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.
