Project 2.1 - Nikšić, Montenegro
A new year means new courses.
The Paul McBeth Foundation is excited to get 2022 started with a new project, and the adventure will take us to Nikšić, Montenegro, to design and install the country’s first-ever course!
Montenegro will be the first project installed in Europe, and this will just be one of several firsts in 2022 as PMF continues to mature.
“Our team is really excited about what the rest of the year will look like for Paul McBeth Foundation projects,” said Dustin Leatherman, Executive Director of the Paul McBeth Foundation. “We have been busy talking with passionate individuals and organizations around the world, and we have plans to get baskets in the ground on four different continents this year, starting in Europe.”
The 18-hole Montenegro course will be designed near the center of Nikšić, the Eastern European nation’s second-largest city. The terrain in the area of Trebjesa looks to be perfect for disc golf, with large pine trees and hillside elevation. There also appears to be an excellent opportunity for growth after the initial 18-hole, the beginner-friendly course is completed.
Partnership with a local youth sports organization called LOGOS on the ground in Nikšić will be critical to completing this project. We are thankful for their involvement in getting the local government to approve the project and grant access to the land for the course. Once the course is installed, they will be the primary driver for youth disc golf in the area and teach people how to play.
"Nikšić has always been a city focused on sports as a way to promote health, fitness, and economy. We know that this city has amazing potential as the country's leading sports center, and we know this course takes Nikšić to the next level of sports and recreation," says Vukasin, the project leader. "This course creates a new highlight and for this part of the world, an unheard-of sport. A disc golf course will encourage our citizens to exercise, compete, and learn a new skill. We recognize disc golf as an ideal family sport, and also a sport that encourages people of all ages and religions to connect and just, simply play, no prejudice, no hate, just disc golf."
The foundation will again be working with gold-level sponsor Discmania for the completion of this project. After successfully teaming up to start last year’s Chicago project, both sides were eager for another opportunity to work together. While a timeline is still developing, both PMF and Discmania are targeting the summer to have the course completely designed and installed.
