Disc Golf Uganda, in conjunction with Ndejje University, recently hosted the Greenzone Disc Golf Championship in March. Ndejje is located just outside Kampala, offering a central location for travel and accommodation within the country. This prime location was one of the key factors in the collaboration between the Paul McBeth Foundation, Ledgestone, and the PDGA to install the first-ever 18 hole course in Uganda on the university's property.
Project Olangama, one of Paul McBeth Foundation’s newest course announcements, was just installed this past week.
Olangama is a general name denoting the work being done amongst a particularly underserved people group in Uganda, the Batwa Pygmy people. This community is over 12 hours from the nearest disc golf course and is cut off from many of the luxuries of the developed world. The PMF introduced the sport for the first time to this entirely new audience, in collaboration with former UFC fighter and current Bellator MMA fighter, Justin Wren.
A team from Uplay Disc Golf is heading to Africa this week. Photo: Paul McBeth Foundation
Uplay Disc Golf, a transformative educational organization, has partnered with the Paul McBeth Foundation and the PDGA to continue the growth of disc golf and help build sustainable habits for new disc golf communities in Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
Chandler Fry, left, looks on during a clinic in Uganda. All photos via the Paul McBeth Foundation.
After their course installation and visit to the Lake Victoria-side town of Katosi, the Paul McBeth Foundation’s Uganda Team turned its attention to the campus of Ndejje University, 40 km north of the capital city, Kampala.
Simply stated, this project has the potential to be the keystone of disc golf’s development across the East Africa region.
A deep team from the Paul McBeth Foundation led by Zachary Smith, Director of Operations, and including their media team members as well as touring pros Missy Gannon and Chandler Fry, together with Zambia’s top players, Wilborn Munkombwe and Melody Kawadza, arrived in Uganda, the “Pearl of Africa,” a few days ago. I am privileged to represent PDGA as part of the team following visits to the neighboring and PDGA affiliated countries of Ethiopia and Kenya.
Paul McBeth looks on during a clinic at Rancho El Camino in La Paz, Mexico. Photo: JomezPro
Paul McBeth recently spent an off week swinging a pickaxe, digging holes, building baskets and planting the seeds of disc golf in a place that had never heard about the sport.
After announcing a non-profit earlier this year, the namesake of the organization and the five-time PDGA World Champion, together with a team and partners, hit the ground running in late May.
