Our Story

Westchester County is a quiet suburban area immediately north of New York City. Disc golf has a long history in Westchester, beginning in the 1970s and lays claim to one of the oldest courses in the United States. Located in the small town of Mt. Kisco, the Leonard Park Disc Golf Course was constructed and designed by “Steady” Ed Headrick in August 1977 and is the oldest known course in the state of New York. It is also contested to be one of the top 20 oldest courses in the country. After gaining some popularity in the late 1970’s, another course was opened in Valhalla, NY at the Kensico Dam Plaza. In 1999, to accommodate the quickly expanding interest in the sport, a much larger 18-hole course was installed at FDR State Park located in Yorktown Heights. Since then there has been a steady and consistent interest in disc golf throughout the region. With an expanding player base it became apparent that it was time to create an organization to help foster and grow the sport of disc golf in Westchester. 

Westchester Disc Golf Enthusiasts (WeDGE) officially began in early 2013 when several key members recognized the long-standing following of disc golfers in the area and decided to create a non-profit organization. WeDGE was modeled after two other existing regional clubs, Discap and Skylands. Discap has been a leader in community outreach and course development in the Capital Region of Albany, while Skylands (home of 2013 US Champion Steve Brinster) combines a highly competitive and passionate player base with some of the most challenging and popular courses in the Warwick, NY and Northern New Jersey areas. Angelo Mascia, Jack Bradley, Bill Newman, Jeff Greenberg, and David Kimmelman were a part of the first Board of Directors for WeDGE. Under the close guidance of Greenberg and Bradley, the club was able to achieve it’s 501(c)(3) status and register as a non-profit charitable organization.  

The decision to obtain 501(c)(3) status was based on a desire to give back to the local community in addition to helping drive donations to the organization that are put straight back into the sport and player experience. We strongly believe in consistently active engagement within our townships and communities, and becoming a non-profit has allowed us to maximize our ability to give back to those that supported our growth and reach throughout the years. Since our establishment in 2013 we have donated more than $20,000 to local charities, primarily to local food banks and shelters, alongside a strong continued partnership with the PDGA and various organizations such as Throw Pink. Our charitable funds are raised through a number of WeDGE events and tournaments that have become incredibly popular and successful in the area. Our annual Thanksgiving event, The Two Town Turkey Trot, serves as a way to compete one last time for old tags, pass out new ones, and, most recently, encourage players to “Sock it to Hunger”. This consisted of collecting socks that players fill with loose change found in their homes, cars, etc, with that final amount being matched by tournament director Jim Coyle and member Pat Collins totaling over $1,000. The money was then contributed to the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. For the current year, we hope to expand our charitable efforts to the Wounded Warrior Project to honor those who have served our country.

Of course, we’re also always seeking new ways to push the quality and growth of the game by way of prospective course placements, new events, and facility and equipment upgrades to serve our continually expanding player base. At both courses, we’re seeing a large influx of young players, families, and existing players who may have moved within the New York City Boroughs and are looking for the closest place to escape the concrete and get in the fairways (Mt. Kisco is less than an hour away from Grand Central Station on the Metro North Rail Service). Not long ago we funded a complete renovation of the Leonard Park Course, as well as a full set of 18 alternative pins at FDR State Park to provide two permanent layouts and new paver style teepads are set to be in the ground within the year. To cater to all styles of play and all skill levels we hope to make a short, all par 3, nine-hole course to complement our longer more challenging holes. We hope to provide our membership with value well beyond what they expect, and our personal goals remain diligent to always strive to improve their experience. We also believe in nurturing and maintaining strong relationships with neighboring clubs to foster the welcoming, communal feel that has become synonymous with the sport. Sponsoring holes, providing prizes and supplies, or even showing up for another club’s workday with some extra hands and snacks are just a few ways that this can be done.  We want our neighbors to know that we appreciate all that they provide for the sport and we have their backs. 

WeDGE’s tournament season begins in January with the Kisco Klassic which is notorious for its brutal weather, killer potluck lunch, and is often the first event of the new year for the New England Flying Disc Association (NEFA). We try to vary the theme of each event with some designed to focus on just our players, others to support charities and outside organizations, and more to promote healthy and friendly competition between neighboring clubs. Our premier B-Tier event, The FDR Fool’s Fest, which has since been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, broke its own registration records this year with the 72-player Pro side filling in less than a week while the AM side weekend of the same capacity filled in only 66 minutes...at noon on a Monday! During the main playing season our weekly schedule includes multiple doubles nights and two PDGA sanctioned leagues, providing up to five chances a week for fun and competitive play. During the winter season, we usually offer some holiday doubles rounds and monthly tag rounds carried out all year to membership. Our first official season as WeDGE began in 2013 with the first set of member tags introduced by Ernest Motton. Since then, WeDGE has been growing rapidly with over 250 active members and an exponential increase in interest from local communities and casual players alike. 

Given the current state of the world and our proximity to the five boroughs that comprise New York City (where a sizable number of our members reside), the WeDGE Board of Directors saw a responsibility to lead by example in our personal response to the COVID-19 crisis. While facing the brunt of a global pandemic right in our backyard, we worked quickly to determine the best course of action as the disc golf season was about to come into full swing. In early March we initially took action by reinforcing the safe practices and guidelines first encouraged by the PDGA: smaller cards, no physical contact, only pick up your own discs, etc. Not long after, we suspended all club-related events, including league, doubles, club tag rounds, and tournaments. Only a few days afterwards, the PDGA would pull all sanctions for the foreseeable future. These decisions were made with a heavy heart, but we found it in the best interest to protect the health and safety of our members, their families, and those that utilize the parks for other outdoor activities and recreation. With the guidance of Angelo Mascia, a current/founding board member and ER doctor in the Bronx, we were able to deliver the best possible information to our community as quickly as possible to keep them aware of the very real threats this virus has imposed on all of us. Neighboring clubs followed suit and an open line of communication amongst local leadership has remained an important aspect of keeping our members safe, informed, and accountable. Our members are some of the most passionate and caring people in the world and it has been a beautiful thing to know that we have their utmost support and encouragement during these trying times. Without their understanding and cooperation this would be a much harder process and they have shown exactly why we love doing what we do. For this, we cannot thank them enough. 

Our current Board of Directors includes Adam Guttmann, Bara Jones, Derek Stoltenberg, Eric Bowers, and Angelo Mascia, as well as treasurer Jeff Greenberg. WeDGE has strived to serve as a model of how to organize and help others for the disc golf world. We maintain highly professional communication with state, county, and city governments to help protect the interest of our members and disc golf in the area. We contribute where and when needed to help our local communities and have a passion for giving back while growing the sport. Our organization has helped neighboring regions to build their own disc golf families as well as neighboring clubs expand on their local outreach. Engagement with the community is one of our main goals, and we actively reach out to bring new players from Brooklyn, all the way to Upstate, and beyond into our beloved sport, while providing a friendly and supportive environment for them to learn the game. We hope even more people continue to join our family when we’re finally able to get on the course together!