WI Tour 2023 Updates & Goals

 

The WDSA board wishes to help players navigate planning so they can compete in the WI Disc Golf Tour 2023.

 

There were 19 WI Tour tournaments last year. The most common WI Tour structure for an individual tournament is one day for upper rated divisions and one day for lower rated divisions, no matter how many courses are used. The WI Tour requires at least 144 player roster spots to be available per tournament. The 2022 season had 208 different people play at least five WI Tour tournaments. That is 42 holes of 5 on each card. The popularity of tournaments in WI clearly shows that the WI Tour needs to provide a lot of roster spots. During the 2022 season, there were six tournaments that offered 20 or less holes per round, one that offered 27 holes and seven that used 2 courses per day. Six more tournaments used at least three courses per day. In 2022 there were more than 130 events offered in WI. Three A Tier, thirty PDGA B Tier events in Wisconsin and nineteen were WI Tour events. There were also 60 C Tier and 30 more unsanctioned events. Every player should be able to find events that work for them.

 

The Wisconsin Tour goal for the 2023 season is to increase roster spots. One way this could have been accomplished, is by eliminating divisions. We chose not to go that route. In order to support players committed to the WI Tour, tough decisions have been made and we understand that not all players will be happy with the final decisions. Adding additional roster spots to the tour happened in two ways. 

 

1. Two more tournaments were added to this season. Standing Rocks Open has been re-added to the WI Tour while The Great Glacial Washout will remain on the tour. This can add as many as 460 roster spots as SRO will have two courses on three different weekends! We were willing to have two stops in Stevens Point as location is very central state. We have also added The Spring Fling Women's only tournament at Rollin Ridge. The first dedicated division event that asked and was excepted to the tour. Further adjustments may be necessary in future years.

 

2. In addition to PDGA rule that B Tier players must be PDGA members. We believe roster spots will open up because of that. We will recommend Tour Td's use a tiered entry system that could relieve some of the super quick sellouts of tournaments. Some Td's have been starting registration with set numbers for divisions which helps as well. Especially for small divisions.

 

Every year the Tour committee critiques the WI Tour, resulting in changes. We try to figure out how to make it work for as many players and TDs as possible. The WI Tour started in 1993 with four tournaments. In 30 years it has grown from a small community into a highly popular sport - it has outgrown its shoes, house, yard, and garage.

 

The 2023 WI Disc Golf Tour Finale will be hosted by Josh Hamm of Riverside Disc Golf In West Bend using Riverside and Sandy Knoll Disc Golf Courses. Players must earn invitations using earned points at WI Tour tournaments only. WI Tour Champion Plaques will be awarded at the Finale.

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WIDISCSPORTS CALENDAR AND MORE 
 

I would like to remind players that widiscsports.com has posted a working calendar of all WI tournaments that go through the current PDGA State Coordinator, Mike Harrington. Not just WI Tour, but any organized event. We add as many registration links as TDs will give us, which is most.

 

This is the same website that includes tour points, rules, and an archive that is in the process of documenting WI people, places and events that have shaped Frisbee and disc sports in the state.

 

This website also includes a list of every Developmental fund donation WDSA has awarded. Over $70,000 from 2000 to 2022. This is money raised with a $2 donation from every player at every WI Tour tournament. Perhaps a part of the reason there are so many disc golf courses in WI.

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There is a fun state map that interactively tracks the history of course development. From the few fists full to over 400 courses now.