Disc golf has continually been on the rise and the numbers have shown that ascent year after year. 2020, despite all of the challenges of a global pandemic, simply blew those growth numbers out of the water.

Recently, the Professional Disc Golf Association released its 2020 year-end demographics and the figures from top to bottom in every area are staggering. The year ended with a 33% growth to an all-time high 71,016 active members spread across 63 countries and six continents, including 11,000 beyond North America. In comparison, there was a 15% growth in active members from 2018 to 2019.

With the COVID-19 pandemic leaving people to search for a safe, socially distanced outdoor activity, disc golf fit the bill. In 2020, 26,632 new members joined the PDGA – a whopping 84% growth from 2019.

See More: Your 2020 Membership Dollars at Work »

Despite a two-month shutdown in 2020, 3,437 PDGA sanctioned events were held as tournament directors and players adapted to the COVID-19 requirements and best practices for sanctioned play. There were first-time events held in Cambodia, Belize and Nicaragua and the Aussie Disc Golf Day connected 500 players in 15 events throughout the continent.

One new best practice stemming from 2020 that is here to stay is the use of the PDGA Digital Scorecard, which was used in 2,038 events to log 306,749 tournament and league rounds. It marked a 60% adoption rate in 2020. The scorecard, which is constantly being updated, removes the score calculation for players as well as the sharing of a physical, paper scorecard. It marked the latest upgrade in PDGA Technology.

Despite a shutdown in action, a limited PDGA staff worked through the early stages of the pandemic and worked with government officials across the country to implement requirements and best practices for a safe return to sanctioned tournament play.

The PDGA installed two grant programs, Youth and Education's Physical Eduation COVID-19 Relief Grant, which just wrapped its first wave of applications and a Diversity and Outreach Grant Program, the first major initiative from the recently formed Diversity and Outreach Task Force.

It was a trying year all the way around and none of this is possible without the overall support of PDGA members, who also realize several other advantages from their annual membership.

In addition to player ratings, members have a personal player page on PDGA.com, which includes tournament results, statistics and rating history for every player; a quarterly copy of DiscGolfer magazine; a free subscription to UDisc Pro; liability coverage for PDGA-sanctioned events in the USA and Canada; a 50% discount off the monthly subscription price for the Disc Golf Network; and a 10% member discount at the Official PDGA Store.

There has never before been so many great reasons to join the PDGA. Members can enjoy these benefits, while knowing their dollars are being put to work to drive the PDGA’s core mission of developing disc golf into a globally recognized competitive sport from top to bottom.