A consummate woods course with hills and privacy.

-Amenities: Numbered DISCatchers, concrete tees, excellent signs with maps, next tee arrows. Multiple pin positions on a lot of holes. Course kiosk, practice basket, and the second course on site (which I didn't have time to play, sadly).

-Setting: This is what I would expect a good state park course to be. Maintenance is pretty good, the woods are lush and secluded, and there are amenities in a couple of parking lots. Plenty of activities for families if you're the kind of player that does both. The only surprising aspect is that you only get lake views on hole (10) and nowhere else.

-Elevation: Ups, downs, and valleys. It's not on every hole, but distinctive on quite a few. Especially well used for the par-3s.

-Woods Fairways: Pretty well defined throughout, despite the thickness of the pines. Lines are fair, and of varying width so it doesn't get too old.

-Difficulty: For me, this is a really nice slot of difficulty around the intermediate level. The course looks scary, but the fairways are such that it's very possible to play mostly clean. A good balance of risk/reward that requires you to know the bag but can still offer up birdies.

-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Twelve varied par-3s in the woods followed by six varied par-4s and -5s in the woods. Each hole out here requires some kind finesse with angles and power, as they tend to be somewhat straight but with fairway bends and/or slopes that necessitate pushing tree lines to make it to the end. I divide the course into three - the first third are basically straight, the second third are more quirky with weirder gaps, and the last third are simply long. Scrambling is very doable from a lot of points out here. This is one of the rare courses where I thought the par-3s as a whole matched up to the multi-shot holes, as the latter were pretty straightforward other than elevation changes. Smart course management will go a long way towards cutting bogeys while still giving yourself the occasional birdie putt.

-Poison Plants: The undergrowth is noticeable in several parts of the course, and includes copious three-leaf shrubs.

-Invasive Limbs: Some fairways need one or two selective branches trimmed, IMO. These are branches that look like they've grown in since the course was built - not giant obstacles, but really annoying if you happen to hit them.

-No Pin Indicators: With the multiple pin positions sometimes playing blind, a simple pin indicator on the tees would be much appreciated. I parked one hole only to discover that the pin was in the turnover position instead of the hyzer position.

-Line Variety: As one previous reviewer mentioned, most of the holes are a variation on straight, with no dramatic or creative curves to speak of. Traveling, I threw the course with two pretty neutral fairways and two approach discs, and there were only a couple of times I really wanted something different. Very few jaw-dropping holes.

-Pace: I wish the progression of holes mixed the variety throughout. As is, the different sections of the course create a segmented experience. The most notable issue, as pointed out by many, is that the final six holes are all multi-shot, and there are zero par-4s or -5s prior to then. Along with the fatigue factors of swampy weather and hills, this made it feel like the round ground to a complete stop around hole (14) or so.

Whitetail reminded me of most of the other top-notch all-wooded courses I've played. It's got pleasing lines in a pleasing environment with pleasing elevation and variety. That said, there were definitely a few detractors, and I just didn't see this course having the pizazz that my true top courses possess. It's an Excellent course that was well worth the detour from I-20.

~Similar Courses: IDGC Headrick (Appling, GA); Chester State Park - Advanced (Chester, SC); wooded portions of Langley Pond (Burnettown, SC); Cane Creek Park (Waxhaw, NC); Fort Yargo State Park (Winder, GA).

The stretch from 13-18 is some of the best disc golf on the planet. All par 4/5, requiring specific landing zones. There are probably another 3 par 3s which are on the epic side of awesome.

The rest of the course is a good mix of fair lines through the woods. nothing terribly special but a good corrective when I am feeling sentimental for North Carolina after spending too much time on the Texas prairies.

I like this place. The woods are piney on the high spots/ west faces, hardwoods in the lowlands/other aspects. Healthy ephemeral population in the understory in the spring. Huge elevation to play with and the designers made the most of it. A few really rich beech groves, which compounds the enchantment.

The long holes are all in a string. I could play the last six holes over and over. It's obvious the designers know how to draw up a course. I wish they could have kept it up for 18.

The track crosses back and forth across the main hiking path through the park. Not a huge problem as noted below but something to keep an eye out for.

The park itself is a beautiful piece of property.
The legislature of Louisiana, in an effort to pander to the rabid right wing of their populace, has seen it fit to turn over the management of the park to a for-profit entity. This means that they extract as much revenue from the place without putting much back. The campsites are overpriced and poorly maintained. The benefit is that the park is mostly empty. The downside is that it will likely be shuttered and clearcut within the decade in the name of stewardship of the public purse.

Other notes:
Hole 13 requires a 400' shot through a tunnel before it opens up for the second shot. It's not unfair. It's just hard.

I recommend walking the course before trying to play it. There are blind shots. There are specific landing zones. You figure it out if you play it more than once.

Lake Claiborne's Whitetail course is defined by an interesting combination of a tightly wooded environment with near-constant elevation changes. Many otherwise-straightforward shots are jazzed up through different manner of elevation changes from the subtle to the drastic: mid-fairway ridges and dips, uphill and downhill shots, and more varied undulations are all seen. The elevation is a highlight, especially in combination with the thick woods. It can make for some interesting approaches, including contending with the occasional behind-the-basket drop off.

The course does a good job in my estimation of combining technical with fair. Tight windows and lanes abound, but recovery shots are reliably available relative to the thick woods in play. Underbrush is thin enough that discs are easily found should you end up in the rough. Stray branches are kept to a minimum, so hitting your lane cleanly is usually rewarded and unlucky snags are uncommon, a breath of fresh air for such a wooded course as this.

The setting is utterly beautiful. Navigation is greatly aided by signage. Grooming was well done during my visit in April.

I feel as though Whitetail's design is slightly conservative and repetitive. There are a lot of straight up the gut shots, especially if you have forehand/backhand versatility. The elevation helps mix up the feel but I found myself throwing the same disc on similar, mostly straight lines again and again. Some more drastic line-shaping beyond slight variations on how your disc finishes would go a long way.

There isn't a lot of risk versus reward decision-making owing to holes being pretty straight forward in how they play. A lot of holes have an up and down feel that doesn't get deviated from enough IMHO: so much rides on your shot off the tee, which seems a missed opportunity given the richness of the terrain available. Some of the few longer holes feel more longer for the sake of it than providing a truly distinct par 4/5 feel. That these all occur in a bunch on the back 9 seems odd and feels a bit unwelcome given the moderate intensity of the walk this course provides.

The blue tees occasionally add gratuitous distance and don't otherwise seem to enhance the challenge/experience of the hole. Sometimes the shorter tees seem the more natural fit for the design, whereas at other points it's the opposite. The course experience thus isn't well balanced between both sets of tees.

Lake Claiborne is an excellent course. There aren't many in the region with its combination of woods and elevation, and less so that are as well-tended as LC seems to be. That said I didn't find it to be among the best courses I've played. A great course to visit, but not one I'd push to add to your bucket list.

Good fairways thru well-maintained wooded areas, multiple tees and pin locations. Beautifully crafted course entry sign, and a gorgeous view of the lake on #10's green. Tee signs look great and every hole has a name, which is way more fun than just calling them a number.

Six months after playing, I don't remember anything negative about this place.

I added this to my list of favorites, it's the better of the two at the lake, and both are worth the trip if you are a discgolf traveler!

Great map/scorecard.
Well marked entrance to the course.
Tee signs (short 4x4 posts with a red or blue number plate) are easily recognized, along with directional (arrow) signs.
Good flow in general.
Only $2 to get in the park and play all day.
Good mix of different length holes.
Great scenery throughout the course.
Fairways seemed perfectly cleared out to me, especially for a new course. The paths have already been worn in as well.

Natural Tees. I think concrete tees are on the way, and as soon as they come, I will update this review.
There is no way to tell which location the pin is in. The map would say the holes bent one way, but if the location is changed, the line changes. This caused us to throw in the wrong direction, but only on one or two holes. I suggest having a bolt on the tee sign that can be switched out showing if the pin is in the short or long.
I think I saw somewhere that there are real tee signs being made, and I hope they include both pin locations.
A tee sign that shows the lines, pin locations, and the current pin location, combined with concrete tees and this is easily a 4.5 and the best course in the state.

The rough isn't all that thick, but it will definitely add an extra stroke if you miss the fairway by too much. There is a lot of elevation change, and the course design complements that very well.

There are no bathrooms, water, or benches around. This didn't bother me, but it would be something to consider for new-comers. I wish the park could just put one water cooler on the course, even if it's just on the road where the trail crosses. That would be a great little bonus for this course.

I had a great time playing this course. It is definitely going to become the top in the state. I hope to see more from Mike in the future.