The Midwest Invasion, Part One

As my journey to India comes to an end, it marks, for me at least, the beginning of the disc golf season. I mentioned in a previous blog the focus this season will be on my wife’s schedule. There are many women’s events in the area, plus the biggest tournament, the United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships, that is sure to break every record since the inception of the sport is coming to Wisconsin. There is an invasion coming to the Midwest, and we can’t wait. I’m going to spend the next few weeks exploring why this invasion is coming, and who the key players are that helped pave the way for this historic summer. 

We are all quite aware of the recent explosive growth in our sport, but when we look at the ladies’ side, that growth is massive. There has been a 67% increase in female memberships in 2021, with nearly 8,000 members now on the books. It is this kind of growth that will lead to record numbers across the board and across the nation. The USWDGC just announced a major milestone, setting a record with 100 FPO registrants for the event in Madison in July. The DGPT is seeing an increase in FPO participation at every event so far in 2022. Women’s pro contracts are shattering ceilings with both Kona Panis and Catrina Allen being just two of the ladies who made big moves in the off season. Everything on the woman’s side is growing, and the writing is on the wall; the women are coming.

The fact that the USWDGC chose Madison for 2022 isn’t just random. There is a rich history of women’s events in this area, and a handful of pioneers have invested countless hours and planning to foster some of the most rich and vibrant tournaments in the region, laying the groundwork for the PDGA to make their choice. There is the Midwest Women’s Disc Golf Tour, the Michigan Women’s Series, The Illinois Women’s Series, the Women of the Fort down in Indiana. Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa, all have amazing events either focused on or ran by women. There are too many to cover in one blog, but I do want to spotlight two women who have been instrumental in cultivating such a strong culture for women in disc golf in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Amy Laskowski is a household name in Illinois when it comes to top notch women’s events. Her event, Beltane, is held every May since 2018, and is the first women’s tournament of the year in Illinois. It was initially called ‘Mother May I’ and was one of the many global events held for the 2018 PDGA Women’s Global Event, an initiative that was founded by the PDGA Women’s Committee to bring global recognition to the female side of the sport. Amy says, “In 2018 we had a whopping 8 ladies sign up and have grown to selling out all 76 spots this year.” For the next 3 years Beltane will be part of the PDGA Competition Endowment Program, which brings the cost down for non-members from $10 to $5. “We hope this, along with our affordable buy in, will encourage new players to sign up. That is the goal of Beltane, to expose new players and grow the sport”, Amy says. The event is held at Katherine Legge Memorial Park in Hinsdale, IL, a park style course that is both welcoming for beginners and challenging for veterans. Amy explains why this is the perfect venue for her event. “Katherine Legge actively promoted the health and wellbeing of the female employees at the International Harvester Company where her husband Alexander was President. They purchased the land in 1915, and after Katherine passed in 1924, Mr. Legge dedicated the entire property to promoting rest and recreation for the female employees of the company. We like to think she’s proud and smiling down on us when we fill the course with women who are also there for some R&R.” 

Then in August, Amy and her team host the largest women’s event in Illinois each year, the Feather Frenzy. Born from inspiration after attending WiscoDisco in 2017 (more on this event shortly), Amy knew she wanted to host something similar in Illinois. Amy recalls, “Hosted by everyone’s ‘Fairy Disc Mother’, Jenny San Filippo, we were blown away by being on a course full of amazing women and we were immediately inspired to do the same.”  This event has also grown, from 35 ladies in 2017, to a full 76 from over 13 states last year. In fact, a young Hailey King was in attendance for the inaugural event and took home first place in the FA1 division. Most recently the event has seen popular touring pros such as Sarah Gilpin, Valerie and Alexis Mandujano, and Stacie Rawnsley play the event. Taking place at the beautiful Canyons at Dellwood Park, Amy is surrounded by, “The constant support of our disc golf brothers, specifically Leo “Doc” Borowski and on-site Pro Shop owners Sean and Sheila Callahan. “We put our heart and soul into making Feather Frenzy very special for everyone who attends, and we pride ourselves on giving players extremely high value in player’s packs, prizes, funny money and pro payouts”, Amy says. And the unique and thoughtful handcrafted trophies given out each year really express how this event is a true labor of love. 

In Wisconsin, Jenny San Filippo has been quietly building an empire. First, she is the sole proprietor of Ladies First Disc Golf. Her brand is one that embraces the female spirit, and you can find her products all over the world. Her roster of ‘Sparkle Sisters’ includes such professional touring players as Barrett White, Elaine King, and Erin Oakley. Her brand is so popular, you’ll even see the men wearing her LFDG Fox logo on hats and hoodies throughout the year. 

Next, she’s the founder and tournament director for many events around Wisconsin, but her crown jewel is the WiscoDisco. I was able to catch up to Jenny and asked her to share her thoughts on what is coming this summer. Jenny says, “It’s exciting to see how many women will be in Wisconsin this summer for both the WiscoDisco and the USWDGC which is the weekend after the WiscoDisco. The WiscoDisco started in 2014 and is Wisconsin’s first women’s only sanctioned disc golf tournament. We draw players from WI and several surrounding states like MI, MN, IN, IL, IA, OH and beyond. Women love the fun and spirited feeling of this event while being able to show their talent and compete against larger groups of women. Many say the WiscoDisco is their favorite event of the year. The course we play, Vallarta-Ast at Token Creek, is set up so there are many scoring opportunities along the way for all skill levels, but challenges are still present on every hole. Friendships are made and regenerated at the WiscoDisco each year.” While competition is fierce, the comradery is unmatched. I remember attending my first WiscoDisco in 2018, and while I didn’t play, I was impressed with just how smooth the entire event was run. The women just do things better in my opinion. It was little details like having chap stick and tissue in the player’s packs. But it was also the huge differences like the massive raffle giveaway after all the scores were turned in. It was a party, and nobody left and there was music and grilling and drinking and laughing and cheering and just a very big sense of community and support for each other. I remember telling my wife, “If I ever throw an event, I want it to be at least half this good.” Jenny’s dedication to the sport is felt by every single person she crosses, and Wisconsin is lucky to have her. Jenny also runs another notable event, Mother Deer held each year at Brown Deer DGC in August.

So, what do these two amazing ladies think about what is coming this summer? Jenny says, “I hope that with so many women traveling to the Midwest to compete it inspires other women to play their first event or to play more events, especially the women’s focused events!” Amy says, “Disc golf in general is growing faster than ever and these sanctioned tournaments along with ladies’ leagues and unsanctioned events are crucial to continue that growth and provide the opportunity of a fun, encouraging and safe space for women. We are so excited to be part of this growth journey in disc golf!”

These are but two of thousands of women who are elevating women’s disc golf. There are many more stories to tell, like what is happening in the Southeast Region. Business owner, brand ambassador, and tournament director Valerie Williams just last weekend opened her brick-and-mortar store, Dynamic Discs Savannah. Sierra Buford is a young phenom and rising star, who’s been traveling all over the region, playing golf, running clinics, hosting events, and so much more. I will be diving more deeply into these two stories, along with some others, in the coming weeks. Until then, get ready for what is certainly going be looked back upon as the ‘Summer of the Ladies’.