A Growing Interest in Amateur Tournaments

Mike Solt aka Mr. Disc Golf hosts a player meeting at Hickory Run State Park

Amateur disc golf tournaments have been rising in popularity since the massive growth of the sport during the pandemic. Today, there are more than 200,000 paid PDGA memberships- starting with disc golf’s very own, Ed Headrick. These numbers don’t even account for the players who don't have paid memberships or for those who play in unofficial tournaments. However, more and more players are beginning to find interest in competing in disc golf tournaments.

Because of the increase in demand for official tournaments, it is common for players to fill up the spots quickly. I have had the experience of needing to set reminders in hopes of signing up before the dreaded waitlist starts. Even though this can be frustrating, I have found that it is worth it every time. 

In this article, I will break down amateur tournaments and the top three reasons why it might be a good idea to sign up for an amateur tournament or two.

Before signing up for a disc golf tournament, players should understand the difference between sanctioned and unsanctioned amateur tournaments. Sanctioned tournaments are run through the PDGA and either require a PDGA account (which is $50 per year), or pay a $10 fee for non-PDGA members. Non sanctioned tournaments are typically played for fun or charity. These tournaments vary in price-range and can be organized by anyone who is interested.

Getting to Know the Disc Golf Community

Playing in tournaments is an awesome way to meet new people in and outside the disc golf community; disc golf lovers often play in both local and far tournaments. Since players are put in groups at random, it is almost inevitable that they will interact with new players at each tournament. This can be a good way to gain new connections and find new people to practice with. This is especially important for amateurs, because these connections can become mentors, friends, and much more throughout your disc golf journey. They can also help you stay informed of events going on (like leagues, cleanups, and other tournaments). 

The disc golf community is like no other community that I have been involved in. I have met some of the kindest souls on my disc golf journey, many of which I play rounds with often. Tournaments are one of the best ways to meet others and get yourself involved in the disc golf scene.

Player Packs, Trophies, and Payouts

A player pack is an item that comes with a player’s entry fee into a sanctioned tournament. These items are usually worth a portion of the tournament value, and commonly include a disc or item of clothing. Sometimes, tournament directors will give out vouchers so that players can pick from a selection of items. In past tournaments, I have received player packs with discs, clothes, voucher, disc catchers, disc dye, and other disc golf accessories. 

For those who finish in the top places, they may win a trophy, medal, or plaque. Although these have become less popular over time, the occasional tournament still offers these prizes for the top three finishers in each division. Some national amateur tournaments may even offer prizes for more than only the top three finishers.

These tournaments only offer material prizes, because according to the PDGA, amateur disc golfers must not accept cash prizes at sanctioned tournaments in order to retain their player status. Until players move up to the pro division, they will not have the opportunity to win cash prizes at tournaments. Instead of cash prizes at tournaments, vouchers are given out to players at the top of their division. These vouchers can be used to buy anything at the shop located at the tournament or online but cannot be redeemed for cash.

Start Building a Disc-Golf “Resume”

For those who are playing strictly for fun, a disc golf resume isn’t all that necessary. For those who are interested in playing professionally and potentially becoming sponsored, a disc golf resume is a must-have. By resume, this does not have to be a physical document, but merely a journal of all a player’s accomplishments throughout their disc golf career. To build a good resume, players should compete in many tournaments; this shows companies the level of dedication that a player has. It is also important to do well in these tournaments, because players’ ratings show a lot about their skills. 

Establishing a PDGA rating is one of the best ways to get recognized as a disc golfer. This rating is based on a players’ performances at each tournament, along with other factors such as course difficulty, outdoor conditions, and more. Players receive a ‘raw score’ to reflect how well they played. Player ratings are averages of ratings from all of their tournaments.Ratings are crucial for helping players get noticed and the opportunities to compete in higher-level tournaments

So Many Reasons to Join

More and more players are beginning to find interest in competing in disc golf tournaments. Competing in tournaments is one of the many ways that players can start to develop and grow as a disc golfer. Just remember, every professional started off as an amateur at some point!