Basic Information
Course Location: Lake Claiborne State Park
Geographic Location: southeast of Homer, LA (32.72366, -92.92286)
Date Visited: February 2026
Number of Holes: 18
Course Length: 7939/7225 feet, par 63
Cost to Play: $3 park entrance fee
Difficulty Level: intermediate
Difficulty Level: intermediate
Carts: not advisable due to steep areas and deep leaf litter
Beginner Friendly? no
Potential to Lose Discs: medium due to dense woods and deep leaf litter
Park Information: https://www.lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/lake-claiborne-state-park
DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/lake-claiborne-sp-whitetail.6661
Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: (coming March 5, 2027)
Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: (coming March 12, 2027)
Driving Directions: From Homer, take SR 146 southeast 10.4 miles to the signed park entrance on the left. Turn left to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park in the small parking lot near the park entrance station. #1 tee is northeast of the entrance station; look for the portal and course maps in the photo below.
Course Constructions:
Tees: 2 per hole; the back blue tee is concrete, the front red tee is dirt
Baskets: DisCatcher, 1 per hole, but some holes have multiple possible basket positions
Signage: course map near parking lot, hole sign on each blue tee, some signs pointing to the next tee
Amenities: practice basket, restroom, Coke machine, benches on some holes, other amenities including camping elsewhere in the park
Summary Review: 4.5 Stars (out of 5)
Lake Claiborne State Park has 2 18-hole disc golf courses: the Whitetail Course and the Dogwood Course. Both courses start at the course map and welcome area just northeast of the entrance station, and both courses have significant elevation and length. That said, the Whitetail Course is longer and more challenging than the Dogwood Course. This review considers only the Whitetail Course; the Dogwood Course will be covered in the next review.
The Whitetail Course occupies a large, hilly, and heavily wooded plot of land that goes all of the way to the shore of Lake Claiborne. Park staff had conducted a controlled burn just a few days before I played here. That controlled burn is a long-term positive, but it left the ground charred-black everywhere, which in turn made my hands, discs, and pant legs black. Overall, the course maintenance is fine. This course has multiple tees and multiple possible basket positions, so it has high replayability and decent adaptability to your skill level. Many holes play very differently depending on which position the basket is in. The course has plenty of elevation, and it has plenty of length: only 2 holes measure less than 300 feet long from the back tees. 7 holes measure more than 400 feet long, and that leads to this course's only real weakness: the 6 longest holes on the course and the only non-par-3s are the last 6 holes. The 6 consecutive long holes at the very end make the course feel very unbalanced, and it is the only reason I don't give this course 5 stars. A seldom-used hiking trail winds around the course, but for the most part this land is devoted exclusively to disc golf, and I saw no major safety issues. Some additional signage to the next tee could be useful, especially near the many park roads. This course is in a somewhat remote location, so I recommend taking an entire day, paying the park entrance fee once, and playing both of this park's courses. Such a day would be an excellent day of disc golf, and I did enjoy playing both of these courses.
Hole-by-Hole Review
Distances taken from hole signs on the back tee. Picture sequence for each hole is 1) back tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.
Hole #1: 395/320 feet, par 3
Comments: We start with a steeply downhill hole: the elevation change is about 50 feet from the tee to the basket. The fairway is tight with plenty of tall stately pine trees on either side, but it is not crazy tight. There is a gradual dogleg right about 100 feet in front of the basket. It will take a good throw, but birdie is not out of the question here in spite of this hole's length. #2 tee is across the park road to the left.
Hole #2: 381/311 feet, par 3 (Basket in short/left/A position)
Comments: This hole heads further downhill but on a much more gradual grade than the previous hole. This hole is dead straight if the basket is in the B position, but it curves sharply left less than 50 feet before the basket if the basket is in the A position. In either position, the fairway is rather wide for a heavily wooded hole, so a well-executed throw with good distance will setup a birdie putt. #3 tee is to the left.
Hole #3: 382/327 feet, par 3 (Basket in short/left/A position)
Comments: This hole plays across a steep ravine with the basket a little lower than the tee. It is about 200 feet to clear the ravine, but the ravine's side is steep enough that a bad bounce and roll is a real threat. This hole is tight, but you will play tighter: the main thing is dealing with that ravine. This is an exciting and excellent cross-ravine hole. #4 tee is behind the basket and across the park road.
Hole #4: 435/306 feet, par 3 (Basket is in the long/A position)
Comments: similar to the previous hole, but the ravine is steeper and deeper. Also, the hole is longer: it is just under 300 feet to clear the ravine. The fairway is not quite as tight as the previous hole, and again executing a strategy for dealing with that ravine is the main challenge. #5 tee is uphill to the left.
Hole #5: 314 feet, par 3
Comments: A quartet of trees 100 feet in front of the tee really tests your decision-making and your accuracy. You could maybe go around either side of those trees, but the very tight line on the left is the most direct line to the basket. This hole also plays over a low ridge, but the elevation is mellow compared to the previous 2 holes. Thus, this hole is a different kind of test; I like variety. #6 tee is across the park road to the right.
Hole #6: 231/211 feet, par 3 (Basket is in the long/left/A position)
Comments: The shortest hole on this course is a sharp dogleg left, especially if the basket is in the A position. The dogleg is just over 100 feet short of the basket, and it will be hard to bend your disc flight enough to get it around that dogleg with your tee shot. Thus, you will probably need to make a long putt to make birdie here despite this hole's shortness. #7 tee is in the utility corridor across the park road to the left.
Hole #7: 327/272 feet, par 3 (Basket is in the short/right/B position)
Comments: An interesting adaptation on a standard utility corridor hole: this hole plays very differently depending on which position the basket is in. If the basket is in the left/A position, this hole is fairly straight and gradually downhill with a corridor-wide fairway. In that case, a straight throw with good distance and decent accuracy will yield a birdie putt. If the basket is in the right/B position, this hole is a dogleg right with the basket into the woods and a tight line of access. In that case, you will need a sweeping left-to-right throw with good accuracy. This is a very well-designed hole. #8 tee is to the right.
Hole #8: 320/252 feet, par 3 (Basket is in the long/right/A position)
Comments: This hole plays over a shallow ravine with a tight fairway, and what shape your disc flight needs depends on what position the basket is in: sweeping left-to-right if the basket is in the A position but gradually right-to-left if it is in the B position. In either case, you will need a long, accurate, well-executed tee shot to setup a birdie putt. #9 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #9: 334/262 feet, par 3 (Basket in long/A position)
Comments: another hole that plays very differently based on which position the basket is in. In the B position, this hole is fairly straight and plays downhill. In the A position, this hole is a sweeping dogleg left that plays down and back up. The fairway is tight, but you have played tighter. Know where your target is and execute a throw. #10 tee is to the left.
Hole #10: 301/266 feet, par 3 (Basket in short/A position)
Comments: easily the most scenic and maybe the most memorable hole on this course: it plays straight downhill with Lake Claiborne just behind the basket. The fairway is tight but not the tightest. The lake is more in play with the basket in the B position than in the A position. If you can get a straight throw to the bottom of the hill with your tee shot, a birdie putt awaits. #11 tee is to the left along the lakeshore and back uphill.
Hole #11: 322/290 feet, par 3 (Basket in long/left/A position)
Comments: Because you are right beside the lake, you know there is nowhere to go but up from here. Sure enough, this hole plays the opposite direction than the previous hole, and therefore it heads straight back uphill. As with other holes, this hole plays very differently based on which position the basket is in. Also as with other holes, the fairway is tight but not the tightest on this course. Know where your target is and shape your disc flight accordingly. #12 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #12: 274/259 feet, par 3 (Basket in long/right/A position)
Comments: A row of trees that starts about 100 feet in front of the back tee splits this fairway in half. It is probably best to go right of those trees, especially if the basket is in the right position as it was on my visit. This is one of the tightest fairways on this course, so accuracy is more important than power. Besides, you'll need that power for the closing stretch. #13 tee is a couple hundred feet away; follow the trail across the park road behind the basket.
Hole #13: 705 feet, par 5
Comments: At this point you're completely done with the short holes: there's nothing but long hard holes to go. It's a bit of a jarring transition given that you have seen nothing but par 3s so far. This hole plays across 2 shallow and gradual ravines, and the fairway is plenty tight: just keep throwing it straight until you can see the basket. This hole is short for a par 5, but the tightness makes it a worthy par 5. #14 tee is to the right.
Hole #14: 534/476 feet, par 4 (Basket in long/left/A position)
Comments: This hole plays down a narrow finger ridge that ends at the lake. The fairway is very tight for the first 200 feet from the back tee, and a bad ricochet off of a tree could send your disc rolling off the side of the ridge. The hole is also a slight dogleg left to boot with the dogleg about 250 feet from the back tee. Thus, a couple of long straight throws will setup a birdie opportunity if you can miss the trees. #15 tee is to the left and back toward the tee.
Hole #15: 490/460 feet, par 4 (Basket in right/A position)
Comments: a gradually uphill dogleg right if the basket is in the A position or a double dogleg, right then left, if the basket is in the B position. In either case, a left-to-right tee shot is preferred to get around the 2 trees that jut into the fairway from the right about 150 feet from the back tee. The fairway is tight but not the tightest. It will still take 2 long and fairly accurate throws to setup a birdie putt. #16 tee is in the utility corridor behind the basket.
Hole #16: 1054 feet, par 5
Comments: The tee sign says "over the hills and far away," and so it is. The longest hole on this course, this hole plays down a utility corridor for most of its distance, and it is the closest thing this course has to an open bomber hole. Of course the corridor is dead straight, but the basket is in the trees to the right of the corridor. Just keep heaving your disc down the utility corridor until you can see the basket. I wouldn't say I like this hole, but I certainly remember it. #17 tee is behind the basket and to the right.
Hole #17: 710 feet, par 5
Comments: Another long gradually uphill hole, but this fairway may be the widest fairway on this course. The woods on either side of the fairway are dense, so staying in the fairway is paramount. This hole is a double dogleg. The first dogleg bends right, but the direction of the second depends on which side of an island of pine trees you choose to go. The most direct line goes left of that island, but the left line may be a tough angle to hit based on where your tee shot lands. This hole is short enough that 3 well-executed throws will yield a birdie putt, and I like this hole as much as I don't like the previous one. #18 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #18: 430 feet, par 4
Comments: a steeply uphill dogleg left to close. The fairway is somewhat tight but not the tightest. 2 large trees about 50 feet directly in front of the basket complicate your approach; the most direct line around those trees is to the left. A birdie to finish is within your grasp if you can throw it long enough and straight enough. The parking lot is behind the basket; angle right on the park road.
