The Paul McBeth Foundation is excited to reveal that its first course installation project will take place in La Paz, Mexico, in cooperation with Rancho El Camino. The project will include a nine-hole disc golf course and will be installed in late May.
Among many fantastic project applications, this opportunity, in particular, felt like a perfect fit: Paul’s family traces its roots to Mexico, and his grandfather was the first of his siblings to be born in the United States. It was part of Paul’s dream in starting this foundation to install a course there.
The five-time disc golf world champion plans to be on the ground for the installation just outside the capital city of Baja California Sur and is looking forward to connecting with his family’s history.
“I’m excited to go to Mexico and experience a part of my heritage that I’ve never experienced before,” Paul said.
The ranch property offers incredible terrain that will make this course interesting for anyone who plays it. The team plans to build a short, beginner-friendly course to get things started, but will also build in options to expand the length and number of holes in the future.
Another significant draw for this project is its proximity to a bustling city that is heavily populated by teenagers and families.
The install begins a partnership with Rancho el Camino, an organization that serves the local community through recreational therapy programs and provides employment opportunities for local youth – many of whom live in material poverty. Installing a disc golf course will be one of those employment opportunities, and knowing there will be a staff of people dedicated to sharing disc golf with the community is a key element to the course’s sustainability.
“We at Rancho el Camino are excited about partnering together to install this disc golf course as we see great potential and added benefit to our programs and efforts in serving the children, youth, and families of La Paz,” said Pete Johnson of Rancho el Camino.
In addition to the on-site staff, a Paul McBeth Foundation team that includes representatives from Dynamic Discs and JomezPro will travel to La Paz to design and install the course. After the heavy lifting is done, Paul and company will show new players how fun disc golf can be with instructional clinics.
The overarching goal is to leave the local staff with the equipment and knowledge they need to establish disc golf in the area, with the hope of leading to more opportunities in the future. The project will feature Dynamic Discs Veteran baskets, and JomezPro will document the process for a future release on its YouTube channel.
The Paul McBeth Foundation aims to work with partners and sponsors to install three courses in 2021 in places with little or no access to disc golf. Stay tuned for details on future projects and how you can get involved and support the foundation.
