The PDGA is has launching a Sponsor a Member Program. Photo: Uplay Disc Golf

Disc golf continues to grow from the ground up around the world.

Through PDGA International’s Marco Polo Program, courses are being installed, equipment is being donated, clinics are being held, and PDGA-sanctioned tournaments are being hosted around the world.

You can now assist even more in the journey.

While a part of your membership dues already goes toward growing disc golf internationally, beginning in December 2024, you can sponsor a membership for an amateur player in a lower-income country for only $20 when joining the PDGA or renewing your membership.

“We believe it has the potential to foster the participation and advancement in the sport of 500 or more players per year in countries and circumstances much less fortunate than our own,” PDGA International Director Brian Hoeniger said. “When combined with other PDGA initiatives including the Marco Polo Program, it will spur growth of the game in locales where the affordability of baskets, discs, events and PDGA memberships is otherwise an obstacle.

“In doing so, the PDGA is also delivering on its mission to develop disc golf into a globally recognized competitive sport and recreational activity.”

Here are a few things to know about the PDGA International’s Sponsor a Member Program:

• What does it cost to sponsor a member?
  • Your donation of $20 will sponsor a membership for an amateur in a lower-income country.
• How can I sponsor a membership?
  • You can select ‘I would like to donate a membership to an amateur disc golfer in a lower income country’ while joining the PDGA or renewing your membership under “Additional Options.”
• Who receives these sponsorships?
  • Working with PDGA International, our Country Coordinators and local contacts in countries with emerging disc golf communities will identify beneficiaries based on financial need.
• What do the sponsored members receive?
  • Sponsored members will receive a one-year PDGA amateur-class membership.
• How can members purchasing sponsorship keep track of the program’s impact?
  • Sponsors can stay tuned for announcements from the PDGA regarding the success of the program, including the number of members sponsored each year and a list of countries whose residents received sponsorship.
• Can someone choose where the sponsorship goes?
  • The plan is to issue sponsored memberships to East Africa, Latin America, select East/South-east Asia countries, and Ukraine initially. As the Sponsor a Member Program grows, we look forward to the ability to allow sponsors to choose the region where their sponsorships go, but that is not available currently.
• How will the PDGA measure the success of this program?
  • The International Director, Country Coordinators, and PDGA staff will provide regular updates on the number of sponsorship donations received and the number of memberships distributed through the program.
• When will I know that my sponsorship has been distributed?
  • Your sponsorship dollars go towards the Sponsor a Member Program fund with 100% of funds distributed as memberships. Stay tuned for announcements from the PDGA regarding the success of the program, including the number of members and locations sponsored each season. If there are undistributed funds at the end of a membership season, they will carry over to the next season.
• Are my donations tax-deductible?
  • No, the PDGA is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. Donations are therefore not tax-deductible.