[PHOTO: Kingsley Flett]

For the first time, the World Flying Disc Federation World Team Disc Golf Championships will be contested in the Southern Hemisphere, when golfers from 24 countries converge on the Mundaring Sporting Club, east of Perth, next month.

Run by the World Flying Disc Federation, this year marks the fifth staging of the championship, and while Australia is yet to taste glory, this year’s home advantage could make all the difference.

“We’re a little bit down in the world rankings on paper,” said tournament co-director Sue Summers. “But in reality we have a really good chance because of our home turf advantage.

“So the second last event, in Estonia, we were down I think 16th or something, but the last one we jumped up to fifth.”

Summers is on the World Flying Disc Federation Disc Golf committee, and when there was talks of how to diversify the event, both her and husband Ken put their hands up to take charge in Mundaring, where Ken is the president of the Mundaring Sporting Club Disc Golf.

“We will go back to Europe for the next one, Lithuania. But, yeah, this year is especially good because it means that it’s much more accessible for some of the South-East Asian and Oceania countries,” Summers said.

Joining a number of countries from Asia who are travelling for the championship, is New Zealand, several European countries and Canada, USA and Colombia, the town of Mundaring brimming with excitement to show off their community.

“We’ve connected with the local art gallery,” Summers said. “And we’ve made a disc golf-oriented exhibition. “It is called ‘On Par’, and is an exhibition by invited Mundaring artists and disc golf artists, who will also be running workshops so people can come and dye a disc they can keep.”

Just as has been the case with regular golf, disc golf has seen a surge in participation numbers off the back of the pandemic, and Summers is excited to see this growth reflected in competition.

The World Team Disc Golf Championships will be held at Mundaring Sporting Club from November 6-9. Click here to find out more.