Building Ezero DiscGolfPark: Bulgaria’s first disc golf course

According to Bozhidar ”Bobby” Georgiev, founding member of the club Disc Golf Bulgaria, the seeds for his country’s first disc golf course were planted far, far away from the seaside town of Burgas where it now stands.

”My friends and I went to Juneau, Alaska, on a student exchange program,” Georgiev said. ”We were introduced to the sport by a local who took us for a walk outside of town one afternoon where we found the Aant’iyeik Park Disc Golf Course. He explained it was a type of golf, but with discs, and when we tried it, we instantly fell in love.”

That first round led to many others and an ever-deepening passion for the sport among the group. When it was time to return to Bulgaria, they wanted to take disc golf with them, so they made space in their luggage for around 40 discs.

Whereas many students might quickly drop a new hobby they picked up while studying abroad, these didn’t. What started as a small band of young people with a stack of discs has turned into a quickly-expanding community that’s getting locals and local leaders interested in the possibilities a new sport can offer.

The group’s biggest accomplishment to date? Securing support from disc golf non-profit Paul McBeth Foundation and the Foundation’s Gold Level Partner, DiscGolfPark, for the installation of Ezero DiscGolfPark. The course is the first permanent, multi-basket disc golf course in the country and the only public, multi-basket course within a radius of nearly 1,000 kilometers/621 miles.

Building Bulgarian disc golf

Georgiev’s group started out enjoying object disc golf amongst themselves. They’d go to a park, pick out trees and lamp posts as targets, and play a few rounds on their makeshift course.

Eventually they got support from ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse clubs in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, for installing a single permanent basket in a city park. The group then defined nine different teeing areas all ending at their lone target, creating a playable, if minimalist, course.

Though one basket may sound like a small achievement, Georgiev said installing it was a ”big moment.” It also helped the Bulgarians make a pivotal connection. When they put in the basket, they met an avid disc golfer named James Beasley – a U.S. native living in Sofia who wanted to help the sport grow.

”James really amplified our vision for growing the sport,” Georgiev said. ”He gave us the extra push we needed to apply to the Paul McBeth Foundation. Before that, our group was small, but we were starting to grow through clinics, demonstrations, and playing casual games in the parks.”

A perfect fit for the Paul McBeth Foundation

The Paul McBeth Foundation’s (PMF) mission is to ”develop and introduce sustainable disc golf experiences in underserved locations with limited or no access to the sport.” They are best known for funding and organizing new course construction in cooperation with local organizations dedicated to helping their community understand and utilize the facility. This is the sort of support Disc Golf Bulgaria applied for.

It didn’t take long for the PMF to decide to back the project. The choice was made even simpler because Beasley attended the 2023 U.S. Disc Golf Championship and met with PMF representatives while there, informing them about the state of disc golf in Bulgaria and Disc Golf Bulgaria’s dedication to improving it.

”It was pretty easy for Bulgaria – seeing that there wasn’t a single disc golf course in the country – to align with our mission,” said Zachary Smith, Director of Operations for PMF.

When Disc Golf Bulgaria got word from the PMF that their application was on track for approval, Georgiev said that ”it felt like getting a hole-in-one” in that their initial reaction wasn’t joy but simply shock. It didn’t take long, though, for the group to get pumped.

”I remember being so hyped, but we didn’t know exactly when it would happen or how soon we’d see the course built,” Georgiev recalled. ”It felt almost unreal, but we were thrilled beyond belief.”

Creating Ezero DiscGolfPark in Burgas

Disc Golf Bulgaria and the PMF found a great location for Bulgaria’s first course in Park Ezero in Burgas, a city on the Black Sea that’s home to Bulgaria’s largest port and a bustling university student community. Burgas’ local leaders were very receptive to Disc Golf Bulgaria’s pitch.

”We were very lucky to have such a good and sports-oriented administration in the city of Burgas,” Georgiev said. ”They were open to new ideas and eager to support new sports, which really worked in our favor.”

The land they secured for the course was in a part of the park that was rarely used and only minimally maintained. The course was pitched as a way to bring new life to the area.

Local officials approved the project, and we at DiscGolfPark were excited to get the call from PMF inviting us to join the effort. With our European headquarters and previous experience working with PMF to create the first disc golf course in another eastern European nation, Montenegro, it was a perfect match. We were even able to bring in the same seasoned DiscGolfPark designer from the Montenegro project, 2009 Pro Disc Golf World Champion Avery Jenkins.

”We love DiscGolfPark and working with Avery,” said Smith from the PMF. ”They’ve installed many, many courses, and any time we work with them, we know we’re going to get a fantastic product from start to finish.”

Jenkins was joined by fellow DiscGolfPark deesigner Sean Dietrich, and the two immediately got down to the business of designing the course once they arrived in Burgas.

”The most difficult part of the design was that there was a very active path leading to the Black Sea right through this area,” Jenkins explained. ”We had to angle away, keep our space and buffer from the bikers and walkers and such. We kind of stewed over the design for a weekend, got it all lined out, threw it a bunch of times, and I was like, ’Wow, this turned out really nice.’ I feel like we found the best arrangement of holes the property had to offer.”

The course plays through an area with many small trees that create low ceilings on most fairways. Along with safety, Jenkins’ and Dietrich’s goal was to craft holes that would be fun and accessible for beginners but challenging enough to help more serious players grow their skill sets.

”It’s not just a pitch-and-putt,” Jenkins said. ”It’s difficult enough to allow these players to progress.”

With long hours and hard work, PMF, DiscGolfPark, and Disc Golf Bulgaria managed to install the course (baskets, signage, tee pads, and all) in just two days after the design was finished – with enough daylight left on the second day to get in the inaugural round.

”We thought we knew how the course would play, but we ended up hitting more trees than expected!” Georgiev said. ”It was challenging, but playing on the course we had just built felt amazing.”

The next day, a local official led a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and Jenkins said a crowd of about 50 showed up to enjoy their brand new disc golf course for the first time.

Continued growth, continued partnerships

Smith said that the Ezero DiscGolfPark project was ”one of the smoothest” the PMF has ever experienced thanks to Disc Golf Bulgaria’s hard work to get the correct government approvals, excited local leaders, and DiscGolfPark’s dependability. We at DiscGolfPark were also delighted over this project’s results, and we’re excited to continue partnering with the PMF to bring the healthy joy of disc golf to new locations across the globe.

As for the Bulgarian disc golfers, Georgiev reported that they’re hard at work organizing clinics and demonstrations as well as building on the success of the country’s first tournament that they held shortly after Ezero DiscGolfPark’s opening. They’re also looking into where best to install additional baskets the city of Burgas has already purchased to help them grow the region’s newest sport.
”Disc golf isn’t just a game for us – it’s something that gets people outside, active, and connected with their families,” Georgiev said. ”It’s accessible to everyone, no matter their age, race, or gender. We always promote it as a sport for all because it really is. Whether you want a friendly game or a competitive challenge, disc golf fits everyone.”