1. Executive Summary

Disc golf is one of the fastest growing outdoor lifetime sports in England. It combines low financial barriers to entry, gentle physical activity in green open spaces, and lifelong accessible participation for people of all ages and backgrounds.

The English Disc Golf Association (EDGA) was incorporated on 25 September 2026 as a Company Limited by Guarantee, providing the formal corporate and governance foundation required to serve as the recognised National Governing Body (NGB) for disc golf across England.

This Strategic Plan sets out EDGA’s vision, organisational development, and operational priorities for the three-year period 2026 to 2028. It is built upon verified empirical baseline data, practical experience from our national partnership with Forestry England across ten public forest courses, verified digital activity logs from 47,818 rounds logged on UDisc in 2026, and formal director reports delivered to the membership.

The strategy focuses on four strategic pillars:

1. Pillar 1: Grassroots Participation, Membership Growth, and Club Development. Widening access from first throw to regular play, breaking down financial and geographic barriers, establishing a robust 3-stage Club Affiliation pathway, and scaling active membership from free Associate discovery towards 1,000 paid members.
2. Pillar 2: Sustainable Facilities and Course Infrastructure. Protecting existing courses, partnering with major public landowners and local authorities, and establishing safe, accessible course design standards.
3. Pillar 3: Workforce and People Development. Creating structured training and accreditation pathways for coaches, Tournament Directors, rules officials, and community volunteers.
4. Pillar 4: Competition Pyramid, Tour Strategy, and Multi-Body Governance. Operating a progressive competition pyramid from local club leagues to the EDGA National Tour, establishing multi-year tour planning with protected dates, integrating modern scoring platforms (UDisc Events and Tjing), and collaborating closely with home-country and international governing bodies (SDGA, UKU, WFDF, and PDGA).

Underpinning these pillars is a commitment to modern, transparent, volunteer-sustainable governance aligned with the Tier 1 Code for Sports Governance and Sport England’s 2026 Recognition standards.

2. Organisational Profile and Purpose

2.1 Legal Identity and Jurisdiction

The English Disc Golf Association is an independent, non-profit company limited by guarantee (Company Registered Number: 17481886; approved exemption for the omission of “Limited”). EDGA holds national governing jurisdiction for disc golf across the geographic area of England, as established under Article 3 of the Articles of Association adopted on 25 September 2026.

EDGA operates under a volunteer Board of Directors, supported by appointed functional officers, regional ambassadors, and tournament officials.

2.2 Vision, Mission, and Core Values

Vision

To make disc golf a widely recognised, accessible, and thriving outdoor sport across England, welcoming players of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities into active community life.

Mission

As the National Governing Body, EDGA leads, supports, and regulates disc golf in England by:

• Creating low-barrier opportunities for people to discover and play disc golf;
• Supporting local clubs, community volunteers, and course operators;
• Providing fair, safe, and sanctioned competition structures;
• Upholding high standards of safeguarding, equality, and governance; and
• Partnering with public bodies, landowners, and international federations to secure the long-term future of the sport.

Core Values

• Accessibility and Inclusivity: Ensuring disc golf remains an open, low-cost activity where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
• Safety and Duty of Care: Prioritising the welfare of participants, juniors, adults at risk, and the non-playing public sharing outdoor spaces.
• Evidence-Led Discipline: Making decisions based on verified facts, measurable outcomes, and realistic volunteer capacity.
• Integrity and Fair Play: Maintaining transparency, ethical competition, clean sport, and robust conflict of interest management.
• Collaborative Partnership: Working constructively with clubs, park authorities, Forestry England, and sister home-country associations.

3. The 2026 Participation and Infrastructure Baseline

Strategic planning must be grounded in verified evidence rather than unsubstantiated claims. In developing this plan, EDGA compiled verified baseline figures from official association records, national digital platforms, and direct partner returns.

3.1 National Activity Floor (UDisc Official Data 2026 YTD)

Through national participation data provided by UDisc in September 2026, EDGA holds verified digital telemetry for disc golf played in England:

• App-Tracked Rounds Logged (2026 YTD): 47,818 rounds (a 3.6% increase year-on-year);
• Unique App-Tracked Players (2026 YTD): 3,661 unique individual accounts (an 8.3% increase year-on-year);
• Physical Activity Impact: Over 200 million steps tracked and over 90,000 active recreation hours logged across English courses; and
• Participation Dynamics: Growth in unique players (8.3%) significantly outpaces rounds growth (3.6%), reflecting a healthy broadening of the grassroots base with new casual participants trying the sport.

Because many beginners and casual park visitors play without recording their scores on a digital mobile application, these figures represent a verified digital floor; actual physical participation is demonstrably higher.

3.2 Public Forest Partnership (Forestry England Baseline)

Forestry England operates disc golf courses across ten public forest estates in England. Direct operational evidence demonstrates:

• A proven 9-hole family and beginner-friendly format requiring only 5 to 6 acres;
• On-site disc hire and clear instruction panels that remove equipment and knowledge barriers;
• No pre-booking requirements, allowing spontaneous family and recreational visits; and
• An estimated 66,000 annual rounds across eight monitored sites, confirming the immense potential of disc golf as a low-impact public health activity.

3.3 Competitive and Membership Baseline (AGM Formal Records)

Official returns presented at the Association’s Annual General Meeting record:

• Registered Members (2025 Close): 418 members (309 Premium Full, 109 Full);
• Competitive Players: 375 members competed across sanctioned national tour events;
• Tournament Attendances: 1,110 individual event entries across the EDGA Tour calendar; and
• Underrepresented Demographics: 35 registered female members (8.4%) and 20 registered junior members (4.8%), highlighting the urgent strategic priority to invest in targeted women, girls, and youth pathways.

3.4 Club and Community Network Baseline (2026 Audit)

Official records from the EDGA Club Directory and the 2026 Club Affiliation Pilot establish:

• Active Community Clubs: Over 25 local clubs and community groups operating across the nine official English regions;
• Affiliation Pilot Participation: Seven representative pilot clubs engaged in testing governance standards, model constitutions, and local authority advocacy (including Nottinghamshire Disc Golf Club and Telford Town Park); and
• Club-Managed Facilities: Approximately 40% of permanent English courses are maintained or co-managed by local volunteer club committees in agreement with local councils.

4. Strategic Pillars and Objectives (2026–2028)

Pillar 1: Grassroots Participation, Membership Growth, and Club Development

Primary Objective

To expand regular disc golf participation across England, moving casual players from isolated rounds into connected community participation, establishing a national network of accredited local clubs, and scaling active membership sustainably towards 1,000 paid members.

Key Strategic Actions

1. Promote the Accessible 9-Hole Entry Model: Partner with local authorities and park trusts to install compact, accessible 9-hole recreational courses in municipal parks, requiring modest acreage and zero green fees.
2. Activate the Free Associate Membership Pathway & Casual Conversion Funnel: Use the non-voting, free Associate tier to provide casual players with safety guidance, rules summaries, and local club directories without financial barriers. Transition engaged casual players from public park courses into local club sessions, establishing a pathway from free discovery towards paid annual membership.
3. Roll Out the 3-Stage Club Affiliation Framework: Formally launch and scale the national club development pathway across England:

• Stage 1 (Registered Interest): Informal groups receiving turn-key constitution templates, committee setup guides, and bank account checklists;
• Stage 2 (Listed Club): Verified community clubs published on the national EDGA Club Directory with an agreed Code of Conduct; and
• Stage 3 (Affiliated Club): Formally affiliated member clubs with voting rights, a trained and DBS-verified Club Welfare Officer, verified public liability insurance, and access to national grant and equipment support.

1. Targeted Growth towards 1,000 Paid Members: Scale individual paid membership from the 418 baseline towards 1,000 active paid members by end of 2028, supported by tangible member value including national tour discounts, player rating integration, and partner retail benefits.
2. Introducing New Players through Community Partnerships & Starter Packs: Partner with schools, youth organisations, and university disc sports clubs to host introductory coaching clinics and supply affordable starter disc packages with equipment partners.
3. Launch the “Women in Disc Golf” Initiative: Establish dedicated come-and-try coaching sessions, women-only divisions, and female ambassador networks to double female participation by 2028.
4. Youth and School Curriculum Engagement: Deliver standardized schools resource packs, promoting disc golf as an affordable curriculum and extracurricular alternative that develops motor skills, spatial awareness, and outdoor wellbeing.
5. Connecting Casual Players via Course Signage: Implement course-level QR touchpoints at affiliated and public courses, linking park visitors directly to safety rules, beginner tutorials, and nearby club activities.

Three-Year Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Increase unique annual active players on verified national platforms from 3,661 to 6,500 by end of 2028.
• Increase total recorded annual rounds from 47,818 to 75,000 across England.
• Scale active individual paid membership from 418 towards 1,000 members.
• Build the free Associate member network to over 3,000 connected players.
• Establish at least 25 fully Affiliated Clubs with verified Welfare Officers and adopted constitutions.
• Double registered female participation from 8.4% to 17% of total membership.
• Establish junior participation programmes across at least 15 affiliated clubs.

Pillar 2: Sustainable Facilities and Course Infrastructure

Primary Objective

To develop, safeguard, and maintain high-quality, ecologically sustainable, and safe disc golf courses in collaboration with landowners, local councils, and environmental agencies.

Key Strategic Actions

1. Consolidate the Forestry England Partnership: Formalise national guidance, course maintenance schedules, and volunteer adoption agreements across the ten Forestry England forest course hubs.
2. Publish National Course Design and Safety Standards: Distribute comprehensive guidelines covering course safety buffer zones, dual pedestrian paths, thrower sightlines, and environmental sustainability.
3. Complete the National Course Directory Audit: Audit all disc golf facilities in England, cataloguing course lengths, wheelchair accessibility, public transport links, and basket specifications.
4. Local Authority Engagement Framework: Supply local parish and borough councils with turn-key project templates, evidence packs, and model risk assessments demonstrating community health returns on modest capital investment.
5. Environmental and Ecological Protection: Promote responsible outdoor recreation under the Countryside Code, minimizing tree impact through appropriate basket placement and rotational tee areas.

Three-Year Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Expand the permanent active course network in England from the current baseline to 75 verified courses.
• Maintain 100% compliance with safety inspection protocols across all affiliated competition venues.
• Deliver at least five new municipal park installations in partnership with local authorities.

Pillar 3: Workforce and People Development

Primary Objective

To build a qualified, accredited, and diverse volunteer workforce of coaches, tournament directors, rules officials, and safeguarding leads capable of supporting sport delivery across England.

Key Strategic Actions

1. Establish a Recognised Coaching Qualification Framework: Develop a structured Level 1 (Community Activity Leader) and Level 2 (Club Coach) training syllabus, certified by EDGA and mapped to UK coaching standards.
2. Tournament Director (TD) Accreditation Programme: Implement mandatory annual training for all tournament directors overseeing EDGA-sanctioned events, covering event safety, insurance, scheduling, and disputes.
3. Safeguarding and Welfare Officer Network: Ensure every affiliated club appoints and trains a named Club Welfare Officer who holds an enhanced DBS disclosure and completes UK-approved safeguarding training.
4. Rules Officials and Marshalling Pathway: Establish certified rules clinics in partnership with the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) to improve rules knowledge and officiating consistency.
5. Volunteer Recognition and Support: Implement volunteer support mechanisms that protect volunteer time, provide practical digital administration tools, and prevent burnout.

Three-Year Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Train and certify 40 Level 1 Community Disc Golf Leaders by end of 2027.
• Certify 25 accredited Tournament Directors across English regions.
• Ensure 100% of affiliated clubs have an active, trained, and DBS-verified Welfare Officer.
• Deliver four regional rules and officiating clinics annually.

Pillar 4: Competition Pyramid, Tour Strategy, and Multi-Body Governance

Primary Objective

To operate a transparent, progressive competition structure that caters for first-time recreational competitors while providing an elite performance pathway to represent England and Great Britain internationally, supported by multi-year tour planning and robust multi-body partnerships.

Key Strategic Actions

1. Establish the Tiered Competition Pyramid:

• Tier 3 (Local Grassroots): Club handicap leagues, non-rated bag-tag events, and beginner-friendly flex-starts;
• Tier 2 (Regional Circuits): Multi-club regional series providing accessible intermediate competition without long-distance travel;
• Tier 1 (National Tour): The premier EDGA National Tour series, operating under unified national standards and PDGA international sanctioning; and
• National Championship: The flagship British Disc Golf Championships, crowning national age, gender, and skill-division champions.

1. Transparent International Selection Policy: Establish clear, merit-based, and published selection criteria for English athletes representing Team GB at European and World Championship events.
2. Junior Performance Development: Launch an annual Junior National Training Camp, providing specialized technical coaching, fitness advice, and mental preparation for promising youth players.
3. Clean Sport and Fair Play Enforcement: Embed strict compliance with the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) framework and World Anti-Doping Code across all Tier 1 national competitions.
4. Multi-Body Governance & Sister Association Collaboration: Formalise operational collaboration with the Scottish Disc Golf Association (SDGA) on national tour coordination and British championship hosting, align competition standards with the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), and maintain active dialogue with UK Ultimate (UKU) and the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) regarding flying disc sports recognition and mutual sporting integrity.
5. Modern Digital Event Administration & Live Scoring: Standardise national tournament administration by deploying verified digital platforms, integrating UDisc Events and Tjing for real-time live scoring, national tour standings, and player rating synchronisation.
6. 2027 Tour Strategy & Multi-Year Calendar Planning: Implement a structured 12-month advance bidding process for national tour venues, protect regional tournament dates to prevent scheduling clashes, establish transparent event amenities standards, and supply Tournament Directors with turn-key operational toolkits and risk assessment templates.

Three-Year Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Expand the EDGA National Tour to six premier regional stops across the North, Midlands, South West, and South East.
• Increase total unique tournament participants from 375 to 650.
• Achieve 100% adoption of unified digital live scoring across all EDGA Tour events.
• Conduct formal annual joint tour scheduling reviews with the Scottish Disc Golf Association (SDGA).
• Establish an active Junior National Training Squad by spring 2027.
• Achieve zero anti-doping or code-of-conduct violations across all sanctioned national events.

5. Governance, Financial Sustainability, and Organisational Resilience

5.1 Governance Framework and Code for Sports Governance

EDGA operates in compliance with Tier 1 of the Code for Sports Governance. The Association’s governing architecture ensures:

• Independent Company Structure: Registered at Companies House as a company limited by guarantee, ensuring clear legal liability and asset protection for the sport.
• Board Composition and Term Limits: A balanced Board of non-related, non-cohabiting directors with defined functional portfolios and maximum term limits.
• Public Policy Suite: Transparent, adopted policies covering Safeguarding, EDI, Complaints, Conflict of Interest, Clean Sport, Data Protection, and Safety Management.
• Member Representation: Democratic voting rights for full members at Annual General Meetings, including election of directors and adoption of annual accounts.

5.2 Financial Sustainability and Unit Economics

EDGA maintains financial discipline based on clear value exchange and conservative budgeting:

• Diversified Income Streams: Revenue generated through tiered individual memberships, club affiliation fees, event sanctioning levies, and merchandise/partnership agreements.
• Ring-Fenced Development Funds: A minimum of 35% of all membership and sanctioning revenue is explicitly earmarked for grassroots club grants, youth starter equipment, and safety infrastructure.
• Transparent Accounting: Annual certified accounts prepared by the Treasurer, audited or independently examined in line with statutory thresholds, approved by the Board, and published to the membership.

5.3 Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan

In alignment with the Equality Act 2010 and the EDGA EDI Policy, the Association commits to:

• Actively removing barriers for players with disabilities, including auditing courses for mobility access and supporting adaptive disc golf divisions.
• Upholding transgender and non-binary inclusion guidance that balances safety, fairness, and inclusion in accordance with national sport guidelines and PDGA competition standards.
• Ensuring all communications, imagery, and marketing materials reflect the full diversity of English communities.

6. Implementation Roadmap (2026–2028)

7. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Review

The EDGA Board retains collective oversight of this Strategic Plan. Progress against each strategic pillar and KPI will be evaluated on the following schedule:

• Quarterly Board Reviews: Executive directors review operational milestones, financial variances, and risk registers every three months.
• Annual Public Progress Report: An annual summary of progress against strategic KPIs will be published ahead of each Annual General Meeting, ensuring complete accountability to the membership.
• Mid-Term Strategic Audit (Mid-2027): A comprehensive mid-term review will be conducted to assess performance against participation targets, integrate new landowner partnerships, and adjust workforce programmes where required.

Adopted by Resolution of the Board of Directors of the English Disc Golf Association on: [Date Pending Board Meeting]

National Director Signature: _______________________

Secretary Signature: _______________________