What It's Like Going to Disc Golf Pro Tour Event

This year I have the opportunity to make it to the Preserve Disc Golf Tournament in Clearwater Minnesota. Being the first in person event that I went to as a general admission. I wanted to share my experience and what all to expect should you decide to go to a DGPT event down the road.

What Can You Bring

My experience is that you are allowed to bring empty water containers. The one that I brought however was full and there was no issue with this.

You can also bring lawn chairs for if you want to setup anywhere along the course and just watch 1 hole for awhile. I found that this was really useful cause walking back and forth on the course all day; especially when you are there for both FPO and MPO events was a good time to sit down and watch and rest up your legs.

There are bleachers at most of these events but they are only around certian holes. I would also recommend that if you bring a chair that it should be light weight as carrying it around all day long when not using it is not that fun either.

You are allowed to bring in your Disc Golf bags. I personally have a small Innova shoulder strap bag that I brought several discs to get signed by the pros for a later time as they came off the course.

For my circumstance I did not bring any food into the venue. There are generally several food trucks and vendors and the vendor village if you want to grab a bite. There are also some locations for food and drinks towards the middle of the course (At least at the preserve)

You are allowed to record, but only with a phone. You cannot bring other recording equipment into the event. For more information you can visit the Disc Golf Pro Tour Spectator Guide.

The Vendor Village

The Vendor Village is an area that generally has some seating options, the live broadcast displayed on a large screen. If you get tired of walking or are trying to get some new or used discs from the shops and stalls or even get food and use the putting baskets. This is where that happens.

This is usually around the end of the course. At the Preserve Disc Golf Championship, his was where you would enter in from parking.

When I went, I was able to pick up event exclusive stamped discs. I recommend bringing cash, but there are some vendors that are really only using Paypal or Venmo. I suspect so they can record their sales easier so come prepared with both.

The Vendor Village is also where the pro’s will come off the course and sit at a signing tent. If you have a player that you really want to sign a disc, I recommend getting in the line early for that card to come off the course. Usually right as they get into their second shot on the final hole.

I found some pros will not sign discs that don’t match their sponsors, but that was rare.

The food is usually food truck options, or some fair food stands. Depending on the size of the event that you go to, there may be more options. The options were a little limited at the Preserve.

Following Cards and Tee Times

Following cards can be challenging if you are not using the PDGA Live App. I recommend downloading this app before heading out to the course so you can follow the tee times, and if you choose to move back to the vendor village, or go to different parts of the course, you can still track what you want to see.

Following the lead and chase cards as general Admission can sometimes not give you a great view. I recommend that you stay ahead of others that follow the same card so you can line yourself up at the front of the spectator rope or areas.

When Following the cards, please be respectful and be silent while the pro’s take their shots. Officials will come up to you if you are consistently being loud during run ups, puts and drives.

Be sure to also have a map of the course that the event is taking place on. There is usually a QR code, or handouts that have this information available.

Final Day Experience

The Pro Tour is a well oiled machine. On the last day once the final cards have gone through the start, volunteers will start to take down equipment like the warm up areas for the players.

The final day also is the most crowded, so if you are looking to get good views, or discs signed, be ready to wait to get them.

Many events on the pro tour also have some side events as well. My friend and I did not go to any of these. We were there for the FPO and the MPO only.

You are allowed to leave and come back. We did this and got food in the local area between the start of Chase and Lead for MPO after following FPO for awhile in the morning.

Final Thoughts On My Disc Golf Pro Tour Experience

The Disc Golf Pro Tour events are a blast to go to. If you are a disc golfer at any level, I highly recommend that you try going to the closest event to you to experience for yourself. I would not personally travel to further events or take a flight out to see a specific event in less you plan on going for all days, or have other plans in the general area and just go to 1 day worth.

The price can add up going to these events. But the money is clearly going to making a better product and providing a fantastic user experience. The coverage has tremendously improved. But there is is nothing like seeing and hearing the shots as a disc leaves these pros hands. You can hear the disc whip into the air. You can hear the players talking to each other and their caddies. You also get to share your thoughts and experiences with other disc golfers that are into the game just as much as yourself.

The Pro Tour will be returning in 2026 to the Preserve and I plan to make it back for another great year knowing more about what to expect.

Let me know your thoughts. Have you been to a Pro Tour event? Do you recommend general admission or would you go the extra mile and grab a VIP badge? I hope that this article has helped you decide if going to one of these events is right for you.