The Veterans for Vets Events - A Realtime Recap

This winter, disc golfers around the nation can make a difference in the lives of many by simply running a tournament. Through our Veterans for Vets events, players can enjoy a lighthearted round or two while benefiting local veterans groups and showing their support to the many servicemen and women who enjoy the game right alongside us. Yet if you’ve never run a tournament before, you might be wondering if it’s easy to do - we spoke with two players who ran their own Veterans for Vets event and got to hear just how amazing it was!

A Close Connection

Jesie Kohl is an avid disc golfer, and when he found out about the chance to help veterans through the sport he loves, his next step was a no-brainer:

“I myself am a veteran. I was in the army for four years as an infantry paratrooper. I was listening to the Disc Golf Answer Man podcast at work one day when the Veterans for Vets was announced. Immediately I knew it was something I wanted to do. I was super excited to tie my love of disc golf into helping local veterans. I knew right away that the VFW in my city would be my charity because they do so many great things for our local vets.”

While Kohl has played in tournaments before, this was his first time running one, yet he found that it couldn’t have been easier. “It was a fun challenge that I took head-on. The community really came together donating prizes, money, and time. The event really would not have been possible without my wife, her best friend, and a few guys from our local disc golf club stepping up to help.”

Held at Skyview Park in Norfolk, Nebraska, Jesie had 45 golfers show up to play and everyone had a great time. The mood in the air was laid back instead of competitive, and in the end, they raised $550 for charity!

A Tournament In A Box

Also finding success with her own local event, Sarah Pettengill was instantly attracted to the idea of helping local veterans. “I am captain of a winter team for Winter Team Challenge & nearly half my team are veterans so this is something that means a lot to them and in turn me as well. I think it's for a great cause and I wanted to do something to help such a great cause!”

Her Veterans for Vets event was the second tournament she’s directed and noted that it was by far the easier of the two! “Dynamic Discs made it so easy to run this event; it's a great starter event! The best way I can describe it is essentially you sign up to run the event and Dynamic Discs sends you a tournament in a box! All you have to do is promote the event and that's easy. Definitely a great way to get your toes wet for TDing an event!”

Sarah’s event saw 25 players at Pin High in Monmouth, Maine and similarly to Jesie, said that everyone was in a great mood and left their competitive nature at home. “The goal was to raise money for a great cause, not take home trophies and/or money and that makes for a better mood every time,” she said.

If you’re interested in running your own Veterans for Vets event this winter or want to find one near you, click here!

This Winter You Can Play Disc Golf For A Good Cause - Here's How

There are already a ton of informal groups who utilize disc golf to raise money for those in need, and whether it’s an annual tournament that donates funds to a local organization or you’re involved with a one-time project, the feeling that you get from helping out is second to none. This winter, you can put your disc golf skills to the test and compete in the first annual tournament that’s designed to help the individuals who put their lives on the line for our country, the Veterans for Vets event.

It’s the brainchild of DD’s very own Doug Bjerkaas, and with so many veterans across the country who are already involved in the sport, the development of this event just made perfect sense. If you’re interested in helping to raise money to support local veteran's groups and simultaneously bolster your disc golf community, keep reading!

An Air Of Familiarity

After reviewing the guidelines for the Veterans for Vets event, you might be experiencing a bit of Déjà Vu, as the basic structure is modeled after the well-known Trilogy Challenge setup. However with this type of event, tournament directors have even more flexibility that better allows them to meet the needs of local golfers. A Veterans for Vets tournament can be held at any time between December 1, 2019 and March 1, 2020 and could be a flex-start, doubles, or singles style structure.

As with our other “tournament-in-a-box” options, players packs will be available to order and your event must be registered with us here. While we always want to spread the disc golf love to everyone we can, we’re offering an extra incentive to those who have at least 50 people registered to play. TD’s will be shipped a red, white, and blue Veteran basket that can be used as a raffle prize, a donation to a local course, or any other creative use you can come up with.

It’s For The Vets

Even one round tournaments can often bring up some feelings of competitiveness from players, but it’s important to keep in mind that a Veterans for Vets event is all about helping those who have risked their lives for us. To further drive this idea home, we’re changing up the divisions that are available for this tournament as follows: Advanced/Pro Male, Advanced/Pro Female, Novice Male, Novice Female, Veteran Male, and Veteran Female.

Ultimately, while taking home a trophy feels great, the idea behind Veterans for Vets is more than to provide a competitive event - we’re aiming to raise awareness around the sacrifice that veterans have made and the ways in which you can help. With every player’s pack purchase, a portion of the funds goes directly to a group local to you that helps veterans.

So many men and women who have served in the armed forces find disc golf to be an integral part of their lives, so consider hosting a Veterans for Vets event this winter! For any questions, contact us here and let’s work together to raise money for a great cause!