Disc golf’s popularity continues to grow in Bedford County.
The county and the Lynchburg area were recently chosen as the host for the 2024 world championships and the New London course was ranked the No. 29th best in the world by Udisc.
The dates for the PDGA event haven’t been announced, but it will mark the first time the world championships have been held in Virginia.
It began as an inspiration by six-time PDGA world champion Paul McBeth, who designed the New London course, and quickly snowballed into the area landing the event.
“One day I called up (Nate) Heinhold (Ledgestone Group CEO) and told him Lynchburg could host (the championship),” said McBeth, according to a press release after the announcement. “I told him that Lynchburg had a lot of offer for activities and courses and he quickly flew to Lynchburg.”
Heinhold spent three in the area, visiting courses, hotels and venues and laying out a design for the showcase course, Ivy Hill Gold Club in Forest. In addition to Ivy Hill, the event will also feature the New London course.
“This bid would not have happened without the significant support of Chris Runk and the Runk & Pratt group,” Heinhold said in the release. “We are excited to be working closely with them to execute this event.”
Runk & Pratt, one of the event partners, owns the Ivy Hill course.
The PDGA championships are expected to draw 300 disc golfers from 15 different countries and attract nearly 20,000 spectators. According to the release, the multi-day competition will pump $6.4 million into the local economy.
“The PDGA is thrilled to bring the world championships to Lynchburg and Bedford County in 2024,” said Michael Downes, PDGA director of operations. “The local community has been building something very special and we are excited to partner with them to host the first-ever PDGA Pro Worlds in the Old Dominion State. We have no doubt Nate Heinold and his team of disc golf event organizers will work tirelessly with the local organizing committee to produce a memorable experience for all involved.”
The New London course will be an integral part to the event, especially since being named one of the best out of 14,000 in the world.
The course maintained its Udisc ranking this year after landing at No. 29 last year despite being open less than a year. It was also rated the third-best course in Virginia and the No. 2 free course in the state.
Lake Marshall in Montross was ranked No. 12 and Cannon Ridge in Fredricksburg was No. 19. Mayflower Hills in Roanoke was No. 40 and Sugar Hollow in Bristol was No. 67.
Maple Hill in Leichester, Mass., was ranked No. 1 and Krokhol in Siggerud, Norway was No. 2.
According to Udisc’s Alex Williamson, the rankings are based on a methodology that applies more weight to recent reviews and helps identify which courses with excellent but relatively few ratings are true destinations rather than just local favorites.
There were six courses in Virginia that made the top 100. Wisconsin led the ranking with eight course and North Carolina had seven on the list.