Disc Golf

Borderland has an 18-hole disc golf course that anyone can play for free; you pay only DCR's parking fee ($5 for Massachusetts plates, $20 for others). The course starts by the visitor center and main parking lot, runs east to Leach Pond and south past the Wilbur farmhouse, and mixes open lawns and fields with wooded holes. It opened in 2002 with 9 holes and has grown since. A volunteer club built it and keeps it up, and DCR's own planners call it the only disc golf course in the Blue Hills group of parks.

Finding the First Tee

Park in the main lot at 259 Massapoag Avenue. The club's kiosk is next to the lot, with score cards, course rules and league information. There's a practice basket in the large field to the right of the lot, and when people are using the field, the club has warm-up nets along the tree line on its west side. Follow the marked paths from hole to hole; DCR's management plan notes they connect every hole but aren't shown on the park's trail map, so the UDisc app, which the club recommends for maps and scoring, is the easiest way to see where you are.

Layouts and Tees

According to the Borderland Disc Golf Club, every hole has three tees, Blue, White and Yellow, and two baskets, Blue and White. The White basket sits in one of two positions. Blue and White tee pads are rubber mats or pavers; Yellow tees are mats or plain dirt and grass.

If you've never played, start from the Yellow tees, which the club designed for beginners. They don't have their own signs: look for two cobblestones painted yellow and a yellow wooden block with the hole number, and use the hole layout shown on the White tee sign.

No Discs? Borrow One

The club says the park keeps loaner discs in a box, usually in the breezeway of the visitor center. No discs are for sale at the park. Lost discs go to the visitor center office, where the park keeps a list; if you find one with a name and number on it, the club asks you to call or text the owner first, or drop it in the lost disc box on the back of the kiosk.

Course Rules

• No alcohol. DCR bans it in the park, and the club's FAQ calls it a strict policy.
• Carry in, carry out. The club calls Borderland a carry-in, carry-out park; take your cups and wrappers home.
• Share the park. The course crosses fields and paths that walkers, families and dog owners use. Wait for a clear fairway.
• Snow day rule: the club marks an out-of-bounds road on hole 17 when there's snow, to keep sledders on hole 17 safe.
• Course-specific rules, including out-of-bounds lines for each hole, are posted at the kiosk and linked from the club's FAQ.

Leagues and Tournaments

The Borderland Disc Golf Club runs a weekly Sunday doubles league open to anyone: card draw at 8:45 am, start at 9, $7 cash, with the layout changing each week. DCR's management plan says the course draws players from across the Northeast and names two big annual events, the Spring Fling and the Fall Classic. The club's site and its Facebook group carry current dates.

When to Play

The course follows park hours, 8 am to 6 pm by DCR's listing, with shorter winter hours. Weekends are the busiest time for the whole park, and DCR says the lots can fill by late morning from spring through fall. A weekday round, or an early Sunday after the league tees off, is the easiest way to avoid a wait on the tee and a full lot. Searches for the course peak in August.

Disc Golf in Massachusetts

The Friends of Borderland call it one of the best disc golf courses in the nation, and DCR's planners say it is the only course in DCR's Blue Hills Complex of parks. A Massachusetts resident who plays often may find DCR's $60 annual parking pass cheaper than paying $5 a visit; DCR says it covers parking at most of its parks that charge a fee.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

• Good for beginners: free to play, loaner discs, and a dedicated Yellow layout.
• Good for regular players: three tees and two baskets per hole make several layouts.
• Good for groups who want a mix of open field shots and tight wooded holes.
• Maybe skip on a summer weekend afternoon if you'd rather not wait; the park can close to new cars when full. See parking.
• Maybe skip if you'd rather walk: the 3-mile Pond Walk covers much of the same ground without a disc.