Pros:
-A moderate to heavy wooded course that meanders around a creek. The creek comes into play 8 of the 9 holes. There is upslope, downslope, elevated tee, gaps off tees, and guardian trees for the baskets. A few holes Criss cross the creek in succession.
-Short tees are short in distance, provide plenty of birdie opportunities and ace runs. Long tees have plenty of distance with difficulty off the tee, and challenging. I played both sets of tees two rounds. Both short and long tees are so different on each hole, you feel like you're playing two different set of courses.
-Tees are concrete and in decent shape. Baskets are older, but still catch well.
-Some short tee signs only had a hole number. Some long tee signs had hole number and distance.
-At the time I played the course it would have ranked #1 in difficulty for a 9-holer from the long tees only. It would be replaced by Lake Marshall the Lambs Course 11 days later.
-From both tees threw putter, fairway, and driver.
-Long open field from parking to 1st tee allows some throwing practice.
-Navigation is clockwise with painted rungs pointing to next short or long tee. Foot bridges to cross creek a handful of times.
-Beginner and Recreational will find the short tees enjoyable, the longs very difficult. Intermediate and Advanced will find a birdie festival on shorts and will be challenged on longs.
Cons:
-High lost disc potential with heavy trees and brush. The creek isn't too bad, looking very careful you should be able to find a disc. The brush is very thick and high, lines a few fairways. On other holes just off fairway, rough high enough where you can walk pass your disc.
-On the long tees a few holes are alike. It was the first time on a 9-holer that I found a few holes not memorable a few days later. Holes 3 and 4 were comical.
-Tee signs not consistent some had distance some not, some only a hole number. A few broken. Some painted rungs for direction were faded away. There is no mapping of the course.
-There are walking trails on the course. Had to hold up a few times to let others pass.
-Any sustained or heavy rain very possible the creek could overflow and fairways to become muddy.
-The brush on No. 8 to the left was thick with huge bumble bees buzzing around. Spent a few moments looking for a disc. Gave myself a 30-foot rule no closer to the basket to get away from them. There were flowers in the brush.
Other Thoughts:
Dunncroft-Castle Rock I've had my eye on for quite some time, its mention in my area, reading local comments the course seems to be popular in Richmond, and 12-18 months from now I could be making frequent visits to the course, as I volunteer my time just a few miles from there monthly. So, it was time to check it out. DCR is two 9-holers sharing the same basket or 18 tees and a 9-basket course. Long and short tees have totally different looks on each hole, compared to other 9'ers with two pads. Both rounds were fun and enjoyable, short tees attack the basket and long tees intense staying clear of trouble. A very good mix of disc golf on 2-9er's. The course itself is crustier with some scenery mixed in.
The short tee with the ease of the course would be a 2.0, the long tee with its difficulty latches on to a 4.0. But it's considered to be one course, so with the variety of disc golf, fun factor, enjoyment, ace runs and birdie pickups, difficulty, and that crusty/scenic mix my overall rating is anchored on a 3.5. Both rounds took a total of 65 mins with some disc searching.
Course Humor:
No. 3 and 4 from the longs look alike. Elevated, two pine tree gaps over the creek going back upslope. So, when I got up to the 4th tee at first glance my first thought was "I just played this hole" for a moment I thought I some how got turned around and was back on 3rd tee. I've never seen two back-to-back holes look so much alike in the woods.
Notable Basket Placement:
No. 5 basket is a roller into the creek if the grass is short.
Notable Holes:
No. 6 Par 3 long at 268 feet looks like the fairway has shifted left to right over the years, and used to be a straight away fairway? Straight ahead is heavy brush, trees and the creek running parallel to the fairway with the tee aimed at the obstacles. At about 160 feet the fairway meanders to the right, then angles back to the left towards the basket at 200 feet, at that point are heavy trees with a small fairway of about 20 feet wide all the way down to the basket. Scenic.
No. 8 Par 3 at 295 feet long is an elevated straight downhill until it reaches the creek at 200 feet, then gently doglegs left up to the basket. The fairway going down from the tee is peppered with pine trees in the middle and heavy trees both sides of fairway about 30 feet wide, need to pick a gap from the tee.
Signature Hole:
No. 2 Par 3 at 339 feet long is a downhill throw thru a gap of trees about 20 feet wide then opens at about 180 feet with two pine trees right in the middle where it opens, going either left or right of the two pines, then a downhill drop towards the creek and a slight dogleg right. The basket sits on a slight upslope, the creek is within C1 turning on an angle to the right of basket. Very scenic from both tees.
Trouble Hole:
No. 7 Par 3 at 345 long feet a level straight away from the tee with heavy brush and trees both sides of fairway about 20 feet wide all the way down 220 feet. The fairway opens and has a slight dogleg left. The creek meanders all the way down the left of fairway and crosses fairway at about 275 feet. The basket has guardian skinnies with a dry depression behind the basket about 15 feet. There's an open area 220 feet on the right and is blind from the tee. As a lefty I was able to hit the target after thinking I may have been short in the heavy brush. Righties a forehand would be nice for you. It's a good spot to approach the basket if you don't want to risk the creek.