We celebrated PDGA Women’s Disc Golf Week for the first time in 2023. WDGW was set up to function as a bridge between Women’s Global Event years and a way to encourage organizers to keep their WGE events going during the off years. Women’s Disc Golf Week is designed to, like WGE, celebrate women and girls in disc golf and to encourage as many women and girls to participate in the sport as we can.
Group photo from the 6th Annual Otter Creek Ladies and Juniors Open Sponsored by Latitude 64 (provided: Kristin Reeves)
Two different communities have been rallying support for women in their local area – specifically for them to play at the 2025 United States Women's Disc Golf Championship in June in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
We celebrated PDGA Women’s Disc Golf Week for the first time in 2023. WDGW was set up to function as a bridge between Women’s Global Event years and a way to encourage organizers to keep their WGE events going during the off years. Women’s Disc Golf Week is designed to, like WGE, celebrate women and girls in disc golf and to encourage as many women and girls to participate in the sport as we can.
María José Reyes, Miriam Garcia, and Shalea Iniguez Vanderwaal, participating in Build it and They Will Come, part of a weekend in October celebrating the 10th anniversary of the course in Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. Photo: Ismael Rodriguez
From 2013-2017, the PDGA ran an annual fundraiser for a breast cancer related cause, which served as both a way to get more women to play in events but also as a way to give back.
In 2013, the PDGA started an initiative to increase women’s participation in disc golf events while also raising money for an incredibly important cause, the fight against cancer. Each year during the month of October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month), the PDGA would donate $2 for every female that competes in a PDGA-sanctioned event to charity. This initiative last happened around 2017.
Since 2012, the PDGA’s Women’s Global Event (WGE) has enabled women from all over the world to participate in one unifying event. The WGE gives women and girls the chance to compete with their peers, ones that share the same love of the game, no matter the distance between them. It reminds us that even if we are playing in a division by ourselves or are the only woman in the tournament, we are not alone.
A highlight of the United States Women's Disc Golf Championships players' meeting is the recognition of the new winner of the PDGA's Becky Zallek Award – a recognition of a peer-nominated individual who has advanced the game of disc golf among women due to exceptional organization and execution of disc golf events. Madison Tomaino #60798, was nominated by women who described her as having all of the attributes of a women-friendly tournament director. Some of the specifics include:
Updated 8/30 to extend deadline for proposals from 9/1 to 9/15.
Background
The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is the international governing body for the sport of disc golf and the largest disc golf organization in the world. The Women’s Global Event (WGE) is a biennial worldwide celebration of women in disc golf featuring global ratings-based competition between women playing their local participating events.
Back when we announced the inaugural PDGA Women's Disc Golf Week, we asked for nominations of women and girls for us to recognize during Women's Disc Golf Week. The response has been incredible (just like the ladies you all nominated)!
A quick reminder of the things to take advantage of this week (and in some cases, all throughout May):
All 23 divisions were represented, with ages ranging from 5 to 79. The biggest age group (through membership records) was 30-39 year olds. FA40 was the biggest age-based division played, with 254.
The biggest divisions overall were FA3 (671), FA4 (596) and then FA2 (471).
The 2010s saw exponential growth for both disc golf and the PDGA. We’re looking back on a phenomenal 10 years in our Decade on Display series, where we reflect and reminisce about the sport’s successes both on and off the course. Keep an eye out for more through the end of 2019.
Promote Your Business with Disc Golf's Most Popular Women's Event
The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is the international governing body for the sport of disc golf and the largest disc golf organization in the world. The Women’s Global Event (WGE) is a biennial worldwide celebration of women in disc golf featuring global ratings-based competition between women playing their local participating events.
