Article written by Matthew Cunningham, #17396, Treasurer & Board Member, WBDGW.org

A long time ago (1991), in Austin, Texas, at a place called Zilker Park, there was a disc golf tournament with over 350 players. In one day. On one course. At that time, it was the biggest tournament in disc golf history, and the name “World’s Biggest Disc Golf Tournament” turned out not to be false advertising.

It went so well, and it did so much to promote disc golf there in Austin, Texas, that the tournament director, John Houck, PDGA #1688, decided that this format could work all over the world to help #growthesport (of course there were no hashtags back then). In 1992 it officially counted more than 15,000 players on about 200 courses. In Johnson, Kansas, a town of 1,200 with no permanent course within two hours, TD Marylee Ramsay got almost 40 people to come out and play. In Winterthur, Switzerland, TD Urs Handte drew an amazing 324 players; one of those players – Rolf Frei – brought 52 of his friends and set a new standard for bringing new people into the sport.

Over the years, the name changed from “Tournament” to “Weekend;” the Rolf Frei award went to the person in each city who brought the most new players; and several cities each won 9 baskets for having the highest turnouts. Hundreds of thousands of people played at World’s Biggest events, including two who help run the PDGA now. PDGA Executive Director Doug Bjerkaas says, “I remember the World’s Biggest Disc Golf Weekend -- it’s the first event I ever played.” PDGA Clubs Program Director Michael Downes signed up in Wilmington, Delaware to play around 1995 and got hooked on disc golf through WBDGW.

Disc golf grew steadily in the ‘90’s and early 2000’s, and most cities had all the events they could handle – and sometimes all the players they could handle. Eventually World’s Biggest quietly went into a hiatus.

Then, around 2020, disc golf exploded: millions more started playing during COVID lockdowns, and the Disc Golf Pro Tour took its game to a whole new level, including the creation of the Disc Golf Network. Now, the world is full of people who say, “I’ve heard of disc golf – I’ve even played it,” and we rarely meet people who say “What’s that?” It’s a whole new world.

Disc golf is also popping up globally and has grown to over 90 countries. And that’s why John Houck and Dee Leekha-Houck decided the time was right to bring back the World’s Biggest Disc Golf Weekend this May 9th-11th.

As Dee says, “It’s a celebration of disc golf globally and there are still many countries where the sport needs to grow and/or start. There is even an event in India this year where there are no permanent courses. When a small event is hosted at a golf club for this celebration, people will come out and try it and then the sport can grow there. This event has always been about sharing the fun and showcasing it all over the world with all.”

John adds, “Just make sure you get counted and register for free on our website. In this new version of World’s Biggest, you can play anywhere you want. Even a casual round with family or friends counts or a putting contest in your backyard. We just want to count how many played this weekend. We are encouraging everyone to use this event to bring out family, neighbors or co-workers who have never played before to courses near them.”

Go play in tournaments, events hosted by local clubs and other groups that might organize World’s Biggest events. Host an event for your co-workers if you play. That is the spirit of the celebration now. PDGA Tournaments anywhere in the world can simply add on WBDGW. There are opportunities to buy a limited number of discs with custom artwork by Hall of Famer Kent Johnson, PDGA #4547. Clubs can host a WBDGW event to raise money for their clubs who give back so much time in parks. Please go to the website and contact WBDGW.com.

How to participate? Go to WBDGW.com

Partners and sponsors interested in becoming Founding Partners can reach out via the web form on wbdgw.org.

Playing disc golf that weekend? Simply register on the website.

Want to host an event, message from the event website to join and get all the details to become a part of WBDGW.com event.

Your event will be linked from the WBDGW.com website to PDGA.com tournaments page or to UDisc.com so you can create an event page there.

When you join register, your event becomes eligible to win prizes of different types.

Want to become a Founding Partner? Reach out to us. This year is the only year you can have that title.

This event is a fundraiser for World’s Biggest Disc Golf Wishes, a non-profit that will rebuild/repair/redesign courses around the world and will fulfill certain types of disc golf wishes from disc golfers in medical hardship. You can learn more about the nonprofit on WBDGW.org

For those who want to join the PDGA and support the growth of the sport, Cindi Kruse, PDGA # 304744, Vice-Chair of WBDGW.org says, “Even as an avid golfer, I have joined the PDGA because disc golf is a game that anyone can enjoy. This sport has won the hearts of many and the phenomenal growth of disc golf is evidence to support it’s popularity. WBDGW will not only grow the sport, it will create a healthier world. Disc golf is for everyone.”

This event is expected to grow each year as more people discover it and register that they are playing. The Founding Partners are all committed to growing the sport: PDGA, UDisc, DGPT, HouckDesign, MVP Disc Sports, DGA, RPM Discs, DiscGolfPark, Far Flung, and DiscNation ask each person who agrees to play or is playing to JOIN IN THE WORLDWIDE CELEBRATION OF DISC GOLF AND JUST REGISTER on WBDGW.com.

"For me, World's Biggest has always been about putting discs into new hands - and that spirit is at the heart of its revival. The future? More people, more places, more joy," said Matthew Cunningham, PDGA #17396, Treasurer & Board Member, WBDGW.org.