New PDGA Director of Operations Doug Bjerkaas (right) stands with Deputy Executive Director Mike Downes at the 2023 Champions Cup held at the International Disc Golf Center in Appling, GA.

A longtime resident of the blustery plains of central Kansas, Doug Bjerkaas knows something about the whirlwinds encountered when “disc golf” becomes one’s occupation. After seven years at Emporia, Kansas-based Dynamic Discs – a career arc that saw Doug begin as a part-time event coordinator and rise to the role of president – Doug saw an opportunity on the horizon to influence the sport in a new way. 

On April 1, 2023, Doug accepted a leadership position at the Professional Disc Golf Association. Earlier this week, he sat down for a short conversation about his first month on the job.

What exactly is your title and role with the PDGA?

My position is director of operations – which some may recognize as Mike Downes’ former title. Mike is now deputy executive director, and the director of operations’ job description was changed a bit when I took the title. I will oversee the Operations and Logistics, and the Event Support and Training directorates, headed up by Jeff Jacquart and Andrew “Big Dog” Sweeton, respectively. The most concise way I can describe what I focus on is, “anything to do with competitive disc golf.”

How will you draw upon your former experiences in this role?

Jeff and Big Dog’s teams each have a number of talented managers and support staff, and I came in having known and worked with those people… but from the “other side” of the relationship when I was directing tournaments with Dynamic Discs. In that position, I oversaw five PDGA majors, including 2016 Pro Worlds, 2022 Pro Worlds, 2018 Junior Worlds, 2019 Junior Worlds and 2021 Junior Worlds, plus a number of elite series events on the pro tours. Now, I will work on these same caliber events – and more – but from the PDGA’s vantage point of organizing and ensuring quality and growth.

How was your first month “on the job”?

My official first day was on April 1, which was a Saturday, but in disc golf that seems sort of appropriate. I was advised to “be a sponge” at first, and I’d say about 90% of my effort has gone into that for this first month, as opposed to jumping in and making any sudden decisions or changes. I’ve gotten to learn how things happen and how things relate within the PDGA, whereas before I was the third-party with a limited view from outside the organization.

What are some early impressions from your new point of view?

What’s impressed me the most is how many solid people we have doing different things in the PDGA. I’ve worked with many PDGA folks, but in this first month I’ve seen a lot of other members of the team and what they bring to the group in terms of their expertise and skill. That said, at the 2023 Champions Cup, I also noticed how members of the PDGA team, regardless of their job title, jumped in to help with whatever needed to happen to ensure that event’s success.

Tell us more about seeing your first PDGA Major – the 2023 Champions Cup – as a member of the governing body of the sport.

Seeing a major from the operations side was important. Seeing PDGA teammates operate face-to-face was important, considering that today, so many meetings happen through computer screens. I think it makes future conversations different once you’ve met someone in person and seen them in action.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I had never been to the International Disc Golf Center or the W.R. Jackson course until the Champions Cup. That was an “aha” moment… seeing how impressive the grounds were. 

The Champions Cup is unique in that it is a PDGA Major that is run by the PDGA staff. Other majors are run by local groups who secured bids to oversee those events. Moving forward, I am interested in the dynamic of working with people that are performing the same role that I used to fill.

Now that you have a whole month under your belt, have you determined what areas need attention? Have you set any goals as the PDGA’s new Director of Operations?

I’m looking at everything as being an area that could be improved. But, that doesn’t mean I feel like anything is “broken.” The PDGA has had a lot of success for a long time.

But, we have to have a mindset of continuous improvement. We have to gather feedback from players, local organizers, spectators, and all other stakeholders. We have to ensure that we are always proud of PDGA events, especially Majors, while also facilitating the relationships and the structures to ensure that other events of all levels are always improving… from the Majors or the Pro Tour to local events.

We have to continue to look for ways to establish some repeatable systems so we aren’t reinventing everything every year. Sometimes, repeating processes is a good, efficient way of ensuring quality. That said, we will always look for ways to innovate, with new ideas implemented every season.

It sounds like you will be quite busy. Any final thoughts before we let you get to it?

One of the things that made this decision for me was that the chance to work directly for the PDGA gave me an opportunity to impact the sport from inside far more directly than as a disc golf manufacturer or other related party. I couldn’t be happier than to be where I am right now.