If you’re looking for a new sport to try nearby and can’t quite swing a Wellesley Country Club or Nehoiden Golf Club membership, another golfing option is the free 9-hole disc golf course at Olin College in Needham.

It’s by far the closest of 30+ disc golf courses in Massachusetts listed on one website devoted to the sport (and can be access via parking lot C off Rte. 135 past the Wellesley RDF….just look for the signature metal baskets).

We gave it a shot earlier this month, and actually invested in a $20 disc golf kit at Target first (you don’t really need these specialized discs, and the course designers even have established par for official disc golf discs and just plain old frisbees). The course is challenging, with assorted trees and during non-drought times, water obstacles (not to mention a soccer camp that was taking place in the middle of one hole). We recommend wearing long pants, as you’re likely to wind up in the woods and weeds more than once. The course designers have included copies of their course map at most holes to help players navigate the terrain, though you can also print one out ahead of time here.