It has been 10 full years that Disc Golf Monkey decided to embark on the uncertain journey of choosing Disc Golf as a career choice. In 2009 the first Disc Golf Monkey Tour was organized and there were 8 PDGA events. Needless to say the events were much smaller then, but the same fun and excitement of tournaments still drives us to push forward each year. DGM’s goal has always been to get people to play the game that has been a passion for so many years. DGM has been trying to “Grow the Sport” even before the slogan was cool!

This year’s 10th season was named the Gettin’ It Done Tour. It featured an edgier/darker and hungry looking monkey as the logo. Many people don’t know that there was significant meaning to the logo. Having been injured and playing hurt for over 2 years I had surgery to repair my knee. I was read to compete again, I was hungry, and the tour logo monkey looked like I felt. It was awesome as I shared with many people the reason for the “dark monkey” logo that many players could identify with the feeling. It’s always fun being able to turn your passion into something others can embrace and enjoy!

2018 was filled with so many great times and will be remembered for years to come by many. There were 22 tournaments featured in the Gettin’ It Done Tour, and man did we get it done. We again averaged 90+ at our events and maxed out many of the tour stops. Although there were some that had less in attendance the competition and atmosphere was not effected by the smaller turn outs. The big events like the 4SO and Jared Hilton Memorial continue to get better every year.

Every year there are highlights that need to be mentioned and unfortunately many will be missed here. Each year DGM tries to give back to the local communities raising food, supplies, and money for local charities. It was awesome being a part of two Ice Bowls and what we call our Winter Blast. The 3rd Annual Bear Hollow Ice Bowl held in Ava, MO kicked off the year by contributing $575 in cash and 145 lbs of food to The Heart of the Hills Food Pantry and Thrift Store. The 10th Annual Lebanon Ice also saw a record in money raised for the L-Life foundation in Lebanon, MO. A third charity event that was held was at the very end of the year held at Grubaugh Park in Ozark, MO. The Winter Blast benefits a the Christian County Family Crisis Center which is a women’s shelter. This tournament has served as a true blessing for those who play and those who receive the financial support. The last charitable donation that topped off the year was the contribution to the EDGE program. The Educational Disc Golf Experience was given over $3,000 from 6 events on the tour. This year’s total allowed us to break the $25,000 mark. It has been an awesome 10 year partnership! My hat is off to each and every player sponsor, and volunteer who has helped support all of the above charities.

Each year DGM tries to continue moving forward bettering the tour and events. Continuing the relationships with past sponsors and finding new ones to keep up with the rising costs of everything is a mission and challenge. Last year we had 2 A Tiers on the tour and all the rest were B Tiers with the exception of one C Tier. Although the Discn’ for Cheetahs event was a C Tier, it still had the same feel and competition as most of the B Tiers. Continuing to make these events bigger and better each year has been helped greatly by acquiring more sponsors.

As we all gear up for 2019, I am extremely happy to see what was accomplished in 2018. My goals for this year are to continue to build up the events and provide a fun filled tour for all those who love the support and want to see it continue to grow. My hope is to see many new faces, but to bring back the many seasoned players who have been along for this long disc flight for years.

See you all out on a course and may the birdies and aces be plentiful in 2019!