World Class Disc Golf, Beer & Baseball: A Weekend in Worcester

Travel about an hour from Boston to the Worcester region on a road trip that takes in some great food, beer, baseball and disc golf courses that are among the best in the world. Make it the perfect weekend getaway or something longer.

MAPLE HILL

Disc Golf’s mecca and the number one course in the United States according to UDisc attracts a lot of players every year who want to test themselves on this iconic property. It will likely be the catalyst for travelling to Worcester and only an hour or so from the state capital Boston. Multiple layouts make this course playable for anyone from families with kids right through to professionals. The course runs through the Maple Hill Farm Property and is unique for the Christmas tree nurseries that feature on some holes. This is a pay-to-play course where you have to book your tee time and maybe you’ll want a couple of cracks at this course - so it could be a long day trip from Boston or stay and explore what else the region has to offer for visitors and disc golfers.

This course is only a 15 minute drive to Worcester where there are a lot of accommodation options or you can ‘rustic camp’ behind Hole 17’s tee pad, heavy emphasis on ‘rustic’ with no amenities there, just portapotties. This course, ranked as 5th in world disc golf courses, is host to the MVP Open, one of the last stops in summer on the Disc Golf Pro Tour.

RETAIL THERAPY

However your round goes, nothing perks up the mood better than walking into a shop packed wall to wall with shiny new plastic. Marshall Street Pro Disc Golf shop across the road from Maple Hill is a good place to offload some cash while you’re on vacation or just a weekend getaway. It’s one of the country’s retails stores for all things disc golf.

MORE THAN MAPLE HILL

There are other great disc golf courses to play in the Worcester region. So after you’ve purchased new discs at Marshall Street Pro shop and are looking to test them out, there's Pyramids Disc Golf Course on the same property. Then you only need to travel 20 minutes from Maple Hill to East Brookfield and play Mile Marker 63. This newish course, designed by pro players Simon Lizotte and Casey White, makes use of an old nine hole golf course. Reviewers rant about how picturesque this property is, however some have warned that it may not be beginner-friendly. It’s a pay-to-play and already cracked the top 10 courses in the US - strengthening this part of Massachusetts as a premier disc golf destination for Americans as well as international travellers.

The course with some of the best basket imagery is Meadowbrook Orchards around half an hour’s drive from Maple Hill Disc Golf course in Sterling. Baskets hanging from trees, sitting in a ‘field of dreams’, or wedged into an old tractor - this course sits in the heart of an orchard. You can actually buy fresh fruit after your round here and the freshly baked apple cider doughnuts from the bakery are perfect for before or after a round. Also pay-to-play, Meadowbrook Orchards gets the punters waxing lyrical about how beautiful the property is and the variety of holes. Now there's another 18 hole course set up on the east side of the property that’s a more beginner-friendly course with some par 2s.

BEER & BITES

You won’t be disappointed with food and ales on offer in the region. One place consistently stands out as a recommendation for disc golfers playing in the area. Actually, someone went as far as to say that the Treehouse Brewing Company in Charlton was the best brewery in the USA while, one Google reviewer upped that to the world. Locally brewed ales and good food in a great setting that’s 25 minutes from Maple Hill Disc Golf course. In Worcester there’s plenty of accommodation and great eating options on Restaurant Row, Shrewsbury Street.

Just out of Worcester is Hot Dog Annie’s. Served from a shack, there’s an overwhelming consensus about how great these hot dogs are in a debate over Coney Island Dogs V Annie’s. Michael McCardle tells the infamous story of how he and his friend as kids walked through the woods and across the active Worcester Airport runway causing an aircraft to emergency divert just to get a hot dog from Annie’s. There’s a classic dive bar in Worcester called Vincent’s that’s long been known for its famous meatball sandwiches. But if you want a lot of places to try food, drink as well as live music and locally made products then try the Worcester Public Market in Kelley Square.

BASEBALL

If you started your disc golf trip in Boston, then it’s a no-brainer to try and get tickets to one of the most famous baseball stadiums at Fenway Park - home of the Boston Red Sox. But if it’s not possible there’s another Sox franchise based in Worcester - the WooSox - an affiliate franchise of their Boston cousins. It’s probably going to be easier to get tickets to a WooSox game, cheaper and you’re only a short walk back to the centre of town from the stadium at Polar Park. If you’re from overseas travelling in summer and have never been to a ball game, this is a great chance to soak up the atmosphere without massive crowds and the hassle of bigger MLB franchises in major cities.