McNamara Park sits on the far northwest side of Evansville, and the city maintains an 18-hole disc golf course there that most people on the east side have apparently never heard of. This is not an accident — the park is genuinely out of the way, sandwiched between residential streets off Stringtown Road, and it doesn’t show up on many lists. Which is fine. The regulars seem to prefer it that way.
The course runs through rolling terrain with a decent mix of open fairways and wooded holes that require some actual shot-shaping if you don’t want to spend ten minutes looking for your disc in the brush. A few of the longer holes have elevation changes that will sneak up on you, particularly if you’ve only ever played flat municipal courses. It’s not brutally difficult, but it rewards players who’ve developed at least a basic understanding of hyzer and anhyzer — meaning first-timers will have fun and veterans won’t be bored, which is a harder balance to strike than it sounds.
The baskets are in solid condition. Tee pads are mostly concrete with a couple of dirt alternatives on the back nine. Signage is clear enough that you won’t spend the first round confused about which direction you’re supposed to be throwing. The park itself is well-maintained — wide mowed lines, some shade canopy on the wooded holes, and enough space between fairways that you won’t take a disc to the head from an adjacent group.
Cost to play is zero, because it’s a public park. You do need your own discs. If you’re new and don’t own any, a basic starter set — a driver, a mid-range, and a putter — runs about $25 to $40 at most sporting goods stores, and honestly a mid-range disc alone will get you through 18 holes without serious embarrassment. Don’t show up with a regular Frisbee unless you enjoy the experience of watching it fall out of the sky thirty feet in front of you.
The best time to go is a weekday morning or early afternoon. Weekend afternoons can get busy — there’s a regular local crowd that plays here consistently, and while they’re friendly, waiting on backed-up holes for forty minutes changes the rhythm of a round. Parking is free and straightforward off the main park entrance. There are restrooms on-site, which is a detail that sounds minor until you’re on hole 14 and grateful for it.
If you’ve been playing the more popular Burdette Park course and want something with a different character, McNamara is worth the drive across town. The northwest side geography gives it a feel that’s distinct from the river-bottom flatness you get closer to downtown. The trees are older, the terrain has more personality, and the course layout doesn’t feel like it was designed as an afterthought to justify a budget line item.
It’s a legitimate course run by the Evansville Parks Department, it costs nothing to use, and it’s been quietly serving the local disc golf community for years. That’s about as much as anyone needs to know before loading up the bag and heading out.
