Whale Rock at Castoro Cellars named top winery disc golf course worldwide

Whale Rock at Castoro Cellars has turned a round of disc golf into a destination trip, and the formula is paying off. UDisc named the Templeton, California, layout the top winery disc golf course in the world in 2026 and No. 4 overall in California, giving a vineyard course a rare place on the sport’s national map.

That status did not come from a novelty label alone. Whale Rock began as a passion project by Max Udsen in 2013 on the family property at Castoro Cellars, and the course’s introduction was celebrated in 2014 with the first Whale Rock Wine Down Tourney. Since then, the layout has built a reputation that reaches well beyond San Luis Obispo County, drawing players from around the country and making the winery a regular stop on disc golf road trips.

The course itself gives players a full 18-hole experience that stretches about two miles across the estate. All 18 holes are par threes, ranging from 225 to 490 feet, with Mach 5 baskets, concrete tee pads and benches at every tee. Castoro Cellars says the design is meant to be friendly for kids and beginners while still challenging expert arms, a balance that helps explain why Whale Rock stands out above the usual bucket-list stop. The property also leans into its setting: tee pads incorporate petrified whale bones found on site, and signage explains the area’s ancient-sea geology and local habitat.

That sense of place matters as much as the scorecard. The course is checked in through the Castoro Cellars tasting room, where access costs $5 and a tasting costs $20, so players can mix a round with a winery visit before or after they throw. Loaner bags with discs are available for visitors who want to try the sport on the spot. The setup has helped transform Castoro Cellars into more than a tasting room, alongside live music, yoga brunch classes and the Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival.

For disc golfers, the appeal is practical as much as scenic. The course closes when it is muddy or raining, dogs are not allowed, and players must check in by 4 p.m. and finish by 5 p.m., details that keep the property playable and orderly. Castoro also ties the course to its broader identity as an organic, SIP Certified vineyard, making Whale Rock a rare crossover where course design, wine tourism and the sport’s growing national culture meet on the same estate.