The Paul McBeth Foundation is excited to announce its second project for 2024, which has the organization heading to its first location in Asia.
Project 4.2 will help solidify and potentially expand the only disc golf course in Mongolia, which sits just outside the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Turgen Club is currently a nine-hole course on a beautiful tree farm that is run by Sukhbold Gombojav (PDGA #269858), an ambassador who has spearheaded the introduction of disc golf through support received from the Professional Disc Golf Association’s Marco Polo grant.
Despite minimal experience with disc golf course design, Gombojav designed and built a course with portable baskets on his own land, with his commitment to the sport continuing to shine through his contribution of personal funds for tee pads and signage.
Now his efforts will receive more support, as PMF will work with Gombojav by sending two experienced course designers to Mongolia in June 2024. They'll team up to teach Gombojav course design principles while rethinking the existing course, improving flow and ensuring the layout is safe.
With over 1.5 million people, Ulaanbaatar is home to nearly half of Mongolia’s population, which makes this course project ideally situated to have a lasting impact in the region. Gombojav believes in the power of sport to combat societal issues and improve communities.
“Sports activities create energy, confidence and a healthy lifestyle,” he said. “They are safe and are socially and economically efficient by being sustainable to all.”
Gombojav’s leadership and involvement from the very beginning of the project demonstrate his passion and how he feels empowered to share disc golf with others. He also knows that disc golf changes lives and is excited to see not only how much of a difference the sport makes in Mongolia, but how Mongolians can make their own lasting impression.
“School children are proud to see professional athletes and learn from their role models," he said. "I dream that Mongolians will one day compete internationally.”
Nine permanent baskets that will be used in the redesign have already arrived in Mongolia thanks to the PDGA. The hope is for PMF to send an additional nine baskets to grow disc golf further, either by using the 23 acres available on Gombojav's tree farm to expand Turgen Club to 18 holes or by adding a separate nine-hole course elsewhere in Ulaanbaatar.
In either case, PMF expects this collaboration to create a lasting impact and provide sports opportunities for the people in this region of Asia.
“Working in Asia for the first time is very exciting,” says Paul McBeth, “and I know this won’t be the last project we will have in this region of the world. Stay tuned for another opportunity later this year.”
For projects in regions where disc golf is still in its infancy, it is vital to have a plan for spreading and sharing experience with local organizers, and one of the most pressing challenges is access to disc golf expertise and teaching. That's why the PMF team heading to Mongolia will also include both a disc golf teacher and media support to help address this need.
This additional support isn't possible without incredible partners, which is why PMF has drafted Kansas City-based disc golf bag manufacturer GRIPeq as a Gold Sponsor. "Grip Equipment is proud to support the Paul McBeth Foundation and its efforts to promote disc golf on a global scale," says Dick Parker, Director of Sales and Community Engagement at GRIPeq.
PMF is also incredibly grateful for the PDGA's partnership with this project. The organization's focus is on making disc golf accessible to everyone around the world through the Marco Polo Program, which helps provide funding for innovative projects that introduce disc golf into new countries and strengthen the sport’s global development.
If you’d like to learn more about Project 4.2, you can subscribe to the PMF newsletter, where you’ll also receive updates on all of the Foundation’s work to share disc golf around the world and bring sustainable disc golf experiences to underserved regions.
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