Busy Sports Market Hosts Another Event: Growing Disc Golf Pro Tour Visits Wildhorse Course In Henderson
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
The Las Vegas sports market is about to explode with NASCAR races, a UFC fight show, five college basketball tournaments, and four MLB spring training games — plus more Vegas Golden Knights games in March.
But like many other growing niche sports that are smitten with Las Vegas, the Disc Golf Pro Tour is making a stop in the Las Vegas market at a disc golf course in Henderson later this week before the calendar turns to March 1.
LVSportsBiz.com caught up with the tour’s CEO, Jeff Spring, for our Five Questions Feature on the business of the Disc Golf Pro Tour.
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LVSportsBiz.com: Why did you pick Las Vegas for this event and how many competitors will be at the event?
Jeff Spring: The Las Vegas Challenge (LVC) presented by Innova Champion Disc has been an early season staple in the professional disc golf scene for years. We first partnered with them in 2021. Their professionalism and fantastic facility at the Wildhorse Disc Golf Course help bring in competitors from across the world. There will be 180 professional competitors and 360 amateur competitors for a total of well over 500 players.
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LVSB: What is the business model for the tour? What are the tour’s main sources of revenue and how much is the Las Vegas purse?
JS: The DGPT has strong revenue streams across media, partnerships and advertising, spectators, and retail and merchandise. The LVC purse is nearly $100,000 for the professionals, and the total value of the event is approximately $500,000.
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LVSB: Do the competitors compete on the tour full-time and what is the range of annual income?
JS: Yes, the DGPT has a Tour Card Program that allows 120 touring pros access to professional benefits and preferred event registration. There are thousands more hopeful, burgeoning pro disc golfers that are striving to qualify for the DGPT and who register for events through their PDGA rating, which is similar to a handicap in traditional golf. Most touring professionals have substantial sponsorship deals with disc manufacturers. The top pros have contracts that pay them more the $1,000,000/year. Additionally top professionals earn between $40,000 – $100,000 per year in earnings on tour based on their performance at events. The top amount won at a disc golf event is $30,000 for the 2021 DGPT Championship.
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LVSB: How do you try to grow the sport?
JS: We partner with media teams that provide free post-production coverage of all DGPT events. Find coverage on our partner’s pages: JomezPro, Gatekeeper Media, and GK Pro. We partner with nonprofits, like UPlay disc golf, to provide free clinics and equipment for kids at every tour stop. We provide live coverage of events via the Disc Golf Network, which anyone can subscribe to! We also produce coverage that is broadcast on ESPN2 and distributed nationally.
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LVSB: Do you think you will return to Las Vegas and how would you rate Las Vegas a disc golf market?
JS: The LVC is a long running event and will return for years to come. We hope to continue the partnership between the DGPT and the event.
