As the calendar and the weather confirmed that it was officially fall, Portland played host to the 2013 United States Women’s Disc Golf Championship. Played over three days at the end of September on two local courses, the USWDGC was a fantastic showcase for the current state of female disc golf.
The number of women playing disc golf has steadily risen over the last few years, with over 1,300 currently registered with the Professional Disc Golf Association. Undoubtedly that number only represents a fraction of the number of casual players out on the course. Oregon is a hotbed of female disc golf players with several weekly ladies leagues in the Portland area. The state also boasts the largest women’s-only tournament—The Chick Flick—which has taken place at Horning’s Hideout in North Plains every August for the last six years.
While the USWDGC didn’t draw quite as many competitors as the Chick Flick, those that did show up were among the best in the world. The six highest-ranked players in the world, and seven of the top ten, made the trip to Portland to compete for a national title. Disc golf tournaments are separated into several divisions to allow players of all experience levels to compete with players of similar ability. In addition to the touring pros who competed in the open division, there were women playing for the title in seven other divisions determined by a player’s ability, experience, and age. There were entrants in every division who had traveled from across the country.
Portland is home to some of the most beautiful disc golf courses in the world. Every year the disc golf world gathers at Milo McIver State Park in Estacada for the Beaver State Fling, Oregon’s state championship, and a PDGA national tour event with one of the biggest purses in disc golf. McIver is an amazing place and deserves the attention it receives, but it is great to see two other local courses get to host a PDGA Major. Pier Park in the St. Johns neighborhood of North Portland is a Portland institution. It is home to towering Douglas firs, overgrown brick outbuildings, and some beautifully crafted signature holes that take full advantage of the elevation changes throughout the park.
The relatively new course at Blue Lake Regional Park in Fairview is a different animal entirely. It is a beast, a behemoth, one of the longest courses in disc golf. The course was designed by Dave Feldburg, an Oregonian and currently the number five ranked player in the world. Dave made a layout that is incredibly demanding, forcing players to be long and accurate to avoid taking penalty strokes for landing out of bounds. Some alternate tees and basket positions were used for the tournament, making it a bit more accessible, but the course still proved to be a formidable test over the weekend.
The Open division was won by Sarah Hokum, from Caldwell, Idaho. Sarah has had a huge year on tour with 10 other top-place finishes. Her accuracy and consistency over the weekend paid off, as she finished 20 under par. Catrina Allen of Madison, Tennessee was two shots behind her with Valarie Jenkins, a recent transplant to Bend, finishing in third place.
Many of the other divisions were won by Oregonians; the locals’ familiarity with the courses coming into play in a few tricky spots. Jackolyn Halstead of Oregon City won the Advanced division, Nichola Landry of Rockaway Beach won Advanced Masters, Cindy McMahon of Portland won Advanced Grandmasters, and Madison Lynch of Portland won the Recreational division. Full disclosure: I was at the USWDGC acting as caddie for Ms. Lynch, my fiancée. Somebody has to carry the umbrella.
Women’s disc golf in Oregon is thriving, and it was great to see it get the attention it deserves by hosting one of the most important tournaments on the calendar. If you are a lady who is interested in playing and learning about disc golf from other women, please check out one of the local ladies leagues or events. They all hold clinics and are welcoming, fun people. Give disc golf a try, it’s a great excuse to walk around in the woods on a nice day. Although once you get hooked you’ll probably even find yourself wanting to walk around the woods in the rain.