SR1055 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1055 LRB103 41013 MST 74132 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Disc golf is perfect for anyone looking to teach, share, and enjoy a lifetime sport; it is a healthy, inexpensive activity that provides upper and lower body conditioning, aerobic exercise, and mental stimulation; played on a course with nine or 18 holes, players aim to reach a basket by throwing a disc from a tee pad, with the goal of completing each hole in the fewest throws; the sport is played in approximately 40 countries and, as of April 26, 2023, boasts 107,853 active members of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) worldwide; and

WHEREAS, In the 1920s, the earliest known games of disc golf were played by children at Bladworth Elementary School in Saskatchewan, Canada; and

WHEREAS, In 1976, the success of disc golf at the World Frisbee Championships suggested that this sport was the next big thing, and Ed Headrick created the Disc Golf Association (DGA); even today, it functions as a leader in the sport; and

WHEREAS, In 1977, one of the earliest courses with baskets installed, though no longer in existence, was created by Ed Headrick, known as the Father of Disc Golf, in Gilson Park in Wilmette; and

WHEREAS, In the fall of 2014, The Canyons opened, built by volunteers at Dellwood Park in Lockport; in 2024, UDisc ranked The Canyons as the 17th best disc golf course and the 2nd best free course in the world; and

WHEREAS, On June 3, 2021, the City of Chicago saw its first 18 hole course in Jackson Park, utilizing temporary baskets funded by individual donations and the support of the Paul McBeth Foundation and maintained by volunteers of the nonprofit Hyde Park Disc Golf; and

WHEREAS, Northwood Black in Morton is considered one of the most difficult courses on the professional tour and is home of The Ledgestone Open, which is recognized as one of the biggest disc golf events in the world, both in terms of participants and size of the professional prize purse; and

WHEREAS, Douglas Park in Springfield hosts the Deaf Central Open on June 1st and 2nd, serving as the regional qualifier for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) disc golfers, and is celebrated for its challenging layout and inclusive community spirit, attracting participants from across the Midwest; and

WHEREAS, Disc golf is so popular and rapidly growing that there are 11,300 courses globally, with 75 percent of all disc golf courses being in the United States, 369 courses in Illinois alone, ranking it as the 4th best state for course availability and 13th best state for course variety as reported in the Disc Golf Health Index; and

WHEREAS, Disc golf is accessible and enjoyable for people of all socioeconomic classes, age groups, and demographics and provides a way to exercise, a way to spend time outdoors, and a wide range of health benefits; and

WHEREAS, Disc golf is a sport that, when the infrastructure is available, takes only minutes to learn yet provides a lifetime of enjoyment in the natural world; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare the month of August 2024 as Illinois Disc Golf Month and August 10, 2024 as Illinois Disc Golf Day, recognizing the teamwork and physical, mental, and emotional well-being the sport provides.