Spotsylvania, VA

The Blockhouse - Darkside

Permanent course
4.085(based on 30 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

The Blockhouse - Darkside reviews

Filter
16 0
lee76007
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 4.5 years 113 played 110 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hallway Wooded Golf

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 13, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

-On James Conrad's MVP page, he's asked favorite event "Anything at the Blockhouse Disc Golf and Country Club".

-The Darkside is an 18-hole where 14 of 18 holes are heavily wooded with canopy, tight fairways and gaps, and gentle up and down hill climbs. Most of these holes are straight away, and other doglegs. The other 4-holes have elevated tees hitting gaps into a valley, then back up hill to a wooded basket placement. A few holes have water hazards, and a few roller greens.

-Holes 13 thru 16 are unique with elevated tees flying thru gaps lined with branches, where your line is into the fairway on the other uphill side where basket is placed in the woods. The valley is briefly open. Despite short distances, can be difficult to reach C1.

-The Darkside is a woods player paradise, from tee 1 to basket 18 it's a grind with a variety of discs played. I teed with putter, mid's, fairways, and a few drivers.

-At a distance of 5578 feet and a par 54, it's the most difficult course to score on at that distance I've played.

-Baskets catch great, tees are turf and just about all are in good shape.

-Navigation is a figure eight with holes 1 thru 9 counter-clockwise, and 10 thru 18 clockwise. A few signs to point you to the trail and next tee. Didn't need UDisc help.

-Beginners and Recreational will get an introduction to woods golf like no other. Intermediate and Advanced if you know your bag, you're going to be using just about all of them.

-There are two other 18-hole courses on the property Sunnyside, and a Tiki putter course. Camping is offered with other activities.

Cons:

-Holes 1 thru 12 play very much alike tight wooded fairways, and will seem like a blurr. Before looking at pictures for this review I could only remember holes 7 where you can see the highway, and 11-12. However, each hole has its own uniqeness and variety in difficulty, it would just take a few visits to remember the course.

-A few turf pads are wearing down, but still enough good turf to find your spot. #14 tee sign was damage.

-Lost disc will be high on holes 13 thru 16 with thick brush lining fairways and three of the holes with water. The other heavily wooded holes not so bad, the rough is sparse and I was able to walk up to my disc without looking for it. I spent some time disc looking on hole 16.

-The course is private, there will be times when it will be difficult to get permission to play.

Other Thoughts:

The Darkside course offered one of the best heavily wooded course experiences and had my juices flowing. The Darkside will make you think on the tee pad, some holes you're going to be looking straight down a hallway to the basket and wondering how to get there. I didn't pull out an 11-speed until hole 12 when I saw a line for a Wave, up to that point putter, 5, 6, and 9 speed discs to stay on fairway. Discing up on some holes for approaches where I might normally use a putter, instead to glide a 5-speed to avoid guardian trees in the Circle's. Holes 13 thru 16 I used driver where your line is at the dirt on the other hill hoping to skip up to basket. I found unique variety with each hole making me think about disc selection. The course was a joy to play and a grind, and an easy one for me to favorite. I have no personnel cons on the course, and no personnel preferences. I hope to come back and play again.

My overall rating is anchored on the extreme wooded play, the variety within the woods, and the relentless play from tee 1 to basket 18 at a 5.0. The 4.0 rating just seems a good place to rate the course at this time. The time to play taking pictures was 85 minutes, longer than normal for a course of its length.

The Wooded Holes:

-The hallways narrow from 10 feet wide to no more than 25 feet. Some are clear to the basket, others have trees in the fairway, and guardians in the circles. A few roller greens. It's intimating, pick a gap, first impression disc, and love it!

The Valley Holes:

-All are elevated tees shooting out of gaps with branches sticking out, gaps wide enough but no wavering. Except for 14 offering a smaller gap. The lines will take you into the hill side on the other side of valley after crossing water. Baskets are back in the woods.

Featured Holes:

-#11 Par 3 at 314 feet narrow gap of 15 feet up slope for a hundred feet, turning into a down slope, doglegging right at 200 feet, with the fairway sloping down left to right. Fairway opens up some to the basket. Per tee sign there's supposed to be water past the dogleg, but I only saw high thick grass and not a good place to land a disc. I threw an easy six speed staying short of water.

-#14 Par 3 at 348 feet is elevated down the hill thru the valley, and back up hill to the basket in the woods. There are trees protruding into the fairway 120 feet down from the left, offering a 15-foot gap to pass into the valley that opens up. Water is behind the wall of trees to the left, not likely to pass thru the trees to reach it. Wall of trees all the way down the right. Tree kissed a protruding tree from the left and into the woods on the right. Pitched out to save bogey.

Signature/Trouble Hole:

-No. 16 Par 3 at 303 feet is one of the most scenic/difficult holes I've played. Elevated tee shooting out of a gap of overhanging branches crossing a brook with a pool of water in the valley, and up the next hill to a basket with guardian trees all the way up. From the tee the fairway slopes down left to right towards the brook. A gap of overhanging branches about 70 feet down, and one of the oddest gaps I've seen. The gap of branches moves up from the ground and curves left to right arching, creating an odd window to the fairway, the window is only about 15 feet wide. Cross the far end of the brook at about 190 feet down, at that point the fairway shoots back up hill with a lazy dogleg left and sloping right to left towards the brook. The bank on the far side of the pool of water in the middle of fairway that filters into the brook, hit it and your disc is likely to fall into the water and a little deep. The brook is no more than 10 feet wide, and in a few places a few feet deep. Guardian trees protect the basket with a rolling green. On the tee I was stumped on how to hit the gap, decided to throw my straightest driver deflected off a branch left out of sight, and after a little bit of looking found my disc in one of the deepest parts of the brook. Took my penalty stroke, pitched back into fairway for a double.







Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 0
KenanFlagler01
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14 years 195 played 190 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent woods golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 9, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

The Blockhouse is a phenomenal disc golf "country club" located a few miles off I-95 in the Virginia countryside. If you are in the area, passing by, or if you reside a drivable distance from Fredericksburg, make plans to get here! You can read my reviews of Sunnyside and the Tiki Course. Of the three, Sunnyside was my personal favorite. But I can see why certain people would prefer Darkside. I thought that Sunnyside was more fun, but Darkside was more technical and challenging. I'm an intermediate player and preferred Sunnyside, but I could see some advanced players preferring Darkside.

+ Sunnyside and Darkside are both technical, mostly wooded courses. I would say that the difference between the two, and the reason for the name choices, is that Sunnyside does have some open holes. Darkside is straight-up woods golf. And tough. The fairways are fair, but there are some long, wooded holes. And missing your line could be fatal, depending on the kick.

+ Great course design and variety. Even though it's heavily wooded throughout, there are uphill holes, downhills, valleys, hyzers, anhyzers...you name it. There are multiple ways to play certain holes. Put your thinking cap on when you play Darkside.

+ This is what disc golf is all about. This course is super fun, extremely well designed and challenging, and aesthetically beautiful.

+ Did I mention challenging? I thought Darkside was a lot tougher than Sunnyside...and one of the most challenging woods courses I've played. If you're looking for a course that will really test your game, you've found your course.

+ Navigation is simple and intuitive, for the most part. It's not quite as good as Sunnyside in this category. After hole 9, walk past the hole 1 tee box to get to hole 10.

+ I should mention the other amenities at the Blockhouse. You've got to play all three courses. There's also an arcade with old school games.

Cons:

Not much to mention as far as cons. This whole facility is what disc golf should be.

- I wish there were some more par 4's on this course, as there are on Sunnyside. As an intermediate player, there were a lot of tweener holes that I had no chance at birdieing. Alt tees and/or more par 4's would be amazing here.

- Don't be an idiot like me: bring bug spray.

- I played Sunnyside before Darkside, so keep that in mind for this con: I was pretty well whipped halfway through Darkside and didn't have as much fun as I did on Sunnyside. Perhaps that would be reversed if I played Darkside first. But I still believe Darkside is the more punishing course and Sunnyside is the more fun one.

Other Thoughts:

Make plans to get to the Blockhouse. You can make a case for why each of the 3 courses are the best. All 3 are fun and worth the trip in their own right.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 2
jsemales
Experience: 19.8 years 91 played 39 reviews
5.00 star(s)

One of my All-Time Favorites 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 8, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is one of my favorite courses that I've ever played. It's a great technical course that allows even the most advanced players to really test their limits. The holes are big arm throws that require a bit of precision. You'll need to have great control of your hyzer and anhyzer throws for both forehand and backhand throws. The course is extremely well maintained and is very playable. The experience received from the hosts is phenomenal. This course is a must play for anyone traveling to the area.

Cons:

I don't like paying to play, but this course is totally worth it.

Other Thoughts:

Say hello to the hosts for me, they are great people. Bring bug spray and expect to play all day.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Darkside of the Moon 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic-- plays on a DG exclusive property.. 'nuff said.

Baskets-- all in great shape with flags to help visibility in the woods. I didn't see LED's here like Sunnyside for night golf.

Teepads-- large turf pads with long blades kept the surfaces tight and not slippery.

Teesignage-- large, full color and descriptive. Only thing I can say is that "exit" arrows could have been used to help guide you to the next hole.

Routing and nav-- not really an issue. Paths were well worn and easy to follow. A couple of places were the "exit point" wasn't crystal clear but not a big detractor.

Challenge factor and variety-- high. We felt completely at home in this dense wood. Being from Michigan, we are used to more technical courses and this truly fit that bill. The holes around the sink holes #15/16/17? were a unique blend of awesomeness with a little splash of water hazard I wasn't expecting. Expect to pull out all the tricks on this course.

Facilities--benches, shelters and water jugs throughout were welcome on a very sticky june day.

Cons:

and these are nit-picky.

Signage leading you to the course-- there really is no signage from the driveway leading you to the start of the course.

Uncontrollables-- Holly heavy in the rough and deer flies abound.

Other Thoughts:

truly a special place and an honor to be able to throw here. I am hoping by them "closing" the courses that some of the BS that has ruined parts of this course can be laid to rest and they can re-open to one of the top destination courses in the country, as they should be...
Was this review helpful? Yes No
15 1
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 297 played 197 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Your Feeble Skills are No Match for the Power of the Darkside! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 30, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Private course with 18 very tight and technical holes to test your mental game and needle threading skills playing through thick Virginia woods, rolling elevation, creeks and ponds. The Darkside is very straight forward, hit this line all the way to the basket or else you are taking a stroke, and then the basket is often on a fast green with OB lurking nearby. Every hole here is solid with a defined fairway.

The large astroturf tees here are my favorite, nice Mach III baskets with flags, navigation and signage, tee area shelter and interesting nicknacks. Very little underbrush, which is surprising given how thick the woods are.

Other amenities on site include a second professional 18 hole course, awesome Tiki course, arcade, concerts, camping, pool and bathroom.

Cons:

Some of the seating like couches were home to some bugs. Holly in the rough. Deer flies.

Not really a con for me, but the Darkside will absolutely destroy beginners and even many pros like the fully operational Deathstar. There is going to be a war between your discs and the trees. If your X-wing veers off the trajectory of the fairway, which is fair/well defined, and trust me you will veer off it, you are most likely facing a pitch out recovery shot and hoping for bogey unless master yoda can levitate you from the muck with the force.

The course can feel repetitive as it's all par 3 and you are forced to hit a certain line on every hole, the front 9 is mostly straight tunnel shots, and the couple "open" holes on the back 9 don't really change things much. There's no real signature hole, no chances to air a disc out, no holes to mentally relax on.

Other Thoughts:

I find your lack of faith disturbing as you have no idea the power of the Darkside, it's a true mental challenge and one of the toughest courses you will play. You are probably best off playing with Han Solo's attitude and telling yourself before every shot, "Never tell me the odds!" You can typically see the basket, it's right there and it's reachable from the tee, but trying to actually force your disc to the basket is another story, as the tunnels make them play further than they appear. You will be forced to use lots of midranges and understable fairway drivers off the tee because you can't afford to have your discs fade off of the line.

The Darkside course has a place in disc golf history when Brian Skinner shot a 41, first ever 1100+ rated round, and still one the highest ever at 1117, and IMO that is the best round ever. Having played with Brian, I can attest he is well deserving of that record. I can't even imagine shooting a 41 on this course, I'd be stoked to just shoot a 54.

The Blockhouse(formerly Grange) is a true country club experience for disc golf. If you get the chance to play here, consider yourself lucky.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 2
Shamis
Experience: 13.7 years 74 played 14 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 18, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice Tees and signage. Well layed out technical course. Some especially fun shots over swampy valleys full of OB.

The course flowed well. No long walks and no chance of getting lost

Cons:

No real monster holes.

Other Thoughts:

This and sunny side make for a great day.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 1
#19325
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.8 years 351 played 175 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Wooded Darkside 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

With two 18 hole courses on the property this place is very cool. The Darkside is appropriately named as every hole plays in the woods. It has some minor elevation in places.

The course has some great tee signs. Very descriptive.

The tee pads are very large and astro turf. They were great throwing off of.

The DGA Mach 3 baskets were in good condition.

Although this entire course is in the woods locating discs was not a problem.

There were several water coolers on the course.

There were some great seating areas throughout the course.

Cons:

Navigation can be an issue in a few places. Bring a map.

This course gets repetitive as every hole plays in the woods. There are 9 holes in the 297 to 317 foot range.

This is traditional par 3 golf for the most part. There is only 1 hole over 400 feet.

Other Thoughts:

This was well worth the stop during vacation. With the 2 permanent courses on site and the super fun tiki course you have to check it out.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
14 0
New013
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.6 years 179 played 120 reviews
3.50 star(s)

You'll need the Force 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Layout - It's appropriately named the Darkside and for good reason. It offers up very challenging fairways and fast/guarded greens. Going off the fairway leaves you in fairly thick stuff as well.

You'll need to be very accurate and be able to throw straight up to 300' to have looks at 2 on most holes. The back 9 offers up more variety than the front with some more open holes and a slightly wider fairways.

The open holes still require you to be accurate through gaps either near the tee or basket. Plus most of those have water/OB coming to play.

The greens here will give you problems, many are heavily guarded by trees or on fast slopes. There is some slight elevation on the front and a bit more on the back.

The course flows pretty well and once you find it the paths are well beaten in and easy to follow.

Equipment - Large tee pads. Benches (more like cushoined seating and couches) and cool decorations all over. Good signage.

Atmosphere - Themed holes and some cool stuff set up around the course that adds to the experience. Definitely gives you a dark vibe at certain points.

Cons:

Layout - Biggest con for me was the repetitiveness of a lot of holes, especially the front 9. Most are straight shots through tight gaps in the 250-330 range. Even the more open holes require a straight shot through a gap at some point.

Some greens were maybe to guarded and tight at the end, definitely an experienced player type course.

Not many holes really stand out when I think back, this course is definitely the lesser of the two on the property.

Equipment - Some of the pads were a little rough in places. Some of the baskets were old and not up to par.

Atmosphere - Not an incredibly fun course, especially in comparison to Sunnyside. It gets a little monotonous. Lots of prickly holly bushes and hornets on the course... watch out.

Has good facilities such as an arcade, tiki course, pro shop, bathrooms on the property.

Other Thoughts:

The combination of this course and Sunnyside gives it a boost, definitely a yin/yang type setup. The Blockhouse as a whole is a great experience and a must hit if you're in the area. A lot of work has gone in to the place and it definitely paid off.

Courses are pay to play but it's worth it.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 2
J-Mo
Experience: 28.9 years 27 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a fun course for all. Not too difficult, but not simple either. It was me (intermediate) and a friend who had never played before, and if was fun for us both. The holes were thought out nicely and played well. Awesome use of elevation change and left/right doglegs. Plenty of seating thourghout.

Cons:

Tee pads were horrible. They were all of different materials and it seemed like none of them were the same size. Some were dirt, some artifical turf, some carpet. Kind of annoying, especially when there isn't a place to the side of the tee to throw from...so even if the tee was muddy or wet etc, you couldn't even throw from the side of the tee box to prevent ingury.

I didn't see any trash cans. Not a big deal, but might be nice.

$5.00 greens fees is a little pricey for this course. I wouldn't go to this course again if I had to pay $5 every time.

Other Thoughts:

Overall it was a nice course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 2
Mincus14
Experience: 14.9 years 26 played 26 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice layout and well signed. Easy to navigate and has a lot of shot variety with some water coming into play on a few holes. Liked the rest areas at each tee box with the car bench seats and the fish themed hole. Really fun course.

Cons:

Not many open holes, almost all of them are wooded, but thats why its called the darkside I suppose.

Other Thoughts:

Nice private course with 2 other courses on site. Not quite as good as the Sunnyside but still one of the best courses I've played.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
0 1
telusive
Experience: 10 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

This course is amazing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 18, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very fun, interesting course that was clearly made by a person who loves this course and plays it themselves. The darkside is 100% in the woods with a ton of skill shots to both the left and right down tree lines. Varying lengths and elevation changes.
My favorite part about this course was probably the placements of baskets, they are very creative throughout the entire course.
Some of the holes near the end play through various water areas ranging in sizes.

We drove 2 hours out of our way to hit this course back up and play the darkside. We didn't have time to the first time through. Had a blast here!

Cons:

Not for beginners, tons of insects. The owner has made really excellent sitting areas, but they are overwhelmed by bugs living in them (bees, ect)

Other Thoughts:

Course has an excellent selection of discs in an on site pro store. Tons of stamped discs, shirts, ect. There's a 'country club' that is pretty fantastic!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 4
macqude
Experience: 33 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Family time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 4, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The tees are great. It was easy to find each basket and the next tee pad. Really enjoyed the "Themed tee pads and fairways" it is a must see experience! Loved the elevation challenges. On the way out we did play a few holes on the Tikki course for the kids and I threw a hole in one on #7 - made my day :)

Cons:

We got there around 4:30 in the afternoon and were able to complete the course but it would have been nice to play all the different courses.

The entrance is only a driveway marked with a basket and we drove past it and had to turn around.

Other Thoughts:

It had rained real a lot the day before and the course for the most part was not overly muddy as I would have thought. We drove over 2 hours to play here and it was worth it. 3 kids, 5 adults
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 0
tistoude
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 198 played 60 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Aptly named 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 29, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Woods Golf Baby!

The appropriately named Darkside is a wonderful example of technical woods golf. That is not to say that the entire course is in the woods but the pain you suffer on the tightly wooded holes will be what sticks with you after you are done with this course. This plays as a nice contrast to Sunnyside

The design of this course really makes you focus on accuracy, shot selection, mental toughness and bad tree kick recovery. Even the more "open" holes will require you to at some point hit a tough gap if you want to steal a deuce. I really think every hole with the exception of #2 is dueceable but aggressive play can just as easily yield a 4-6 if something goes wrong. For us lesser mortals, 3 is a good score on each hole except #9 which should probably be deuced. The tight lines on the wooded holes, the OB on the more open holes combined with some tough pin positions make for a very good challenge. In my opinion the pin positions on this course are significantly more dangerous/difficult than on The Sunnyside. They seem to be guarded by more trees, often on slopes or surrounded by fast greens. There is a very nice balance between RH/LH holes, some gentle elevation throughout the course and a complete absence of pinball type holes. Each hole has a distinct, reasonable "fair"way. The flow to the course is pretty good so that just when you think the beating in the woods is too much then you get a few open holes to get some relief before heading back in to finish up.

Even though this course is carved out of thick Virginia woods the fairways are clear and well kept. The tees are in a little bit poorer shape than their Sunnyside brethren but still provided excellent footing on every hole. The seating and wooded shelters are a great touch providing ample places to take a break or escape the weather. The baskets are in great shape and the tee signs are great. They show an accurate overview of the hole and distance.

Once we found the first hole we had no navigation issues even without a map except for the gap between #9 and #10.

The Blockhouse pro shop/arcade/clubhouse area is awesome. It was a great place to chill out before and after playing. There are lots of baskets around to warm up your putting (tiki course)

There is a completely separate 18, Sunnyside on site to play plus the super cool Tiki putter course and a mini disc course that is really widespread.

There is camping onsite.

Cons:

Going over to the Darkside was not as easy as the emperor claimed. Maybe I just didn't get angry enough. Seriously we did not see a single sign that directed us to where the course was at and the only path that lead there was blocked by a huge fence. We just kind of walked around in the general area of where we thought it might be, found #18 and circled out from there. Even after playing the course I am not sure what the proper way to get there is. Maybe just walking through the Tiki Course? This was repeated to some extant after we finished #9 and were looking for #10.

Only one tee and pin for each hole. A beginner would get destroyed on this course especially since most of the fairways are tight and lined with hollies which are uncomfortable to throw out of.

Other Thoughts:

This course is another part of the great Blockhouse experience and a shining example of private courses doing it right. The $7 or $5 after 5 o'clock is easily worth it. And with Hawk Hollow and Loriella in the area this becomes a true destination course. I was able to play all four in 1 day.

The course emphasizes accuracy and consistency. That unfortunately means if you like the wide open bomber courses, then this is probably not gonna be a good time for you. But you should try it anyway!

I had a great time on this course since it is the type of golf I really enjoy; the feeling of complete seclusion out in the woods, hitting tight lines and having to do some real scrambling when you miss. There is lots of personality through out the course in the forms of faces on trees, the fish hole and signatures in the tee sheds that just makes you feel welcome.

My favorite hole was #1. Not a difficult hole, only 280ish through a tight fairway and over a bit of a gully but man, standing on the tee it is just beautiful to me.

Overall the Darkside is a nice challenge, tons of fun and I am really looking forward to coming back here to play in the future (though I will make sure to bring some kind of fish to add to the collection next time).
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 2
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 755 played 414 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Darth 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 8, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

On the same site as another 18=hole course, tiki course, disc shop, clubhouse.

Generous teepads supported by a variety of seating options - definitely a private place to chill out and relax.

Cons:

Front nine might be too tight and repetitive for some tastes.

Single tee/basket locations.

Other Thoughts:

Aptly named, the Darkside course at the Blockhouse will mostly keep you in a dense patch of woods filled with small diameter trees. The holes on the front nine are fairly similar:
- ~250'
- minor-to-no elevation changes
- fairways lined with hollies
- baskets located more-or-less straight away, but with tight, subtle lines needing to be hit to have a birdy opportunity
- errant shots deflected of the fairway will have no line to the basket, forcing a pitch back into the fairway and a scramble for bogey

The opening holes on the back nine are longer than those on the front, with wider but still challenging fairways, and requiring sharper, mid-flightpath turns. Holes 13-16 all start and end just inside the edge of a woods, the trees becoming larger and more widely spaced apart, with a small, grassy open space and tiny stream separating the tees and the baskets. The final two holes are similar to 10-12 - wooded, and longer than the front nine.

Favourite hole: #16. Starting from an elevated position tucked inside one edge of the trees, a long throw across the small meadow, with a bit of left fade at the end, is needed to reach the opening in the woods on the other side. The basket resides further in these woods, back and to the left, with an increasing number of trees preventing a direct line to it.

Scoring well on this course requires extreme accuracy on the front nine, and the ability to add length to your throws while maintaining accuracy on the back nine.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 3
prerube
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.8 years 274 played 235 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Sunnyside's little step brother. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

It is another great addition to a must stop location. Blockhouse is a must play destination in Spotsylvania.
Lots of elevation and good use of trees.
large flags made baskets more visible.
Good level of challenge for a variety of players.
Nice tee signs and elevated Tee pads
Benches at nearly every hole.
Shade from the heat.
Pro shop (the Stupid Store) is right on site.
All of the guys at the Blockhouse are very helpful and laid back.

Cons:

The tunnel shots get redundant
a few small navigational issues.
Gravel tee pads were flooded.
every player in my group was attacked by hornets.
It seems this course is second to Sunnyside for attention and maintenance, some locals did not even know where the Darkside was, but this meant we had the Darkside to ourselves.

Other Thoughts:

$7 a day, $5 after 5pm is well worth this experience. Course is right off 95 with in a quick drive from Loriella, Pratt, and Hawk Hollow.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
15 0
cefire
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 24.8 years 1123 played 136 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 22, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The Darkside is a tour de force of pain in the par 3 world - a constant barrage of mental intimidation that starts right from the *relatively easy tunnel shot on hole one to the toothpick alleyway that lines the finishing hole 18. When the course finally gives players a chance to breathe in the mid-section, a more sinister less visible danger in the form of out-of-bounds areas waits for shots that are off the mark. All players will absolutely need to have a well-honed bag of technical shots to save pars when the tee shot is anything less than perfect. In addition to trick saves, players will need to keep a cool head when they encounter serious trouble so that they can pitch to a better position and cut their losses. Become impatient and the course will gladly add another stroke or two to punish greed and overzealousness.While the Sunnyside is a better test of a player's well rounded physical skills, the Darkside complements by testing a players mental mettle. Once doubt starts creeping in after a shanked tee shot or a lazy approach, only the strongest mental game will be able to survive with minimal damage. Great players shooting hot rounds on Sunnyside can erupt on Darkside and shoot well into the 60's (a good round is ~54 or better) - it just tests a very different set of skills and course management than Sunnyside.

Hole #2 profile: Hole two is often seen by players as a hole they have to 'get past' in order to keep a good scorecard in tact. This hole very, very rarely yields a '2' and frequently drops 4 strokes or more to an otherwise clean scorecard. From the tee, the right-hand backhand thrower immediately encounters a classic choice between aggression and defensive play with two diverging fairways which are split with a row of small trees. The left (aggressive) fairway is a straight tunnel which runs rather tree-free to within 80' of the pin. Players who can land a drive or midrange shot with minimal fade in this tunnel will be set up great for a three. However, if the shot fades out or kicks further left beyond the defined fairway, a nearly impossible wall of trees spells certain trouble barring a miracle roller. Choosing the right-side more conservative fairway is the answer to avoiding the death-zone on the left side of the fairway. Players choosing this route will be throwing a long hyzer which has to avoid several guard trees and will ideally land about ~150-180' from the pin. The penalty for choosing the safe route is that the second shot will have to navigate many more trees on the approach than the well-placed aggressive shot. From the landing zone, players will have to think creatively to get past the remaining trees though tight windows or with shorter trick shots. While I think the aggressive choice is more likely in the long run to yield a three, players who miss the drive are almost certainly looking at big numbers. Those on the conservative side are usually conceding a large percentage of 3's but will rarely score higher than a 4.

Cons:

The main drawback of the Darkside is the lack of many par four and five holes (hole 2 is likely the only hole which approaches a true par four). I do feel that some of the unique flavor in having such a brutally challenging stream of par 3's would be lost but a lot would be gained in having holes with multiple drives/approaches. Par four and five holes force players to plan and develop course maintenance skills that 'regular' par three holes just aren't able to do. However, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the designers to add holes with adequate length to create multiple shot holes without absorbing some of the Sunnyside course as well - a trade-off which is probably asking too much. The only other 'con' that comes to mind is that this course plays almost entirely over mud-covered hills and can get sloppy when it rains. The course drains fairly well but you might want to make a quick check of the
recent area weather before heading out.

Other Thoughts:

As others have said, the Grange facility is at the tip-top of private disc golf world with two championship-caliber courses, an awesome tiki par 2 course (with late night illumination), a mini course, and a giant arcade. With side-trips to Loriella and Hawk Hollow also within a short drive, there really isn't much else to ask for in a weekend of disc golf fun!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 5
coolhand
Experience: 23 played 23 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 6, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

amazing course. complements the sunny side very well. or contrasts maybe i should say. very challenging. i shot well on the sunnyside all weekend but the darkside had my number. beautiful scenery. great hospitality. can't wait to go back.

Cons:

it kicked my butt
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 1
Coasterbrad
Experience: 17 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 24, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

I stopped by The Grange today on my way up 95 and I am really glad I did. As we got there, Albert, Matt and Ben were about to play and invited my friend and I to tag along. It was great to get to play the course with those who designed it work to make it what it is today.

The Darkside had a great mix of hole types and challenges. The tightly wooded course was kept very nicely. Many of the tees had seating and shelters. A few of the holes have a lot of fun character, i.e. the "fish hole."

Overall, this was an awesome course. It was challenging, but definitely playable for me even as a somewhat new player to the sport.

Thanks guys for letting us tag along today, we had a great time.

Cons:

Navigating from hole to hole could be somewhat difficult if it is your first time and you are alone. This wasn't a problem for us though as we were with the regulars.

Other Thoughts:

Great course, don't pass it up.

Call ahead. Leave a donation to help them keep this place going and improving.

Oh, and THE POOL IS PRIVATE!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
tmahan
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 40.8 years 86 played 31 reviews
4.00 star(s)

a little slice of heaven 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 26, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The front nine is what most wooded courses strive to be. Literally carved out of the thick Virginia woods are nine tight but fair fairways of varying lengths, three will feel good on all (especially #7) except for #9. The premium here is accuracy off the tee, hitting any of the fairway trees likely means a struggle for par, but not to find your disc. The back nine wends in and out of the woods towards the back part of the property, and includes some water and/or swamp hazards (depending on the time of year). The back contains a few more birdie opportunities but you'll still have earn them.

Another championship course and the world famous Tiki course are co-located with this gem. Three other championship course located within 15 miles makes Spotsylvania The disc golf destination for the Mid-Atantic, imo. Well graded and sized turf or carpet tees on each hole, with shelters on several tees.

Cons:

Only one tee and pin position per hole. Bugs can be a pain, particularly the flies in the spring. It can get muddy following rainy weather, but not too bad. You can lose a disc in some of the rough on the back nine.

Other Thoughts:

This course is arguably the crown jewel of the disc golf resort that is The Grange. I say arguably because Mike has been tweaking The Sunnyside and adding diffculty. I've been coming here since shortly after the first course opened and seen it evolve from a really nice 19 holes to a full blown disc golf resort. There's a nice clubhouse to provide shelter from weather, and an arcade stocked with vintage games from the 80's and 90's. Please take a moment to consider all of the costs and labor that has gone into this place when you're passing the donation box, and remember that you're sharing a family residence.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
DWill
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.8 years 322 played 45 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Come to the Dark Side 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 23, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Elevation changes on almost every hole, that provide very unique holes, no two holes are alike. Combine that with a great variety of short, medium and long holes, not to mention the evenly distributed left, straight and right turning holes, gives you one challenging course.

The tee pads are large and are either crush stone or synthetic turf, nice and flat. Each hole has its own tee signs, with the hole number and location of the pin. There is a tee box shelter at most holes, which include a seating area and some form of shelter from the weather.

Course navigation is good, so you don't really need a map to get around. Some next tee signs through out to help out.

Because it's so wooded, there is plenty of shade for the hot days.

A bathroom, snack bar, and pro shop on site. Very convenient to I-95, about half way between Richmond and DC.

Cons:

Gets kind of swampy when wet, and thus, some tee pads don't drain very well.

Distance on tee signs missing.

Other Thoughts:

A very unique disc golf experience on this course and disc golf complex. Of the three courses on this site, the dark side is the hardest IMHO.

Privately owned and operated, it has certain perks that public parks are not able to do. There is an old school disc golf vibe I get here, with all the tie dye shirts and stuff, it's like I'm back in the 70s again.
Was this review helpful? Yes No

Latest posts

Top