The following article is provided by the Minnesota Frisbee Association in conjunction with their distinction as a PDGA Club.

May 16, 2026 brought 70 women from all over the state of Minnesota to Riverfront Disc Golf Course in Fridley, MN. These women spanned 18 different divisions from our youngest player (Sophia Grunwald in FJ10) to our oldest player (Sydney Evans #51784 in FA75). The history of the Women's Global Event in Minnesota is an exciting one with many record-breaking years including 2021 where we had 90 players. But it's not just about the numbers. What really keeps these players coming back year after year is the community that we have built. Minnesota has been participating in the WGE since its inception in 2012. It is something that folks look forward to every year. We have seen the need for women's-only events grow in the Twin Cities so much that we have two women's leagues that are able to offer completely different experiences for the ladies. On top of that, there are at least two women's-only tournaments a year, and several other leagues with a large presence of women players.

My name is Lora Murtha (#160648) and this was my first event as a TD. I have helped out with other tournaments in the past, but I was excited for the opportunity to step up and run this event. From the start, I wanted to make sure that it was a welcoming place for new and experienced players, and that it was a space for having fun and building a community together. I found it important to have a lunch sponsor so that players would be able to stay on site for lunch and continue to build relationships with other players. Maybe they would find some new friends that they could easily meet up with for casual rounds. We also garnered a lot of support from the community through raffle donations. We had over 30 items that we were able to give away! This lunch time break not only helped us rest our bodies (with a massage therapist too!) but to reconnect with old and new friends.

Everywhere you looked that day, players were smiling, laughing, cheering each other on, and sharing in the disappointment of a missed putt. It was so encouraging to see everyone on the course with one goal in mind: to have a great day. Of course, Mother Nature also had her say in things by giving us the most perfect weather for a day out on the course. With bright sunshine overhead, a light breeze coming off the river, and temps in the mid 70’s, we knew a perfect day was in store. 

As a first-time TD, I think that it's so important to approach this as a player. What would I want at a tournament? What would make this fun for me? What is most important for the player experience? From a warm, welcoming presence when you first walk up to check in, to the last player leaving the parking lot, what story are you telling? When planning this event, I looked to see what our biggest divisions were, and it was largely FA3 and FA4 — so, new players. What can I do, as a TD, to make this welcoming and friendly to folks who may only have one or two tournaments under their belt, or none at all? The impact of this event didn't stop at the edges of the course. I have gotten such positive feedback from those who played the event, those who caddied for another player, and even those who weren't even in the area but know someone who played. This positive experience for 70 women in Minnesota will continue to help grow disc golf, building the confidence of women to know that they can play and have fun, that they have made some new friends, and that they have resources to play women's leagues — or the emboldenment to check out other local leagues. This is what this is all about. Giving women of all ages a space and time to come together from so many different walks of life is what truly excites me about WGE, and about the sport. As I looked out over the group gathered in front of me during the players meeting it was hard not to get a little emotional. Seeing all the hard work come to a head with these women all gathered together in one space. Some traveling hours to get there and some only minutes away. It's not every day that you throw a mix of four people together on a card for a round of disc golf who had never met before, and by the end of the round they are exchanging numbers and planning their next meet-up. I have life-long friends that I met the first time I played the Women’s Global Event in 2021 and I hope that this past weekend new lifelong friendships were also being formed. The Women's Global Event is so important to me because of the community that it builds and the relationships it strengthens.

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