Tucked into an isolated section of Mark Twain State Park, the Halley's Comet course delivers solid design with good variety and a few pleasant amenities.

The nine-hole course is a good fit for disc golfers of the intermediate skill level as the holes average about 330 feet in length and several require hitting specific lines to score well.

The Halley's Comet design checks the variety box in its nine holes. Even without much elevation, the course takes advantage of some gradual upslopes and downslopes. There are a couple shorter holes mixed in with the longer challenges. While it's deserving of a lightly wooded description, there are definitely trees to navigate and off-the-fairway spots to avoid.

Hole #9 is a fun finishing hole; it's a downhill throw of 270 feet that could be an ace run if you avoid THAT tree in the middle.

The entire course is on a grassy area that was in good shape when I played it in the dead of winter. For beauty, this course ranks above average. While the Mark Twain Lake doesn't come into play, there are some lovely views close by overlooking the water.

The area near the course includes a picnic area, restrooms and a playground.

The little extras are a nice touch. The teepads are rubber and clean. The tee signs are large, quite detailed and each includes a Did You Know fact on topics such as the comet, Mark Twain and the origination of disc golf. The parking lot is right next to Hole #1 and there's a practice basket. The course is easy to navigate. There's a tiny stepping bridge over the gully leading to Hole #6, in case there's water or mud to cross. Finally, there's a little path through the woods after Hole #9 leading back to the parking lot, instead of forcing backtracking up the fairway.

There are a few nit-picky cons that kept Halley's Comet from being considered heavenly.

First, there's a roll-your-eyes double mando on Hole #7. Unnecessary.

While the course is at an intermediate-level challenge, the two longest par-3s are tweeners. Both are about 370 feet, slightly uphill and the trees present a difficult ceiling.

A couple of the rubber teepads are not level and instead match the uphill or downhill elevation of the hole, prompting a slightly awkward run-up.

There are a few sections of the course that will get extra boggy after rain or snow.

The basket for Hole #3 is hidden behind a tree, and from the teepad, you'll actually see the basket for Hole #6 across the road and be confused for a moment.

No points off, but except for another nine-hole course bordering Mark Twain Lake, the nearest course is at least a 30-minute drive away.

According to the first teepad sign, the course was named Halley's Comet due to Mark Twain's birth (1835) and death (1910) both occurring in years the comet appeared.

I wanted to give this attractive course a 3.0, but a few minor flaws kept it from securing that score. That said, it's a very good and picturesque nine-holer in an area starved of courses.