You may be tired of reading about the USWDGC, but I have one more entry to share. My wife and I went up for the entire week, and I want to get my thoughts down on the entire experience. I promise that next week I’ll write about something completely different. For now, enjoy this summary. So many sights and sounds and memories, these are just a few.

First, I want to express gratitude for the staff and volunteers. I’ve seen personally what it takes to run a simple one-day C-Tier, so to see an event of this magnitude run so smoothly is an amazing thing. The amount of planning, execution, communication, and adaptation that must be done to run a tournament of this magnitude is mind boggling. Mike Batka said it best at the player’s meeting, “I am a General Contractor”. His approach is to put the right people in the right place and trust them to do their job, and when that’s done correctly, you get an historic event that runs without issue. I said to my wife that once the event starts, if he did his job right, Mike’s job ends. And that was true; I didn’t see Mike again for the entire event, and that’s a good thing. Add to that the huge number of volunteers and every base is covered. It seemed like there was a spotter on every hole that needed one, and there were knowledgeable Course Directors at every track to oversee operations. It was evident at the player’s meeting that things were going to be running smooth all week, and that prophecy held true.

Second, let’s talk about the participants. So many wonderful ladies from every corner of the USA, as well as from all over the globe. Many records were broken last week. The largest FPO field to date was only one of many precedents. 318 women in 19 divisions ranging from FJ10 to FA70 showed up. That’s certainly an invasion! Everywhere we went we ran into women, some who were complete strangers, and some who were old friends. Notable meet ups like Leah Tsinajinnie, Melanie San Filippo, Sierra Buford, Phaedra Allen, Cristina Carlstrom, and Sarah Cahill. There were also new relationships established with friends like Robin Licitra and Cindy Taylor, who both came all the way from Clearwater, FL for this event. Seeing women from everywhere converge on Madison was certainly an event that will live long in our memories. And to have a native Sconnie win the event only made sense; congrats to Hailey King for such an exciting win.

Third, the courses were in great shape. The ladies played on Elver Park, Vallarta Ast, Capital Springs, and Hiestand. Every single course was immaculate, with fresh mowed fairways, cleanly marked OB lines, and clearly marked signage to the next hole. Plus, there were plenty of porta-potties and water stations strategically placed to keep everybody happy. Canopies provided shade for players on strategic holes, and the presence of spotters helped keep the flow of play on track.

Next, let’s talk about the player’s party! Even though the weather brought a little rain, everybody came out to celebrate. There was pizza and ice cream for everybody, and a live DJ providing the vibes for the afternoon. There were many vendors like Mint Discs, Ladies First Disc Golf, Pastry Dyes, some electric scooter company, and of course, Innova. When we got there, there was a huge line, of which I thought was for pizza, but turned out to be to purchase a very limited-edition Callie McMorran Halo Valkyrie. They were numbered and only 200 were available. While they were gorgeous discs, I chose to pass, mostly because I don’t throw Innova, but also because I didn’t want to spend $40 on a single disc.

Lastly, I want to talk about all the amazing eateries and breweries. Too many to visit them all, but I want to include Tex Tubb’s Tacos, Karben4 Brewery, Glass Nickle Pizza, and Vintage Brewery. Some of these venues were also sponsors, so it was important to us to support them in return. Also, the Woodman’s was our go-to spot to get liquor and other amenities needed as the week progressed. Lastly, the Kwik-Trip stores were life savers! Not only are they on just about every corner, but they have also just about everything you might need on the fly. And their staff was also very kind and helpful. Oh! And MadMando, a local woman’s owned disc golf store was a must visit. They have a fun ‘putt of the week’ where they give away a disc each week for customers that make an in-house putt. Taija Lehtinen and her husband have created a wonderful retail experience, and we were honored to visit. Madison is a beautiful city and finding all these amazing places to support just added to the overall adventure of our week at the USWDGC.

This week’s blog is short, as I am exhausted, and my mind is racing a mile a minute. I do want to thank the PDGA for making this entire week possible, especially Mike Batka. He and his team’s efforts made this event one for the ages, and he has set the bar very high for next year. I’m going to apologize in advance, for I will be covering what will most likely be the new record-breaking women’s event.

The Midwest Invasion: Final Thoughts

What it takes to run a disc return program

The Midwest Invasion is here!