Halls Ferry Park Disc Golf Course in Vicksburg, MS

Basic Information

Course Location: Halls Ferry Park

Geographic Location: south side of Vicksburg, MS (32.31297, -90.86907)

Date Visited: December 2021

Number of Holes: 9 (but 9 more under construction)

Course Length: 3060 feet, par 29

Cost to Play: free

Difficulty Level: recreational, medium

Carts: should be fine here

Potential to Lose Discs: low

Park Information: https://www.vicksburg.org/recreation/page/halls-ferry-park

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=11650

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/halls-ferry-park-KMzB

Driving Directions: On the south side of Vicksburg, take I-20 to Halls Ferry Road (exit 1C).  Exit, go south on Halls Ferry Road 1 traffic light, and turn left on South Frontage Road.  Drive South Frontage Rd. east 0.2 miles to Bazinsky Road and turn right on Bazinsky Rd.  Drive narrow and winding Bazinsky Rd. south 0.7 miles, passing the first entrance to Halls Ferry Park, and turn right into the second park entrance, the one at the southeast corner of the park.  Park in the gravel parking lot at this entrance.  The information board, practice basket, and #1 tee are at the back left corner of this parking lot.

Course Constructions:

Tees: dirt/grass tees, 1 per hole; marked with white pegs in the ground

Baskets: Mach X baskets, 1 per hole; in excellent shape on my visit

Signage: information board with course map at parking lot; sign on each tee; #5 tee sign was missing on my visit

Amenities: practice basket, some benches, restrooms beside baseball field near #2 tee

Summary Review: 2 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at Halls Ferry Park is somewhat of a typical city park disc golf course that threads its way among the various athletic fields, tennis courts, and parking lots this park has to offer.  All baseball fields are OB, as are parking lots, tennis courts, roads, and maintenance buildings.  When I came here on a chilly Tuesday morning in early December, I was the park's only user, but the large number of baseball fields and tennis courts indicate that this park could get very crowded on warm-weather weekends.  The athletic fields and parking lots interfere with some throws, so I recommend avoiding this course when the park is crowded.  This course has steeper hills than you might expect for this type of course, and many holes use these slopes effectively as hazards.  Due to a couple of routing quirks, in particular on #4 and #5, I recommend taking a picture of the course map at #1 tee: I needed it to find #4 tee.  Finally, future plans call for adding a second 9 holes that more or less duplicate the current 9, i.e. #10 runs parallel to #1, #11 parallel to #2, and so on.  When I came here, unnumbered baskets had been installed, but no tees had been marked.  As I walked around here, I could see far better ways to add a second 9 compared to using the duplication approach.  As it exists now, this is a solid 9 hole recreational course, but it is not a course worth playing ahead of others.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from hole signs when possible, dgcoursereview.com otherwise (link provided above).  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #1: 365 feet, par 3

Comments: a straightforward opening hole made interesting only by the fact that it plays across the brow of a hill.  No other obstacles stand between the tee and the basket.  #2 tee is across the gravel road near the concession/restroom building.

Hole #2: 315 feet, par 3

Comments: the OB baseball field encroaches on the right; otherwise this hole only has a single tree for an obstacle.  The basket sits on a steep upslope at least 20 feet above the fairway.  #3 tee is to the right at the base of the hill.

Hole #3: 244 feet, par 3

Comments: a disappointing hole in the sense that the gravel maintenance road basically IS the fairway.  At least there is a wooded periodic wetland that guards the basket on the right; it is the first real hazard you encounter on this course.  #4 tee is behind the basket, behind the maintenance building, and near the lower tennis courts.

Hole #4: 234 feet, par 3

Comments: a gentle dogleg right, this hole plays under some trees and beside a chain link fence that appears to be part of an old baseball field.  The trees and fence force you to shape your throw carefully, and this is the first hole that involves any real strategy.  #5 tee is up the hill behind the basket at the right end of the upper tennis courts.

Hole #5: 336 feet, par 3

Comments: another wide open hole on which the right-to-left cross slope offers the hole's only real defense.  The tennis courts to the right are OB.  #6 tee is several hundred feet downhill to the left, past #3 basket, beside the outfield fence; the course route crosses itself here.

Hole #6: 203 feet, par 3

Comments: the shortest hole on this course plays through an open area outside one of the baseball outfield fences.  The basket is cleverly perched in an opening in the trees on this area's steepest hillside.  This hole is well-designed considering what the designer had to work with, and it might be my favorite hole on this course.  #7 tee is several hundred feet away at the north end of the parking lot.

Hole #7: 850 feet, par 5

Comments: by far the longest hole on this course, this hole is either completely out of place or a wonderful break from the par 3's depending on whether you love this hole or hate it.  The parking lot is OB, so throwing across its corner offers some risk/reward (and possibly some vehicle damage if cars are parked there when you throw).  The basket is over a brow of a hill near Bazinsky Road.  Personally, I would rather see 2 or 3 shorter holes around the parking lot than one super-long hole across it.  Such a design could also be used to move holes #4 and #5 to the new back 9 and eliminate the routing issue mentioned above.  #8 tee is along the road behind the basket.

Hole #8: 271 feet, par 3

Comments: the most downhill hole on this course is another hole with no obstacles other than the hillside.  A right-to-left throw will cause the disc to land on an upslope, thus maximizing your control.  #9 tee is behind the basket to the left of the baseball field fence.

Hole #9: 242 feet, par 3

Comments: the short finishing hole plays through a narrow corridor between the baseball field's outfield fence on the right and a steep wooded hillside on the left.  This hole feels wedged in, as does much of the course, thus making it a fitting end to this course.

The Ole Bird Disc Golf Course at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN

Basic Information

Course Location: Tennessee Tech University

Geographic Location: Cookeville, TN (36.17842, -85.51591)

Date Visited: September 2021

Number of Holes: 9

Course Length: 2888 feet, par 27

Cost to Play: free

Difficulty Level: recreational, medium

Carts: should have no problems here

Potential to Lose Discs: very low except around the wooded areas

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=9882

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/tennessee-tech-HaK2

Driving Directions: Near Cookeville, take I-40 to SR 135 (exit 281).  Exit and go north on SR 135.  Drive SR 135 north 3.2 miles through downtown Cookeville to University Drive and turn left on University Dr.  Turn right around the back of the intramural fields and park in the parking lot in front of Tennessee Tech University's Athletic Performance Center.  The first tee is to the right of the concrete path leading to the Athletic Performance Center.

Course Constructions:

Tees: astro turf; 1 per hole

Baskets: Innova Discatcher, 1 per hole, in good condition on my visit

Signage: hole sign on each tee, though a couple were missing when I came here

Amenities: some benches

Summary Review: 3 Stars (out of 5)

The Ole Bird Disc Golf Course at Tennessee Tech University is located in a mostly open mowed grass area around the University's Athletic Performance Center.  The course has more length than many recreational 9 hole courses, but most holes have few if any obstacles to negotiate.  Thus, this course is great for players who like to "grip-it-and-rip-it" but has little to offer players such as myself who like precision and strategy.  The course maintenance was satisfactory when I came here: the grass had been mowed within the past week or so, but a couple of the tee signs were missing.  The course route forms a big loop around the Athletic Performance Center with a few zig-zags thrown in, and I had little trouble finding the next tee despite the lack of a course map or directional signs.  Tennessee Tech is the home of the 2013 National Collegiate Disc Golf Champions, and this course is a solid course the University's community can be proud of.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from hole signs when possible, dgcoursereview.com otherwise (link provided above).  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #1: 269 feet, par 3

Comments: the opening hole plays slightly uphill through the mowed-grass area with not a tree or obstacle in sight.  Let the plastic fly and see how far it goes!  The basket is located on a low platform, which makes putting more interesting.  #2 tee is to the right.

Hole #2: 354 feet, par 3

Comments: kind of the inverse of hole #1, this hole plays slightly downhill.  A lone large tree guards the left side of the basket, so you need to either come in low or curve the disc in from the right.  #3 tee is to the left.

Hole #3: 451 feet, par 3

Comments: the longest hole on this course plays down into a swale with busy 12th Street on the right.  The road is far enough away that it should not get in the way of your disc although the noise can still get in the way of your mind.  As with hole #1, there is nary an obstacle in sight on this hole, although a couple of newly planted trees might grow into hazards in a few years.  #4 tee is behind the basket to the right.

Hole #4: 397 feet, par 3

Comments: now the course's route turns 90 degrees to the south with seldom-used Pine Street on your right.  This hole plays uphill out of the swale, and it feels just as long as the previous hole.  Again, no obstacles are in play.  #5 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #5: 370 feet, par 3

Comments: this downhill hole plays over the back entrance road for the Athletic Performance Center, so check for cars before you throw.  The basket occupies a clever location left of the power line and behind a small cluster of trees, so you need to approach from the wide grassy area to the right.  Also, this hole enters an area marked as a wetland boundary.  I'm not sure what this designation means other than I encountered more mosquitoes here than on the first few holes.  #6 tee is back toward the tee and to the left.

Hole #6: 240 feet, par 3

Comments: kind of a strange hole, the tee shot is blind over a mound that juts out from the Athletic Performance Center.  The basket is located in the edge of the woods; an approach from the center left will give you the most room to maneuver a disc.  #7 tee is in the edge of the woods to the left.

Hole #7: 240 feet, par 3

Comments: a dead straight hole that plays between the Athletic Performance Center on the left and a row of pine trees on the right, but there are no obstacles between the tee and basket.  #8 tee is to the right.

Hole #8: 270 feet, par 3

Comments: a dogleg right that plays over a small swale, the basket is located in a peninsula-shaped mowed grass area surrounded on 3 sides by woods.  A strange semicircle of logs that seems to serve no disc-golf-related function partially surrounds the basket.  #9 tee is to the left.

Hole #9: 297 feet, par 3

Comments: this might be my favorite hole on this course because it is the one that requires the most strategy.  A couple of small trees stand between the tee and the basket, and a left-to-right disc flight will be required to get around them.  More small trees and a pond sit to the right in case you overcook it.  A nice finish to a solid course.