What’s the Paul McBeth Foundation?

Paul McBeth is arguably the best disc golfer of our generation. He has won five World Championships and has 132 career wins. McBeth has achieved enough in disc golf to call it a successful career. While his personal successes are impressive, his newest endeavor is beginning his philanthropic career.

McBeth grew up in a modest household and was introduced to disc golf by his Father. The sport gave him a positive outlet for personal growth, fun, and competition. It is these qualities that he wishes to instill in places around the globe where disc golf is still a mystery.

According to PaulMcBethFoundation.org, their mission is to “Develop and introduce sustainable disc golf experiences in underserved locations with limited or no access to the sport.” McBeth realized that with such a lofty goal he had to put together a trustworthy team. He partnered with multiple individuals and companies (Nate Heinold, Doug Bjeerkas, Discmania, Discraft, Dynamic Discs, and JoMez Pro just to name a few) in the disc golf industry to create the Paul McBeth Foundation. Let’s take a step back in time to see where it all started.

Origins

Paul McBeth’s first-ever PDGA sanctioned tournament was the Amateur World Championship in 2005. McBeth had done minimal traveling to that point. At the tournament, he met people from around the country as well as the world. He was forever changed. This experience of the disc golf community planted a seed and created a will to someday grow this community even further.

“This foundation has been a dream of mine since 2013. The sport of disc golf has given me the opportunity to change my life and I want to share that same opportunity with as many people as possible.”

-Paul McBeth

McBeth has benefited handsomely from disc golf. Whether it be personal growth or career earnings or positive relationships, he has grown with the sport. He is at a point in his life where he is ready to give back.

What Do They Do?

As was mentioned earlier, their mission is to “develop and introduce sustainable disc golf experiences in underserved locations with limited or no access to the sport.” With this mission as their backdrop, they proceed to lay out their vision:

“The Paul McBeth Foundation sees the incredible benefits that disc golf can provide for both individuals and groups of people. The golf lessons learned on the course associated with hard work, commitment, integrity, critical thinking, decision making, communication, and building and maintaining relationships go way past the course and deep into the futures of all who participate. The Paul McBeth Foundation is committed to making this a reality for as many people as possible.”

-Vision of the Paul McBeth Foundation

How Will They About This?

According to their website:

“The Paul McBeth Foundation is looking for opportunities to either install disc golf courses or provide portable disc golf options in areas without easy access to the sport. Projects ranging from putting baskets in the ground overseas to providing portable baskets to an urban community center cannot be the foundation’s end game, though. Providing resources and education to develop and sustain consistent play has to happen to fulfill the foundation’s mission.”

-Game Plan of the Paul McBeth Foundation

First Project

The Paul McBeth Foundation completed its first course installation project in May of 2021 in La Paz, Mexico. La Paz is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur and lies near Cabo San Lucas at the Southern tip of Baja California. La Paz’s metro population is just over 250,000 people which allows for plenty of interest at close proximity. But the main reason that this site was chosen is two-fold.

First, McBeth has ties to Mexico. His Grandfather was the first of his siblings to be born in the United States. His siblings were all born in Mexico around the Jalisco area. After the vision came together for the foundation, putting a course in an underserved area of Mexico was a high priority.

And second, they found a strong community partner who shared the same vision as McBeth’s foundation. The course was installed at Rancho El Camino. The ranch is a youth camp just outside of La Paz and hosts youth from Mexico as well as the USA. This allows for a consistent presence of youth flowing through the property with access to disc golf.

From the Rancho El Camino website, “We serve children, youth, and families through recreational ministries, community development initiatives, and training/mentoring programs.” Both the Paul McBeth Foundation and the Ranch want to give youth a positive outlet with fun and positive leadership.

“One of the reasons we chose La Paz is because we found a strong community partner. It’s in an area where there’s a lot of young adults and kids similar to the age that I discovered disc golf.”

-Paul McBeth on the Partnership with Rancho El Camino

While all of these aspects of the project lined up for possible success, there was no guarantee that putting a disc golf course in a foreign land would be well received. However, any trepidation was quickly quelled soon after the course was installed. According to an article from the foundation’s website:

“By mid-week we were finding discs everywhere throughout the course and facility, including on the roofs of buildings. In addition to those who regularly use the Ranch property, we were contacted throughout the week by La Paz locals who heard about the project and were eager to come play.”

-Article: Paul McBeth Foundation’s First Course Installation a Rousing Success

What’s Next?

The Foundation released details of their next two projects via YouTube. Their next installment will be in Antigua, Guatemala. The country currently boasts two courses which are due to two passionate disc golfers bringing out portable baskets and creating layouts. The foundation’s course will be the third course in the country and the first with a permanent 18 hole layout.

The second project is in Medellin, Colombia. There are currently no courses in Colombia and excitement is high to put baskets in the ground. The city has granted permission to put in two 9 hole courses and all baskets will be made in Colombia. There is already a small disc golf club as well as a large ultimate frisbee club in the city of Medellin.

Conclusion

While Paul McBeth is still focused on the competitive side of disc golf, it is clear his ambition lies in growing the sport globally. He has brought together a team of like-minded individuals and companies to bring his dream to reality. The future is bright for the Paul McBeth Foundation and the worldwide game of disc golf. If you would like to support their efforts, apply to have a course implemented, or simply learn more visit their website.