How We Celebrated the 2025 Women's Disc Golf Week
How We Celebrated the 2025 Women's Disc Golf Week
2025 Women's Disc Golf Week by the numbers:
Participation
- Women's Disc Golf Week was held for nine days: May 17 - 25, 2025.
- 481 events C-tier and above were ran during WDGW.
- There were 13 women-only events. Nine of those events were in eight different states in the USA, from Oklahoma to South Carolina, Minnesota to Texas. Canada, Colombia, and Uganda also hosted women-only events.
- Uganda hosted The 1st Uganda Women's Disc Golf Challenge, Africa's first women-only sanctioned event, with 51 participants in 8 divisions, including 5 junior divisions.
Attracting 51 participants from different age groups and skill levels, The 1st Uganda Women's Disc Golf Challenge was the first women-only PDGA sanctioned disc golf event in Africa. Having a woman TD, Phionah Nabakooza, in charge gave an opportunity for the women to bring out their potential not only in play but also administration and management.
Waived temporary membership fees for C-tier events
- Temporary membership fees were waived for 413 participants in gender-based divisions.
- 3,550 participants played in gender-based divisions during WDGW.
40% Off New Membership for Women and Girls
- 264 total women and girls signed up for a membership for the first time ever during the month of May.
- 72 women and girls used the coupon code for 40% off.
- Eight of the new women / girl members were given free membership through the donate a membership program.
- 7.44% is now the percentage of women members, the highest since January 2019.
Free Certified Rules Official Exam for Women and Girls
- 232 women and girls took advantage of taking their certified rules official exam for free. This was the most in a single month (maybe ever?) in at least the last 3 years. 71.6 is the average number of women per month who take the exam, since 2021. Last May only 46 took the exam.
- 129 women and girls took the exam for the first time during the promotion in May. This is the most women/girl first time takers in a single month.
- 2,196 active women / girl members are currently certified rules officials, which is the most in at least the last 10 years and the highest percentage of active women / girl certified rules officials at 30%. Only 16.7% of active male members are certified rules officials.
- Two women in particular stood out as women who took the exam in May and have already TD'd their first event
- Lauren Mackenzie took the exam on the first day of the promotion (May 1) and was listed as a TD the very next day (May 2); she's since been listed as the TD a total of 4 times.
- Veronica Sweeney ATD'd an event in May and is signed up to solo TD a women's only event in June
Veronica Sweeney took the PDGA Certified Official Rules Exam for the first time in May during the WDGW promotion and has already assistant tournament directed one event in May, and is signed up to solo TD a women-only event in June.
From playing my first round of disc golf around a year ago, I had not thought much about tournament directly until more recently. I had joined a team (shout-out Coastal City Disc Golf) that hosts many events, and while I was always there to support, I didn't expect to direct any of my own so early on.
I knew I would want to be a Tournament Director eventually, and when I saw that the PDGA was offering the exam for free during Women's Week, it felt like the perfect time to dive in. Just a few weeks after passing the test, I was able to assistant TD a 1-round tournament at my favourite course. The community was so supportive and encouraging of my first event, making it a very positive and rewarding experience. After only one event, I am already feeling confident about putting on my first 2-round, full day Women's and Juniors tournament taking place on June 29th here in Nova Scotia.
Tournament Directing gives me the freedom to create events that are an inclusive, safe and supportive environment for all. As a queer woman in this sport, I am passionate about sharing disc golf with underrepresented groups especially women, trans women and gender diverse folk. I believe disc golf is better when it reflects the full diversity of those who love to play. I am thankful for the PDGA for supporting initiatives that provide opportunities for women to lead, compete and thrive in a male-dominated sport.
Lauren Mackenzie has been playing disc golf for about 2 years, but all of the local courses were over an hour away, so she wasn't able to get to the course that much with work commitments and such.
My partner and his brothers decided a few years ago to message the council about getting a disc golf course in our local park, and 2 months ago it was finally put in the ground! We now run the fife disc golf club, and I assistant TD with my partner.
The exam was something I was putting off for a while even though it wasn't expensive, and when one of my friends told me about the May promotion I just went and did it that very second.
We are very proactive, and although only been running for a few months, we have managed to achieve quite a lot. We have so far giving over 150 discs away to new players for free, and have so many new players. We started running weekly leagues, and we also hold taster sessions etc for schools and people to learn.
We are working towards holding a couples event, and a women's event very shortly as unfortunately I am the only woman in the club apart from Rachael Turton. She has been a massive inspiration and comes to our weekly leagues, when she isn't touring the world playing disc golf!
Free Women-only PDGA Club Registration
More info about PDGA Clubs (formerly known as PDGA Affiliate Clubs)
- Seven new women-only clubs signed up, almost doubling the number before (8).
- Two of the clubs that previously paid for their registration were refunded.
- All 15 clubs were sent a free “support package” consisting of 25 beginner-friendly (light-weight) discs, stickers, minis, towels, and erasable scorecards.
- 35 is the average club size of these women-only clubs that signed up during May.
- These clubs will enjoy the full benefits of the PDGA Club program all year long:
- $5 off PDGA membership for all their members
- Early registration window for local events (see CM 1.02C)
- Complimentary certificates of insurance at "Club-Only" events
Recognizing Women and Girls You Nominated
- Nine women/girls that you nominated were recognized during the week of Women’s Disc Golf Week (one was posted per day on social media)
- 36 nominations were received (see more women who were nominated below!)
Some of Our Favorite Social Tags
Thanks for tagging us and letting us in on all the fun you had during the 2025 Women's Disc Golf Week!
The Women of the 2025 Women's Disc Golf Week
- Carrie Neal, 21336
- Marnie Cundiff, 75286
- Erin Faulkner, 105108
- Maria Luisa Bartolome, 124255
- Lynda Stevens, 124810
- Kaidence Moore, 125884
- Teresa Hannigan, 154770
- Nichole Tomasello-Keil, 157756
- Riley Murray,159545
- Kaire Tekku, 196237
- Shannon Sanders, 197545
- Maya Ringgold, 207934
- Sheliemae Lai, 215439
- Noelle Erb, 264235
- Emily Latham, 260048
- Christie Hinkle, 263148
- Sophie Eleinko, 271872
- Samantha Palmer, 280701
- Jessie Fox, 284330
- Esther Kempen, 291541
Carrie Neal, 21336 
Carrie Neal has grown our sport and has run national and Tournament Capital for years. I met her 14 years ago when she ran the National Championship in Kamloops. She has dedicated countless volunteer hours to this amazing sport! Her knowledge and passion is amazing! Also, because of her so many females, young and older, are now playing and competing. She is an amazing human being who has grown this sport immensely. Carrie travelled to where I live in Kelowna and volunteered to bring my senior students to our local course and do a clinic and a round of golf! I would love to see an article written about Carrie. I did forget to mention she helps a fundraiser for the food bank each winter called the chilly chains!
Marnie Cundiff, 75286
To sum it up Mama Mojo is the reason that Team Mojo runs such successful events. Whether it be pre-work, visual engagement, check in, lunch or payout. Her fingerprint is evident in it all. Her engagement with the players, awesome lunches, and passion for the womens side of the sport shines through. Our base players and all who come around appreciate the family atmospere and return because of it. It starts with Marnie "Mama Mojo" Cundiff.
Erin Faulkner, 105108
The reason which I believe Erin Faulkner deserves to be recognized is her unbelievable ability to gather together and bring a sense of mindfulness to all walks of life and ages, that they have what it takes to play this game and there is support and a community always there to rally on and off these courses of life, in good and bad times.
Maria Luisa Bartolome, 124255 
We received MANY nominations to feature Luisa. This is not a big surprise-- Luisa was the 2023 PDGA Volunteer of the Year and has made an incredible impact on not only disc golf, but community in the Philippines and beyond as the PDGA Philippines Country Coordinator.
Hi! I’m Duy, 12, from Hanoi. I want to tell you about my superhero Coach Luisa! 🦸♀️ She’s like… the sun that makes our disc golf flowers grow!
When I first saw a Frisbee, I thought it was for dogs 😅. But then Coach Luisa came from Philippines with her rainbow discs! She taught us to throw NOT like feeding ducks, but ZOOM-WHOOSH! 🚀
She’s magic because:
1. She sees everyone: My friend Minh in a wheelchair? She made a ramp so he could putt! Now he beats me sometimes (but I let him win 😜).
2. She builds castles: We turned a muddy field near my house into a disc golf kingdom! She let me name Hole 5 “Dragon’s Belly” 🐉.
3. She’s a fairy godmother: When our club had no money, she sent sparkly discs from her country. Mine is pink! 🦄
Once, I cried ‘cause I kept missing. She hugged me and said: “Every miss is the disc whispering ‘Try again, superstar!’” Now I teach my little brother!
At night, I pretend the moon is a giant basket. When I throw, I whisper: “This one’s for you, Coach Luisa!” 🌕✨
Please give her the shiniest trophy! If you do, I’ll send you a photo of our team doing her secret victory dance (it has chicken moves! 🐔).
Thank you!
Duy + 63 friends who LOVE Coach Luisa
Coach Luisa doesn’t just teach disc golf—she engineers revolutions. Every chain basket ringing across Vietnam’s rice terraces, every disabled athlete like Ngọc—who once doubted she could grip a disc, now a national para-athlete— competing with pride, every girl coaching her first clinic echoes her audacious belief: sports are not played, but built.
“Coach Luisa taught me that a perfect throw means nothing if it doesn’t lift others,” shares Ngọc, her voice trembling. “My first ace? It was her hands guiding mine. Now I teach 15 other disabled players—this is her real victory.”
By honoring Luisa, you crown the quiet power of mentorship that turns barriers into backhands. Her legacy isn’t in the discs we throw, but in the hands we’ve raised—hands that once trembled with doubt, now sculpting Asia’s sporting future. Let this award remind the world: true distance isn’t measured in meters, but in lives launched forward
When disc golf was just a whispered dream in Vietnam, Coach Luisa of the Philippines became its beating heart. More than a coach, she is a force of empowerment who transcends borders and limitations.
Upon hearing about Vietnam’s fledgling disc golf community, Luisa immediately boarded a plane, carrying not just discs but hope. She spent weeks conducting free workshops under sweltering suns—training rookie coaches with endless patience, adapting techniques for players with disabilities, and igniting passion in those who’d never held a disc. Her "seminar" wasn’t just lectures; it was wheelchair-friendly putting clinics in rural fields and late-night strategy sessions with teen coaches over street food.
Luisa’s impact? She donated Vietnam’s first official baskets, then trekked mountains and rice paddies to help design courses that blended sport with our landscapes. She taught us to turn chaos into tournaments, transforming confused enthusiasts into championship organizers.
But her greatest gift is her enduring presence. Though oceans apart now, Luisa messages our players daily—celebrating a 10-year-old’s first par, troubleshooting club bylaws at midnight, and Zoom-coaching our Paralympic hopefuls. Her legacy? A Vietnamese disc golf community where 43% of leaders are women and 15% are differently-abled athletes.
Why Luisa embodies WDGW!:
🌏 Bridged Southeast Asia through sport, creating Vietnam-Philippines youth exchanges
♿ Pioneered inclusive coaching – her adaptive techniques are now Asia’s gold standard
🔥 Turned “impossible” into infrastructure – 12 courses built under her mentorship
We don’t just recommend Luisa—we carry her spirit in every disc we throw. Honor her, and you honor every woman who turns playing fields into platforms for change.
Lynda Stevens, 124810 
Lynda Stevens is one of the kindest and most compassionate women that I know. Yet when it comes to disc golf, she is also a fierce competitor; she knows when to lay up and when to run it. She recently returned to competing after a severe shoulder injury and the first tournament she played was week 1 at Olympus; what a trooper! She’s been a great mentor for me, always there to offer encouragement and advice, and help me stay focused on my goals as I work to become a more skilled player. I hope and pray that I can become a leader like Lynda, on the course and off.
Kaidence Moore, 125884 
She is an amazing young lady that loves disc golf. She is sponsored by Discraft.This past weekend she just won her first A tier tournament in the FA1 division.She has multiple B & C tier championships.She is going to junior worlds in Kansas in July.Her instagram account is Kmoore 2020 and on that it shows a lot about her journey. She loves the sport and doesn’t let some health issues that she has stop her.The photo was from her win in April at Wild Wild West tournament in Lake George ny
Teresa Hannigan, 154770
Teresa runs the Lagoon Valley Women's Disc Golf Club and has shown herself to be a great advocate for women in the Bay Area. She has participated in several tournaments, hosting events in Lagoon Valley and is involved in social media, promoting women's disc golf events on Facebook. You can find her doing so on the Facebook page "Lagoon Valley Women's Disc Golf Club" and you will find plenty of postings from her. I feel she deserves recognition for her hard work when the number of women coming out is usually low but her spirits are high!
Nichole Tomasello-Keil, 157756 
Nichole is one of the owners of our local shop Spartan Discs as well as a board member of Buffalo Niagara Disc Golf the first non profit club in our area. She is always doing as much as she can to try and grow the sport in our area. Whether it is trying to get amenities installed for new players or ladies or making them feel welcome in our shop, at leagues or on the course she never stops.
Riley Murray,159545
Riley is a constant advocate for the disc golf community—she rescued me when I rolled my ankle, runs tournaments with care and precision, manages the PNW Disc Golf Women’s Instagram and works with the Portland Parks Department to ensure our sport continues to grow and thrive. Thank you Riley for all you do!
Kaire Tekku, 196237 
Kaire is living, breathing proof of determination and that you can achieve goals if you really put your heart in it. The progress she has gone through is tremendous! She has really made an effort to improve her technique, preparing her physical and mental stamina. Additionally, she is a fun person to be around and she is loaded with positive energy which is contagious on the course. I am truly happy to see her come this far and wish her continuous success.
Shannon Sanders, 197545 
Shannon started a women’s league at Raptor’s Knoll that has created a welcoming, empowering space for new and experienced players alike. She also organized the BC Women’s Series, an amazing tour of six events run entirely by women TDs—which is a milestone in itself. Thanks to her efforts, the series set two Canadian records for the largest women’s-only disc golf tournaments in the country.
On top of all that, Shannon runs a virtual putting league that’s rapidly growing across Canada and connecting players coast to coast. Her commitment to building community and creating opportunities for women to play and grow in the sport is unmatched.
Personally, I can say without a doubt: I wouldn’t have started playing if it weren’t for Shannon and everything she’s done to make disc golf more accessible and fun for women. She absolutely deserves to be recognized this WDGW.
Maya Ringgold, 207934 
Maya is a mother of three and a college athlete. She is a full-time student, works outside her studies, creates disc golf content, serves on committees dear to her heart, and has served in the Marines. She manages all this while continuing her journey with disc golf! Maya has a heart of gold, which is reflected in everything she does on and off the course. She is an outstanding example to those around her and an incredible asset to the disc golf community.
Sheliemae Lai, 215439
Sheliemae embodies the spirit of what it means to be an competitor, organizer, and active community member. After transitioning from ultimate frisbee, her skill set has improved year after year (currently rated 941). Her dedication to her craft is also reflected in her generous spirit and community-building efforts. Her work with the San Diego-area clubs and organizations (specifically Birdie Babes SD) has been robust and impactful. Generous with her attention and time, Sheliemae has organized multiple events benefiting disc golfers of all ages and skill levels. Her kind nature and strong pedagogy also goes a long way to grow the sport. We need more Sheliemaes in Disc Golf!
Noelle Erb, 264235
Noelle is a consistent cheerleader for all other women that play, she constantly is promoting Disc Golf in a positive light, always remains in an upbeat mood on the course, & is someone that promotes the sports in a positive light. She is energetic in the way she plays, promoted, and loves everything about Disc Golf.
Emily Latham, 260048
As the only young girl playing in tournaments in her area, Emily has often ended up playing in her division alone. Despite not having other girls her age playing, she keeps a positive and sassy attitude. Her favorite things about disc golf are making new friends and of course, winning. She’s six for six so far.
Christie Hinkle, 263148
Christie is very kind and donates her player packs to new players and kids that are starting out or don’t have any discs. She has paid for the park fee twice at Otter Creek. Once for the women (fundraiser) in December and another time this year for the kids, so they could have Eek at the Creek at Otter Creek again instead of Bullitt County. She is trying to get a juniors league together so that the kids have something that they could attend and do as well.
Sophie Eleinko, 271872 
Sophie Eleinko, age 5, won the Music City Open A-tier in the FJ6 division. Sophie, rated 157, has been playing tournaments for a year and a half, and has 13 career wins. She wants to win Jr. Worlds when she is old enough, and plans on making it on the Pro Tour after that.
Samantha Palmer, 280701
Samantha has become an integral part of our local women's disc golf community in a very short time. She has improved her game tremendously! She plays tournaments, plays casually with her husband and friends, and shows up to course work days ready to put in the work.
Jessie Fox, 284330 
My wife is AWESOME! We both picked up the sport together and it's been such a fun experience going from complete novices, to getting PDGA numbers, to being slightly better novices, and then going to Texas for NADGT! It's all been a great adventure. In our area there aren't many women players so for tournaments she'll frequently get placed on cards with random other divisions and multiple players in our area have let me know how fun my wife is to have on a card.
My favorite story is we went to a tournament in another state and the 3 other people on our card happened to be 18ish year old teenage boys. She went into full mom mode. Do you boys have water? Need snacks? Stay positive and have fun! At one point she asked one if they needed sun lotion, which in classic 18 year old fashion they declined, but then a minute later very politely changed their mind.
My wife is a joy to have in my life and spreads that joy to every card she's on. Her motto is, "Enjoy the weather, throw the disc, and believe!'
Esther Kempen, 291541
Esther and I have been together for 7 years and we have strengthened our relationship through disc golf. We are now getting married this October and our love for disc golfing together is special. We are playing in our first doubles tournament together this month and no matter how we finish, we know what’s important is that we are there having fun together. Whenever we are out there on the course Esther makes a point to invite other players to join and make sure everyone is having fun. This game has brought us so much joy and she makes sure everyone around us can feel that too.
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