-- Just like Whitetail, the beauty of the land is perhaps the biggest pro for Dogwood. Elevation changes abound.
-- While I saw more deer on Whitetail, I did see a deer between the No. 1 tees for both courses.
-- You can't help but compare this course to Whitetail. This one is shorter, but has tighter lines. From the long tees, Dogwood has 2 holes under 200 feet and 4 over 400 feet. From the shorts, there are 6 holes under 200 feet and 3 that are 400 or longer. Seeing the short holes, you're thinking birdie fest but beware: If you miss your lines, you'll have to scramble for par and likely end up with a bogey.
-- Getting off the fairway will hurt your score, but the rough isn't so thick that you will likely lose a disc.
-- Restroom (and water to refill a bottle) available at the park entrance near hole 1.

-- Cell phone reception is all but non existent. Free WiFi is available, but that wasn't much better than the cell phone reception.
-- Natural tees on my visits, but reports indicate concrete tee pads now.
-- Navigation and tee signs. The tee signs look very much like the ones at Whitetail with one notable exception: The signs at Dogwood don't list distance for the shorter tees. The distance listed on No. 14 is 263, but it's really under 200 feet. Also, finding your way from 12 to 13 can be a challenge.

-- I rated Dogwood and Whitetail both as 4 originally, but Whitetail is better, and I raised it to 4.5 because of the new tees. If there were 1/4 discs, Dogwood would probably have been 3.75 with natural tee pads. With the concrete tee pads, it's a solid 4.0.
-- The beauty is stunning and the walk alone would be a nice workout. Speaking of that walk, come prepared. The walking itself will be a workout.
-- With lake in the name, you would expect some water, but there is none on this course.
-- The cabins are great. They are showing some signs of aging, but I understand that updates/redesigns are coming in fall 2018.

(3.853 Rating) (RE-EVALUATED) The slightly shorter version of two similar awesome courses.
- UPGRADED BACK TEES - I received word that the blue tees were recently upgraded to concrete, hence this revision. The tee conditions at the time of my visit was the sole reason I scored it a 3.5 instead of a 4.0. The new pads are 5 feet by 12 feet and I elevated my score for the course nearly 2 tenths of a point, 3.659 to 3.853
- RAW BEAUTY - As with Whitetail, Dogwood is personally one of the more beautiful courses I've ever played, and I'd place it in my top 20 (482 courses played as of this re-evaluation.) Similar to Whitetail, I'd say every hole on this layout looks above average and a bunch would be signature looks on 85% of the courses out there. Carved mostly through pines, but what makes this course a treasure is the constant rising, sinking and twisting of the elevation. There are several downhill tunnel shots, although the one's on Dogwood are not quite as epic looking as a couple holes on Whitetail. Hole (2) is the first of many beautiful downhill shots. Anyone like me who's a sucker for beautiful courses will love this place.
- ELEVATION - Lots. Anyone who enjoys constant elevation change will be thrilled. Hole (6) plays down at least 50 to 60 feet, and then back up at 30 to 40 feet. Hole (9) plays down about 30 feet and then back up 40 feet. Hole (17) is a wicked tee shot over a ridge and then plays into the base of a narrow valley with 30-degree slopes.
- HOLE VARIETY - In addition to the elevation change, there's some good variety on Dogwood, but quite a bit less than at Whitetail. Four par 4s. Three of these are doglegs, two to the right and one to the left. Lots of defined tunnel shots of varying widths twisting every which way. For example, hole (6) plays along the power line path and is 50 feet wide. On the flipside, other lines are razor thin. Hole (14) for instance, can't be much wider than 6 feet on the optimal line. As for noteworthy variety omissions, no true open shot, no par 5s, and no water elements other than dry washes.
- CHALLENGING - The back tees read as Intermediate level and the front tees read Recreational level. This course with the two-tee configuration should work for a wide swath of skill levels, 750 to 925. I'd say that the challenge from the back tees is well above average but short of what I personally desire in top tier courses.
- TEE SIGNAGE - The back tees have gorgeous tee signs. They still would rank in my personal top twenty on artistic appeal.
- NAVIGATION - Some basic omissions but still easy for a heavily wooded course. No course map was posted yet for my appearance, but perhaps it's there now. The park office has a map, and although its diagrammatic, it still helps a lot. Lots of navigational cues between holes and intuitive pathways. I personally only looked at my map once on Dogwood. Between (14) and (15) I didn't find any navigational cues, although that's probably fixed now.
- AMENITIES - In addition to the tee signage, I appreciated the few picnic tables along the layout. About half of the holes have multiple basket placements and there are marked short tees. There are restrooms and shelters in the park too. At the time I did wish there was more seating and more multiple basket placements, but perhaps that's been rectified too.

A stellar course with only preferential complaints, several of which I don't subtract score for and are for information purposes only.
- THE SAME THING - Lake Claiborne is one of 20 places I've thrown multiple courses at one site. This is still the most similar pairing among these multi layout parks. Thankfully, it's an awesome style imo, but once completing both, it felt like something was missing. Still an awesome experience, I just sort-of wished that the pair offered some different looks.
- NO ADVANCED CHALLENGE - Very similar in difficulty to Whitetail offering a solid Intermediate challenge and I ended up throwing one over from the back tees as an Intermediate level player. From looking on the DGCR scorebook, it appears everyone is throwing higher than normal rated rounds here. The course is listed as heavily wooded, but these lines are often wider than normal for what I would define as a heavily wooded hole. When comparing Dogwood to the courses that I've rated at the 4.5 and beyond level, it just doesn't have the same level of cerebral intensity that I cherish.
- BASKET LOCATION INDICATOR - Courses like this with several blind basket locations could benefit by installing placement indicators. But again, perhaps they are there now.
- TERRAIN - If you have bad knees or ankles I'd stay clear of this course. As stated above, lots of elevation changes and also rocks and roots to stub a toe or twist an ankle on. Although not the best course for the disc golf cart, it looked doable for the hardier models.
- PARKING - Very few parking spots next to the course. I think I counted five. Perhaps all the course traffic comes from those at the camping locations and the spots don't fill up here.
- TIME PLAY - Dogwood is going to take a chunk out of your day. Not quite as time consuming as Whitetail but expect at least 75 minutes solo to complete the back tee layout. I could see a group of four seasoned players playing the back tees at around 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
- LOCATION - This gem is unfortunately out in the middle of nowhere.

As with Whitetail, Dogwood is an awesome course. The courses are not quite identical twins, but I'd say that 22 of the 26 chromosomes are the same. Like Whitetail, players that love beautiful courses over undulating terrain and aren't too concerned with an Advanced challenge, will love this place and likely score it higher than I have. Definitely worth traveling multiple hours to play. A destination course no doubt. On a side note, among the 482 courses I've played as of this revision, The terrain here is among the most similar to my back yard course called V-Rock.
- PAY TO PLAY - Still only $3 to enter the park. A steal imo.

Challenging wooded course with some testing lines and elevation changes. Good variety of length and type of shot.
Beautiful scenery; lovely park.
Long/short tee pads and some alternative basket positions.

Although clearly still a very good course, this was less fun to play than the other course on site (Whitetail) - the lines are mostly tighter (and less like the flight of a disc!) and the rough mostly rougher. This section of the woods felt more overgrown and there weren't as many scenic views.
It felt like on at least half the holes the basket is not visible from the tee - even on some quite short holes. This made playing solo quite frustrating as the aforementioned tight lines and thick(er) rough meant that I spent quite a lot of time searching for discs (although I didn't lose any).
As with Whitetail, the dirt tees might be difficult in the wet or if you're used to massive flat concrete tee boxes.

$3 all-day entry to park = bargain.
Lovely picnic area by the lake.
Fantastic to have two quality courses like these in one place.

I'm a sucker for the tight, technical courses that make you pick your line, and rewards you for hitting it and punishes you for missing it. I was severely punished many times on this course. You need almost surgical precision if you want to make par on your whole round.

The forest itself is quite lovely, and the holes carved out of it are inventive. The holes are not as lengthy as Whitetail, with no par 5's. Some people took this is a con, which I understand, but for me it was just the nature of having a different course. Dogwood is more humble than the Whitetail course, and doesn't need the par 5's to be as interesting. Each hole stands alone as complete without you ever thinking, "man I wish I could take another stroke here."

It may go without saying, but navigation was pretty easy here. I'm a navigational idiot, and I don't think I ever had to look at the map. I include this because a big part of "flow" of a course is when you can tap out, and just walk to the next tee. Usually wooded courses are more clear about where the next tee is, but a lot of this course isn't in the woods. Or runs concurrent with other walking trails. But it just flows and you get in rhythm.

The tightness of the fairways is just a litttle too tight. If they were widened out a bit on the tighter holes to match whitetail, and preserve the same lines, this would be another 5 disc course.

The dirt tees aren't such a big deal, but having some level, root free tees on a couple holes would just give it that extra touch.

I found a tick on me when I got back to the hotel. That's not a course con and in no way affected my rating, but I felt like I should just let someone know in case I get Lyme Disease.

Dogwood plays much more tightly than Whitetail, the other 18 hole course in the park, and I think that is the main difference between the two. You are in the same forest, similar elevation, but enjoy it slightly less with the more restrictive fairways, which seem almost suffocating after playing Whitetail. That being said, as a stand alone course, it alone is enough to divert me from I20 if I'm driving by to play. There are some incredible holes on this course. It's a great compliment to the absolute model of a course right next to it.

Lake Claiborne's Dogwood course benefits from the same rich terrain that Whitetail does: it's full of elevation changes and disc-vexing-but-beautiful tree cover. Dogwood makes good use of such terrain; the elevation is particularly welcome, especially in a region where it is so uncommon.

Dogwood focuses on shorter holes than Whitetail, measuring in about 1500 feet shorter than Whitetail's longs and 600 feet shorter than Whitetail's shorts, with half of the holes under 275 or so feet from the long tees. This difference is not insignificant, as Dogwood carries a definite sense of being more preoccupied with shorter, birdie-able par 3s. There are a lot of tight, up-the-gut shots here made varied by the nature of the accompanying elevation. It's a great course to test the accuracy of your short game. Even so, there are enough longer holes to cause you to break out your fairways sooner or later. Distance drivers need not apply. Next to the longer Whitetail, I appreciate Dogwood's clarity of focus: it's consistent enough to have an identity, but not enough to get overly repetitious.

Navigation is smooth. Course is well-groomed. The environment is beautiful. The course obviously benefits from having Whitetail right next door.

Like Whitetail, I felt as though Dogwood's design was a bit conservative. I actually noticed this less here given the aforementioned apparent focus on shorter, technical holes - the presence of a "theme" seems to justify it - but still would love to see a bit more ambition or quirkiness to the design. As it stands the rich terrain helps counteract repetition and keep things fresh, but the hole layout itself is still so many straight shots. To this end, many of the longer holes seem more gratuitous distance than featuring novel design that justifies their greater length. If anything I feel Dogwood would benefit from being a bit shorter and even more focused on this theme, providing greater contrast to Whitetail and exploring more variety within such shorter hole lengths.

The course is definitely a hike, so bring plenty of water and don't be afraid to take breaks. Between this and Whitetail you're in for a decent workout no matter what shape you're in.

Dogwood is a bit of a humbler animal than Whitetail but I think that suits it well. Both courses benefit from the awesome land here. I found them to be slightly overrated here on DGCR, but still great courses that sit among the best in Louisiana. They're definitely worth a visit!

Completely different feel than white tail
Scenic...Iconic holes
tight, technical and difficult

it is possible to get lost in the woods looking for the next hole

This course is just as beautiful as whitetail, with more elevation changes and tighter technical lines.
for being shorter this is the harder of the two courses and it can drive up a score quick.
The combination of the tight, technical, highly skilled shots required and the amount of elevation changes of dogwood
and the long big arm holes of whitetail, easily make this the number on destination course in america.

This was one of the funnest courses I have played. Excellent layout with difficult lines and variety of shots.

Not many long holes, but the lines make them play much longer then listed. Also a lot of elevation changes make this course a real challenge.

Dirt tee boxes not all level.

This course plays as I wish all would play. Good distance but not too long. Layouts make you use every disc in the bag with both left to right and right to left holes. Not many holes to stretch the drives out on. But that is ok cause it will test your ability to throw good lines.

Two tee pads and basket positions for holes..
Technical wooded course. Very beautiful, and fun to play.
Very well maintained and makes good use of the terrain.

Natural tee pads, same as Whitetail course. Not sure its a con, but they are hard to keep in excellent throwing condition. Also no way to know what pin position is being used without doing some scouting.

Played the short tees here the same day we played the long tees on Whitetail. It seemed like the layout wasn't quite as spread out as Whitetail. Just like any wooded course if you get out on the rough you are going to have tough time at making par! Hit your line and you have a great shot at birdie!
Also there is no water hazard to contend with if that makes you nervous. These are both great courses and I don't know how you could decide what course to play if you only had time for 1 round.

I'd like to walk this course even if I wasn't playing disc golf. The beauty is stunning and the walk alone would be a nice workout.

You can't help but compare this course to the "Whitetail" course that's also on site. This one is shorter, but has tighter lines and steeper hillsides. It also has a little more variety of trees and other plants to enjoy as you play.

The course isn't long, but it will test your disc golfing skills and ability to scramble. The lines are fair, but not forgiving. If you are a pretty consistent player, you'll have a blast on this course. We found it a great doubles course due to the tough lines. The scores are less consistent that most courses in doubles. This made it a lot more fun.

The hills are steep. This made them fun for a guy from the flatlands of Texas. Lots of high risk/reward shots on this course.

Cell phone reception is spotty at best. Free wifi available, but not "fast".

Natural tees, but they seemed appropriate for the course. If you let maintenance know of any problem, they will fix it before your next round. They're proud of their courses and it shows.

The park overall is spotlessly clean. We saw deer at sunset all over the park. The cabins are awesome. If you stay in them, you'll feel at home. The views are stunning, the people are friendly, the pace is laid back.

This park isn't only a disc golf destination, it's a vacation destination. Bringing the family will only enhance the experience. Everyone will have a good time.

+very hilly and very wooded
+four par 4s mixed with 14 birdieable holes
+secluded, spotlessly clean
+shady to keep the sun off players in hot Louisiana summers
+very well maintained, with practically no dead trees, fallen limbs, or thorny brush within 50 feet of either side of the fairways
+two sets of tees
+easy to navigate
+nice tee signs on the blue (pro) tees
+Innova Pro 28 baskets
+a few holes have alternate pin placements and more are being added over time

-hole 17, while an awesome par 4 shaped like a clockwise half-circle around a hill that is perhaps 40-50 feet tall, is showing signs of erosion and could be dangerous to traverse in rainy weather.
-cell phone coverage is spotty or nonexistent on the course, though it seems like you can usually get a signal in the clearing between the ranger station entrance building and hole # 1.
-this is nitpicky, but while a nice hike through the woods, isn't quite as scenic as the adjacent Whitetail course, and doesn't have par 5 holes like Whitetail either.
-dirt tees, which are actually pretty good as of this writing, will eventually erode exposing roots, or become muddy in rain, although this course is so far out of the way it will probably take years before the tees are a real problem.

The Dogwood at Lake Claiborne is a pretty big hike through the woody hills of north central Louisiana. Numerous pine and hardwood trees are everywhere on the steep slopes and valleys of this challenging course. Its fairways are about as tight as they get without being unfairly lucky, so Dogwood really rewards those who can keep their focus and torments those who can't. Scrambling skills are a must. The good thing about Dogwood is that the rough off the sides of the fairways isn't going to hide discs or cut you up with thorns, but there are plenty plenty small trees to complicate advancement towards the basket. The hills are steep in many places and this course will definitely test players' ability to throw down, up or putt downhill or uphill too.

Just like Whitetail, you'll need many different shots to truly throw well. If you can't flick AND backhand, you'll be at a disadvantage.

The length of the holes were seemingly shorter than Whitetail, but still were plenty varied amongst themselves to challenge your arsenal of discs.

The fairways were mostly fair, but a few more nuisance trees/limbs could still be removed. This would help open up natural lanes which would still be challenging to hit, but more rewarding when pure'd. Overall, though, no major complaints with maintenance.

If you want a challenging woods course, Dogwood is still very much that, although you'll be mostly throwing putters and mids (again, like most any woods course).

Both courses, even the newer Dogwood, have very little EXTREME rough. If you go off the fairway (you will), you won't likely look for hours for your disc. It's still trouble to be there, but hopefully not the same way you're used to seeing. The undergrowth was tame, which was really refreshing to see.

Dogwood feels like many other woods courses I've played in Appalachia. It doesn't have anything special that sets it apart (unlike Whitetail). Maybe that was simply my impression because of how new it was, but maybe not. To me it will always be the lesser course, but still plenty worthy of your time and its construction.

The fairways are fair, but not as manicured as Whitetail. This, once again, may simply be due to its young age.

The biggest con I had with Dogwood was navigation. We arrived before anyone was manning the gate (we paid afterward) so we didn't have a map or scorecard. I HIGHLY recommend saving one on your phone beforehand. We took the wrong path several times, once resulting in a 10min walk in the wrong direction. (Trying to find hole 15 or 16 I believe) The course needs more navigation signs. You shouldn't have to rely solely on a map.

Like Whitetail, there aren't any benches and the teepads are natural. Nicer amenities could help both courses immensely.

Dogwood is also not 9-hole loops, which is really never a good thing. It doesn't allow you to easily play 1 9-hole round, hurts tourney/weekly play and won't allow for a refuel stop after 9 holes. Pack it in, pack it out out here.

There wasn't an iconic hole on Dogwood. Most were plenty fine enough, but nothing stood out. Like I said, Dogwood felt like any number of woods courses you've played before. It could benefit a lot by making a more iconic hole if possible. Whitetail has at least 5 or more of them.

Dogwood is also significantly less difficult than Whitetail. It might not be represented in your score, but the length of the two courses seemed vastly different. (Whitetail is 1500ft longer from blues) Dogwood could benefit from a few more challenging par 4's and 5's, but for now serves as an adequate warm-up for big bro.

Even though they're on the same property, Dogwood just feels different. Whitetail definitely got the prime real estate near the lake. There isn't any water on Dogwood, the fairways are still freshly cut and don't have that manicured feel, all leading to Dogwood feeling worlds away. Standalone, Dogwood wouldn't warrant a drive out of the way but is still a plenty fine course.

I definitely recommend playing Dogwood before you play Whitetail, so that you can end on a better note. After Dogwood, I wasn't optimistic for Whitetail but was more than pleasantly surprised. Hopefully with time Dogwood will mature and beat in, but I don't think it will ever outshine Whitetail. I hope to make it back one day and to be pleasantly surprised.

This course has had a major upgrade since it was a little 9 hole course. It is now a complete 18 hole course that winds it's way around the higher part of the State Park. I love the new tee full color tee signs that match the other course. Tee pads are natural, but grip great. Navigation is intuitive and has a great flow. Just all around beautiful course that will challenge anyone. It rewards good shots and punishes bad ones.

None really. A water fountain may be nice during the summer. Maybe some benches by tee pads.

Very beautiful. You can tell this course gets attention.

Challenging course that requires every shot in your bag. A good mix of left/right, up/down, and short/long.

The park is well-maintained, so you won't have trouble finding discs in the woods, but you probably won't have much of a shot if you've drifted out of the fairway.

Excellent signage with very descriptive tee signs and additional navigational aids as needed.

Can't really think of any.

This is the newer of the two courses at Lake Claiborne, but you'd never know that by playing it. Most wooded courses need to be played a lot to clear out some of the rough, but this course is already very clean.

Dogwood is a little shorter and a little more technical than Whitetail. Whitetail has the more memorable holes, but I think I prefer Dogwood overall.

Design Design Design
Attention to detail
This course incorporates every shot

I believe that these two courses are what our area needs to help bring disc golf to the next level. It is beautifully designed and laid out. There are many holes that have multiple options for lines off of the tee. Courses like these will make you a better golfer both physically and mentally. If you live within driving distance you owe it to our self to dedicate atleast one day to play these courses. You will not be disappointed

Really nice tee signs, easy to follow & very well take care of. This course has all the elevation of it's sibling course, yet it's a totally different beast. I enjoy the challenge of having to throw shots that I'm not familiar with. Great course with a little bit of everything.

Dogwood is a great compliment to it's big brother Whitetail. Tight wooded holes, tons of elevation, and fast greens are the norm here as well as on Whitetail however this course is quite a bit shorter, despite four par 4's. Placement and putting are definitely more important than distance here. Hole 1 starts to the right of hole 1 on Whitetail and then the course plays in a big loop back to the fee station. Remember to bring extra water and snacks because once you start you wont be near your car again for the rest of the round. If you want to put your skills to the test, there is no better place in the region than here on Dogwood and Whitetail.

I originally reviewed this course beck in December of 2014 when it was nine holes. I took a lot of heat and got a lot of thumbs down. I finally made it back in March 2018 to play the finished course and have updated my review.

The Dogwood Course is a great compliment to the longer, more open Whitetail Course. Dogwood places a premium on finesse and accuracy as it is a shorter, tighter course with a LOT of elevation. This is a course where short, straight putter drives will often yield a better score than "going for it" with a driver.

Most holes offer both a blue and red tee. I played only from the longer blues. The range of hole lengths range from 192' out to 581', with all of the par 3's under 350'.

The course is on a fantastic tract of mature forest growing on rolling hills. The challenge comes mainly from shaping drives through tight fairways, and dealing with the ups and downs presented by the hills.

Virtually every hole has a significant elevation element. You are driving either uphill or downhill, or occasionally across a deep depression or over a crest.

About 2/3 of the baskets are positioned on ground steep enough to create soul-crushing rollaways. Nothing like hitting metal from 25' and watching your disc roll 60' down a hill!! Take care when running putts!

Innova baskets catch great, and the yellow band is helpful in the shaded woods. Teepads are natural and a little rough in spots, but are holding up reasonably well. Very nicely done tee signs at the blue tees.

For me, the lack constructed teepads is a significant issue. Top level courses have concrete, or at least defined pads. Here you find yourself standing in the vicinity of a tee sign, in an irregular scuffed out area. I did note that Hole 7 had a buried toeboard to define the front of the box, as moving left even a few feet really cuts the angle to the basket. The rest of the holes could benefit from some definition as well.

My other "con" about the course is that virtually all holes offer a single tight line to the basket. No real choices of path or FH vs. BH. Creation of additional lines on a few holes would be welcome.

The signs on the blue tees are excellent, but the red tees still have only a simple post with a number. There are no basket position indicators, and with most holes being blind I found myself walking up (often WAY up) the fairways to spot the pin.

A few navigation signs are present, and a few more would be welcome.

Lake Claiborne is an outstanding Disc Golf destination. Once of the nicest pieces of disc golf land I've played on, with two really good courses.

THIS REVIEW WAS BASED ON PLAYING THE COURSE IN A ROUGHED IN STATE ON 24 NOVEMBER 2014. THE COURSE HAS SINCE BEEN COMPLETED AND SIGNAGE INSTALLED TO ALLEVIATE NAVIGATION ISSUES.i THOUGHT THIS COURSE WILL BE THE EQUAL OF THE OTHER ONSITE COURSE AND IN THE INTEREST OF FAIRNESS, UNSEEN I AM BUMPING THIS REVIEW FROM 3 TO 4.5, WHICH IS PROBABLY A LITTLE LOW COMPARED TO WHERE THIS COURSE WILL END UP AFTER A FEW PEOPLE REVIEW IT.
- Fun, wooded lines
- Brand new baskets
- interesting elevation changes
- natural tee pads
- beautiful park
- very clean

- navigation is not intuitive - NO LONGER A CON AS SIGNAGE IS NOW INSTALLED.

This course appears to be a work in progress and not complete. It feels and plays like an extension of the Whitetail course and throws like a mature course. Once the tee pads wear in smooth and better signs are developed this course will be as fun and high rated as the Whitetail course. The only drawback is that there are only 9 hole.