50 Years of Memories

Sue Horn #68

Although I have been around Disc Golf aka FrisbeeGolf since 1975, one of my favorite memories is my first World’s in Des Moines, Iowa. I had always played in Overalls yearly but after Mark was inducted into the Disc Golf Hall of Fame in Flagstaff, the year before, I said we have got to go to these!

So off to Iowa we drove.

Becky Zalek was remarkable. Her enthusiasm was contagious. Although 12 years older than I, Sylvia Voakes, showed me what it takes to be a winner. The Awards were done outside, with all the competitors sitting on the hillside, cheering our victories. My second-place trophy was a wooden plaque that said "Reach For The Stars" which has motivated me ever since.

So thankful to know so many players throughout the years. Thankful to my husband Mark, who introduced me to a lifelong sport and way of life, my son Christopher, who still plays and shares our enthusiasm, Dan "Stork" Roddick #3 and Tita Ugalde #83 for being forever friends and mentors.

And thank you PDGA for being there throughout, keeping the stats, expecting integrity at all times.

Randy Osborn #287 


“In mid-May of 1977, I hitchhiked from the Chicago area to Tampa, Florida, for the International Frisbee Association series tournament that featured four events, including my favorite...Freestyle....and Frisbee Golf. The Inaugural PDGA Disc Golf Tournament was scheduled for the following weekend at Styx River KOA Campground near Mobile, Alabama, so, hitchhiking again, I hit the road on my 24th birthday that week, hoping to get there in time to try out the course and find out what these new “Pole Holes” were all about. 

In my backpack were necessities like clothes, shoes, a backpacker’s tent, toiletries, books, and, of course, my discs. In my denim shoulder golf bag were five Frisbees: the standard 40, 50, and 80 mold Frisbees, a Wham-O Fastback, and an extra commercial 50 mold (141 gram...best Frisbee ever!).   
 


My recollections of the weekend are fuzzy, but around 20 players showed up, and we played one round per day on a course that had only recently been hacked out of the woods. It was rugged, but fair, and the competition was tight. On Sunday, when the dust had settled, I finished in 4th place just behind Tom Monroe. Steve Slazor won the tournament. We all celebrated and were awarded with checks as the sport’s first round of professional disc golfers. 

My check was for $110. That week, I took a Greyhound Bus home.

I went on to play Frisbee tournaments and events full-time for five more years. Highlights included three World Frisbee Championships and over 70 competitions. I performed over 1000 Frisbee demos (mostly for John Connelly’s Aces Pro Frisbee Team), did Freestyle for one NBA Play-off Halftime in Boston Garden, and finally retired as a pro Frisbee player in 1982.  

 I returned to Disc Golf in 2020 and compete in the MP70 Division today....and am loving every minute of it.”

Michele Marini #303

I attended the first East Coast PDGA tournament on Memorial Day, 1977 at Craigmeur Ski Resort. One of my favorite aspects of playing disc golf and attending early PDGA events were the friends we traveled with from our Rochester Frisbee Club and the friends we met along the way.

As we registered for the event, membership in the PDGA was added on to the entry fee and I was in line with my husband of two weeks, Dave Marini so he covered our payments. He is PDGA #302 and I am #303. Right behind us in line was Doug Corea and Doug was an outstanding overall player and Dave’s Frisbee Freestyle partner. Doug (#304) is a longtime friend along with the founder of the Rochester Frisbee Club, Jim Palmeri, PDGA #23. Jim received his number in ‘76 as he was a Club Director & Tournament Director and well known in Ed Headrick’s inner circle.

Every time we visit Rochester, we make plans to meet up with Jim over lunch and enjoy our 52-year friendship. Jim was an influence to many of us who met and played in Rochester, NY.

Michael Cushman #308

What is the Origin of “Patent Pending”?

1978, Sedgley Woods, Philadelphia hosted a qualifying tournament for the IFA Invitational World Frisbee Championships. Pryor Hendrix, PDGA 951, a local competitor, and I were on the same card.

Near the end of the round, Pryor’s midnight flyer landed on the right side, a few feet off the tight, wooded fairway. Neither a forehand or a standard backhand had a chance, so he stepped out with his right leg, parallel to the target, looked backward, and threw a 100-foot shot straight up hill to the basket.

Another card mate asked, “What do you call that throw?”

Pryor paused, “I can’t tell you…. it is patent pending.”

We lost it, hilarious improvisational answer.

When we returned to basecamp. Pryor reenacted his shot and quip for each returning group. He finished the story with, “So I have named it, ‘Patent Pending’.”

I won my last NJ State DG title in 1980 and retired from disc golf. Later, I heard Pryor died in a plane crash in Mexico.

In 2021, I picked up disc golf again. While watching Jomez Pro, I heard “Patent Pending” for the first time since 1978, Sedgley Woods, and Pryor Hendrix. That moment reminded me how funny Pryor was. I thought to myself, I bet I’m the only person today who knows the story of “Patent Pending”.

Now you do too, pass it on.

Dan Doyle #310

I knew absolutely nothing about Frisbees when I looked out my dorm window on my very first day as a college freshman at Rutgers College in September of 1974 and saw 2 guys tossing a Frisbee back and forth. They were doing trick throws and catches and they looked like they were experts. I went to watch them and we started a conversation. Because I was a cross-country runner they offered to teach me how to throw a Frisbee and suggested I join them at a Rutgers Ultimate team practice to see if I'd enjoy the sport. I define this moment as cosmic serendipity. One of the 2 guys was Irv "Dr. I" Kalb, one of the founders of the sport of Ultimate Frisbee from Maplewood H.S. in NJ. The other guy was Dan "Stork" Roddick, whom many regard as the "Godfather" of all Disc Sports. Stork invited me to tag along as he and "Flash" Eberle designed and played an object Disc Golf course at Douglass College. Playing Ultimate for 30 years on 4 national / world championship teams and playing and designing Disc Golf courses defined who I am and shaped my life.

Jumping’ Joe Feidt #362

An excerpt from my memoir due out next spring:

"... On that Sunday afternoon, July 11, 1976, if I had not reconnected with an old college friend who was living his dream on the pro Frisbee circuit, my life would have rolled out quite differently than it did. What happened to me would happen over and over again to others, not just in Minnesota, but all over the world, not just back in the early days, but today as well: flying disc fanatics turning people on to our unique Frisbee subculture. Sure, some discover Frisbee by themselves, but more often it seems a friend or family member invites someone to join the fun.'

'Doug Newland #16 said my timing was perfect; they would be starting the finals of the golf event soon. Over the scratchy PA speaker we heard: 'Golf finalists, meet at hole one and prepare to tee off.' Steve Slasor #55, Tom Monroe #33, Ken Westerfield #3248, and John Kirkland #100 gathered near us. These guys, with their long hair and golden tans, looked to me like athletes from a new planet. Tall, striped tube socks, head bands, bandanas, and visors were what they wore.  

Monroe rocked Ray-Ban aviators and wore a white golf visor that kept his curly mop of hair under control. He had on cut-offs and a sleeveless Frisbee World tournament tank top for total freedom-of-arm movement. Westerfield, tall, lean, and bearded, looked like an athletic hippie: shirtless, cotton drawstring cotton pants with a sun-bleached ponytail down his back. Doug introduced me to his friend Steve Slasor who, like Doug, was a Seattleite. Steve wore glasses and a friendly, no-worries smile. Kirkland—the best Frisbee player in the world at that moment according to Doug—was bare-chested and had an intense look on his bearded face. The first hole was an uphill shot to a wire ground basket with a little flag stuck in the middle. We followed the lead foursome as Doug introduced me to some of our fellow spectators and explained how this game of Frisbee golf was played ..."

Jim Horechny #557 


Played in my first tournament in 1976 at the Stix River KOA campground. At 70 years of age I’m still active in our local club and play at least twice a week. 

Ted Smethers #1159

I suppose Steady Ed started the PDGA in 1976 which makes this the 50th anniversary year. I was in college in 1976 and we had a “Frisbee” Club and our own disc golf course around campus if you could remember where the tee spots and objects to hit were. We were the Pittsburg State University Cow Chip Flippers or something like that. After graduation in December of 1978 my new bride and I moved to Little Rock, Arkansas and soon started a club there. We did all the frisbee sports. Then one day out of the blue Steady Ed showed up and designed a 9-hole disc golf course in Burns Park, North Little Rock. I got to meet Ed, and it was awesome. All we had was a 1x2 stake in the ground at the tee spot and the hole spot. But we played it anyway. Pretty soon we did nothing but play disc golf. Nobody wanted to do anything else. I got some steel pipe from a guy I knew that worked at a pipe supply company and we hammered those in the ground for the pole and put a wood box around that as a basket. Then suddenly one day, the city installed real DGA baskets, concrete tee pads, and tee signs! Wow. We immediately started having tournaments and joined the PDGA. 

You need to remember that there was no internet, no cell phones and long-distance telephone calls were expensive. Somehow, we found out about a disc golf tournament in Tulsa, so we went. We started to travel to Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. I don’t know why we never went to Texas. Just no contacts down there. Anyway, the only way to find out about an upcoming disc golf tournament was to go to one and get a flyer and the only way to advertise your event was to go to one and pass out flyers. We were clearly disconnected. But I had started to buy and sell discs from Ed, mostly so the local guys would have access to the new heavier and better, Midnight Flyers. Ed named me State Director for Arkansas. I had no idea what that meant and didn’t really care. We just played disc golf and hosted tournaments as best we could.

But Tom Monroe had come to our event and we struck up a friendship. One day in summer of 1982 Tom called me and asked if I was going to the PDGA World’s in LA. I did not even know about it. He talked me into going together and we stayed with my sister in-Law who lived in LA area. Tom picked me up at the airport and we went straight to the disc golf course to practice. Tom of course, was an amazing athlete and could really throw. I was not. So, without warming up properly, I threw too hard and hurt my throwing shoulder but continued to play anyway. That injury would eventually force me to stop playing and took over 20 years to heal, because I never went to the doctor and did not let it heal. 

OK, so here’s where the PDGA really connected with me. Once in LA, Tom told me we were going the Wham-O Headquarters for a State Coordinators meeting. I was never invited. But Tom insisted I go since I was the State Coordinator for Arkansas. So I went. Small conference room crowded with guys from around the country. I didn’t know hardly any of them. Because we were late, we ended up in front. Ed opened the meeting with a few words and left. Tom Boda came in and began a long lecture about how wonderful the flight of the disc was and on and on about the beautiful nature of light discs. I found out later that the molding company had not put the proper amount of glow in the dark material in a large batch of discs and so they were too light. Everyone wanted heavy discs. So, this was a marketing pitch to convince us to keep golf discs light. Anyway, I was nodding in and out of consciousness as this guy droned on. Suddenly Tom Monroe started shouting for this guy to shut up and get out. Pretty soon everyone joined in and a small riot broke out. I think it was Stork who finally stuck his head in, pulled the guy out and said he would go get Steady Ed. 

It was quite a while before Ed finally showed up. Everyone wanted to go practice and were anxious to go. Finally, Ed came and wrapped up and was about to dismiss everyone but said does anyone have anything to say? Well, Tom and I had been talking about coordinating the Pro Tour and how it was such a mess, etc. I was virtually in front of Ed waving my arm in his face to be recognized, but he would not. Finally, Tom yells out, “Let Smethers talk. He has some ideas about the Pro Tour!.” Well, yes, yes, Pro Tour yes, we should probably talk about that. So, I got up and drew a crude map of the US on the chalk board. I pointed out that it was too cold in the North to play in the Winter and too hot in the South in the summer and if we could coordinate events, players would not have to zig zag across the country to attend, etc. Great Idea, coordinate the Pro Tour. OK, Ed promptly asked if Stan Korth and Jim Pennington to form a committee. I asked if I could also be on it. OK you can. Meeting dismissed and everyone broke for the door.

I managed to grab Jim as he was leaving and asked him when we could get together. He said he wanted nothing to do with it, leave him out. So, I ran to the parking lot and caught Stan as he was driving away. He also said he didn’t want to do it. I was on my own. Tom and I spent a lot of time talking about it all weekend.

After I got home, I wrote Steady Ed and asked for a course directory and names of the course pros for each. After a few weeks I got a simple spreadsheet that listed around 70 cities that had courses. Some had the names of parks and a couple had a contact. So, the first step was to create a course directory. With Tom’s help, I scrounged up the name and address of every course Pro that we could find, and I put together a mass mailing to them. I asked for information on their course, same basic stuff you find in the course directory today. I got a fairly good response. I got a cork board of the USA and put a pin everywhere there was a course. And then I sat down and started planning a tour schedule that would somewhat make sense and minimize duplicate events on the same weekend. Just before Thanksgiving I mailed this draft Tour Schedule to Ed for his review and to contact each Pro for confirmation that they would agree to host the event on the scheduled date. No response. Long-distance telephone was expensive and I should have called anyway, but I didn’t. Finally, about Christmas a PDGA newsletter was received and there was my schedule! I was mortified. None of the guys had been contacted. I figured it was going to be a disaster. Finally, after a few weeks I wrote to them and asked that they send me results. I was amazed that around 75% of those matches were held and they sent me results. 

By summer it had been decided that Tom Monrow would host the Worlds in Huntsville. So, I made the trip to Huntsville when they had a summer tournament and sat down with Tom to discuss what to do with the results. Tom came up with a points system where you get one point for everyone you beat and the highest points getters will be invited to the Worlds. And so, we did. 

That is the story of the first “real” Pro Tour. I went on to become the Pro Tour Coordinator and then PDGA Commissioner and we established a set of by-laws, got tax stats, etc. It was a wild ride to say the least. From almost nothing we created the PDGA as a player run organization. It makes me proud to see that what we started has continued on and is thriving. That to me is the true measure of success.

Allen Risley #1752

My disc golf history is also approaching 50 years! I got started playing a made-up course around the neighborhood with my buddies, which evolved into playing the first Pole-Hole course in our area a few years later. Over the years, I’ve played in multiple World Championships, designed and built courses, and travelled on many disc golf road trips with my son. One big memory for me, though, was my first experience as TD of a PDGA event, back in 1984. I was a college student in Tallahassee, FL, and had played in my first PDGA World Championship in 1983. My experience as a first-time TD was a great one - I had 7 future Hall-of-Famers present playing in the event! The photo here is of me presenting Tom Monroe (PDGA #33) with his trophy and 1st place cash. Another Hall-of-Fame, Tim Willis (PDGA #1401) is in the background counting his 4th place cash, making sure I didn’t make a mistake.  ;-)

Billie Sage Ashton #2747

My overall genuine interest, love and passion for the sport of Frisbee began well over 50 years ago. I was introduced into disc golf my sophomore year of high school back in 1974. After high school, I attended Winona State University 1977-1981, which I’ll highly credit and attribute to the timeframe where my interest with Frisbee completely exploded through playing mainly Ultimate, Disc Golf and Freestyle, but I also grew to appreciate, all seven of the field events associated with disc sports to become an overall player as well.

Disc sports have truly been a lifelong interest of mine. I joined the Minnesota Frisbee Association in 1980, the PDGA in 1986 and I am also a member the Disc Golf Course Designers Group. I have designed and installed 12-disc golf courses throughout Minnesota and I was one of six inaugural inductees into the Minnesota Disc Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. Over the past 50 years, I’ve come to know some of the greatest people on earth through disc sports not only locally, but nationally and internationally as well. As I've aged throughout the years, I continue to volunteer, promote the sport and play as much as I can.

Keep those discs flying my friends and we'll see you on the links!

Don Altmyer #5606

During my second year at the college, the Tourism professor in my department was the guest editor for Parks & Recreation magazine and asked me to write an article on disc golf. In August,1996, the article was published in Parks & Recreation magazine (circa 25K) with the title: Disc Golf Fever, Will Your Park Catch it? It profiled the advantages of installing a disc golf course in Parks with the low installation cost and reduction of vandalism. The graphic designer for the magazine was a disc golfer and made the cover of the magazine with a disc golfer putting and discs flying all over the sky.

Within one week of the publication, I got a phone call from Ed Headrick, the father of disc golf who congratulated me and said he was trying to get a disc golf article in Parks & Recreation for over 20 years. I told him of my efforts to put in a course at Bleck Hills State University. Ed said that he was on the Board of the PDGA and they were creating a new College Matching Basket Program to get more courses on college campuses. Our college received the first matching basket grant in 1997 and became the first official 18 hole disc golf course in South Dakota. There were two nine-hole courses in the state at the time in Rapid City and Aberdeen with homemade baskets.

The campus course was very popular with the bookstore selling discs and sponsoring tournaments. I was the TD for these tournaments. In 2008, I got a phone call from the city Parks & Recreation department about putting a course in the Spearfish Canyon. With their support of providing the 70 acre property and funding for 27 baskets and 35 picnic table. the Spearfish Canyon Disc Golf course was installed in 2011 and since that time has been the top rated course in South Dakota. Our club, the Spearfish Disc Golf Association, hosted the 2014, 2015 and 2022 state championships.

Frank Garcia #6475

In 1993 I was really getting into tournament play and I had just joined the PDGA the year before.

I had made a good friend that prior year and we were gonna do some tournaments. So we signed up for the tournament of champions in Atlanta, Georgia and we both decided to play as Pro and I have no idea why.

I can’t remember why but I’m practicing by myself and I had thrown my shot and two other golfers came up to play that hole and I was still really nervous about being in the way of other players cause I wasn’t good at all. So, since they were waiting on me, I hurried up through my shot ran back to the where the bags were grabbed my bag and took off down the fairway to get out of their way.

Then I hear someone yell “hey, hey, hey guy!!” I finally turned around cause I realized they’re talking to me and this tall guy comes towards me with his golf bag and says to me you took my golf bag. Turns out we both were using a black in of a bag.

So later during the tournament, I tell the story to my friend and I point out the guy whose bag I took. Turns out it was the champ Ken Climo.

There is an epilogue to this story. In 2007 Ken comes to Columbus to play the Brent Hambrick Memorial. Again, during a practice round, Ken and his group walk past me and my best friend at the time and Ken looks up and says “hi, Frank”. I’m kind of shocked and turn to my friend, he’s eyes are as big as saucers and he can barely contain himself and he whispers “he knew your name!”

Carol Mahaffey #6748

Started out playing in Virginia in 1985 then moved to Delaware. New to the area, went to a course called Cape Henlopen. Met what turned out to be a best friend, a travel buddy. The Delaware Disc Golf club paid for my PDGA membership in 1992. I was the only female playing at the time.

Years later my now husband, was doing work at the course and met some guys playing with some prototype discs. These guys turned out to be Jonathan Poole and Bobby Herman who were in the area to go to a Parks and Recreation convention. They also were Innova team members. He showed them around the course and all the work done, which led to them creating ‘The Steward Award’ to be given to the people that grows the sport by making the courses great with their hard work.

Now, over 30 years later, my husband, Mark and I, applied to be Innova Ambassadors. While talking with the guy that emailed me, Jonathan Poole, he realized Mark was the guy at Cape Henlopen! We both became Innova Ambassadors as a couple. Talking about full circle, this is one full circle story! We now have our own course in Florida called Asgard Acres.

Michael Belchik #6941

Hello, my name is Michael Belchik. I am an Innova Ambassador, former PDGA Competition and Rules Committee member, NorCal Disc Golf Hall of Fame inductee, and founder of Par Infinity Disc Golf Club in Humboldt County, CA. 

Growing up in a "hippie" family in Berkeley and Oakland, CA, I learned how to throw a disc at a very young age. I don't remember. I was a fairly unathletic kid, but I could always throw a frisbee further than any other kids. I used to play "UFO Pilot" and fly the disc around the neighborhood, trying to land it on lawns, etc. 

In 1984, shortly after graduating high school, I discovered disc golf at Aquatic Park in Berkeley. I INSTANLY knew it was my sport. I loved the game's objectivity, and how I could either play by myself casually or with people. I thought I was pretty bad-ass, and I WAS pretty good for a beginner. But then I met people (Mike Cozzens, Rhett Smart, Bob Montes) who were actually good, and I saw the size of the mountain that I was destined to try to climb for the first time. 

The next spring (March 1985), I played in my first PDGA tournament in the Novice Division. I won in a playoff and took $20 in cash and was told "Welcome to the Pro division!" No PDGA record of this exists, but it happened, I assure you. In fact, it would be eight years before I joined the PDGA, mostly because I was young broke and stupid, and saw myself as some kind of a rebel. I failed to see the bigger picture, and I regret that. 

I have 27 pro wins officially, and probably over 80 non-sanctioned victories. I never did win that big title (YET!!), but at age 61, I'm still flinging, and I can still beat (some of) the youngsters. In the year 2000, I took a 6-month leave of absence from my work (I'm a water policy analyst for an Indian Tribe) and went on tour. Although I didn't win on tour, I did come close a few times. More importantly, I made friends that I still value today. I got to golf with Climo many times in lead-card situations. Juliana Korver was a frequent practice partner of mine and I still count her as friend. In the later 2000's, I got married and raised a stepson, so I didn't play many tournaments, and when I did, I was perpetually rusty, lol. 

I didn't just play in my career, I helped grow the sport. Why? Because I love it. 

When I moved to Humboldt in the summer of 1986, I designed my first object course and got about a dozen people hooked on it. Soon we formed a club called Par Infinity, which is still going strong to this day as we approach our 40th anniversary. I helped bring the PDGA to Humboldt, and I continue to run a PDGA event here every year (the Willow Creek Walkabout). In 2018, I became an Innova Ambassador, and I have decades-long ties to many of them (Ferrans, Oates, Rotan, et al.). Around then, I joined the PDGA Competition Committee (now merged with the Rules Committee). 

I have founded, contributed to, or outright designed or redesigned many different courses, mostly in the Northern California area. In 2021-2024 I could not play much due to several knee surgeries and I gained a lot of weight. Despite that, I was playing quite well. I am currently one of the top 10 rated MP60 players in the world (976 rating at the moment). But my health was not good, so in 2025, I started a program of better diet, more exercise, and an intensive disc golf training regimen. My plan this year is to play Masters Worlds in MP60 and I have high hopes to do well or possibly win. 

THIS is the promise of disc golf. I have played for over 40 years, and I'm still pursuing excellence. I love this game. I love its merit-based awards system. You can be a complete unknown, or an utter long-shot, but if you show up and post a number, you'll be on the lead card, or even win. 

Mike Belchik
PDGA 6941
(former) PDGA Competition Committee Member
NorCal Disc Golf Hall of Fame Inductee
Founder Par Infinity Disc Golf Club
Par Infinity Hall of Fame Inductee

David Waisblum #9158

My disc golf story begins in the late 80’s where after a career on the ball golf team in high school I found myself going to college and finding out that regular golf was no longer in the budget. I began playing disc golf and that led to tournaments and becoming a. Member of the PDGA in the early 90’s. While attending College I was asked to come up with a business and marketing plan for my entrepreneurship courses. I chose a disc golf clothing company, and my instructor tried to talk me out of it because he thought that I should do something that might actually be applicable to what I may do after graduating. I was adamant and passionate about it and won the opportunity to make it my semesters work and business to develop and present. I started that company after graduation and sold 100’s of T-Shirts, sweatshirts, towels and tie dies under the “Discgowhere” brand for years at tournaments.

Fast forward about 5 years and I was working at Wham-O and worked my way up to Frisbee Disc Brand manager and ran their entire flying disc business. I created a line of disc golf discs while there and came up with countless flying disc games for the toy and sporting goods markets. The mini-Frisbee golf basket and backyard set, EZ spin Frisbee and relaunch of the original Pluto platter were highlights as well as becoming friends and catch partners with the inventor Walter F. Morrison.

I went on to design and develop the Flashflight led disc golf discs for Nite Ize inc., then on to Discmania, Top link distribution and House of discs continuing my wonderful 25-year career in the flying disc Industry! Not bad for a sport that no one really had heard of back in my college years. The most rewarding part of the story are the friendships that I’ve made with fellow discers along the journey…. I can send along some pictures if you’d like them, thank you for the opportunity to share my story!

Sean Conway #9503

“My Disc Golf story starts in the late 1980s. In 1987, I graduated from high school in a small outport town in Newfoundland, Canada. I moved to Toronto, Ontario. A year or so after that, some guys I knew up there introduced me to “frisbee golf” at their parents cottage. I played it a couple of times a year for the next few years, including a tournament they had every year in August called the “El flamingo” until 1990. I moved back home to Newfoundland. But I liked Frisbee golf and showed a few guys down here how to play it, and soon my uncle and some friends had an 18-hole object course made here in Avondale. Then in the summer of 92 I hopped on the back of my friend’s Honda motorcycle, and we drove 3000 km to Ontario to play in that ear El flamingo tournament!! People thought we were nuts, and we probably were, but it was an awesome experience. And remember, up to this point, I thought there were only two courses in the world. -the one my friends had in North Ontario and the one I had in Avondale.   Only people alive, pre-Internet and pre-Google, could understand this  :) 

Our course had a lot of traffic over the next few years, and some people even played beef bucket covers. If they couldn’t find a real Frisbee. Then, in late 1994, I was working on an oil rig construction project when I noticed a magazine on a guy’s desk in my office. It had a person holding a frisbee in their hand and throwing it at some type of basket. I said, “Wow, you play frisbee golf.? And, he looked at me and said, “I play Disc Golf!” This was Brad Huggins from Cincinnati, and he couldn’t believe it when I told him I had my own course in Avondale.  
 


Even though I’m sure he wasn’t expecting to find a real course when he travelled from the US to this island on the eastern coast of Canada., he still bought a bag of discs with him. So he came out to Avondale one day and played our course with us. And of course, just seeing real discs being thrown blew our minds. After using nothing but regular frisbees to see an actual disc golf disc fly was incredible. Especially when he showed us a tomahawk over a group of trees. He got some of the order forms and we all ordered a bunch of discs for ourselves. Then he got us to sign up for the Worlds Biggest Disc Golf weekend in May 1995. This is when I got my PDGA number   They were giving away nine brand new baskets to any city that was participating in this event for the first time and brought in the most participants. We obviously weren’t expecting to come close in that, but as it turned out, we came in second that year. Our little town of under 600 people managed to get 71 people that first year. The “little” city of Toronto with several million people came first with a little over 100 participants. So close… 

We participated again in 96 and I think we had a little over 100 ourselves that year. We played our course regularly until around 2003 or four when it’s sort of petered out. Having kids and jobs kind of does that I guess. Our course was on private land back then, and now a lot of it has houses on it.

I managed to play once every year or so when I visited Toronto, but that was pretty much it until a few years back when we finally got some real courses here in Newfoundland.  

In 2024, I was playing with my wife and a group of friends on Confederation Hill disc golf course in St. John’s when we stopped to talk to some guys installing new teepads there.   One of the guys was amazed at my bag of 30-year-old discs, and in talking to him, I learned his name was Benjamin Smith, Disc Golf course designer and builder. At that point, he had built three or four courses in Newfoundland, including what he and the rest of the community thought at that point was the first one, just a few years before this. He couldn’t believe it when he heard that we had one started in the early 90s and used it for 10 years.

Provincials were happening that weekend at the newly opened McNeven disc golf course in St. John’s, and he said we should come and play. Registration was closed at that late time, but once he talked to everybody about this guy, he met who had a disc golf course in Newfoundland 30 years before. I was in  :)

So after playing Disc Golf for over 30 years, I finally played in my first real tournament that weekend and met the whole Newfoundland Disc Golf community. That was awesome. I shared a bunch of photos I had from back in the day, as well as newspaper clippings, and posters from our world’s biggest weekend tournaments, and I’ve been a member of the Avalon Disc Golf league in the Newfoundland Disc Golf league ever since.” 


Brock Pitzer #12353

Southern California 1985. We designed a course at the fraternity house and used our Wham-Os that were normally tossed along the surf at Huntington Beach. Targets were a mix of: Trees, posts, a fire hydrant, BBQ pit, picnic bench, balcony, doghouse, and one even thru the house. Longest hole, at about 200 feet, was a volleyball net (1st ace... and yes, I count it!). Garden was OB, but everything else play where it lies. Crazy Mando over the 3-story roof. Dean possessed the only "golf disc"... believe it was an AERO. He threw so much farther than us. After a few rounds, a motion was passed stating the last player on the box gets the Aero!

Eventually got hands on a hefty 200 gram, beat up yellow Lightning Spitfire; blessed to discover that I lived close to HB, La Mirada and Oak Grove. I do remember a flyer at the La Mirada course asking to join a disc golf association but kept the $10 in my pocket (aarggh!).

As an ex-pat living in Thailand, it is heartwarming to see our sport grow with new courses popping up every couple of months. Thank you to Nigel Mills, Luke Butch, Danny Diaz, Pom Holiday, Boi Pano, Aaron Herman, Tomi Lehtonen, Dave Lehmann and Den Kiattisak for their gracious guidance and labor of love introducing our beloved game to SE Asian players; enthusiastically sharing our passion for disc golf.

Also a shoutout to one of our top Thai pros, Mr Pichet Panturat, who uses his welding shop and skills making us baskets. Many, quality baskets only charging course designers for materials ! I love this game, our community and the friends made along the way. Thank you PDGA for bringing smiles across the globe.

John "Roundhouse" Luetzow #16046

I started playing object golf in grade school summer camps in the mid/late 80's. My first experience on a disc golf course was Elver Park, Madison, WI in 1995. In 1999, I played my first tournament. Now, I have a private disc golf course, I designed the Rock River DGC in Watertwon, and I have even designed a 9-hole course in Uganda! 

I own I Fling Plastic promotional and retail shop, I run tournaments in Watertown, WI and also across the ocean in Africa! I was the Co-TD, along with Yohannes Desalegn, for the very first PDGA event in Africa - the 2018 Ethiopian Open in Assosa. We hosted 3 events in 3 years there. I have also helped Kevin Becker in Kenya with his tournaments as Co-TD for the first 4 Kenya Open events. As a founding member of Africa Disc Golf United, I strive to create connections and opportunities for multiple different communities in Africa! I was the person who first sent discs to Rwanda and encouraged Emmanuel Bahizi to create a disc golf community there in Kigali and Rwanda. Now they have their very first 9-hole course, with tee pads and baskets, installed in the country, all thanks to the connection I was able to make with them and the PDGA and Paul McBeth Foundation. 

In short - Disc Golf has taken me around the world and opened my mind up to so much to true life around the world. My heart has been opened as well as my eyes to the amazing connection a round 8" piece of flying plastic can create across the globe!

Kyle Cummings #20649

My disc golf journey started late in life.  I was introduced to the sport by a good friend when I was about 35 years old.  I dont know why it took me so long as I loved throwing Frisbees as a young kid.  Then played Ultimate in my late teens and early 20's.  I was hooked immediately when I first played disc golf that day.  I joined the PDGA and got in a handful of tournaments over the following 5 years.  But then life took over and I got married and moved.  Stopped playing pretty much for about 15 years.  Now having gotten back into the game about 3 years ago...the fun does not stop in your 50's.  I am about to turn 60 and I am playing better now than i did when I was in my 30's.  Its never too late to play this sport.  How can you beat having a nice walk and throwing flying discs around while you are doing it?  How can you not love this game?:)  

Gary “Tree” Camp #22115

“It all began in 1976 in Oswego, Illinois. After many years of tossing the Frisbee around, I built an 18 hole folf course at the Community Center across from my house. My son, his friends, and many others joined in to play just about every day when the weather was nice.  Then in 1993, I was introduced to Disc golf when friends told me about France Park and Joliet, Illinois. We now played on my home course with putters, and our scores improved immensely. On weekends, we would try to go play the real sport, which was 45 minutes away.  I began playing tournaments by arriving the day of. There was never a problem getting in back then. Unfortunately, I waited until 2003 to get a PDGA number. My number would’ve been much lower if I had done it 10 years earlier. 

In 2006, I took the plunge and drove with my wife to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for my first World tournament. There were 72 entries, and I was hoping to just make the Saturday cut. To my surprise, I finished fourth. I was in several other state and world tournaments, and finally won in the Senior Grand Masters in 2009 in Kansas City. My partner and I also won the world doubles in Texas in 2007. I was able to win three state championships in Illinois and three more when I moved to Colorado.  Nowadays, I enjoy playing with my three grandsons and their dads whenever possible. They can all throw a mile, but just being out there with them at age 78 is a victory for me. Disc Golf is such a wholesome sport. It gets you out in nature, gives you great exercise, and helps a person make many new friendships. I only wish that I had discovered it when I was 10 instead of at 45 years old. It’s been fun for me to watch the sport grow and get people around the world involved.”

Brandon Mook Merzlock #24795

I remember the first time I saw a disc golf basket and wondered, "What are these?" It was in Marshfield, Wisconsin in 1997. I moved to Grafton and decided to try this thing out with regular frisbees at Lime Kiln Park. There were 30 courses in Wisconsin that year. I moved throughout the state as part of my assignment as a missionary for my church. I played in Madison, Beaver Dam, Milwaukee, Fort Atkinson. Yes, some of those places did not have disc golf courses so we made up object courses when needed. 

I moved back to my home in Idaho in 1999. There were 3 courses in the state, but a brand new one in my hometown of Pocatello. There was a club being organized and still much work needed on our new course. I got involved. I started helping at the course. Our club installed thousands of castle bricks for retaining walls on this mountain course. I started playing tournaments and then started running events. My first event was in 2004. For an Open Division player, the registration fee was $20 and the total pro purse was $200, which I was told was very good back then. 

Through the years, I have been running league after league, and tournament after tournament. I have been a president or on the board of many different clubs and generally have love to help grow the sport wherever I was. Eventually, I started making this sport my profession, opening an online business that eventually turned into a brick-and-mortar store in Las Vegas. We sold discs out of our 20-foot trailer and toured the country for two years, which was an absolute blast! 

One of my favorite moments was at the World Championships in Peoria. We were assigned to vend at Pro Doubles at Northwood. I asked the TD why we would be vending there, because there were no spectators allowed. It was just the pro players! Who would buy anything? Well, that day we had exclusive access to the entire men's and women's pro field. Most of the players stopped in to say hello and it was like disc golf heaven. The attached picture is from that day. 

Now, many years later, I am running my 162nd disc golf event (and counting). I have directly designed or been involved in the installation of 67 courses (and counting). I have run thousands of leagues. Most importantly, I have made some great friends along the way. Going into my 30th year I have found a love for this sport and all the players, tournament directors, club leaders, and volunteers I have met along the way. Thank you for all those who have and continue to make this thing great!

David Fournier #28254

“I am entering my first year of MA65, and it’s amazing to see that even at an older age, there are organized sporting events still operating for the older generation. I believe that, once a competitor-always a competitor-and the PDGA, along with the tireless efforts of local TD’s and sponsors, the opportunity to fulfill that drive-that desire to compete-is meeting a much-needed area.   

I often tell my fellow disc golfers that there are three wins available every time you compete:  
 


When you show up, put your feet down on the parking lot and head out for your round-that’s win #1-you were willing to do what others won’t-you showed up.  
 


Win #2-when you finish your round with grace and dignity, being an example and advocate for the sport-that’s #2, and finally- 
 


Win #3-if you are fortunate enough to have the best score in your division/even and etch a “W” under your belt-  That’s disc golf at its finest...  David Fournier”

Nick Sears #28918

Well... a buddy of mine introduced me to disc golf back in 1995 or so. I didn't get my PDGA number until 2007 when I started playing some local tournaments, namely the St. Patrick's Classic - Am weekend, which was a main stop of the pros for the Pro weekend of the event.

Stopped playing events after getting married, but picked it back up just before having kids when my buddy and I started the Disc Golf Show podcast in 2013. Since then, I've been more and more involved in disc golf, currently posting a weekly episode on our YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/discgolfshow, as well as our other socials.

In addition to that, I've been on some local club boards, attended some DGPT events with media credentials, volunteered my time and energy in helping get sponsors for events in our area as well as the USWDGC when it came to our area in 2021, and also having co-designed our newest course in the area (Denio Disc Golf Course in Roseville, CA), as well as other facets in the area.

Though I may be unable to get out and play as much as I would like, I try to dedicate the spare time I do have to help get the word out about new products in disc golf and news related topics as best I can. I would love to be able to work in disc golf more closely once I retire from my day job. Until then, I will help others in the community in whatever way I can!

Maija #39112

I started playing disc golf in 1995. Kaposia Park in West St Paul, MN was the only course I played the first 3 years. I started with a 150 Innova Cheetah.

Then a putter and a MRV. Then finally, I got my first disc bag in 2005, a shoulder strap 6 disc Innova bag. I switched to a Millennium with quad straps when I joined the PDGA.

I remember meeting Julianna Korver at my first Worlds IN 2010, she was sneaking through the woods to cheer on the ladies. I thought, no way! I have her disc and it’s old.

I still throw that same Valkyrie. I played 2025 Pro Masters Worlds FP55 and apparently, I’m older than Julianna. She won FP50.

Life is long and discing will always be there for me.

Thank you for all the years of tournaments!!! Without the PDGA I would never get to play with other ladies; ladies who can beat me.

Photo: Second from left: Fall 2024 Lake Superior Open FPO

Andy Parkison #41017

A decade ago, I have a chance to create the world LARGEST juniors’ event in the history on the sport. The “California Juniors Disc Golf Championship” brother the record at 170 kids.

Now, years later I’m still at it! Now, in Idaho!

With 107 kids in 2025, the Inland Northeast Juniors Championship” was Idaho Largest event in Idaho’s DG history.

In 2026 we already have 111 kids signed up with 3 months of registration left and no kid will be left behind!

Oh, forgot to mention that it is all FREE FOR THE KIDS!

I’ve now partnered with Idaho Disc Golf Alliance (.org) and have become the Regional Director for the 501(c)3 helping me grow the sport.

Let’s talk more!

Bruno Boissonnade #42428

I’ve always loved throwing frisbees.

(I acquired my first frisbee by chance at a game at a fair)...

I was unknowingly playing disc golf with my friends when I was 15. We challenged each other to throw through structures, houses under construction, trees, rivers... basically, all sorts of challenges that allowed me to develop certain skills without even realizing it.

It was much later that I discovered there were other sports involving frisbee. I founded the local disc golf club, and to make a long story short, 20 years later, I’m a passionate disc golfer leading an association of nearly 100 members (most of whom play ultimate frisbee). I’ve won several national titles, met the best French player sponsored by Discraft (Sylvain Gouge)... we just competed in the French Individual Championship where I managed to reach 3rd place in the MP50 category, while Sylvain won his 14th MPO title (despite his advancing age and ratings above 1020). My wife also plays and has already been a French champion. In short, this little flying object I discovered in 1982 has never stopped being a part of my life and continues to motivate me.

I’m currently preparing for the French League Team Championship (a kind of regional championship) where we are the reigning national champions.

I’m looking into developing disc golf in my area because, despite the good results, we still don’t have a proper permanent course (just a few baskets).

We organize two competitions a year, one of which aims to attract beginners and juniors with color-coded divisions...

Hugs from France!

Fred Krause #42519

The 50th year of disc golf coincides with my 20th year of Disc Golf and what a wild journey it has been. I never would have thought that something that started as a fun way to spend some time with friends in high school would become such a meaningful part of my life. First, the Disc Golf community is just so great! Disc Golf has taught me so much about community and how no matter what part of life we come from, we can all come together for our love of the sport. So many of my friendships over the years were created on Disc Golf courses between tournaments, casual rounds, and volunteer projects.

If I had to pick one single Disc Golf story as my favorite, it would be watching the growth on the professional side of the sport over the last 10 years. In my early 20's it felt like a distant dream that people would one day be able to play our sport for a living, so it has truly been awesome to see that become a reality for the top players. Even though I will never be a top player myself, I have enjoyed growing and giving back to the sport in my own way at the local level. Being in a community that hosted some earlier DGPT events, and then hosting a PDGA Major last year, it is crazy to see how far our sport has come. If the last 20 years are any indication of where our sport is trending, I really hope I get to see where we are in the 100th year, because I think we are still just getting started!

Will Plein #54745

The game of disc golf came to me by way of a co-worker. Asking me on a regular basis if I wanted to go out and try disc golf. Finally, I said Okay, met him a local course and brought some frisbees. At that point he shared some of his discs and away we went. I started playing tournaments because the players pack gave me some discs to add to my low-cost cooler bag at the time. More tournaments meant more "free" disks to add to my collection. Growing the sport was a mission. I got my daughter to play for a couple of years. I started an old guy’s club for outings to check out courses. I solicited my local club and got funding to improve the Physical Education classes at the high school to improve their teaching with baskets and disks and disks donated from the community. First run was great with 400 disks donated. I have competed 16 years playing and hope to keep going. (I am in the green in the photo)

Bob Harris #55751

I started playing disc golf with my brother at Highbanks Metro Park in Columbus, Ohio in the late 70's. We didn't even have golf discs at the time, just whatever catch frisbees we had lying around. Played a lot of casual rounds in the following years including my bachelor party at Blendon Woods in 1986. I was at the Brent Hambrick Memorial course in 1992 playing a casual round and found a Roc that had "Crazy John" written on the back. I found the owner hanging out in the parking lot. I came back that weekend to watch the Final 9 of the Columbus Open. I got to see Crazy John Brooks throw the famous Dam shot from the tee. He hit the cage from over 600 feet.

Joseph Baes #57847

I started playing with discs in 1970 with my uncle. He taught me how to throw and shape the flight of a disc. I served as a United States Marine from 1980-2010. I continued to play disc sports for many years and introduced many people to Ultimate.

I saw a basket for the first time in early 1990, I brought my kids to the park and we played with regular frisbees (not even knowing about special discs for disc golf). Not long after my introduction to baskets, I bought some discs. I had to learn how to throw a disc, it was different than a "Frisbee" or an "ultimate" disc. I was hooked, I played every chance I could and brought my children along. My second time to Okinawa, Japan (1995), I found disc golf baskets on an Air Force Base. I brought my discs with me and played when I went to the base.

I have introduced everyone I know to disc golf. My brothers in law, nephews, nieces, grandson and many of my friends still play. In 2010, one of my band members (who I introduced to disc golf) was working with a local disc golf club. The women's championship was being held at a local course in Jacksonville, NC. My band played at the players party, Nate Doss and Valerie Jenkins came up and sang with us, while wearing Kiss Masks.

I joined the PDGA in 2013; I played a lot of disc golf but never entered a league or tournament until 2025. I started playing in every league event, doubles and many tournaments. I went to my first PDGA event in 2026, the Supreme Flight Open, it was an amazing experience. I am already planning on going to more events.

I am fully retired, I play music with my band, solo acoustic shows, take camping trips and play disc golf almost every day. Every vacation or trip usually involves disc golf and I have played over 60 courses so far.

I will be playing in my first big tournament, the Glass Blown Open in Kansas. I will also be performing my solo acoustic show at the Bourbon Cowboy during the event weekend.

I really started figuring out how the different disc fly in the last year, and I feel like I am learning something new all the time.

Adam Wakefield #67826

I started running tournaments a little over 2 years ago and it changed my life. I've gained confidence. My social anxiety went away. I now live with a purpose and believe there's no better feeling than bringing people together to have fun and make memories. My first event was 30 players. I now run monthly events with 100+ players. I see so many new friendships made and smiles every event. Life has never been more beautiful to me.

Cher Kitchings #91435

I would have never thought that when Terry Ponder gave me, and my brother our first disc, that disc golf would continue to be a part of my life. Because of that first planted action, it led to my husband and I introducing disc golf to our son and daughter. Then it led to me selling small amounts of new discs that would eventually open the door for my son and I to start a disc golf store. The store started growing the disc golf community around us.

Soon after the store opening, Tim Barr became the disc golf coach at Milligan University, leading the way for college disc golf in our community. When this happened, my son was blessed to receive a disc golf scholarship for his education. More Universities are starting to understand this is a great opportunity for the disc golf community. Although they don’t offer scholarships at ETSU, my daughter is currently playing on their college team as well. This year is the first year my husband is the coach at King University (another local university). Together as a family, we currently own and operate Throwmore Disc Golf Store in Kingsport, Tennessee. All of this because of that 1 disc I was gifted back when I was in my 20’s. Amazing.

Jon-Pat Myers #102327

It was 4:30 pm and I had just been invited to play "Disc Golf" I saw these cute little frisbees and thought. looks like fun...maybe? I watched a guy throw out a forehand and before the disc even landed, I knew...This is it! I turned to my friend and said… This is what I’m doing for the rest of my life!! He laughed…they laughed...but I…knew!

For the next three days I simply played the little pitch and putt and tried to better my score each time. In the evenings I would take a bed sheet with a target sprayed onto it and hang it on the hay bales out in the fields as there were streetlamps nearby and so could at least see enough to throw. On my third day playing I hit my first ace!! I had no witnesses and so learned an important lesson. Shut up unless you have a witness! The next day everyone showed up to see me throw an ace!! 

They laughed until I set a new course record a few days late with witnesses!! Take into consideration that the course is in the Arava desert in southern Israel and the daytime temp hovers around 40-45 deg Celsius. Last year’s highest temp in the valley clocked in at 51! 

So, it wasn’t easy. Do a 9-hole round drink a liter…do another…and so on. After three days I was already looking at who the world champ is and assessing his level. At that time, it was a lesser-known player called...McBeth. I watched a few rounds and thought, I’m sure I can do that!! Not aware that I had zero clue about the game whatsoever at that time.

I then borrowed a Katana and an Aviar and practiced with those. I have the dubious distinction of throwing discs in the West bank…which may be a first and possibly only time discs have been thrown there. And threw an Axiom disc off Cape Point in South Africa into the sea which was epic and I hope no whales eat the disc.

I did a Dad’s and Son’s Day at Loftus, the main Rugby stadium in Pretoria and managed to throw from one score line, through the posts and into the 4th row of the stands!! I doubt that will be repeated.

When I was in Ramallah, I remember putting all the hotel pillows on the floor and hanging a sock over the back of a chair and putting to that across the room. The pillows were to stop the noise and not bug the person on the floor below. This was 2014.

I soon got some new discs and had no clue what I was getting. I bought an AJ Destroyer and basically couldn't throw it for the first two years!! I tried to sell it but no one would buy. Then one afternoon, out of the blue, whilst walking home I suddenly found that understood stability! I did before but in the most basic sense, but now I got it!! Only took two years of struggle!

I returned to South Africa and discovered that literally down my road there was a park with some baskets and a few guys playing Sunday league. I didn’t do too badly and later on managed to win consistently. There was a SA Nationals, I played the first time and got 2nd place. I was gutted as I didn’t understand the format and was leading without being aware of it.

The next few years I won. 

Now, due to the non-development of the sport in South Africa I decided to take it upon myself to grow the sport! I reached out to everyone! In my ignorance I even mailed Keen and told them that they had a shoe which may be good for Disc Golf, many others too.

I set about creating a template mail and sent it to everyone again, municipalities, schools, university, clubs, mobility impaired etc, and I had zero replies! So, then I decided to do the legwork, golf courses, possible venues, etc. The plan was to create a main course. which is still the plan, although I am in Israel now. I would get on my bicycle, ride to some park, check out possible layouts, designs and play it, go home, grab maps do a full onsite specific proposal and then call and hassle until I got noticed or simply walk into the offices to ask ”Who is the boss?” and hand him or her my printed proposal.

A few times we got close, “yes, sounds OK”, “go ahead”, “at your own expense”, and so on, but “you have permission”! I arrived with some basic tools and was told we had 4 murders in the park this week so maybe when it’s a little quieter!!? Repeatedly.

Keep in mind that my personal conditions were sleeping in what’s known as the servants’ quarters, a small room on a property. No hot water, just a knee-high tap. No flushing toilet, no bed, it was the toilet door placed on car tires. I had a job of sorts, playing my guitar at night and making enough to eat one meal daily. So, it wasn’t easy. But I don't complain as I took it upon myself and so all’s good! I would play every day on my own. Either the course or just putting fieldwork, no tournaments, as there weren’t any.

My first real Disc Golf experience was playing the Ethiopian Open. I tried crowdfunding but had no success and then one of the DG guys offered to pay my flight and enabled me to play my first c tier event. I played ok, got third as I thought I was second but never looked behind and got caught up! A valuable lesson. 

I then moved to Cape Town and started down there from scratch again. I did have one good result, and we were at the implementation stage before it fell apart due to Covid. Meanwhile in Johannesburg one of the guys found a venue close to his house at an equestrian center. Behind a fence and security guards a kind of a must in that country. The course got put in. I designed the holes together with their main guy and cleaned baskets, painted them, installed them, and prepared for the first nationals to be held for a while. The scene there has grown since I left and it’s good to see.

I then left for Israel! 

Arrived here during lockdown, straight to a isolation hotel and then homeless. I got robbed at JHB airport and arrived here with nothing! I picked up a shekel at the airport and so technically wasn’t broke. I managed to connect with the people here and when restrictions had loosened up a bit, went to play the one basketed course near Gaza and of course the course down in the desert at Kibbutz Lotan. The only two basketed course here currently.

I had a very difficult time. Arriving as the "outsider" and asking the hard questions they avoided, created conflict. I was broke and took a job as a pool boy at a hotel at age 57! My only disc golf was putting to my basket on days off. I have done the same here call, meet, pitch, leave, no replies to follow ups. I had to learn a new language and support myself which was a challenge. Then another war! My job closed and I found myself homeless once again due to accommodation being part of the hotel.

I decided it was a good opportunity to go physically to these prospective supporters and so packed my sleeping bag, discs and a basket onto a baby carriage and headed north! It wasn’t fruitless, I managed to meet with the head of sports in the city I targeted and got permission to teach in schools provided, I have 2-million-shekel insurance and registered as a business. That was out of my ballpark so, another one bites the dust! All this whilst sleeping in the flower beds at the park, offering free intros to passersby and trying to get people interested. At night I would watch the missiles exploding overhead and hope! 

I spent a year sleeping on beaches and in parks while visiting venues and making up courses with my son when possible and sending site specific proposals that have lately started to look more positive and things are just hamstrung by meetings and disruptions like the current security situation. We have been on a few DG trips abroad over the last two years and managed to play and connect with the UK community and created friendships and healthy rivalries on the course. Here I have approached the military base nearby with an eye to make evening, inter squadron putting leagues and maybe later a course proper, but war. 

It’s frustrating. I’m getting old, no courses. No-one is interested. I feel like giving up a lot of the time but then go throw and feel better so there it is. In 2023 I managed to win the first Kenya Open in the MPO division and the experience was amazing.

Again, no cash. Spent it all on airfare and visas and stayed on the course in a tent with Masai and wild animals. Returned covered in ticks and bitten to pieces by sand fleas, all worth it! I threw a six stroke lead at the British open which to date is my biggest disappointment. My tournaments number less than 10 pretty much and managed to do OK considering.

I play every day. Either putting or fieldwork, not much else I can do. Currently, I quit my job and am done in another three days. Then, back to the grind. Continuing with free intros and workshops at Lotan Course and will be able to focus more on realizing my goal of establishing a central course to act as a hub and make as many courses and host events as possible. And then finally, do the Israel Open. I would love to host groups here actually. The Israel Disc Golf experience! We will cover the whole country and see all the sites and play some Disc Golf too! Won’t take long and it would be an unforgettable experience. But that will have to wait I guess.

Disc Golf keeps me sane and gives me a goal to work towards and I’m going to keep playing till I beat Mr. Mambas world distance record! My bucket list is to play worlds. Then share the love in any way I can so as to bring as many people as possible to the Disc Golf Universe!

David Davis #106163

Started playing disc golf in 2018 after discovering a course at a campground near a military base in Wisconsin. The course was kind of “meh,” but it was enough to get me hooked and buy some discs as soon as I got home.

Three months later I bought a basket, and three months after that I played my first tournament. A year later I moved to a 37-acre property and slowly started cleaning up the land and creating holes.

2020 was the big year when the course really started taking shape. Now, six years later, I’m expanding it to become one of the largest courses in Southern Wisconsin.

During all of this, I've held the state’s largest Juniors tournaments over the last 3 years and have the Honor of hosting the Wisconsin Junior Discgolf Championships in 2026! My daughter Genevieve has broken four Distance World Records and become a Junior World Champion.

What started as a small practice spot for my daughters and I became much more. We have visitors such as Ella Hansen, Raven Klein, James Conrad, Paul McBeth, Scott Stokely, and Terry Miller stopped by for a round. Did I mention we hosted a spot for The Holy Shot documentary filming interviews of Paul and James!

Discgolf has forever changed my life and hopefully I can do the same for others!

The course is called Double D’s Field of Dreams, and I’d say the name has really held true so far.

David Stebbins #109559

I am a child of the 1970's so I grew up playing frisbee as young as I can remember with my Dad. My first frisbee was made of foam and had the “Virginia is for Lovers logo on it”. When I met my stepson at a very young age, his mother and I found disc golf was great exercise. My son would last about 9 holes before he got too tired to finish as he was 5 yrs old and his stride was much shorter than ours. Soon though he would ask to play up to two or three times a day during the summer breaks. My son was an only child, so it was hard to play any team sport in the back yard. Disc golf was perfect as you could play by yourself. When my son learned there were PDGA competitions, he was ecstatic to compete and be compared to other players his age as he often played with adults. The disc golf community welcomed him with open arms pushing him to feel a community he had never felt before. For my son's birthday, I scheduled a lesson with Will Schusterick and he was awestruck. The last time I beat my son was when he was 11 years old. My son signed himself up to get his own PDGA number at 12 years old under his own volition.

Unfortunately, his mother and I divorced soon after and everyone was heartbroken. Disc golf sort of saved us. Nature would sooth our pain and the community kept our heads up. Even though everything had changed, nothing had changed. Disc golf has kept our father/son relationship strong even though we have no legal family ties any longer. For my last birthday my son gifted me a map of the United States with pins and pictures on all the cities we traveled playing tournaments. We really enjoyed seeing the country through its disc gold courses. We spend many a dewy morning warming up for the day's tournaments. My son graduated college this past month and he is touring full time now and will be able to see Europe for the first time. I thank disc golf and its community for the love it gave us to get through life.

Tony Looper #115687

I started playing disc golf in the late 90's. There was a neighborhood course near where I worked in Buffalo Grove, IL. We would go there during lunchtime, hurrying to get a sub at Subway, eat lunch, then get 9 holes in before we had to go back to work. We all enjoyed it, and I still have some of the discs that I used at that time (Innova Jaguar and Gazelle, Discraft Cyclone and Magnate, etc.). The last hole was parallel to a tall fence for the park district's pool. If you threw a sidearm to get to the basket, as I did, you had to fly over the top of that fence. Obviously, the risk of your disc not coming back was sometimes realized, but there was little risk of someone at the pool getting hit. Still, they ended up changing the layout year later.

Fast forward a few years, and I'm at a different job with little time or proximity to play disc golf. But then, in 2014, I was talking to a co-worker about how boring it was to go for a walk during lunchtime near our office complex. I mentioned it might be better to go somewhere with more nature: he suggested we go play disc golf instead. I immediately went back to my time during the 90s when I used to do just that with my previous co-workers. We started playing at a course that was 7 minutes from where we worked at that time, which I wasn't aware of earlier. We are now good friends.

Since 2014, I have been hooked, much more so than in the late 90's. Not sure why, but the second time around has been more intense and more fun. Almost everyone in the disc golf community is super nice and fun to hang around with. And I have since introduced the person who is now my best friend to disc golf, and he loves it too. We now go on annual disc golf trips together during the summer.

I have played in a number of local tournaments, and I enjoy them, but I play casual rounds much more often. I also play in and/or spectate in bigger national tournaments. I enjoy seeing and talking with everyone, and all of them seem so open and excited about the sport.

Simply put, disc golf has changed my life: for the better.

Elizabeth Robinson #134792

I got into disc golf in late 2018 after a couple of years of foot surgeries and recoveries from said. Initially, I could not go back to ball golf ... not then able to walk that kind of distance at some speed. Still, I hoped to somehow be able to recapture the mental game of golf, and disc golf provides that for me. Disc golf though happens mostly in more natural settings and reacquaints me with another favorite activity: hiking. On the social end, I've made several wonderful disc golf friends. Even if my short singles amateur tournament career is likely over, I appreciate members of the community who have been supportive and welcoming. Disc golf (like its big brother ball golf) allows one to be social at times but also solo and contemplative at others. Communion with nature and the occasional perfect disc flight are what will keep me looking for an outing or 2 every weekend.

Robert Brogdon II #155308

I had only played Circuit Challenges, Ace Races and unsanctioned events prior to moving to Florida in December of 2019. I moved to Brooksville and found out the proximity; significance of the courses and availability would allow me to play and spectate Disc Golf at its highest levels. Playing my first Sanctioned event in 2021, but not again until 2024 because my work schedule prevented me from being able to play.

In 2024, I played 2 Tournaments at Olympus DGC after watching the Supreme Flight Open at the beginning of the year. 7th in MA4 and Won the 2024 Discraft Ace Race. My ratings climbed and I played 6 events in 2025, with a win in MA3, and 2nd in my MA2 Debut. I moved from MA4 to MA2 in less than 18 months. So far in 2026, Podium in 3/5 tournaments with a C Tier win and a 992 rated round.

The mountain that is Olympus and the Pros I watch every week, have given me the drive to practice and play better at every event. I go back to Olympus next week for Throw Down the Mountain with the hopes of high rated rounds and a top 10 finish among 75 competitors.

Andrew De Leon #162938

I first found the sport through a coworker who took me to a local course and introduced to the club in 2018. I was just playing casually for a couple of years until my friend Cameron noticed my progress and suggested i should get a pdga number and start doing tournaments. I started doing tournaments but didn't think I'd be good at it. I felt like I was too old to and that its was too late for me to pursue disc golf at a pro level. That when I watched a live that Erick Oakley was doing and just commented "I love the sport but I feel im too old to go pro ". He saw the comment and stopped to talk to me. He said that if I stay positive, keep my body healthy and have a drive for the sport then there's no reason why I can't do it. The really uplifted me. But then there was my family, do I make tis a full-time thing.  I talked to my wife told her that feel I can do this. She said the she's watched me and saw how much ive improved and is 100% behind me. She also stated that even in 4 to 40 years or more i decided i didn't  want to do it that I will always have her support. Now im working towards MA1 and Im part of and awesome team DiscFam and I got an invitation to AM worlds. I still have my ups and downs but my drive is still there.

Jason Guararra #165633

I could never have expected that when I started playing disc golf with my friends to help them lose weight that it would have been such a life changing event. I had just quit drinking and started throwing with my friends in 2000 and lost a disc right away. I immediately got obsessed with the process of making discs before I could even throw. What turned into a simple obsession has now turned into a global company with 23 PDGA approved discs. My friends and I created the world’s first 3D printing disc golf manufacture and have been playing ever since. Cheers to 50 and I look forward to many more.

Amy Heilman #208411

My disc golf journey started in 2021 when I asked my son if I could try this sport that he loved. I had always been athletic and competitive, so I played my local course with him the first time. Shortly after, he moved to another state and I was left to learn by myself and I didn’t know anyone else to ask questions, or to help me with disc selection.

One Friday, I attended a city market in downtown Rockford which was attended by several local disc golfers from the Rockford Disc Golf Club. They were putting in the street and having fun, so I inquired how I could get involved and told them my story. I was directed to contact the local ladies league, The Rockford DOLLS, and I went to a weeknight event where I was happy to get instruction and information which helped me get started. I was outdoors with great people who accepted me and were happy to show me more and answer my questions. I was also told to show up on any Sunday at a course close to my home for a casual round. I met so many great players who played both casual and competitive disc golf. Sunday was an easy-going casual round where everyone was invited and many came each week, helping me to meet people of all skills and ages.

I became obsessed with learning this game, the rules, the discs and their differences, the terminology, and I started playing weekly. It is the local clubs which made my experience turn into a love for a sport in which I have found the most enjoyable friendships. As a 55-year-old single mom of adult kids, this filled a big gap for me. I am grateful to all the people who helped me, each round I learn something, each person that I play with has enhanced my experience.

I am now a volunteer, a Tournament Director, a former Director of a club, and I try to motivate and help others because disc golf is so important to me and I want to share it with those who want to learn. Thanks to our local clubs, especially Rockford Disc Golf Club, The Rockford DOLLS, The Golden Throwers of Madison, and all the other local clubs for accepting me and making my experience so amazing. Disc golf can be so much more than a round at a course. I am truly grateful!

Ben Thompson #259272

Throwing My Way Back to Life: How Disc Golf Rebuilt My Health, My Community, and My Purpose.

In 1984, a disc golf course appeared along a busy road I drove almost daily. I noticed it the way you notice a new billboard or a freshly paved sidewalk—fleeting curiosity, then gone. Life was too full, too fast, too demanding to stop and investigate why people were tossing frisbees into metal baskets in the woods. I had a career to build, responsibilities to juggle, and no time for such diversions.

Nearly four decades later, time was all I had.

After retiring from a long career in technology, I found myself living a life that felt smaller by the day. My routines shrank to the couch, the television, and the weekly trip to the warehouse club. I weighed over three hundred pounds, my type 2 diabetes was a constant reminder of my declining health, and my world had narrowed to the walls of my home. I wasn’t dying, but I wasn’t really living either. Mostly, I was bored, lonely, and unsure what to do with the long stretch of unstructured days ahead of me.

Then, on a gray February afternoon in 2023, that old memory resurfaced—the disc golf course I had driven past a thousand times. I wondered if it was still there. I wondered if it might give me something, anything, to break the monotony. On impulse, I opened my laptop, clicked over to Amazon, and bought a six-disc starter set for thirty dollars. It was the smallest of decisions, but it would become the hinge on which my life swung open again.

Two days later, discs in hand and armed with a handful of YouTube tips, I convinced my neighbor to join me. We stepped onto the first tee with more enthusiasm than skill. My opening drive soared nose up, stalled, and crashed into the rough. I lumbered through the hilly course, relying on UDisc to guide me, dragging my out of shape body from hole to hole. When I finished, I proudly recorded a 96 on a par 54 course. It was objectively terrible, but I beat my neighbor by four strokes, and in that moment, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time—triumph.

The next morning, I could barely get out of bed. Every muscle protested. But beneath the soreness was something else: excitement. I wanted to go back.

And I did.

I bought better discs. I devoured instructional videos. I joined the PDGA. I took lessons from a touring pro. I played rounds or threw in a field nearly every day. One afternoon, while playing alone, I met a group of retired guys who invited me to join them. They became my daily companions—equal parts trash talk and encouragement, a community I didn’t know I was missing until I found it.

Eventually, I worked up the courage to join random doubles. I worried about being twice, sometimes three times, the age of the other players. But instead of judgment, I found respect. Instead of exclusion, I found support. That experience led me to join another league, and soon I was playing more disc golf than I ever imagined possible.

In 2026, I played my first rated C Tier round. I’ve since competed in flex events and continue to chase a rating that reflects the work I’ve put in. I haven’t hit my first ace yet, but I’ve hit metal enough times to know it’s coming.

The transformation didn’t stop with me. My wife, seeing the joy and energy disc golf brought back into my life, joined a wellness gym. She’s lost weight, gained confidence, found new friends and feels better than she has in years. Disc golf didn’t just give me a new life—it nudged hers forward too.

In just three years, I’ve played nearly 400 rounds on thirty different courses, including one in France and the Netherlands. I’ve lost fifty pounds. My diabetes is under control. I’m fit enough to play two rounds a day. I’ve made friends, built routines, rediscovered purpose, and found a sport that challenges me physically, mentally, and socially.

I can’t say disc golf saved my life. But it made the life I have infinitely richer. It gave me back my health, my confidence, my community, and my sense of adventure. My only regret is that I didn’t stop at that course back in 1984.

But maybe I wasn’t ready then. Maybe I needed to find disc golf at the exact moment when I needed it most.

David Gagne #266419

My name is David Gagné and I’m a disc golfer based in Quebec, Canada.

I discovered disc golf by chance about three years ago through a friend. At the time, I was already a golfer, but I had never heard much about disc golf before that moment. What started as a simple introduction quickly turned into a true passion.

Since then, disc golf has become part of my daily life. For the past three years, I’ve been walking around 5,000 steps everyday thanks to playing and practicing the sport. This routine has had a significant positive impact on both my physical and mental health.

To date, I have played over 670 rounds, and each one has been an opportunity to learn, improve, and enjoy the game even more.

What immediately attracted me to disc golf is the unique combination of precision, strategy, and connection with nature. Every course is different, and every throw is an opportunity to progress.

In just a few years, I’ve progressed from a recreational player to an active competitor, participating in tournaments and constantly working to elevate my performance.

Today, I invest time not only in improving my own game but also in helping grow the sport. Through my Instagram account @dg_discgolf, I share my journey, training sessions, tournaments, and my passion for disc golf with the community.

I’m proud to represent Westside Discs, SIGR, and Panak Disc Golf, while helping promote disc golf in Quebec and across Canada.

For me, disc golf is more than just a sport — it’s a community, a continuous challenge, and a passion that keeps growing every day.

Haiyan Lyu #268327

I want to share my disc golf journey and PDGA story in three parts. The first is this logo I designed, combining the common birds in my area, swallows, and my name (Haiyan ’海燕‘ is swallow in Chinese) This is one of my dreams. I hope disc golf is really like the flexible, energy and beautiful birds, they become a link to my community.

Therefore, I also continue to recommend disc golf to my other retired friends. I retired in 2023, ending my teaching career for more than 30 years. I have always loved sports, and I am very grateful to be able to open the new book — disc golf.

The story is about to enter Chapter 2; I have joined the WGE subcommittee of the PDGA Women's Committee. The online meeting method, together with girls who love disc golf on the other side of the ocean, help more women to join their first disc golf activity. My experience at the WGE subcommittee made me very happy. Due to the time difference, I usually attend meetings around 5am in the morning. This feeling is great and makes people from different time zones share the same passion. I believe we will meet offline and have a happy game of disc golf.

The third Chapter — Asia Tour 2026 in Thailand I will meet so many great friends from Samui to Chiangmai! Playing a whole round of matches with friends in Diac golf course is a unique and wonderful experience! Especially since we come from four different places (Belgium, Philippines, Vietnam, and China), gathered in a new country: Thailand. This is the fourth stop of PDGFA+Asia+Tour2026 and also the last stop in Thailand. I felt the pulse of disc golf development in different countries in Chiang Mai, some through the community and some through schools, which gave me a lot of inspiration.

I think this is a sports project that can connect more people, and I am looking forward to encountering more wonderful disc golf experiences this year and passing them on to more people. I believe that just two months into 2026, there will be more exciting things happening in the future of disc golf.

James Payne #271346

I started playing in college around 2003. It was a way to hang with friends for CHEAP. I had a few DX starter discs and a FAF Firebird that I had no idea how to throw. After college, I played 4 or 5 times a year with that same set of beat up discs. 3 years ago, I made a new friend who was all in on disc golf, and he started inviting me out to play all the time. He gave me a better bag and a bunch of discs, and I've been playing at least once a week ever since. Now I run the PDGA Scholastic disc golf club at the school where I teach and play in 10 or 15 tournaments a year. I even helped put in a course at a local middle school, and hopefully, my middle school course is next! Disc golf has also been a great help in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I have lost 90 pounds over the last several years and the 5-8000 steps I take during the course of a disc golf round are no small part of that.

Mackenzie Berninghaus #295059

I was first introduced to disc golf by my boyfriend at the time—who is now my husband. When I first stepped onto a tee pad, I could barely throw the disc 10 feet. Like many beginners, I had no idea where the sport would eventually take me.

Nine years later, disc golf has become a huge part of my life. I officially joined the PDGA last year, but my journey with the sport started long before that. From those early throws to now competing in tournaments, it’s been a process of growth, learning, and dedication.

I’ve always loved being outdoors, and that was one of the first things that drew me in. Our home course is a beautiful, wooded course, and getting to spend time in nature while playing quickly became something I looked forward to. But the environment wasn’t the only thing that made me fall in love with disc golf—the community did too. Our local disc golf scene is incredibly welcoming and supportive, and connecting with people who share the same passion for the sport has meant a lot to me.

Over the years, the sport has given me opportunities I never expected. I helped start our town’s first women’s disc golf league, won a state championship, and now serve on our local disc golf board where I advocate for women players in our community.

Today, disc golf is something I dedicate a lot of my time to. When I’m not working or spending time with my family, you’ll usually find me out on the course. I’ve worked hard to improve my game and have started competing in bigger tournaments as I continue to push myself.

Looking ahead, one of my biggest goals is to eventually be picked up by a team. It’s something I’m continuing to work toward, and hopefully one day in the near future that dream will become a reality

Mary Kate Murray #296226

My fiancée and I are getting married on April 11th, 2026, and it’s entirely due to Disc Golf! We met on October 27th, 2023, and played our first round together. We didn’t finish! The sunset fell quickly, but not before I threw his brand-new disc. We spent twenty minutes crawling through the bushes before calling it. We grabbed dinner and I joked I needed to find his disc before some other woman found it and got his phone number. We exchanged digits and I promised to return his disc if I could find it. Next morning, I found it right exactly where we were not looking. I forgot to return his disc on the second date… which means I got a third date! I eventually returned it on our 5th date. Now, we’re playing New England Team Challenge and turns out NETC finals is scheduled for… April 11th, 2026. We haven’t yet qualified for finals…. But we think our disc golf love story qualifies for one of the best “Love At First Flight”!

Liam Teeling #297776

Disc golf is relatively new still for me, as I started playing late in 2023. Since my first round I’ve fallen in love with the game. Finding it as a way to get outside, escape for a couple hours and really be able to just enjoy being out exploring new places is some of the things I love most about disc golf. It has been a way for me to get back to some of my roots being an old baseball player, I have loved how this game plays well with all the old skills I used in the past. Some of my first introduction into seeing professional disc golf was watching videos of Jake Wolff throwing crazy tomahawks so I figured I could learn how myself. Fast forward probably a year later, I get my first ace as a tomahawk ace and then followed it up with a second one a week later with another tomahawk ace! Definitely a memorable disc golf moment for me, as well as probably within my first year of playing amateur tournaments I managed to get 2 wins under my belt as well as a couple of other podium finishes. Definitely has been a great journey so far and looking forward to what my disc golf future holds!

Sean Miller #301323

Going from playing my first round with friends to sponsoring a hole in a local tournament in a year, disc golf is a wonderful sport! It’s infectious, fun, and welcoming to all. I’m proud to be a part of this great community!

Kosma Miettinen #301774

I started disc golf in 2018 with forehand, first time played in school  with help of my friends, after that i played much in that same summer in my home course and course close to my cousins home because they threw too. My home course was very good till late 2019 but the forest was cut down that was around the course. Me and my friends continued throwing still, i visited like 15 different courses in 2020 and i tried first time ever backhand, but in late of that year i had hand injuryand could not throw goodly. In 2021 i started diving discs in lakes and calling numbers on discs, me and my friend returned over 50 discs that year and found over 100. I did not throw goodly that year bc that was more boring than diving. In 2022 i started throwing more again but i still was diving discs at same time. In 2023 i met my one of best disc golf buddies in our home course with my old disc golf buddie and we all became friends. That year we threw even more and dived over 500 disc and returned over 300 of those. In 2023 we all participated on our home town little disc golf tournamend i won one Competition of the and came second in one but did not participated last one so got second place. 2024 participated same tournament and i won it easily. At the end of the year i started metrix competitions started at 780 rating and ended the year with 870 rating, played very bad none good tournaments. In 2025 started again metrix competitions in april and my rating rise from 870 to 910 in 2 months and still i did not play good. I founded our little disc golf clup same year and I planned new changes to our course. I was in my first pdga tournament in july 2025 played very bad only 910 tournament when at the time my metrix rating was 930. Same month partipaced in 2 other tournament played again very very badly but ratings were ok like 950 and 2x 940 and my pdga rating rose to 936. In august i tried to get in Finlands junior nationals but played very bad because course was one of hardest ones in whole Finland (lykynlampi), after first round i was 5th but played 2nd one so badly that i almost cried, my luck was so bad that i could not even believe it. In august-september my metrix rating rose to 960 played some times good but my game decreased still played 992 pdga round in my fav course. Again i had hand injury on my hand and could not throw in my biggest tournaments of the year. That was pretty like end of 2025. This year i have been training only for 3 weeks now propally better than last year but im not sure, still 4 upcoming big competitions i have in 2 month.  

Jairo Romeo #303544

I’m from Spain, where disc golf is still growing, and I discovered the sport in a simple but unexpected way through my father in law during Christmas. What started as a casual introduction quickly became something much bigger.   

Shortly after, I had the chance to travel to the United States, the birthplace of disc golf, and that experience changed my perspective completely. Seeing the sport there, its culture, its level of development, and its community made me realize the potential it has back home.   

From that moment, I stopped being just a player.   

I committed to building the sport locally through the Bilbao Disc Golf Club, where I became increasingly involved until eventually taking on the role of president. My focus shifted toward organizing, improving, and helping create a stronger community around disc golf in Spain.   

At the same time, I felt there was something missing in how the sport was being told and shared. That’s when I created Par de Salvajes, a content project focused on making disc golf more visible, more understandable, and more engaging. Through videos, storytelling, and educational content, I try to connect players with the game in a deeper way.   

For me, disc golf is not just a sport. It is an opportunity to build something, community, culture, and a future where the game continues to grow beyond its traditional borders.   

And I want to be part of that growth. 

Jessica Blevins #311138

At the start of 2025, I set a very serious, very athletic goal: enter a disc golf tournament and not finish last place.

I spent months hyping myself up like I was about to go on tour lol. Then in May, I found a post about the Lady Hyzers summer league. My friend Cynthia came with me (moral support is crucial when your 2025 goal is “aspiring to not be last”). Playing on an all-women’s card was an amazing experience, it was an elite vibe. Competitive but everyone is always in a “you got this, queen” way.

I kept playing with them through the fall league. But I was still out here trying to convince myself to sign up for a tournament and not finish last lol. So once again, I hyped myself up, got an official number, and signed up for a few PDGA tournaments. At one of those events, I discovered the Bluebonnets. They were so positive, motivating, and welcoming. The kind of women who cheer for your 20-foot putt like it’s a tournament-winning throw. By October, I joined. Because when you find friends on the fairway, you don’t let them go.

So I didn’t finish last because most of the tournaments I was the only girl in my division lol. Now my 2026 goal? Finish a round under par. One day. Lol. I’m dreaming big over here. But seriously I have so much fun watching these women play. I’m so grateful to know them and be part of this community. When I’m on the course, my entire brain is focused on one thing: get the disc in the basket. Not emails. Not responsibilities. Not life. Just chains. It’s fresh air. It’s nature. It’s positive vibes.

Valerie Henry #313121

My name is Valerie Henry (PDGA #313121), and if you see someone dressed in pink on the disc golf course in Tallahassee, Florida, it’s probably me.

I discovered disc golf later in life, during a time when I needed something positive and grounding. After going through breast cancer and recovery, I was looking for a way to reconnect with movement, fresh air, and community. Disc golf gave me all of that and more. What hooked me immediately wasn’t just the game — it was the people.

From my first rounds at Tom Brown Disc Golf Course in Tallahassee, I experienced a welcoming community that celebrates players of all skill levels. Whether someone is throwing their first disc or competing in tournaments, there is a sense of encouragement and camaraderie that makes everyone feel like they belong.

As I became more involved in the sport, I noticed that many women were curious about disc golf but sometimes felt unsure about stepping onto the course. I wanted to help change that. That’s how Parfectly Pink Disc Golf was born.

Through my social media platforms, I share my journey in the sport, highlight tournaments and leagues, and encourage other women to pick up a disc and give the game a try. My goal is simple: make the sport feel welcoming, fun, and accessible to more women. That passion also led me to help support the growth of the Tallahassee Women’s Disc Golf League, where we create a supportive space for women to learn the game, build confidence, and connect with other players in our community. Watching new players throw their first drives, celebrate their first pars, and realize they belong on the course is one of the most rewarding parts of my disc golf journey.

Professionally, I work in education supporting programs that help students and communities succeed. In many ways, disc golf feels like an extension of that mission — bringing people together, building confidence, and creating opportunities for growth. Today, when I step onto the course wearing pink, it’s about more than just playing a round. It’s about showing that this sport is for everyone — regardless of age, experience, or background.

As the PDGA celebrates 50 years of growing the sport, I’m proud to be part of the next generation helping expand the disc golf community and introduce new players to a game that has brought so much joy, healing, and connection into my life.

You can follow my journey and the growth of women’s disc golf in our community through Parfectly Pink Disc Golf on social media.

Because sometimes all it takes is one round, one throw, and one welcoming community to change someone’s path.

Disc golf did that for me.

Thomas Burket #315211

In the spring of 2023, my son and a few of his high school friends convinced me to join them for a round of disc golf. At the time, I didn’t know much about the game. Honestly, the discs all looked the same to me, and the rules seemed a little mysterious. But that didn’t really matter. What mattered was the chance to spend time with my son and his friends—walking the course, talking, laughing, and sharing a few competitive moments along the way.

Those early rounds were pretty casual for me. I wasn’t thinking about form, disc selection, or scorecards. I was mostly just happy to be there, throwing a few discs and enjoying the company. Before long, though, life did what it does, time moved forward. Graduation came, and my son and his friends headed off to college. The regular rounds together became fewer and farther between. But something interesting happened. The game stuck with me.

I found myself wanting to get back out on the course more often. What had started as a simple way to spend time with my son had quietly turned into a hobby I genuinely enjoyed. I started paying more attention to the details and learning about proper form, understanding the differences between discs, and trying to improve my consistency. I watched videos, asked questions, and practiced whenever I could.

Eventually, I decided to take a step I never imagined back in those first casual rounds: I signed up for my first tournament.

In November of 2025, I played my first competitive event. Like most first tournaments, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But I was fortunate right from the start. I got paired with some excellent players who made the experience both fun and educational. One of them was Danny McDonnell from Olympus, who generously shared advice and insight throughout the round. His advice was incredibly helpful and gave me a new appreciation for the strategic side of the game.

That tournament turned out to be the beginning of a new chapter in my disc golf journey.

Since then, I’ve played in four tournaments, and each one has been a great experience. Beyond improving my game, I’ve had the chance to meet a lot of great people who are passionate about the sport and welcoming to newcomers like me. The disc golf community has been one of the most rewarding parts of it all.

Looking back, it’s funny how it started. What began as a simple way to spend time with my son and his high school friends turned into something much bigger. Now every time I step onto a course, it reminds me of those early rounds when I was just out there to be part of the group.

And in a way, that’s still the best part of the game.

Ruben L. Tagare, Jr. #316631

Our Story Is Your Story: The Beginning of Disc Golf at the University of Southern Mindanao

In the quiet campus of the University of Southern Mindanao in Mindanao, Philippines, disc golf was once an unfamiliar sport. Few had heard of it, and even fewer had imagined that one day it would become part of our university’s story. But like many meaningful journeys, it began with one person who believed in a dream before anyone else could see it.

That person was Dr. Che Abdulshaik F. Plang. As the grandson of the founder of the University of Southern Mindanao, he carried with him not only a deep connection to the institution but also a vision of introducing something new—something that could inspire students, connect communities, and bring the joy of disc golf to a place where the sport had barely reached. When Dr. Che first introduced disc golf to us, it felt like a simple idea: throwing a disc toward a basket. But behind that simple motion was a deeper purpose. He believed that disc golf could grow in Mindanao, that it could give students a new sport to love, and that it could connect our community to the larger global family of disc golf.

Dr. Che’s passion did not stop with introducing the game. He worked tirelessly to bring people together who shared the same vision. Through his dedication, we were introduced to the wider disc golf community in the Philippines, particularly the Disc Golf Association of the Philippines (DGAP). Leaders and advocates of the sport welcomed us warmly, including Ma’am Luisa Bartolome - Robins, whose encouragement helped guide our young community as we began to understand the culture, spirit, and responsibility that come with growing the sport.

What began as curiosity soon became commitment. Students, faculty members, and alumni gathered not just to throw discs, but to learn, practice, and dream about what disc golf could become at USM. We walked across open fields imagining fairways. We talked about baskets where none yet existed. Slowly, the idea of a USM Disc Golf Course began to take shape—not just as a facility, but as a symbol of hope for a grassroots community that was only beginning.

Our journey reached a defining moment when a small group from USM traveled to compete in an international tournament for the first time. Standing on the course among players from different countries, we realized how powerful the disc golf community truly is. It was a reminder that the sport connects people beyond language, borders, and cultures. In that tournament, one of our students brought home a gold medal. But more than the medal, what we brought home was inspiration.

Today, we are still at the beginning of our story. Our community is young, our course is still being built, and our players are still learning the countless lessons the game has to offer. But every throw, every practice, and every shared moment on the course reminds us why this journey started in the first place.

It started with a dream—Dr. Che Abdulshaik Plang’s dream of bringing disc golf to the University of Southern Mindanao.

And now that dream belongs to all of us.

As the Professional Disc Golf Association celebrates 50 years, we are proud to say that even in a small corner of Mindanao, the spirit of disc golf is alive and growing. Our story may be young, but it is built on passion, community, and the belief that the sport can bring people together in the most meaningful ways.

Because in the end, our story is your story—a story of discovering the game, sharing it with others, and watching it grow in places where it was once only a dream. ✨

Cooper Casey #322964

Today was my first disc golf tournament, i played in the mixed junior u15. I've been playing socially with my parents for around a year and a half. I played in Christchurch in the red zone where houses were before the earthquake of 2011. Anyway proud of my effort, I scored 9 under on two rounds and won by 21 shots.