Disc golf is trending in U.S. newspapers: Supporting evidence for disc golf’s “fast-growing sport” claim

As a kid, I loved NFL football. The walls of my childhood room were plastered with Sports Illustrated photos of New York Giants. Before falling asleep each night, I gazed at the shadowy outlines of Phil Simms, Joe Morris and Lawrence Taylor. On Sundays, I attached myself to the TV set, full of awe and expectation, waiting for the next touchdown or sack.

Yet, sadly, I never actually saw the Giants play. I never witnessed firsthand the hulking, mythical characters of my youth. If you took away the televised games and magazine articles, my memories of the Giants would cease to exist. In fact, to claim that I loved NFL football is inaccurate. I should say, rather, that I loved a television network’s filtered rendition of NFL football.

Big-time sports have always been a mass-mediated affair. From the first live radio broadcast of baseball in 1921 to Super Bowl LI, which pulled 111.3 million television viewers, media have served as the bones and muscle of pro sports.

Even in ancient Greece, the development of sports depended on media, or its early equivalents, such as the epic poems of Homer and sports-related art and architecture. Plato was not exactly the Zach Lowe of ancient Athens, but he was an outstanding athlete himself—the “A show” in wrestling—and his famous writings celebrated several sports.[1]

The oldest athletic events in history owe their standing, in part, to media. Boxing, wrestling, equestrian events, javelin and discus (my favorite) stood the test of time because writers, sculptors and other artists told their stories (well and often).

As for sports that did not receive much media attention … well, have you ever heard of bull leaping? Included in the X Games of 1450 BC, the event involved springing toward a bull, grabbing it by the horns and allowing it to catapult you over its back. Although bull leaping sounds like fun (to watch), it was relatively short lived. As Scanlon argues, “the lack of monumental civic media publicizing the sport suggests that these events never sought or obtained the popularity that Greek and Roman sports did in later centuries.”[2]

Considering the importance of media to sports, I recently began researching disc golf’s position in today’s media landscape. Although niche outlets and social media are now packed with tournament coverage and other stories about disc golf, how well, I wondered, does the sport do in the mainstream news? The answer, I found, is not spectacular. If, as the saying goes, “popularity is for mediocre people,” then disc golfers are outstanding.

I began the study with my childhood love, Sport Illustrated. Using multiple electronic archives, I found only one significant article on disc golf (or Frisbee golf). There were a few other articles with small references to the sport, but nothing substantial. (“Love bites, love bleeds”).

I also used the large, electronic archive Lexis Nexis to look for mentions of disc golf (or Frisbee golf) in television news broadcasts. Going back more than 20 years in some cases, I searched ABC News, American Public Media, CBS News, CNBC News, CNN, CTV Television, Fox News Network, MSNBC and NBC News, and found a combined total of 40 transcripts with disc golf references. All but a few of these offered only brief, incidental mentions of the sport.

A search of National Public Radio transcripts (1992-current) turned up seven items, but only one item included a serious discussion of disc golf and offered quotes from disc golfers. The New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal—the opinion-leading press—were also disc golf deserts.

The flying disc did better in major-metro and small-town newspapers. To include as much of the press as possible in my search, I used the massive, proprietary archive America’s News, which houses full-length articles from more than one thousand U.S. newspapers. My search, using the terms disc golf and Frisbee golf, returned 49,227 newspaper articles published over the last 20 years (4/18/1997 – 4/19/2017).

That sounds like a lot of coverage, right? Unfortunately, given the expansive period and large number of sources, it’s difficult to interpret what a lot is. To put this estimate in context, I ran the same search using 99 other sports and recreational activities. I also split the search period into two parts to examine changes in the volume of coverage over time.

A full, alphabetically ordered list of results appears at the end of this article. If I missed your favorite sport, please don’t fry me up for dinner; instead, drop me a note in the comment box below and I’ll add your sport soon.

As shown in Table 1, disc golf’s nearly 50K in news items is a drop in the basket compared to the ocean of media devoted to traditional sports. Football, for instance, was covered in 273 times more newspaper articles than disc golf over the last two decades. Disc golf came in 65^th place out of 100 hundred sports.

Table 1. Ten Sports with Highest Number of Mentions in U.S. Newspapers (1997-2017)

Sport	Published Articles (4/18/1997-4/18/2007)	Published Articles (4/19/2007-4/19/2017)	Total	Percentage Change
Football	5,321,404	8,141,363	13,462,767	+53
Basketball	5,033,329	7,342,892	12,376,221	+46
Baseball	4,297,495	6,426,091	10,723,586	+50
Golf	2,795,211	3,748,833	6,544,044	+34
Soccer	1,811,164	2,782,103	4,593,267	+54
Hockey	1,446,680	2,377,403	3,824,083	+64
Fishing	1,370,274	2,032,535	3,402,809	+48
Tennis	1,371,659	2,013,989	3,385,648	+47
Softball	1,079,726	1,653,200	2,732,926	+53
Swimming	1,030,211	1,345,351	2,375,562	+31

Now for the good news. Disc golf is not an institutionalized media goliath yet, but it’s quickly improving its standing. As illustrated in Table 2, the number of newspaper articles with mentions of disc golf has increased by roughly 200 percent over the last two decades, placing its growth rate in eighth place out of 100 sports.

Some sports were mentioned in very few articles during the early period, making it far easier for them to demonstrate a percentage increase in the late period. For this reason, it may be reasonable to exclude CrossFit, stand up paddling, wingsuit and eSports from the ranking. Doing so would put disc golf in fourth place overall. (Still, I should note that CrossFit and eSports are growing extremely quickly, per multiple measures; they are, without doubt, major players in the world of emerging sports).

Table 2. Ten Sports with Highest Percentage Increases in U.S. Press Coverage (1997-2017)

Sport	Published Articles (4/18/1997-4/18/2007)	Published Articles (4/19/2007-4/19/2017)	Total	Percentage Change
CrossFit	47	21,368	21,415	+45,363
Stand up paddling	7	1,621	1,628	+23,057
Wingsuit	14	1,212	1,226	+8,557
eSports or comp. gaming	193	3,714	3,907	+1,824
Mixed martial arts	4,016	75,679	79,695	+1,784
Roller derby	5,376	30,519	35,895	+467
Free running or parkour	1,707	8,221	9,928	+381
Disc golf or Frisbee golf	12,565	36,662	49,227	+191
Yoga	177,304	472,177	649,481	+166
Cliff diving	866	2,185	3,051	+152

This research comes with two important implications. First, to my best knowledge, this is the first empirical study that justifies the common claim that disc golf is “one of the fast-growing sports” in the United States. Although player participation is a better measure of the sport’s popularity, any suggestion that disc golf is growing at a higher rate than other sports requires comparable data from all the other sports, which is, to put it plainly, really, really difficult to produce. The comparable data provided here are groundbreaking. The results show that disc golf is indeed expanding much faster than the great majority of athletic endeavors in the public discussion of sports.

Disc golf is not the fastest-growing sport in the United States. But it’s fourth-fastest, and that’s impressive.

Second, given the sport’s stronger standing in the press than in national television news, maybe it’s time for the movers and shakers of disc golf to work harder at publicizing low-tier tournaments via the local press. The PDGA and other groups seem to be doing well at encouraging ESPN to include coverage of disc golf aces and other extraordinary shots, such as Philo Brathwaite’s legendary albatross at the Beaver State Fling in 2016.

But more should be done to promote the sport at the local level. An automated system could be put in place that collects information from tournament directors and distributes it via press releases to local newspapers. The PDGA’s status as a well-recognized, international governing body would likely aid the success of such an effort, leading to more media coverage of low-tier events, not to mention the recruitment and sponsorship opportunities that come with it. The development of a news dissemination system would also facilitate stronger institutional linkages between the PDGA, media outlets and local communities.

When a high school sophomore takes first place in long jump at a track and field meet, school officials report her victory to local news groups and it goes on record. Her dazzling photo and a snappy caption spreads across social media, and a clipping certainly finds its way to her proud grandma’s refrigerator.

When the same sophomore takes home a first-place finish at a C-tier disc golf event, the chances for mainstream recognition are low. And when she tells grandma about it, she might face the infamous question: “What’s disc golf?”

The increasing number of miraculous disc golf throws appearing on ESPN’s “Top 10 Plays” may help the sport become more commercially viable, but grassroots growth of the sport requires a home-grown culture and a community that cares about disc golf, or at least knows about it. Local newspaper coverage of events can help disc golf become “a thing” that even grandma recognizes. And so much depends on grandma, and her refrigerator.

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Appendix: U.S. Newspaper Coverage of 100 Sports (1997-2017)

Sport	Published Articles (4/18/1997-4/18/2007)	Published Articles (4/19/2007-4/19/2017)	Total	Percentage Change
Aikido	8,794	10,943	19,737	+24
Archery	90,266	170,848	261,114	+89
Arm wrestling	6,767	8,022	14,789	+19
Auto racing	252,258	269,791	522,049	+7
Backpacking	29,595	38,386	67,981	+30
Badminton	28,827	45,254	74,081	+57
Base Jumping	1,380	2,603	3,983	+89
Baseball	4,297,495	6,426,091	10,723,586	+50
Basketball	5,033,329	7,342,892	12,376,221	+46
Biathlon	18,394	17,335	35,729	-6
Bicycling or cycling	217,614	408,837	626,451	+88
Billiards	48,051	59,825	107,876	+25
Bird watching or birdwatching	48,757	73,912	122,669	+52
BMX	30,841	46,240	77,081	+50
Bobsledding or bobsleigh	5,447	5,976	11,423	+10
Bowling	843,079	1,359,642	2,202,721	+61
Boxing	377,279	443,477	820,756	+18
Bungee Jumping	6,929	6,240	13,169	-10
Camping	376,426	705,877	1,082,303	+88
Canoeing	54,589	69,510	124,099	+27
Cliff diving	866	2,185	3,051	+152
Croquet	16,990	23,686	40,676	+39
Crossfit	47	21,368	21,415	+45,364
Darts	53,256	63,675	116,931	+20
Disc golf or Frisbee golf	12,565	36,662	49,227	+192
Discus throw	7,551	16,672	24,223	+121
Dog sled	7,469	8,156	15,625	+9
eSports or competitive gaming	193	3,714	3,907	+1,824
Figure skating or ice skating	159,413	157,517	316,930	-1
Fishing	1,370,274	2,032,535	3,402,809	+48
Footbagging or hacky sack	2,190	2,515	4,705	+15
Football	5,321,404	8,141,363	13,462,767	+53
Free climbing	445	915	1,360	+106
Free running or parkour	1,707	8,221	9,928	+382
Golf	2,795,211	3,748,833	6,544,044	+34
Gymnastics	219,053	266,532	485,585	+22
Handball	19,616	29,029	48,645	+48
Hang gliding	5,206	4,695	9,901	-10
High jump	167,788	242,010	409,798	+44
Hiking	299,919	506,900	806,819	+69
Hockey	1,446,680	2,377,403	3,824,083	+64
Horse racing	180,032	208,603	388,635	+16
Hunting	919,249	1,365,735	2,284,984	+49
Ice climbing	3,109	3,323	6,432	+7
Jai alai	8,896	6,290	15,186	-29
Javelin throw	73,237	103,255	176,492	+41
Jogging or trail running	103,684	121,425	225,109	+17
Judo	23,246	35,189	58,435	+51
Karate	95,037	112,948	207,985	+19
Kayaking	56,947	102,553	159,500	+80
Kiting	3,837	3,034	6,871	-21
Knitting	114,756	251,077	365,833	+119
Lacrosse	247,946	504,303	752,249	+103
Long jump	192,246	261,899	454,145	+36
Miniature golf	32,744	32,205	64,949	-2
Mixed martial arts	4,016	75,679	79,695	+1,784
Motocross	28,013	42,272	70,285	+51
Mountain biking	36,006	48,750	84,756	+35
NASCAR	556,802	783,502	1,340,304	+41
Paragliding	2,047	3,520	5,567	+72
Parasailing	4,057	5,774	9,831	+42
Pole vault	133,220	191,320	324,540	+44
Quidditch	5,526	7,253	12,779	+31
Rafting	42,165	50,361	92,526	+19
Raquetball	34,247	26,918	61,165	-21
Rock climbing	50,620	62,598	113,218	+24
Roller derby	5,376	30,519	35,895	+468
Rowing	62,076	88,283	150,359	+42
Rugby	62,497	126,480	188,977	+102
Sailing	234,422	293,692	528,114	+25
Scuba diving	33,452	38,991	72,443	+17
Shot put	175,624	251,219	426,843	+43
Skateboarding	52,490	55,595	108,085	+6
Ski jumping	14,200	12,453	26,653	-12
Skiing	288,719	344,229	632,948	+19
Skydiving	18,148	30,033	48,181	+65
Snorkeling	22,577	27,727	50,304	+23
Snowboarding	58,634	67,449	126,083	+15
Snowshoeing	15,750	28,581	44,331	+81
Soccer	1,811,164	2,782,103	4,593,267	+54
Softball	1,079,726	1,653,200	2,732,926	+53
Speed skating	14,778	14,543	29,321	-2
Stand up paddling	7	1,621	1,628	+23,057
Street luge	1,492	254	1,746	-83
Surfing	140,840	160,913	301,753	+14
Swimming	1,030,211	1,345,351	2,375,562	+31
Synchronised swimming	11,682	11,676	23,358	~0
Table tennis or ping pong	57,986	103,003	160,989	+78
Taekwondo	12,231	24,888	37,119	+103
Tennis	1,371,659	2,013,989	3,385,648	+47
Track and field	366,293	570,809	937,102	+56
Triathlon	58,764	105,052	163,816	+79
Ultimate Frisbee or sport of ultimate	7,210	12,180	19,390	+69
Volleyball	871,797	1,350,297	2,222,094	+55
Wake boarding	1,281	1,988	3,269	+55
Water polo	70,700	112,570	183,270	+59
Weightlifting	52,363	55,779	108,142	+7
Wingsuit	14	1,212	1,226	+8,557
Wrestling	686,571	967,099	1,653,670	+41
Yoga	177,304	472,177	649,481	+166

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[1] Raney, Arthur A., and Jennings Bryant (2006). Handbook of Sports and Media. Mahwah, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates; Hayes, Bill (2012). Plato’s Body, and Mine, New York Times, April 21, 2012.

[2] Raney, Arthur A., and Jennings Bryant (2006). Handbook of Sports and Media. Mahwah, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates (p. 2).