MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Kathleen Wachtler
In 2012, Kathleen Wachtler and her husband, Byron, saw an ad on Craigslist to meet up and play a round of disc golf at a park in Twin Falls, Idaho, where they lived. They got two discs and two lessons for $30.
“I had not even heard of the sport before that,” she said.
The couple continued to play for “the sheer fun of it … and the fact that it was free. We were poor in those days.”
Kathleen threw those two discs, a Leopard and an Aviar, for years.
“Idaho had so many courses, and it was a great way to add to our love of anything outdoors,” she said. “Now we pack our discs everywhere we go, and I’ve played in 10 states and 6 countries.”
Last summer, she attended the PDGA Pro World Championships in Finland and followed the FPO lead cards. “Watching players like Eveliina Salonen, Silva Saarinen, Henna Blomroos and Ohn Scoggins in person was amazing and inspiring.”
Kathleen and Byron, who have been married for 35 years, moved to Bend in January 2020, when Kathleen took a job at St. Charles. “This was during the time of covid. The only things we could do were disc golf and mountain biking, so that was how we spent 2020.”
Kathleen still practices family medicine at St. Charles. “This is why I love disc golf — no life-and-death decisions! Just a fun and relaxing way to spend a day off.”
Kathleen also practices competitive martial arts. She has a black belt in Tang Soo Do and took up Taekwondo in Bend after a long hiatus. But in January 2025, she ruptured her ACL during a class.
“After surgery, I was not released to play disc golf for about four months, but it took six months to really trust it,” she said. “The rest of 2025 and early 2026, I focused on standstills and just being happy I could play. I went to every COWS and LOCO night I could, trying to get back up to speed. I’m only now starting to work the X-step back in.”
For a decade, Kathleen only played casually. “Until I moved to Bend, I never kept score.” Then she played her first PDGA tournament in 2022, the Women’s Global Event – Sisters in Sisters, and won the FA60 division.
“Until then, I had never played with other women,” she said. “It was refreshing! LOCO is friendly competition, but it’s also very supportive with players at all levels. We just go out and have fun, no matter the skill level.”
Kathleen says she has one main goal when she plays. “I’d like to be more consistent, whether it’s the drives, the approach or the putts. I don’t need to throw the farthest, park the closest, make every putt. I just want to be consistent.”
She’s thankful that she discovered disc golf and the challenges and benefits it provides. She played in 7 of the 9 COWS events last winter, many in tough conditions.
“Every disc golfer has their own personal battles, challenges and goals,” she said. “I show up to challenge myself, do something fun on a cold, wet, rainy, snowy Saturday, and try to get better.”
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