Disc Golf Association (DGA) is a company founded in 1976 by Ed Headrick and located in
Watsonville, California
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, located in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 according to the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Predomi ...
. Th
Disc Golf Association , DGA is the founding company of the sport of
disc golf
Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which ...
and was the acting overseeing body for the sport until the establishment of the
Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA). The PDGA was run by Ed Headrick and the DGA until 1982. They are a manufacturer of
disc golf baskets for the sports of
Disc Golf
Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which ...
. The company does not have any
retail
Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...
stores, but rather sells disc golf courses to park departments, disc golf clubs, and private parties. The company also sells large quantities of discs and other related disc golf equipment to resalers and wholesalers around the world.
Disc Golf Association's Mach 1 Disc Pole Hole disc golf basket was the first formal disc golf target to incorporate chains and a basket on a pole and became the Technical Standards used by the PDGA.
Disc Golf Association (DGA) sponsors a
disc golf
Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which ...
team called Team DGA and various Disc Golf Tournaments.
Disc Golf Association History
The DGA was established by
Ed Headrick Ed Headrick, also known as "Steady" Ed Headrick, (June 28, 1924 – August 12, 2002) was an American toy inventor. Headrick served in combat in the army in WWII and was a deep-sea welder. He is most well known as the father of both the modern-day F ...
in order to focus his attention on building and inventing equipment for the sport he founded. Ed Headrick coined and trademarked the term "Disc Golf" when formalizing the sport and invented the Disc Pole Hole (The Mach 1),
the first disc golf target to incorporate chains and a basket on a pole.
In addition to starting the Disc Golf Association (DGA), Headrick founded the International Frisbee Association (IFA), the
Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), and the Recreational Disc Golf Association (RDGA). He standardized the rules and the equipment for the sport. Ed open-sourced his trademark term "Disc Golf" and turned over control and administration of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) to the growing body of disc golf players to run in 1983.
"Steady" Ed Headrick, suffered two strokes while attending the 2002 Professional Disc Golf Association Amateur World Championships in Miami. He died in his sleep, August 12, 2002, at his home in La Selva Beach. He was 78.
As per his wishes, his ashes were incorporated into a limited number of discs. The discs were given to friends and family and the limited remaining discs will be sold with all proceeds from the sales going to a nonprofit fund for the "Steady" Ed Memorial Disc Golf Museum at the PDGA International Disc Golf Center in Columbia County, Georgia.
Today DGA Disc Golf strives to keep Ed's vision of the sport of disc golf alive and is dedicated to making sure the man who gave us this sport is never forgotten. As "Steady" Ed said, "The most fun wins" and "Disc Golf will change your life!"
See also
*
List of disc golf manufacturers
*
Sedgley Woods
ReferencesDGA Team & Tournament
External links
Disc Golf Association (DGA)About Ed Headrick – Father of Disc Golf
{{DEFAULTSORT:Disc Golf Association
Disc golf
Disc golf equipment manufacturers
Sporting goods manufacturers of the United States
Companies based in Monterey County, California