Pros:
Buccaneer State Park is at its best on the front 9 and the closing holes, where intermittent trees and a periphery of brush are effectively used to force a variety of lines. There's a nice array of holes here, and the challenge level often sits at a happy medium, at least for a high-level rec/intermediate type player, with birdies often possible but only through effective shot shaping. Throughout the course there are a variety of opportunities to break out all kinds of shots: FH, BH, turnovers, big hyzers, and overhand shots are all prompted at one point or another. Kudos for the effort to force a complete game.
Distances sit mostly in the 250'-300' range, but there are a few spots on the back 9 to pull out a distance driver. The present course layout varies a bit here from what's listed on DGCR, and has a few longer holes that break things up and keep the course from settling into one distance range. While there are no truly long holes, the scope of distances is nevertheless nice, ranging from technical ~175' shots to two or three 350'ish+ shots. The disc I reached for seemed to vary between most holes.
Parking is ample, and there are several quality bathrooms readily accessible. The park is, overall, family friendly, with playgrounds, pavilions, fishing piers, etc.
Cons:
It's hard to complain too much about the course design itself; it's really the drab setting that doesn't do it any favors. The area's dotted with trees are relatively flavorless, making the designers fight for every ounce of technicality. As the back 9 opens up, the variety and mild challenge that the course starts off with diminish, deflating things a bit. Holes 10-15 are pretty forgettable. Also, there's a distinct lack of challenge to the approach game: this course is really all about what you do off the tee. The rest sorts itself out pretty readily.
The course seems to have been subject to numerous redesigns, particularly on the backend. The tee signs, such as they are (wooden stakes with only numbers), almost all feature 2-3 distinct hole numbers on them (not pictured), which can confuse. On the back 9, I struggled to find the next hole at a few places, and ultimately missed one or two holes somewhere between 13-15. I could often see the tees and the pins, but figuring out what went with what was a futile proposition, so I mostly just made things up myself. This navigation snafu was far from monumental, but it did slow things down, making for a choppy latter 9 and a good bit of head scratching. I'm not really sure what I missed out on.
Natural tees in a rainy part of the country can occasionally frustrate your footing. Pro tees could really enhance the course, and the requisite space seems to be available.
The rough bordering fairways comes in the disc-eatingly-thick variety, especially on the closing holes. Avoiding it isn't too problematic, but be forewarned.
Other Thoughts:
While Buccaneer State Park won't be making my top 10 list, it actually pleasantly surprised me. The front 9 offered a greater challenge and interest than I had anticipated, while still regularly dangling the birdie carrot in front of me. In an area where great courses are lacking, BSP is a more than serviceable stop over between greener pastures. I was happy to have visited, and will surely visit again.
As of April 2014, the pictures and hole lengths on DGCR seem to diverge at times from the course's present layout, at least on the back 9.
Be prepared for wind here. The greater gulf area in general gets gusty, and Buccaneer State Park seems to be a notch or two more intense than anywhere else I've played thus far. What was a relatively calm day at McLeod was breezy here, a 20 minute drive away.
If it isn't clear enough from the ratings and the pictures, Buccaneer State Park is easily the best course you can play if you're passing through southwest Mississippi.