Basic Information
Course Location: Spring Lake Park
Geographic Location: Texarkana, TX (33.46319, -94.05836)
Date Visited: February 2025
Number of Holes: 18
Course Length: 5314 feet, par 54
Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, medium
Difficulty Level: recreational, medium
Carts: should be fine here
Potential to Lose Discs: low, but a couple of holes are close to a park boundary
DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/spring-lake-park-west.8330
UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/spring-lake-park-Nyat
Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: (coming November 21)
Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: (coming November 28)
Driving Directions: On the Texas side of Texarkana, take I-30 to the Summerhill Road exit (exit 222). Exit and go east on the I-30 Frontage Road. The entrance to Spring Lake Park is on the right 0.5 miles east of Summerhill Rd. Turn right to enter the park, and drive the main park road south 0.4 miles to the disc golf parking area on the right. An information kiosk and 2 white Veteran practice baskets mark the parking area. Hole #1 for the west course is just south of the parking lot.
Course Constructions:
Tees: mostly concrete, but some are asphalt and some are dirt
Baskets: 12 older yellow Discatchers; 6 newer white Veteran; all in good condition on my visit
Signage: hole sign on each tee; some signs pointing to next tee; course map at information kiosk
Amenities: 2 practice baskets, benches at some tees, splashpad, athletic fields, picnic tables, other amenities elsewhere in the park
Summary Review: 2.5 Stars (out of 5)
Spring Lake Park offers 36 holes of disc golf: an 18-hole East Course and an 18-hole West Course. Alternatively, the 36 holes can be grouped into 18 original holes and 18 newer holes. 6 of the newer holes are to the west of the original 18 while 12 are to the east of it. The 18 original holes are called the Central Course, which is important for 2 reasons: 1) some signs and websites mention the Central Course, and 2) the 18 original baskets are numbered according to their order on the Central Course, not according to their order on the East or West Courses. The Central Course causes confusion, and I would rather they sign and number every hole according to the East and West order. If you play the East and West courses, you have played all 36 holes at this park. This review considers only the West Course, while the next review considers only the East Course.
This course occupies a fairly flat piece of land in a large and beautiful city park. 16 of the holes are some degree of open and lightly wooded while only 2 holes are tight and heavily wooded. All but 5 holes play between 248 and 308 feet, and the abundance of lightly wooded holes of similar length can make the course feel repetitive. That said, most holes require slightly different throws, so the course is more accurately thought of as slight variations on a theme. Due to the combination of old and new holes, there are some route quirks. The walk from #W12 basket to #W13 tee is fairly long, and the fairways on #W7 and #W8 cross each other. Thus, I recommend taking a picture of the course map at the parking area or having a course map on your phone while you play here. A paved walking trail comes into play on several holes, and I did have to wait to throw a couple of times even though I came here on a cold damp Monday morning in early February. The course itself is heavily used: I saw several other groups on both courses when I played here. Overall, I found this course to be a solid recreational course, and it is the only public park course near Texarkana. Be that as it may, I can name dozens of courses I like better than either course at this park, and skilled and experienced players will find little challenge here.
Hole-by-Hole Review
Distances taken from hole signs. Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.
Hole #W1: 286 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #1 on the Central Course)
Comments: The opening hole plays very gradually downhill, but that downhill is important due to the low ceiling created by low-hanging tree limbs. The sparse smattering of trees allows for several lines of play, but the direct line is the most obvious: it's the shortest line and it's reasonably wide. This hole rewards accuracy over power. #W2 tee is to the right.
Hole #W2: 260 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #2 on the Central Course)
Comments: the paved walking path makes its first of many appearances on this hole. I saw several people on this path when I came here, so check for walkers before you throw whenever you see the path. You will need a slight left-to-right disc flight to attack this basket, but don't cut it too much: the only real trouble are the trees and bushes to the right of the fairway. The fenced maintenance area to the left is out-of-bounds (OB), but it would take a bad throw or big gust of wind to end up there. #W3 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #W3: 305 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #3 on the Central Course)
Comments: very flat and very open with only a few tufts of grass to guard the basket. Yawn. #W4 tee is to the left.
Hole #W4: 480 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #4 on the Central Course)
Comments: the longest hole on this course. Two large trees in front of the basket force you to bring your disc in from the right on your approach throw. If your arm is big enough to get near the basket in 1 throw, a sweeping right-to-left disc flight on an aggressive line is optimal. In my case, I went left-to-right with my tee shot to end up right of the basket and give the best angle for my approach. #W5 tee is across the road to the left and back toward the tee.
Hole #W5: 272 feet, par 3
Comments: now we get to the first 4 new holes, which are more heavily wooded than the original holes. This hole requires you to throw your disc through a picket fence of large trees; aim for the narrow gap straight ahead with a slight right-to-left disc flight. You'll probably hit a tree, so hope for a good ricochet. Also, mind any players over on the next tee, which is on the inside of this hole's slight dogleg. #W6 tee is to the left and back toward the tee.
Hole #W6: 303 feet, par 3
Comments: similar to the previous hole with the "throw it through the picket fence" feel. The tiny stream 50 feet in front of the basket is OB, and again you need to mind players on the next tee. #W7 tee is to the left on the previous (north) side of the small stream.
Hole #W7: 215 feet, par 3
Comments: if you've played more than a couple dozen courses you've seen dreaded double mandatories (mandos) like this one. I have hated every double mando I have ever seen. Past the double mando, the fairway through the pine planting is very straight and reasonably wide. #W8 tee is behind the basket and to the right.
Hole #W8: 224 feet, par 3
Comments: a gradual dogleg right, this fairway actually crosses the previous hole's fairway, which is bad hole design. The fairway is well-defined, so an accurate left-to-right throw should set up a birdie opportunity. #W9 tee is across the road to the right.
Hole #W9: 396 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #5 on the Central Course)
Comments: now back on the lightly wooded original holes, the hole sign recommends a sweeping left-to-right disc flight on this long par 3, but I had more success keeping my disc low and going straight through the sparse smattering of large trees. If I could throw my disc 400 feet, I might have chosen differently. Note that the baskets on the original holes are numbered in accordance with the Central Course, i.e. this basket is labeled as hole #5. #W10 tee is behind the basket and to the right, near the entrance to the maintenance building parking lot.
Hole #W10: 407 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #6 on the Central Course)
Comments: both the road in front of the tee and the road to the right are OB, plus a smattering of large trees stand between the tee and the basket. The gaps between the tees are relatively wide, so the challenge is a fair one. This is a tough par 3 that requires both distance and accuracy. #W11 tee is across the road to the right.
Hole #W11: 249 feet, par 3
Comments: the next 2 holes are carved through the densest woods on this course, but the understory is light enough that you shouldn't lose a disc if you end up in the rough. This hole's fairway is reasonably wide, but it curves just enough, first left and then right, to make you maneuver your disc. #W12 tee is to the left.
Hole #W12: 254 feet, par 3
Comments: a gradual dogleg right that starts with a reasonably wide fairway but gets very tight close to the basket. #W13 tee is a few hundred feet away; walk behind the basket, turn left, and walk across the road for the fourth and final time. The next tee is beside the paved walking trail near hole #2 tee.
Hole #W13: 248 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #7 on the Central Course)
Comments: a mostly open hole with a semicircle of widely spaced trees in front of the basket. The basket sits atop a column, which makes putting more interesting. #W14 tee is behind the basket and across the paved walking trail.
Hole #W14: 275 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #8 on the Central Course)
Comments: another mostly open hole with 3 large trees directly in front of the basket. Approaching the basket from the right gives the widest gap to work with. #W15 tee is to the left.
Hole #W15: 286 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #9 on the Central Course)
Comments: a slight dogleg right, the left side is wide open, but the basket is among several large trees to the right of the open area. A left-to-right disc flight makes best use of the open area. Also, there are several picnic areas near this fairway and basket, and I would not play this hole if people were sitting at those picnic tables. #W16 tee is to the left.
Hole #W16: 263 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #10 on the Central Course)
Comments: another slight dogleg right with another dreaded double mando in front of the tee. The basket is behind the largest tree you see straight ahead, and going just left of that tree provides the best line to the basket. #W17 tee is to the right.
Hole #W17: 308 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #11 on the Central Course)
Comments: this hole starts very open, but the basket is guarded short and left by several large trees. Aim just right of the telephone pole behind the trees straight ahead and use a slight right-to-left disc flight for the best chance to get close to the basket in 1 throw. #W18 tee is across the mowed grass field to the left near the disc golf parking lot entrance.
Hole #W18: 283 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #18 on the Central Course)
Comments: a cluster of large trees stands between the tee and basket. There is room to go around the cluster on either side, and there is a very tight gap in the middle. The far right side provides a wider gap and a higher ceiling. The parking lot is to the right.
