SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — On Saturday, October 4, 2025, the Springfield Disc Golf Club (SDGC) hosted the 27th annual Capital City Challenge, drawing 74 players from across the region to Duncan and Lincoln Parks. Competitors played through two professional and seven amateur divisions in one of central Illinois’ longest-running disc golf tournaments.
Tournament Director Aren Dow, who also serves as SDGC’s club director, spent weeks preparing the courses ahead of the event — trimming brush, clearing fairways, and setting up layouts across three park locations.
“In a way, it’s a course cleanup project,” Dow said. “I took a pole saw out and cut a lot of stuff down this week for the first time, so that was a lot of fun.”
Dow said hosting part of the tournament at Duncan Park was intentional.
“Duncan is a course that caters to people who are trying it out for the first time,” he explained. “I take my eight-year-old out there — we might play eight or 11 holes instead of all 18. You can make your own route, and that’s what makes it so inviting.”
But Dow noted that preparing the course is only part of the work.
“A tournament director does a little bit of everything,” he said. “Fundraising, designing layouts, communicating with players, making sure everyone gets their player’s pack. And most importantly — making sure everyone has fun.”
That sense of community was echoed by several participants.
Matthew Lake of Merrillville, Indiana, said the highlight for him was the camaraderie.
“Sharing the field with my card was awesome,” Lake said. “Everybody was in good spirits. It’s a community — you see all walks of life here, and the only thing separating us is the score.”
Brad Dow of Springfield, who has played since 1999, agreed.
“It’s great seeing people I haven’t played with in a while,” he said. “We had players from Chicago, St. Louis, and locals all together. It builds the energy and reminds us we’re doing the right things as a club.”
For Cory Folkins of St. Charles, Missouri, competition was the main draw.
“I’m one of the upper-tier local pros trying to reach tour level,” Folkins said. “These tournaments help improve my ratings — and it’s a small source of income too.”
A Growing Sport
Disc golf has surged in popularity in recent years. Originating in the 1960s, it began as a counterculture pastime, but today it’s one of the fastest-growing outdoor sports in the world.
The modern version of the game traces back to “Steady” Ed Headrick, who invented the Frisbee while working at Wham-O and later founded the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA). Headrick also designed the first disc golf basket — a key innovation that standardized the sport.
According to the PDGA, the rules mirror traditional golf: players complete 18 holes using the fewest throws possible to land their disc in the basket.
Data from UDisc, a popular disc golf app, shows more than 16,000 courses worldwide and over 1,100 new courses built in 2024 alone. Illinois boasts 403 courses, including four 18-hole layouts in Springfield — at Duncan Park, Lincoln Park, and the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) campus.
Accessible and Inclusive
Dow emphasized the sport’s accessibility as one of its biggest appeals.
“That’s the best part — once you have a disc, you don’t have to pay to play,” he said. “It’s great exercise, it gets you outdoors, and you’re not on your phone. That’s really special.”
He encouraged newcomers to try it out.
“Come on out,” Dow said. “All the courses are free to play and open to the public. You can buy one disc at Underdog Sports or any local shop and start right away.”
UIS students can also play on campus — the TRAC center allows disc checkouts for the 18-hole course near the lake. For those wanting to get more involved, the Springfield Disc Golf Club welcomes players of all levels and hosts community events throughout the year.
Contact:
For more information about upcoming tournaments or to join SDGC, visit springfielddiscgolfclub.org or follow the club on social media.
