Women's Disc Golf Is Growing 45% a Year: How to Build a Women-Friendly Event

Women's disc golf is the fastest-growing segment of the sport - up 45% year over year since 2023. Most tournaments are still not set up to capture that growth. Here's what changes.

Offer FPO and FA divisions by default

Never ask whether you'll have enough women to run FPO. Offer it, run it with 2 if you have to, and publish the sub-division (FA1, FA2) structure. A dedicated women's division signals that you expect women to show up.

Group pairings intentionally

Group women together when possible - not segregated, but not isolated. A solo woman in a group of four men is the single most common reason women don't come back. Your scorecard software should respect requested groupings.

Short tees and Gold tee options

FPO divisions typically play Gold tees; FA divisions often play short tees or Gold depending on the course. Publish the tee assignments clearly in the player's meeting and on the scorecard.

Payouts that match the field

FPO cash payouts at a C-tier cap at the PDGA max. Never pay women less than men of the same rating tier. This is the number one reason female pros skip events.

Community and SMS

Before the event, send an FPO-specific SMS: "Here are the women registered so far." Let female players see who else is in their division before they commit. Registration rates climb 20-30% when women can see their community.

Merch that reflects the field

Women's-cut t-shirts in the same design as men's. Running out of women's sizes is a common failure. Order inventory that matches your FPO and FA entrants, not what's left from last year.