The Grange is a privately owned "Disc Golf Resort" located in Spolsylvania, Virginia. The Grange features three Disc Golf Courses, The Sunny Side, The Dark Side and the mini Tiki putting course. In addition, The Grange also has an outdoor bar, with live band stage, video games, a swimming pool with hottub and camping. If you're in the Central Virginia area, a stop at The Grange is a must.
I played the Sunny Side on a hot, sunny day...how appropriate. Here's a hole by hole review of the course:
Hole 1: 615 feet, a long, open right fading hole, with a large pond that comes into play over the first 165 feet. You need to throw with power and accuracy to clear the pond, and get a good location for the up shot.
Hole 2: 324 Feet, runs you from the clearing into the woods. The entrance to the wooded area is flanked by two, count 'em, two sets of two trees, making it a challenging "thread the needle" hole. Once you do thread that needle, there's another needle threading to be done for the hole.
Hole 3: 304 feet- is a snaking hole with a tight line to the hole. A hard wrist snap, and a fast disc are key on this hole.
Hole 4: 192 feet- sounds easy, right? I mean, 192 feet and straight, should be able to ace it every time...but not so fast, my friend. the fairway is tight as a hookers skirt, and the hole is hidden behind a wall of leaves...so if you ace this hole, you're a stud.
Hole 5: 363 feet- The basket is located right in front of you...unfortunately, the tight fairway bends left, then right, with large trees constricting the fairway to a narrow window at 151 feet.
Hole 6: 363 feet, another hole with the basket right in front of you....but this is the grange, so it can't be easy, right? First theres the narrow fairway 136 feet out, then there's the huge tree in the center of the fairway, 233 feet down, then a coprse of trees encroaches into the fairway from the right, making the putt have to come from the left side.
Hole 7: 240 Feet- A nice, right turner with some trees about 105 feet down making the turn a challenge to hit, just right.
Hole 8-272 Feet- 98 feet out, coming from the left is a large OB swampy area, then a pari of large trees behind the marsh make this a litte more challenging. In addition, there's an OB stream bed running down the fairway on the right side. Be careful of the mud...I almost lost a shoe walking to my tee shot!
Hole 9: 272 feet- Probably the signature Grange hole, first you must clear a nasty scrub marsh area, out to 130 feet, then you are throwing into a basket located inside a corral, with a pig chute, fences and shed. Fun stuff!
Hole 10: 535 feet- A great hole to rear back and throw, the basket is up the hill to the left, flanked by a set of firs making the putt and excercise in precision.
Hole 11: 550 Feet- is a fairly straight shot, with a narrowing fairway with low brush on the flanks.
Hole 12: 247 feet- A slightly wooded hole, with a snaking fairway, this hole features to basket placements on either side of the fairway.
Hole 13: 210 Feet- Is a straight fairway, and fairly short...but as usual, the course has some nasty surprises... like a large tree smack-dab in the way of your tee shot, and the smaller trees flanking the basket making the up shot harder.
Hole 14: 289 feet- has a large tree 158 feet in the middle of the fairway, and scrub brush on both sides.
Hole 15: 210 feet- Nice and short, so should be easy, right? No way! First there's the nasty mound covered in brush blocking the hole, and curving in around the mound can land you in the thick woods on either side of the basket. Saw a nice big Black Rat Snake here, so beware!
Hole 16: 210-320 feet, depending on tee used (three choices) The hole is located right behind a large, brackish pond, making this hole VERY risky. If you come up short, your disc is getting wet.
Hole 17: 163 feet- Heavily wooded fairway with almost no clear path to the basket. All the trees are very young and thin, so it's even more frustrating, as the hole is so tantelizing close...I think it was laughing at me.
Hole 18: 250 Feet- A gorgeous, long hole bringing you home, with three large trees arrayed down the fairway, at 119, 186 and 259 feet. Also, beware of the small streambed that runs across the fairway at about 195 feet.