Newton Hill Disc Golf Course

Elm Park is one of the oldest public parks in the United States — the City of Worcester bought its original 27 acres in 1854, the Olmsted firm reworked the grounds between 1874 and 1884, and the park was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. Newton Hill, the wooded rise added to the park in 1888, sits across Park Avenue from the familiar pond-and-bridges half and holds the disc golf course. The city's own park listing describes it as a full 18-hole, par 58 course open at no cost.

The course was built in 2009 and is maintained by the Friends of Newton Hill, the volunteer group that has spent years clearing and caring for this section of the park. Par 58 over 18 holes means the layout is not a straight par-3 run, and the hill itself does most of the work: fairways climb and fall through mature deciduous woods with hiking trails crossing throughout. Parking and the usual access are off Highland Street, and the rest of Elm Park — tennis and basketball courts, playground, picnic area, skating in winter — is a short walk east.