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Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events

5.03 Preparing the Course

Last updated: Thursday, December 5, 2024 - 13:35
  1. As measured from the morning of the first day of competition, courses are required to be set up and in their first-round tournament format for all official practice days:
    1. Four (4) practice days prior to any World Championship.
    2. Three (3) days prior to any other PDGA Major or Elite Series event.
    3. One (1) day prior to an A-Tier. Where A-Tiers have temporary holes where targets are unavailable prior to the event, the teeing areas and target locations for those holes must be clearly marked on the official practice day.
    4. No requirements for B-Tiers and below.
  2. Tournament format means the course(s) must have:
    1. All out-of-bounds (806.02), hazard areas (806.05), mandatories (804.01), and drop zones properly marked;
    2. Event tee signs in place; and
    3. All in-play branding assets in place.
  3. An official practice day is a day where the course(s) are set in the tournament format and available for practice for a minimum of six (6) daylight hours.
  4. Players in the event must be informed of specific practice availability hours for all official practice days before the start of official practice days.
  5. Where an event has required official practice days, no sanctioned events or other tournament-related events that prevent or impede these practice hours may take place on the course(s) during the day immediately prior to the beginning of competition.
  6. Rule waivers. The following situations require a waiver from the Director of Event Support.
    1. Any non-standard rule;
    2. A hole or course rules that limits the player’s normal OB options, such as an island green;
    3. A mandatory where the drop zone is more than 10 meters away from the nearest point on the restricted plane.

    Failure to obtain a waiver may result in the hole being thrown out when computing scores and/or ratings. See the Use of Non-Standard Rules at PDGA-Sanctioned Events document for more details.

  7. At PDGA-sanctioned events, bathrooms are required.
    1. The event must have either a permanent bathroom or temporary bathroom on site at each venue that is:
      1. accessible to all players;
      2. stocked and serviced and in working order;
      3. available no less than 60 minutes prior to the first tee time of the day; and
      4. available for the duration of the event schedule and all event-related activities at the course(s) being played; and
      5. a reasonable walking distance from the course(s) being played.
    2. Tournament Directors who must rent facilities to comply with this are allowed to use the bathroom pass-through fee (see 5.04.A.3.d) to offset costs.
    3. This provision does not apply to Leagues.
    4. This provision does not apply to flex starts (see 1.05.B.3). The TD must notify players in pre-registration materials if no bathroom will be available at a flex start.
    5. Please consult the PDGA Water and Bathroom Recommendations for best practices regarding bathrooms.
  8. It is the event’s responsibility to provide, at minimum, a specific course rules sheet to every player so they can play the course correctly and as intended.
  9. Tournament Directors should be familiar with the Mid-Event Suspension and Cancellation Policy and create a plan for any foreseeable complications.

Outline of Contents

Disc Golf Rules and Standards