Circle C Metropolitan Park Disc Golf Course

Tucked into a west Austin park where Slaughter Creek winds through cedar and hardwood, Circle C Metropolitan Park (officially Circle C Ranch Metropolitan Park) is one of the oldest continuously played disc golf courses in Texas — the City of Austin installed it back in 1992. Local designer Mike Olse, a fixture of the city's early disc golf scene, reworked the layout around 2009 to make it more sustainable under heavy traffic, and the course has since become a regular PDGA tournament venue.

Don't come expecting a gentle park round. Nearly every hole is lined the whole way by trees, and the course rewards controlled, accurate throws over raw power. Both the shorter red tees (about 6,512 feet) and the longer blue tees (roughly 7,469 feet) play to a par of 64, and the stretch through holes 7–10 adds real elevation change. It's earned a 4.6-star UDisc rating across more than 6,400 rounds — one of just two Austin courses above 4.5 stars, alongside Roy G. Guerrero — and a reputation as the city's toughest public layout.

It's free, public and open daily from 5am to 10pm, with parking, restrooms, a dog-friendly park and trails. The catch: the only drinking water is back at the first tee, so carry your own, especially in the Texas summer when morning tee times are strongly advised. Intermediate and advanced players will get the most out of it; the finishing hole — up and over a ridge, then across the creek to the basket — is a fitting closer.