Historic Day for Estonian Disc Golf: World Championships Coming in 2029, Major Events Secured Until Then

A landmark press conference took place today at Oru Hotel in Tallinn, publishing a series of major announcements for the future of disc golf in Estonia — most notably, the 2029 PDGA Disc Golf World Championships will be held in Tallinn, with a long-term agreement confirming annual international events in the country through 2029.

Image: European Disc Golf Festival

2029 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TALLINN

“This kind of agreement has never been made before,” said Doug Bjerkaas, Executive Director of the PDGA. He emphasized Estonia’s consistent excellence in organizing world-class tournaments: “The feedback from players and fans has been overwhelmingly positive. Estonia has emerged as a key player on the global disc golf map.”

According to Bjerkaas, the collaboration echoes a similar model used in Finland, where successful events gradually built up to the World Championships.

FULL CALENDAR: 2025–2029

• 2025 – European Disc Golf Festival (Major), with the Superstar Challenge on July 15 and the main tournament from July 17–20.

• 2026 – Major and Presidents Cup, with Kristin Lätt announced as the first-ever female captain of Team Europe.

• 2027 – DGPT World Tour stop.

• 2028 – Another Major and Presidents Cup.

• 2029 – PDGA Disc Golf World Championships at Tallinn Song Festival Grounds and Kadriorg Park.

Two-time world champion Kristin Lätt called the news amazing. "I had a feeling something big was coming. It’s like living in a dream — every summer, we’ll host the best players in the world right here in Estonia.”

MAJOR SPONSORSHIP AND NATIONAL PRIDE

Coolbet Estonia was announced as a key sponsor of the festival. Country Manager Rasmus Raidla said: “We want to back local sports — if not us, then who?” He noted that the event stood out among hundreds of annual sponsorship requests due to its professionalism and emotional value.

Organizers highlighted that Estonia’s success stems from years of persistence, beginning in 2022 with the European Championships. Since then, each event has gained scale and prestige, culminating in this unique, long-term international agreement.

15 EXTRA SPOTS FOR ESTONIANS

In another historic first, Estonia secured 15 additional playing spots for local athletes in the 2025 Major — an opportunity rarely offered in global tournaments. “This is a big win for our federation,” said Ralf Rogov of Disc Golf Estonia.

PRESIDENTS CUP RETURNS — AND EVOLVES

Estonia will also host the Presidents Cup in 2026 and 2028. Organizers plan to revamp the event with a more compact, engaging, and digital format.

“We believe the current format is outdated. We’re already brainstorming ways to make it more spectacular,” said Matthias Vutt.

In a historic move, Vutt announced that Estonia had negotiated for Kristin Lätt to be offered the role of Team Europe captain in 2026 — marking the first time ever the position will be held by a woman and an active professional player.

Lätt confirmed she would proudly accept the role: “I used to dream of just being selected for the team. I never imagined I’d one day lead it. It’s an incredible honor.”

CHALLENGING THE SYSTEM

Organizers admitted they didn’t follow the traditional application route. Instead, they fought to rewrite the system itself. “We saw that the ‘one major in Europe every five years’ rule wasn’t sustainable. Europe — and Estonia — deserves more,” said Vutt.

This persistence led to a deal that secures continuity and allows for long-term strategic planning with both government and private sector support.

MILLION-EURO BUDGET AND COURSE EXPANSION

Event budgets are expected to rise to around €1 million by 2029. While previous events were run for around half that, expanding course layouts and rising logistics costs are driving up expenses. The Tallinn Song Festival Grounds will see additional fairways extending beyond its current limits for greater technical challenge and wind exposure.