(This story first appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of DiscGolfer Magazine)

COVID sets the stage

The story has been told so many times now but it bears repeating: the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020 brought disc golf to a grinding halt, only for it to become one of the first sports to open back up as it proved particularly well-suited to life under new public health restrictions.

An unprecedented boom followed as legions of players—old and new—began flooding the courses. Disc sales spiked, tournaments filled to capacity, and the PDGA’s active membership jumped more than 30%.