Gautier, MS

Shepard State Park

Permanent course
3.255(based on 20 reviews)
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RussMB
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.5 years 131 played 110 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Disc Golf in Ole Miss 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 14, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Located in a State Park (Does cost 3$ to enter the park.) Well maintained, and taken care of. There is a campground, as well as hiking trails, and a host of other activities.
-Very friendly staff at the ranger station.
-Mixed shots: Predominately shaped wooded shots that play through dense tree-lined woods. Also includes wider fairway shots, and a couple open field shots. If you don't like tight woods, playing accuracy shots, and risk/reward holes, then this may not be the course for you.
-Course map & Scorecard available at the Ranger station
-The ranger told me they sell discs in the ranger station. (Though I didn't have time to go inside and shop)
-Restrooms at the start. (Located next to first tee)
-Good pin placements, but not balanced. Predominately Right-Handed pin placements.
-What's available at the Tee: Benches, Natural Tee pads with Markers, No tee signs.
-Navigation wasn't difficult, although a couple of holes were difficult to locate. (Namely #4. It's across the road, after the road turns left.) After that, everything follows a path in the woods.
-Navi cont... There are wooden signs that will point you towards the next tee pad.
-Varying shots are required here. It's a mixture of Distance shots, Doglegs, strategic approaches and some Risk/Reward shots.
-Accurate placement here is the key. VERY dense woods can cost one his or her disc. If this is your first time, it would behoove one to play more conservative. (I lost 3 discs the day I played here)
-Hole #11 is my favorite. It's a 210ft shot that throws across a watery marsh. You tee off from the path, then cross a bridge to get to the basket. Very scenic, and subject to the weather. I love it!

Cons:

Cons
-Could definitely use signs to mark the tee area, at least a bigger marker. (As mentioned above, some were difficult to locate). Second time navigation should be easier.
-There are quite a few blind shots, where you will need to walk the fairway to locate the basket.
-As you make your way to way to hole 9, you have cross fairway #2. A group walked out of the woods near the basket as I was getting ready to tee off.

These Issues are a part of the course. They fall into that "It is what it is" category. Though the park is located on the beautiful gulf shores of Mississippi, the woods can be very unfriendly.
-The woods are very dense and full of thorns, briars, and a tall grass that covers the ground. Locating an errant throw could be next to impossible. ...and will it will tear the snot out of your arms.
-Thick Mud and water make this course treacherous. A heavy rain will make it worse.
-Bugs, Snakes, and other wildlife will also be a factor. (Be prepared
- On the distance throws, I would recommend a spotter. Most of the baskets are blind, and if your throw goes into the woods, I hope you find your disc. All of my throws were good throws, but I lost track of them in the woods. This course consumed three of my discs. So, if you remember one thing, remember this: Stay out of the Woods!

Other Thoughts:

I was in Gulfport Mississippi for a funeral, and I had a window of free time. So I rushed over here to take in a round. This was the first thing I realized. If you are going to play here, it will be more enjoyed if you are non-rushed. I think that rushing lead to some of my problems. This course needs to be played with strategy and proper placement. I would recommend a conservative approach, as you will be playing in some rough terrain. After losing my two drivers, I toned down my drives and began driving with my putters and mids. I actually began to score very well, which helped my score. ...until I lost my roc!
The front 9 was more wide open and flat, with the last few holes going through the woods. The back 9 was what I was looking forward to, with the token hole being #11. (The teepad is about 10ft past the turn to cross the bridge). More treacherous terrain and some hill climbing. I enjoy going deep into the woods, and seeing amazing imagery. I did lose my Roc on hole #14. It's a long and narrow path that has a subtle "S" shape to it. I watched it land near the basket, but I never found it. I had to leave after #14 to return to the funeral activities, but I hope to return here again under better, non-rushed circumstances.
I would recommend wearing attire for muddy areas, with bugs. I wore my Nikes, but I would have preferred my Merrells. There weren't any food places or Gas stations near the park, but if you are coming from I-10, Highway 90 has a bunch of restaurants and gas stations. This place looks like it would be a great place to camp for the night, if you are so inclined. It's an hour from Mobile, and maybe just over an hour from New Orleans.
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