The History of Disc Golf

The first Saturday in August is designated as National Disc Golf Day, so we are taking a look at the history behind this unique sport. No one knows who the first person to play disc golf was. That’s because there have been many historical reports of isolated games. However, “Steady” Ed Headrick is considered the Father of Disc Golf. He patented the Disc Golf Pole Hole in 1975 and also worked on the Wham-O frisbee, which was patented in 1966. George Sappenfield is another important player. He worked as a promotions consultant at Wham-O and helped to promote the fledgling sport. In 1975, Dan “Stork” Roddick joined the newly created Sports Promotion Department at Wham-O. With his feedback, along with Sappenfield and Headrick’s expertise, and plenty of feedback from the rapidly growing disc golf community, a disc golf event was planned as part of Wham-O’s upcoming 1975 World Frisbee Championships. It was so successful that Headrick left his position at Wham-O to create the Disc Golf Association (DGA); soon after, he also founded the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA). Today, there are nearly 31,000 active members and thousands of events each year!