(2.347 Rating) A fun parkstyle niner with modest elevation change.
- GAMEPLAY - The reason I've scored Joe Tucker a half star higher than the average niner, is due to the better than normal 9er gameplay. I would define this place as a park style course, but it's got a patch of heavy woods and some decent elevation change. The course finishes with three straight good holes. (7) is a fun 375-foot valley shot. (8) is a 300-foot long tough tunnel shot and (9) is a downhill ace run. I wouldn't peg the gameplay here as elite level, but it's respectable and well done considering the park size and the land available to use.
- BASIC AMENITIES - Like many courses in the Birmingham area, the basics are done well. The baskets are Mach 7s, which are among the best basket models in the market IMO. The tees are concrete and of respectable size. A course map is posted next to tee (1) and the tee signs are nice as well. Not really any extras beyond the noted basics unfortunately. There are restrooms and shelters in the park however.
- NAVIGATION - It works. As noted above, nice signage. Perhaps there will be some transitional mistakes as a few of the next tee directions to head are not obvious. However, a quick peak of the map should get most players back on track quickly.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I scored the beauty factor a hair above average. First off, this appears to be a well maintained park. As noted, there are some woods and there is very noticeable elevation change. Nothing mind-boggling or calendar worthy, but it's a pleasant looking course all the way through.
- QUICK PLAY - I logged a solo round at 26 minutes.

Trying to come up with cons.
- NO MA1 LEVEL CHALLENGES - I had to get inventive to come up with cons for Joe Tucker. Those at the MA3 and MA4 level may even say this con is BS. Anyways, I liked the gameplay, but I never messaged my MA1 level friends, telling them they need to get to Joe Tucker to experience the thrill of a lifetime. Even myself as an MA2, I felt underwhelmed at times.
- NOT 18 HOLES - Had there been 9 more holes of similar quality, I'm sure I would have put a "Good" 3.0 rating on this one. I don't think there's room here for 9 more fairways. The best locals can hope for is the adding of a second tee or second basket to get 18 looks.

What a delightful little course Helena has put in. It may not win any awards due to its small footprint, but the installation was very well done and successful from my point of view. Rarely due I drop 2.5 rating scores on niners, but this one deserved it. I think it's the best 9er in Birmingham, and by a wide margin. I have played only a few courses that are somewhat similar to here. Locally I think it's most like Shadow Lake. Other sort-of similar places that come to mind include, Portland Park in Chattanooga, Mills Park in Gatlinburg, Porter Park in DFW, Jokerst near St Louis and Miller Park in central Kentucky. Not destination worthy, but a nice bonus course for those trying to tally-up courses in the Birmingham area.

About 30 minutes south of Birmingham and just a few minutes off Interstate 65, a new nine-holer in Joe Tucker Park packs a good amount of variety into its pleasing layout.

First, Joe Tucker gets the basics right. There's a practice basket near the parking lot. There's a nice map at the start of the course. Each hole has an adequate concrete teepad and is marked with a colorful map with the par, distance and a large numeral indicating the hole number. The baskets are Mach VII and seem to catch well.

The course starts off with a few short, flat and more open holes before upping the challenge with more wooded, specific gaps and adding some distance. In just nine holes, the course squeezes in a few ace runs, an open valley bomber throw, an uphill test and a heavily wooded line or two, before concluding with a downhill risk-versus-reward toss.

Traversability is quite good. The course is pleasant to walk and most of the holes are mostly grassy. Most of the holes are at least partially shaded. Playing a solo round in 20 minutes is definitely doable.

There's a pond closer to the park entrance, but it doesn't come into play. While not having water on a course might be viewed as a con, in this instance, I appreciate that it wasn't forced into this layout.

A few of the teepad areas aren't perfect. The teepad for Hole #4 is slanted uphill, which makes the run-up a little awkward. The teepads for a couple holes are located a few feet from a large chain-link fence providing separation from the tennis courts.

There's a gravel walking path/road that meanders around this back part of the park, and nearly every hole plays over or near the walkway.

There are a few off-the-fairway areas that are heavier brush and/or poison ivy laden.

The transition from Hole #4 to Hole #5 isn't exactly intuitive as you have to walk out of a heavier wooded area to spot the next teepad.

The sign lists Hole #7 (375 feet) as a par 4, which fits for the intended audience and overall difficulty of the course. However, since Hole #7 is fairly open and mostly downhill, I would argue that it's a par 3 for the non-novice crowd. In fact, Hole #8 is only 300 feet, but it probably plays tougher than Hole #7 considering its narrower line and the punitive trees that can ping your disc into the brush.

The disc golf course is part of an overall facelift for Joe Tucker Park. Thanks to recent renovations, the park is receiving a repaved road and much-needed cleanup, according to city officials.