Great to have a disc golf course in the most scenic part of Houston and in a central location. On the banks of the buffalo bayou, under the skyline and lots of plant diversity. Easy to find tees and baskets. Free. Not crowded. Challenging!

Such a scenic course but I can't bring my beginner friends here because it is too unforgiving. For the first half of the course you need to be careful not to throw it into the thick brush that has poison ivy, and for the second half the baskets run at the edge of a river the color of chocolate. Thankfully my disc floated and after 30 min the disc drifted to shore three holes down. I have played on course all over the country, including ones with an angry moose or rattlesnakes, but this course with its thorns and constant threat of murky water is the only one that makes me nervous. Only 9 holes but according to the map they plan to expand to another part of the park.

-When I think of Houston disc golf, I think of standing on the hole 9 tee looking at the glorious city skyline that is Houston. This is a very scenic course with the Houston skyline in the backdrop on a few holes
-This course has a lot of elevation. Much more then most of the course in Houston.
-There are several risk reward type shots especially Hole #6 where you can try a big hyzer to clear the creek and trees for an easy two but risk throwing your disc into the murky, murky water.
-The basket placements are all very unique, some on the side of hills.
-This course has a lot on not much land. It utilizes the land perfectly.

-The first hole is always a struggle to find. There are wooden stakes in the ground to designate the tees but some of these are missing and some are starting to rot.
-Parking is always a nightmare. You have to park on the street which can be a problem depending on the time of day and the amount of traffic.
-The water here is pretty murky. You have the small creek that loves to eat discs on a few holes and then you have the bayou that if a disc goes in it is very VERY doubtful that you will get your disc back.
-There is a lot of foot and bike traffic on the trail that cuts in the fairway on a few holes. Be cautious.

I would love to see this course expanded into 18 holes. This is a beautiful piece of land and could be THE premier spot to play with more holes, better signage, and better tee pads.

You come to this course to play disc golf and you come back for the view. This is a course that ALL out of town players should from the sheer beauty alone.

+They worked 9 holes into the space fairly well. +Elevation changes were used along a couple holes, as well as the waterway along the side.
+The holes themselves were well thought out, and flowed well.

-Construction on the park made some tees hard to find, or missing (2).
-The "dirt" teepads were muddy, and one was even right next to the asphalt path?
-The bank of the waterway along nine was ridiculous. I walked 50 ft to get my disc and came out with 4 lbs of mud stuck to my shoe, and almost fell in it it was so slick.
-Markers didn't have distances on them, and the alternate tees were marked with bricks that aren't visible until you're on top of them.

Concrete pads would elevate this to a 3.5, and some better signage would help as well. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun little course, and with the small amount of space to work with, the holes were well thought out and made sense. You can tell what the designer had in mind for lines when you take a look at each hole.
6 plays over an inlet, and provides for some fun trouble just before the basket.
I felt that 9's basket could have been moved farther from the water just to keep your shots further out of the mud.

Not crowded, restrooms.

Limited parking

This is a nine hole course situated on the Buffalo Bayou water way in Sabine Park, just outside of downtown Houston. There is a skateboard park where hole one and nine is, (start and finish) and plays with a jogging/walking path along the length of the course. Dirt tee pads with tee signs showing direction and distance. There is an overall course map on a bulletin board outside the skateboard park so you can see the basic layout of the course. The park has the typical tree and shrubbery growth for texas, the majority of the fairways are grassy and well maintained by the park services, with several mature trees and other foliage coming into play on every hole.
Course design takes elevation changes to full advantage, especially the first three holes. The Buffalo Bayou comes into play on half of the holes as you hit the turn and start coming back to the skateboard park. Course design is better than average and is focused on the intermediate to advanced players skill levels. Distance on drives is not overwhelming, somewhere between 300 to 400 feet on average. All fairways are pretty wide open, no prohibitive tee shots where trees or bushes are in the way. Navigating your way around the course is very easy, although some of the alternate tee pads are not completely visible and may be a little hard to find for the first time player.
Overall I enjoyed playing this course. It took about 45 minutes to play, on a Friday afternoon there was no one else on the course. There were some people using the jogging path however and that delayed some of my tee shots for safety reasons. Parking is sketchy, on a weekend you probably have to park a long ways away. This course ranges right in the middle of skill sets needed for a disc golfer. A beginner who has never played may find it too difficult, and an experienced pro may find it a little too easy for his abilities. If there were permanent tee pads I would give this a better rating than a 3.

Elevation changes (not found frequently in Houston) make for challenging holes. Especially on #2,#3,#8 and #9. Course stays away from the walk/biking trail for the most part (unless you throw a stray shot). Risk reward is high on several holes, 6 being the one that comes to mind first. Lay up or shoot over the water/mud hazard. Several birdie holes if you have the shot in your bag.

Alternate tees not marked/hard to find, unless you play with someone who knows where they are. Tees are natural and could use some work. They're not the worst I've seen but you have to throw from beside the rut on most of them. Crazy bike riders that don't slow down on the blind hill in between 8 and 9. Park is crowded on weekend with non-dg's. I suggest a weekday during the day if it fits your schedule as the park is significantly less crowded.

If you miss a putt on 1,2 or 8 you could end up with a long uphill putt that could turn into a vicious cycle of long uphill putts. There is water along the right side of 3 that is hidden front the tee. If your roller strays a little or if you throw a shot that fades a little too much it could spend the rest of it's life in the drink. Not exactly a course for beginners. Although I don't want to discourage beginners from play as this is a great course. easy bird on 7. This course can get very windy, especially on holes along the bayou, so make sure you pack your "wind discs". Overall a great course if you don't mind the possibility of losing a disc or 2.

I heard about a tight bayou course near downtown Houston from a skater friend, and when I had the opportunity to play it on a trip I definitely made it happen. I also brought several newbies who live in the neighborhood (and who I'm sure will be returning in the future to hone their skills).

The term "bayou" as best I can tell means something like "stagnant creek," or what looks like a creek or small river but doesn't actually flow unless there's a ton of water coming down the small valley that it sits inside. Needless to say, the bayou water hazard here, rimmed somewhat by medium-sized trees, are the nastiest looking soup I've ever seen in a disc golf course. The soil is very sandy. You can see sand spit up when the disc comes down even in grassy areas.

The valley around the bayou water is very nicely groomed and mowed, there are steep side-slopes to deal with on several basket placements. There are plenty of trees to provide obstacles, though many are still young. (I think it they didn't mow the grass regularly, it would be a jungle in here!) The view of downtown is quite spectacular from the course, and a very unique setting for disc golf.

Most holes on this course require very good control on your throws. If you overshoot, turn over too much, or fade too early, you will seriously never ever see your disc again. Period. It seems like wading in that water will get you a tropical disease, or eaten by a gator.

Hole 5 was my favorite on the course, with the big bayou water hazard running along the right, and then you have to play through a tight tunnel across a small muddy tributary and ditch that is probably about 300 ft away from the tee. Most players will lay up on this one, but if you're confident, then hitting this tunnel and parking for birdie will be one of the most satisfying throws you will ever make. But, if you hit something going across, another great chance of never seeing your disc again, unless you're lucky enough to get a floaty.

Huge arms (400+ ft power) can power over the top of some of the tree lines on this course, which might reduce the challenge somewhat, except that the baskets are often on steep slopes so getting the disc to stay put is not at all simple. And you really do have to be flawless in your aim if you're putting more power on your throws.

A lot of the baskets are of the cheap, single-outer ring style. Some are deformed/bent, and I don't think they will last much longer. They need to install Mach V's or similar. Dirt tees are sometimes not smooth. Be careful, and watch your step! It is also not easy to navigate the first time around (start on the backside of the skate park, opposite Sabine St).

Car break-ins are rampant in this area. I heard tales of discs and other items being stolen from cars parked in the neighborhood, and saw a person discover their car window smashed when I was there. Be careful, lock your car, and don't leave anything in view.

There is some pedestrian traffic, but I found them to be friendly, and curious, often stopping to watch us drive from the tee.

Bring mosquito repellent. The bayous are huge breeding grounds.

This course could easily be expanded, also for special tournaments or other events. This bayou continues for a very long ways, and the park land is very nice the entire length.

Jim Mozola is a great elevation course for Houston standards. Even though it's only a tight nine-hole course, the alternate tees make for playing a solid 18. There are a mix of distances, coupled with a good use of hills, trees, and the creek to mess with your shot.

Water comes into play on most holes, and even a poor shot on one or two can get your disc wet. Hole two is particularly tricky with the steep slope and road on the right, and dense foliage and pond ready to swallow discs on the left.

The pins and tees are adequate, not great, and each hole is marked, but you'll have to download the map under links if you plan on playing the alternate tees.

The skate park unfortunately seems to have become the main priority to the park. Not that it interferes with play, but it's required the course to be redesigned and only recently was #1 and #2 changed back to it's original splendor.

Space is the other negative. This must be taken with a grain of salt - you're in downtown, but you'll have to contend with multiple joggers and bikers sharing the greenway that snakes through the course. This can be very aggravating, since they seem to always be completely clueless that they are in your way.

Tee boxes are minimal at best, so people with a long approach may have problems with the dirt.

If scenery is one of your factors for where you play, then know that Jim Mozola is arguably the prettiest course in the Houston area. Set along Buffalo Bayou, "The Bayou Course" is a mix of hills and old growth Cypress and Oak with downtown's towering skyscrapers as a backdrop.

The Bayou course is meant for decent players looking to enhance their elevation shots in an area where elevation is rare. Beginners may get frustrated easily, and hole two or five can humble even the best players. Take your time, and enjoy the views and layout, and if the season is right - even reward yourself with some blackberries from the massive tree guarding number nine.

-Probably one of the more enjoyable courses that I've played.
-Very scenic views of downtown and the Bayou flowing by make for a fun experience.
-I really like these pins (easy to see among all of the green, but they dont have the big yellow rejection ring on the top.
-Trash cans and benches on some holes.
-Some challenging shots (Especially to prevent discs from going in the drink- good thing I'm not a LHBH)
-Hole #5 was a great challenge. Very reminiscent of a ball golf hole where you have to layup and then clear the water with your approach. Very fun hole.

-I would not have been able to find hole 1 without the map I printed before I went. (only found the yellow marker)
-Lots of runners and bikers to avoid on hole 6.
-Tees were sometimes difficult to find with different hole #'s on the markers in some cases.
-Condition of the tee areas were horrible. I often moved to the side to be able to get good footing.
-Hole length is too short (I had difficulty finding yellow tees). Next time I hope to have enough time to get two full rounds in to try all lengths.

I will definately play here again it was very fun. With some improved signage and concrete tee pads this course would definately be up there for me. I wish I could give a better score but the shortcomings are too many. I was suprised that I didn't see any locals playing (time of Day?). I wish someone was with me to witness me hitting the pin on 9 (still gunning for that first Ace!).

Very well marked Main set of tees with red wooden posts. Alt set of tees enable you to play 18 holes on the 9 installed baskets. Challenging hole over the water. Has a warm-up basket with putting distance stones by the skate park. Many of the old Strokesaver baskets have been modified with inner chains. Elevation! Not many courses in Houston play to baskets on hills; this course does it well.

Alt tees marked with yellow bricks are hard to find without a map. Course plays along a trail and as such you have to contend with potentially a lot of walkers, joggers, and bikers. With an average hole length of ~340' from either the posts or the bricks this course is generally too long to birdie and too short to bogey, thus you end up with a lot of uneventful 3's on your scorecard. Hole #9 from the post is a perfect example of lost potential: at 447' it's too long for most to reach off the tee so you play a safe 300'ish shot around the hill, make the 150' upshot and take the easy 3. If you'd shorten up the tee box so that it's reachable for more players off the tee then it becomes a much riskier hole as the 2 is now possible. The alt tee for #9 is a good example of this. Parking for this course is limited especially if the skate park is crowded.

As of Mar 2010 the course has been restored to mostly the original layout prior to the skate park being built. I didn't really like this course much after the first couple rounds, but it has grown on me the more I play it. Nice view of the Houston skyline if that's your thing.

Jim Mozola Memorial DGC has a very unique layout, and can be quite challenging on a few holes. The course primarily plays in and around the middle of the park with a few holes right along the bayou, leaving little room for error. The course has a walking path that meanders around most of the course, with mowed grass and plenty of trees during those hot summer days!

The holes that do come in to play around the bayou require good placement and precise shots in order to not wind up in the drink! If it does go in to the water you can kiss your disc goodbye! Baskets seemed alright for the course but do have a tendancy to penalize good putts due to lack of chains. The back drop of downtown Houston is very impressive, especially in the evening. The signs warning pedestrians and dog owners of alligators was a little disturbing but, made it a little more exciting as well.

I recommend this course if your ever in the city, and be sure to bring a few discs that you don't care about when throwing blindly over the water on some of the back holes.

Although harmless, beware of the homeless people laying under or around hole # 2. They tend to sleep under the overpass or go there to get out of the heat.

The dirt tee pads need work as well. They have become increasingly larger as the years have gone by, and make the course a little less appealing visually.

Last, finding the alternative yellow markes can be a bit of a chore, as they are hard to locate. Apparently there is a map so make sure you download it before playing those tees.

This is one of the most interesting 9 hole courses I have played due to its location, and is worth trying atleast once. With the picturesque backdrop, it makes for a fun quick round, especially if you work in the city.