The Flying Armadillo

Tucked into the rolling hills and wandering streams of San Marcos, TX you will discover one of the most enchanting disc golf courses in America, the Flying Armadillo. As you drive down a quiet Texas road north of the city, your eyes are immediately drawn to the three story tower rising above the trees giving you the heads-up that you are in the right place. Pulling up, you are greeted by the long silver silhouette of an air-stream trailer with a sign that reads, “Pro-Shop;” leaving you with a notable first impression as you park your car.

Walking inside, you are greeted by Mike Lambert, the owner and operator of the course. As you take a look around, you find yourself surrounded by an astounding amount of quality discs to fill any missing spot you may need in your bag before your round.

As we were visiting from Minnesota, and this was our first time at the course, we were pleased to have Mike invite us out for a quick tour of the property and the two different courses the Flying Armadillo hosts on the property, the fun and quirky 18 hole mini-golf style putter course, and the full length 18 hole course that is carved into the challenging Texas landscape.

Following the recommendation of our gracious host, and new friend Mike, we started our adventure warming up on the 18 hole mini-golf style course. Lined with metal sculptures and handmade artwork, each hole hosted a challenge based theme presenting players with numerous lines of attack to the basket.

Ranging from dinosaurs and giant birds, to models of the Alamo and quirky one-off designs – each hole forces you to stop and smile as you step onto the tee-pad… and bust out your camera! It’s not everyday you get to play a mini-golf style disc golf course – so if you get the chance, take it!

There is one more detail I believe is important to add… this mini-golf putter course hosts every hole as a Par 2! So… check your ego at the door, because you’re going to need 3-4 rounds before you get this course dialed in and have a score you’re willing to share…lol!

As @brandy and I transitioned over to the full length course, you get your first look at the three story tower located behind the pro-shop (more on this later). What I absolutely love about the regular 18 hole course is the radical juxtaposition you are confronted with; challenging lines, rouged landscape, and punishing wooded areas lining each hole.

Now I want to keep this centered on the Flying Armadillo, but I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight that I got an Ace on hole 12 (white tee-pads) my first time playing the course. Lucky for me, I have a very intuitive partner in @brandy who had the camera rolling to catch my Ace!

Following my walking-on-sunshine moment on hole 12, we made our way through the rest of the course under the blistering 108 degree Texas heat. Which brings us back to the Tower!

Climbing the circular staircase that brings us up to the top, you are immediately struck by the beautiful 360 degree views looking over San Marcos and the rest of the Texas landscape.

Once at the top, you find yourself with one final entertaining gift from the Flying Armadillo Disc Golf Course, a 3 tier basket pyramid inviting you to bust out your putters – throwing down at it from roughly 20 feet above it. A memorable exclamation point on an already dynamically fun and one-of-a-kind course!

I say this with the upmost sincerity, this was one the most memorable disc golf experiences I have ever had in my life! Laid back atmosphere, undeniably fun, iconic challenges, with endless innovation and artwork surrounding you. This is one of those Bucket-List destination courses! So, if you find yourself in Texas do yourself the favor of making the journey to San Marcos and play the Flying Armadillo Disc Golf Course!