the only women-only PDGA Major event!

Photo by Chris McFarlane.