Nichols Green Park Disc Golf Course in Jacksonville, TX

Basic Information

Course Location: Nichols Green Park

Geographic Location: south side of Jacksonville, TX (31.94286, -95.24683)

Date Visited: February 2025

Number of Holes: 9

Course Length: 3518/2258 feet, par 29

Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, medium

Carts: should be fine

Potential to Lose Discs: low to medium due to some dense woods

Park Information: https://www.jacksonvilletx.org/185/Nichols-Green-Park

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/nichols-green.4468

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/nichols-green-JfL9

Course Walkabout Video: (coming May 8, 2026)

Driving Directions: From downtown Jacksonville, take US 69 south 2 miles to the signed park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, and park in either of the parking lots near the basketball court.  #1 long tee is at the south end of the basketball court.

Course Constructions:

Tees: 2 per hole; mostly dirt but a few are concrete

Baskets: 1 per hole, older single-chain baskets

Signage: hole sign on most tees

Amenities: restrooms (locked on my visit), basketball court, playground, picnic area

Summary Review: 2 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at Nichols Green Park has more length than your usual 9 hole local park course, especially if you play from the back tees as most skilled and experienced players will.  The course mostly plays through a lightly wooded area.  There are only 3 or 4 holes where dense woods play any factor, and the closest thing this course has to a tight technical hole is hole #6.  This park has several unused wooded areas where they could add more holes if they wanted to.  There is some elevation but nothing too steep.  A paved walking path winds throughout the course, and there are several holes where you have to check for walkers before you throw.  The park entrance road also comes into play on 2 holes.  The course constructions are adequate for this kind of course but nothing more.  Course maintenance could be better: a couple of holes needed some underbrush removed when I came here.  Also, the course was somewhat muddy on my visit, but I came here after several days of rain.  In sum, this course is longer but not really any better than your typical 9 hole local park course.  It is the only course in Jacksonville, TX, and it gives local players a pleasant if unremarkable half-round close to home.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from hole signs and from dgcoursereview; link provided above.  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) long tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #1: 440/250 feet, par 3

Comments: The opening hole is a dogleg right that plays gradually downhill and across the park entrance road if you play from the long tee.  According to the tee sign, the road and points to the right of it are out-of-bounds, which forces you to keep your disc left and go around the dogleg.  There is dense woods to the left, so don't go too far left.  This is one of the more interesting and challenging holes on this course if you are playing from the back tee.  #2 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #2: 285/204 feet, par 3

Comments: a dogleg left that curves around the dense woods to the left.  You definitely don't want to throw into those woods, but there is plenty of room to the right.  To get to #3 tee, keep following the edge of the woods behind the basket.

Hole #3: 333/302 feet, par 3

Comments: the tee is located in a tight corner surrounded on 3 sides by dense woods, but the rest of the hole plays across a wide open and completely flat field.  Yawn.  #4 tee is to the left and back up the fairway.

Hole #4: 318/230 feet, par 3

Comments: this hole bends slightly right and plays across a small swale.  Patches of dense woods guard either side of the rather wide fairway, and there is also dense woods behind the basket.  Don't miss long!  #5 tee is to the right.

Hole #5: 361/247 feet, par 3

Comments: Dense woods line either side of the fairway, but the fairway is plenty wide to allow an accurate throw to pass.  Aim at the light green tree in the distance in the tee photo and bend your disc about 10 feet to the right.  A disc thrown into the woods will likely lead to bogey or worse.  For reasons I don't understand, this hole was the wettest/muddiest hole on this course when I came here.  #6 tee is a few hundred feet away.  Walk downhill behind the basket, turn left and walk a couple hundred feet on the asphalt walking path, then look to the left for the tee sign.

Hole #6: 297/162 feet, par 4

Comments: the tightest hole on this course is a slightly uphill dogleg left.  It needed some underbrush cleared when I came here.  There are 2 possible lines; both are tight and both require a right-to-left disc flight.  Of course the right line requires more of a bend to your disc flight than the left.  This hole is completely out of character with the rest of the mostly open course, so either it doesn't fit or it's a nice change of pace depending on your view of this hole.  I could like this hole if the underbrush was cleared and the trees were cut back to make the basket more accessible.  #7 tee is through the trees to the left.

Hole #7: 387/310 feet, par 3

Comments: this tee was unmarked, but I think I found roughly the right spot based on information online.  The most downhill hole on this course, this dogleg right requires you to hit a tunnel-like opening in the cedar trees that has sufficient width but low ceiling.  If you get through that opening, it's a straight and open shot to the basket.  Like the previous hole, this hole would be better if the trees were cut back and the underbrush removed.  #8 tee is on the walking path behind the basket.

Hole #8: 605/261 feet, par 4

Comments: The longest hole on this course is almost completely flat and almost completely open.  This hole and hole #3 are the most boring holes on this course.  #9 tee is down the walking trail behind the basket.

Hole #9: 492/292 feet, par 3

Comments: The final hole starts out very open, but a dogleg left and several patches of dense woods make for a tight approach.  Try a long straight throw just to the right of the dense woods on the left and then maneuver your approach using whatever disc flight looks most feasible.  Par would be a good score on this hole if you are playing from the back tee.  The parking lot is uphill to the right and behind the basket.

Spring Lake Park, East Course, in Texarkana, TX

Basic Information

Course Location: Spring Lake Park

Geographic Location: Texarkana, TX (33.46383, -94.05509)

Date Visited: February 2025

Number of Holes: 18

Course Length: 5440 feet, par 57

Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, high

Carts: should be fine here

Potential to Lose Discs: low, but a couple of holes are close to a park boundary

Park Information: https://www.texarkanatexas.gov/facilities/facility/details/Spring-Lake-Park-10

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/spring-lake-park-east.8331

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/spring-lake-park-Nyat

Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: (coming March 13, 2026) 

Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: (coming March 27, 2026) 

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 tee for the East Course is across/east of the main park road.

Course Constructions:

Tees: mostly concrete, but some are asphalt and some are dirt

Baskets: 1 per hole; 6 older yellow Discatchers; 12 newer white Veterans; 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: 3.5 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 East Course, while the previous review considered only the West Course.

This course is laid out over a fairly flat piece of land.  Most of the land is lightly wooded, but the area along the park's east boundary has some denser pine woods.  This course makes the most of the denser woods, which creates some routing issues but also creates some better holes.  Exactly half of the holes are between 200 and 300 feet long, but the presence of 3 par 4's makes this course play a smidge above a standard recreational course.  The course maintenance is above average.  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 prefer this course over the West Course because it has a wider variety of holes.  Playing both courses offers a nice if somewhat unremarkable full afternoon of disc golf.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from hole signs.  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #E1: 289 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #12 on the Central Course)

Comments: very open with just a couple of trees guarding the right side.  What a boring way to start...er, I mean, what a nice warm-up opening hole. ;) #E2 tee is behind the basket and across the park road.

Hole #E2: 278 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #13 on the Central Course)

Comments: a dogleg right with the basket directly behind a large pine tree.  Aim straight ahead and bend your disc flight left-to-right about 20 feet for the best angle to attack the basket.  #E3 tee is 20 feet from #E2 tee; walk back up the fairway and angle right.

Hole #E3: 480 feet, par 4

Comments: a gradual dogleg right, a mandatory (mando) inside the dogleg prevents you from cutting the dogleg and keeps you away from the park road on the right.  The area around the basket is pretty open except for a couple of shallow ditches, so a couple of good throws should set-up a birdie opportunity.  #E4 tee is back toward the tee and to the left, right beside the park boundary.

Hole #E4: 315 feet, par 3

Comments: This hole plays due north with the park boundary tight on the right.  A large tree stands 50 feet in front of the tee.  Going left of that tree with a slight left-to-right disc flight gives you a wider but still tight line, a higher ceiling, and more distance from the park boundary on the right.  #E5 tee is behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #E5: 297 feet, par 3

Comments: The fairway is somewhat tight, but more problematic given this hole's length is the low ceiling.  Using a slight right-to-left disc flight gives the best angle to attack the basket and makes best use of the open area to the left.  #E6 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #E6: 227 feet, par 3

Comments: a dogleg right but only about 30 degrees right, not nearly as sharp as the tee sign indicates.   There are quite a few small trees after you get around the dogleg, and missing all of them seems more a matter of luck than skill.  Try to thread your disc through the narrow gap just right of the wooden stairs to give yourself the best chance of getting close to the basket.  #E7 tee is behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #E7: 235 feet, par 3

Comments: The basket is hidden by trees when you stand on the tee, but you want to use the left line, which is tight but workable.  This hole is quite birdie-able with a tee shot that is straight and long enough.  #E8 tee is to the right beside the park boundary and back toward the tee.

Hole #E8: 402 feet, par 4

Comments: another gradual dogleg right; maybe this course has too many dogleg rights.  A left-to-right disc flight will help you get around the dogleg, but there is a dense cluster of trees in front of the basket.  You will need to get your second throw through those trees using whatever line looks most feasible to set-up a birdie putt.  #E9 tee is uphill to the left.

Hole #E9: 188 feet, par 3

Comments: This hole plays slightly downhill, and it is one of only 3 holes with any noticeable elevation change.  The direct line to the basket goes between a pair of tight trees, but there is room to get around the pair on either side.  The area around the basket is fairly open.  Thus, this short hole forces you to pick a line and execute a throw to get your birdie.  #E10 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #E10: 218 feet, par 3

Comments: a fairly tight hole with only 1 real line of play.  Try keeping your disc just left of the basket to avoid the trees just right of the basket.  #E11 tee is behind the basket and across the walking trail to the right, not where it was shown on the course map near the parking lot when I came here.

Hole #E11: 557 feet, par 4 (same as Hole #14 on the Central Course)

Comments: after several tight holes comes a long and very open hole.  There are no obstacles between the tee and basket, so throw it as far as you can!  #E12 tee is to the left.

Hole #E12: 268 feet, par 3

Comments: another fairly open hole and another slight dogleg right.  This hole is also slightly uphill.  The hill doesn't really affect your throw, but it's nice to see any elevation on a course this flat.  There is a steep drop-off long and right of the basket, so make your miss short and left.  #E13 tee is downhill to the right, not where it was shown on the course map near the parking lot when I came here.

Hole #E13: 270 feet, par 3

Comments: This hole had been recently redesigned when I came here, and the tee was unmarked and unsigned.  This hole is very tight and plays very close to the park boundary on the right.  While I generally don't like cutting down trees, this hole would be much fairer if they eliminated some of the small trees and brush on the left, thus creating a new line of play and a little room for error.  #E14 tee is to the left at the north corner of the grassy area.

Hole #E14: 134 feet, par 3

Comments: The shortest hole on either course at this park is also the tightest.  There is a wide double mando about 60 feet in front of the tee, but the dense woods makes going any other line an unlikely proposition regardless.  The basket is slightly left of the widest gap, and there is a sharp drop-off just right of the basket.  This hole is on the tight and technical side for a recreational course, and it would take a very accurate throw to set-up a birdie here in spite of this hole's shortness.  #E15 tee is to the right.

Hole #E15: 241 feet, par 3

Comments: a wide hole that plays down and across the walking trail.  Dense woods lie just left of the basket, so make sure you miss right.  #E16 tee is to the right and across the walking trail.

Hole #E16: 412 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #15 on the Central Course)

Comments: long and very open, the basket is directly behind the large tree straight ahead.  There is plenty of room on either side of the tree, but you will need to pick a side.  #E17 tee is to the right across the road.

Hole #E17: 287 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #16 on the Central Course)

Comments: same idea as the previous hole but shorter and with a fenced-in playground to the left.  Thus, I recommend bringing your disc in from the right.  #E18 tee is to the left.

Hole #E18: 342 feet, par 3 (same as Hole #17 on the Central Course)

Comments: long but very open with the park road just beyond the basket.  What a boring way to finish...er, I mean, what a nice cool-down closing hole. ;) The parking lot is behind the basket and across the park road.