McAllen Disc Golf Park in McAllen, TX

Basic Information

Course Location: McAllen Disc Golf Park

Geographic Location: McAllen, TX (26.17861, -98.26847)

Date Visited: February 2026

Number of Holes: 18

Course Length: 8786/6641 feet, par 61/56

Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: intermediate

Carts: should be fine

Beginner Friendly? no, too long

Potential to Lose Discs: medium due to water "tanks" and brush

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/green-jay-dgc.8381

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/mc-allen-dgc-aka-green-jay-UsSK

Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: (coming February 19, 2027)

Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: (coming February 26, 2027)

Driving Directions: In McAllen, take I-2 to Ware Road (exit 140).  Exit and go south on Ware Rd.  The parking lot for McAllen Disc Golf Park is on the right 1.3 miles south of I-2.  #1 tee is just north of the parking lot.

Course Constructions:

Tees: concrete, 2 per hole but some holes have 3

Baskets: yellow DisCatcher, 1 per hole

Signage: hole sign on each tee

Amenities: port-o-let at parking lot, benches on some tees

Summary Review: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Also known as Green Jay Disc Golf Course, McAllen Disc Golf Park is a course with a strange desert-like to urban brownfield feel.  The brownfield feel is not an accident: this course sits on a barren plot of land that city leaders could not decide what to do with.  The course has plenty of length, including a couple of 500 foot par 3s.  That said, I actually like most of the short holes on this course more than I like most of the long holes.  Some of the short holes need some trees trimmed, but they require thought and execution.  The long holes are long, but that's all they are.  The terrain is pretty flat with only minor elevation changes, and most holes are fairly open.  There are 4 dug-out basins near the center of the property that hold water only part of the year.  Other parts of the world call these structures "tanks," which is what I will call them henceforth; they were completely dry when I came here.  There were a couple other groups playing the course when I came here, but there were also a couple people just standing around...not walking...not playing with their dogs...just standing.  Thus, I suspect some illegal activity goes on here, and the "standers" combined with the brownfield aspect made me feel a little unsafe.  That said, I didn't get mugged even though I came here alone: I just waited for the "standers" to move before I threw, which they eventually did.  The land is exclusively devoted to disc golf.  The course maintenance was fine on my visit, and the course flow is good enough that I only had to reference the UDisc map twice.  Overall, this course is generally regarded as the best course in south Texas' lower Rio Grande valley.  While I can't say it ranks super high among the courses I have reviewed, it is worth playing here if you are in the Valley, and I suggest playing with a friend for added security.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from hole signs.  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) back tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #1: 600/457 feet, par 4/3

Comments: The tee shot is fraught with safety hazards: a concrete walking path crosses and then goes up the right side of the fairway, while the northwest corner of the parking lot is a little too close for comfort.  This hole is fairly open, but 2 mesquite trees stand in the middle of the fairway about 300 feet from the back tee.  Going left of those 2 trees gives more room for error.  Another mesquite tree and some tall grass stands another 100 feet ahead on the left line, but most players will use a right-to-left disc flight to get around them with their second throw.  Prickly pear cactuses and more trees guard all but the very front of the basket.  Two long and well-shaped throws will land you just short of the cactuses and give you a birdie putt.  This is a strong opening par 4.  #2 tee is to the right.

Hole #2: 378/260 feet, par 3

Comments: a gradual dogleg right with the park's west boundary tight on the left.  A large tree and some shrubs on the right pinch the fairway tight about 250 feet from the back tee, so you will need both length and accuracy with your tee shot to have a makeable birdie putt.  #3 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #3: 311/263 feet, par 3

Comments: The next 3 holes play back and forth across the dusty barrens.  This hole is similar in spirit to the previous hole, but now the basket is in a tight spot between a row of small trees on the left and a tank on the right.  I suggest using a left-to-right disc flight to leave your tee shot in a fairly large open area about 50 feet short of the basket and take your chances with a birdie putt.  #4 tee is to the right and back toward the tee.

Hole #4: 580/420 feet, par 3

Comments: a super-long par 3, but it is mostly open with only a few scattered mesquite trees as obstacles.  A dense cluster of mesquite trees guards the right side of the basket, so coming in from the left is preferred.  #5 tee is to the left.

Hole #5: 640/550 feet, par 4/3

Comments: Even more open than the previous hole, this hole has a well-defined fairway of dirt with low wild grass on either side.  Near the basket, the wild grass becomes shrubs and mesquite trees, so you need some degree of accuracy.  #6 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #6: 286/220 feet, par 3

Comments: among several long holes sits this short hole.  While not tight by most standards, this hole is one of the tightest holes on this course.  The direct line goes just left of the mesquite tree directly ahead.  More shrubby trees and a tank guard the left side, so don't get too aggressive and miss left.  #7 tee is to the right at the edge of the field.

Hole #7: 680/560 feet, par 4/3

Comments: Now come 2 more long holes that play back and forth across the dusty barrens.  A left-to-right tee shot is preferred to get around a single tree that stands in the middle of the fairway about 200 feet in front of the back tee.  A few other isolated trees stand on either side of the fairway, but there are no other obstacles directly between the tee and basket.  Rare back and throw it long!  #8 tee is to the left; the parking lot is just behind the basket if you want to cut your round short.

Hole #8: 896/720 feet, par 4

Comments: Back across the barren dusty land we go on a super long gradual dogleg left.  The fairway is plenty wide, but a few mesquite trees dot either side of the fairway.  More troublesome is the dense cluster of trees left of the basket.  If you miss left with your approach or try to cut the dogleg too much,  you'll get blocked out by those trees.  #9 tee is in the brush behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #9: 375/275 feet, par 3

Comments: The next 6 holes are more normal-length holes, but they also have more trees in play.  The tee shot on this hole plays directly over a tank with no bail-out option.  Another tank guards the right side of the basket.  There are also some trees right around the tanks that permit no easy passage.  Those trees are only about 10 feet tall, so my best idea is to throw over the trees rather than around or through them.  The basket is in a tight corner with prickly pear cactuses long and left.  This is a very unusual and technical hole.  #10 tee is to the left.

Hole #10: 390/328 feet, par 3

Comments: a fairly straight hole with a cluster of mesquite trees directly between the tee and the basket.  There is a decent-sized opening to the left of the mesquite trees, so one approach would be to leave your tee shot left of the direct line and try to curve your approach throw around the trees.  The other option is to try to go through or over the trees and hope you get lucky.  This hole was much easier many years ago when those trees were much smaller, and cutting those trees back would open up some new lines of play.  #11 tee is in the brush to the left.

Hole #11: 260/180 feet, par 3

Comments: short and straight but very tight with a very low ceiling.  If you find the grassy shrubby area on either side, it will be a tough par save.  #12 tee is to the right.

Hole #12: 325/215 feet, par 3

Comments: a dogleg right with a cluster of mesquite trees directly between the tee and the basket.  Those trees are only about 15 feet tall, so with enough power you could go over those trees and cut the dogleg.  More trees guarding the basket on the right also overhang the basket, complicating such a throw.  Besides, I don't have enough power to make the over-tree throw happen, so I took the longer more technical route around the dogleg.  I like these shorter technical holes more than this course's super-long holes.  #13 tee is in the brush to the left.

Hole #13: 245/210 feet, par 3

Comments: The shortest hole on this course, the main feature is a tank on the inside of the sharp dogleg left.  2 lines of play present themselves.  The right option goes around the dogleg and around the tank, and it follows a very tight line with a low ceiling.  The left option goes out and over the tank directly to the basket.  The trouble with the direct option is distance control: the basket is only about 20 feet beyond the tank and about 20 feet in front of a dense shrubby area along the park's west boundary if you approach the basket from the direct angle.  A well-executed throw on the indirect line will still leave a makeable birdie putt, so you have to choose your line and strategy carefully.  #14 tee is to the right, near the park boundary.

Hole #14: 390/275 feet, par 3

Comments: a fairly straight and fairly tight hole with some of the largest trees in the park on the left and plenty of shrubby and grassy areas on the right.  The park's north boundary fence on the left is also in play.  If you throw a disc over that fence, you will have to exit the park to retrieve it from the public road.  A single tree standing 75 feet directly in front of the basket complicates your approach.  Considering this hole's length and tightness, par is a good score on this hole.  #15 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #15: 660/455 feet, par 4/3

Comments: another hole that plays east with the park's north boundary fence to the left.  The most direct route to the basket stays dangerously close to the boundary fence for the entire length of the hole.  A slightly longer but much safer route stays close to the row of palm trees on the right: even if you hit a tree, your disc probably won't go out-of-bounds (OB).  There are many smaller trees on this hole, so many that it is hard to find a good line of play.  Cutting back some of those trees would improve this hole, in my view.  #16 tee is to the right.

Hole #16: 270/218 feet, par 3

Comments: the last short hole on this course.  You need to thread your disc through the tight gap between the 2 trees 50 feet in front of the back tee.  Past those trees, this straight hole really opens up, and it becomes a birdie hole if you can get through that first gap.  #17 tee is to the right near the fence.

Hole #17: 560/385 feet, par 3

Comments: This course closes with 2 long holes, both of which play south with the park's east boundary fence to the left.  This hole is very long for a par 3, but it is mostly straight with a generous fairway.  Of course you don't want to throw over the boundary fence, and shrubs and cactuses guard both sides of the basket, which sits atop a concrete pedestal.  Maybe this hole is long enough to be a par 4 from the back tee.  #18 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #18: 940/650 feet, par 5/4

Comments: We close with the longest hole on this course.  The fairway is rather wide, but the most direct route to the basket stays left in the first open area to the right of the park boundary fence.  The basket is located on a gravel area inside a strange circle of concrete pillars.  This hole is a par 5 from the back tee, and 3 long and somewhat accurate throws will setup a makeable birdie putt.  The parking lot is behind the basket.