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The Paul McBeth Foundation is heading back to South America, as 2024's opening project brings the first permanent disc golf course to Uruguay.
The country's capital city, Montevideo, will be the host, with 18 holes set to be installed in Parque Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a public park within walking distance of the Atlantic Ocean. With more than 1.3 million residents, Montevideo is the top Uruguayan city on UDisc's opportunity index, which measures how much impact disc golf can make on populations worldwide. This marks an exciting return to South America for PMF, which installed two nine-hole courses for Project 1.3 in Medellin, Colombia, in 2021. Since that time, those two courses have resulted in a tremendous surge of growth in disc golf, and PMF plans to expand upon this work in the Uruguayan capital.
"We've already seen how eager South America is for disc golf with our previous projects, and we can't wait to see what this course in Montevideo does for the sport in Uruguay," six-time PDGA World Champion and PMF founder Paul McBeth said. "The fact that local players have been organizing with temporary courses is so inspiring, and we hope this project is just the start of something bigger."
That's right: Disc golf has already been a labor of love for Mauro Betschart and Petr Vyazovetskiy, the only two PDGA members currently in the country. The duo has been working with the park management team in Montevideo to advocate for disc golf in their hometown, and their efforts are paying off.
“We currently only play on portable baskets and have to set up each hole before playing it,” said Betschart said. “A permanent course will grow the sport immensely, allowing us to easily start teaching new players the basic skills and having them improve further at their own pace.”
The course, complete with concrete tees, tee signs, and a practice basket is the perfect addition to Parque Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which is known for its beautiful eucalyptus trees and access to recreational activities.
“The park is surrounded by schools and is regularly visited by sports clubs and other excursions that will be able to benefit from the option of having a sport available to them that contrasts a lot with the typical sports of the country," Betschart said.
Vyazovetskiy shared his hopes for a weekly league, allowing budding competitors to grow and learn from each other. He also wants to hold regular youth clinics and eventually cultivate enough players to host an annual sanctioned tournament, aligning perfectly with the PMF-community-centric mission.
“Disc golf is fun, and most people here in Montevideo don't know about it,” Vyazovetskiy said. “I just want to share this with people. It's that simple.”
Dynamic Discs has generously donated the baskets for this project as the gold-level partner, continuing the long-running support for which the Foundation is extremely grateful. “We're incredibly excited to be part of this groundbreaking endeavor in Uruguay, and we extend our deepest gratitude to Mauro Betschart and Petr Vyazovetskiy for their unwavering dedication to growing disc golf in their community,” said David Hein, CEO of Dynamic Discs. “Their passion and hard work have laid the foundation for this project, and we're honored to support their vision for a vibrant disc golf community in Montevideo. Dynamic Discs is proud to contribute to the installation of the first permanent course in Uruguay, and we're eager to see how this course will inspire and engage players of all levels. Together with the Paul McBeth Foundation and the local disc golf community, we look forward to making a lasting impact on the sport in South America."
The Professional Disc Golf Association is also contributing resources which will help transport the baskets from Emporia, Kansas, to Montevideo. “The PDGA cannot be more excited that yet another country will have their first disc golf course in the ground soon," said PDGA Executive Director Doug Bjerkaas. “We are proud to support the efforts of the foundation and the meaningful work they accomplish on behalf of our sport.”
We look forward to this first course in Uruguay being a catalyst to additional courses in not just Uruguay, but also across the Rio de la Plata in Argentina. Our Project Drivers have already scouted potential locations, and we believe there may be more disc golf to come in this region. To support this project and other future projects, please consider joining our Builders Club.
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