Africa Summit Confirms Disc Golf’s Global Growth

The Paul McBeth Foundation (PMF) traveled to Uganda this month to participate in the inaugural African Disc Golf Summit. The four-day event, which attracted delegates from eight African nations, confirmed the sport’s rapid growth across the continent.

“If we ever wanted proof of disc golf’s mass appeal, we saw it this week in Entebbe,” said PMF Executive Director Zachary Smith. “This is a milestone—disc golf has not only swept across Uganda, but is also being embraced throughout East Africa.”

The summit, which ran from November 13–16, attracted delegates from Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as Estonia, Belgium, Canada, and the United States. It marks an important time for disc golf in Africa, where there is a need for new, inclusive, community-centered sports.

PMF has already helped to launch disc golf courses in four African countries with a fifth (Rwanda) underway. Smith said that Uganda—which hosted the summit—has rapidly taken to disc golf. Only three years after being introduced, the sport is now played in 42 districts throughout the nation.

Event organizer and PMF East African Coordinator Israel Muwanguzi described the summit as a key step in the evolution of African disc golf. For him, the event was “a sign of how far we’ve come and how bright our future is.”

Muwanguzi added, “Uganda’s central role shows the world that Africa is ready to fly discs, not just dreams.”

The dozens of delegates at the event enjoyed several days of panel discussions and meetings focused on course design, teaching disc golf to others, and how to use data in disc golf. However, the highlight for many was the Africa Pamoja Disc Golf Open, a competition for some of the continent’s top disc golfers. American professional Dustin Keegan won the Mixed Pro Open title, finishing five strokes ahead of former world champion Avery Jenkins.

From 2020 to 2025, the continent’s disc golf presence has expanded at a remarkable pace. Just five years ago, Africa had only seven courses, with 46 players logging roughly 1,200 rounds on UDisc. By the end of 2025, that number has surged to 40 courses, more than 500 unique players, and nearly 10,000 annual rounds recorded. And because many communities face limited mobile data and inconsistent connectivity, these figures represent only a fraction of the true participation happening across the continent.

According to Muwanguzi, disc golf’s rapid growth in Africa stems not just from the game’s affordability and ease of play but its ability to bring together diverse groups of participants.

“Disc golf thrives on community,” Muwanguzi explained. “By bringing together passionate people from twelve nations, this summit is planting seeds that will bear fruit in schools, parks, and communities across Africa.”

PMF’s Zachary Smith added, “The summit was a truly international experience. We’re building a strong foundation for the sport’s next phase of growth and we’re very excited to see such fast-rising youth participation across East Africa.”

The African Disc Golf Summit was jointly organized by Disc Golf Uganda and the Paul McBeth Foundation in partnership with UPlay, UDisc, Avery Jenkins, and the Professional Disc Golf Association.

The Paul McBeth Foundation has already constructed disc golf courses in Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, and is underway with a project in Rwanda. Click here to learn more about PMF projects in Africa and throughout the world.