Dahlgren, VA

Naval Surface Weapons Station

Permanent course
2.935(based on 7 reviews)
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2 1
rudy1337
Experience: 7.6 years 2 played 2 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Good Place to start 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 4, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Course is WIDE open and a great place for an introduction to the sport. Perfect for working on just about any and every shot (minus rollers) without real lost disc consequences.
Multiple tee pads on most holes giving some options to play the hole differently.

Cons:

#3 and #7 are opportunities to lose a disc. #3 is a great hole if the standing dead tree directly in front of the straight line to the hole was removed.
#7 would be fine if there was only a tee pad. When building the ponds, they evidently removed it and never replaced it. All carry over water with typical wind off of the Potomac and throwing off of unlevel ground presents a challenge.
#4 basket was moved now having the teepad face the wrong direction. So another hole you end up throwing off of grass. No risk of losing a disc, so less of an issue.
Base does a terrible job at maintaining the course. Trees and limbs will fall and are never cleaned up, when it does get mowed, the mowers simply mow around the debris leaving it lay. Mowing schedule is about once every three to four weeks. Field grass is typically above your knees.

Other Thoughts:

Play it almost daily after work as part of a workout. We run and do exercises after each hole. Ends up being about 2.5 miles worth of running and 180 reps of some exercise if you do 10 of something at each hole.
Tip: Start on hole 16, Skip 1, 2, and 3. Replay 16, 17, and 6 using the alternate tees on 17 and 6. Saves quite a bit of time. Jogging to disc using this sequence, you can play 18 holes in less than an hour typically.
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2 0
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 755 played 414 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Panama 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 8, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Flush-to-ground concrete teepads. Half the holes have a second teepad, adding an average length of ~130' to these holes. Teesigns at every teepad.

Other than isthmus-hole #3, and thick brush/water on left side of short number-4, minimal chance to lose a disc, and when combined with an average length of ~290' from the short tees, makes this a course suitable for those early in their disc golf career.

Easy course to find, and with the online map, navigate.

Cons:

Teepads are small - 3'x6'.

Most holes are quite open, with a few scattered, large hardwoods near some of the baskets. Most holes are quite flat, with about a third having some minor elevation change.

Access - unless you can get onto the base, you can't play it. Walking path somewhat near some of the middle holes.

Other Thoughts:

Hole-3 is quite interesting. Although only 230' away from the tee, the baskets sits in the middle of a ~60' circumference circle of land, surrounded by a narrow band of thick-but-short brush, which is backed by lilypad-laden water. A 15'-wide path connects this circle to the land on either side. So, how good are you at sticking your disc in the landing circle from 230' away? That's what you'll need to do to not find the water - or hope the brush stops you if you're a bit long. A bit short? Well, unless you're disc skips off the front water like a stone, you're not making it.

The other holes are pretty much check the distance, account for the elevation, choose the appropriate disc, and throw straight - needing to avoid a tree late on about half the holes.

If you like them open, mostly flat, and having multiple opportunities for ace runs and/or birdys, give it a go!
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2 0
KniceZ
Experience: 13.1 years 104 played 15 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good use of ball golf course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Good signs
- Concrete Pads
- Many opportunities for aces or birdie.
- Also several long holes to show off your Max D
- Only chance of loosing discs is on the water holes and mostly just on #3.
- Nice walk around an old 9 hole golf course.

Cons:

- No real challenging holes
- No wooded holes
- On a Navy base so proper ID required or someone to get you on.

Other Thoughts:

#1 - Wide open starting hole. Good place to do field work if you don't want to play the whole course.
#2 - Two tees with basically just extra 100'. Fairway is pretty wide open, with basket tucked between some huge trees just past an old green. The water is down the right side but really doesn't come into play unless you REALLY pull your drive right or seriously overthrow the approach.
#3 - Very interesting water shot. The basket is out one a wide spot on a path that crosses the pond. You can't over or under throw without being in the water. There's also some brush/trees on the water's edge. But you can short throw / putt to the left and down the narrow path.
#4 - Wide open with water on the right this time if you get over the brush on the water's edge.
#5 - Long open hole. First opportunity to really try to max D. Even the short tee is 400+.
#6 - Cross the road and look for tee pads heading toward the old golf club house. The two tee pads have slightly different angles but the approach to the basket is blocked (from both tees) by a wide trees. Generally better to go around the left side unless you have the arm to get past the tree.
#7 - Short hole but basket is tucked between some trees so some lines are blocked is you try for an ace.
#8 - One tree about 1/2 to basket that you need to throw around but don't overthrow or you'll over the split rail fence and into the road.
#9 - Longest hole on the course. But wide open as long as you don't pull left into the large cedar trees the line the edge of the golf fairway or just past the basket.
#10 - Longer tee has a fairly narrow lane that opens up about 75' down range. Short tee is wide open. Again don't over throw the approach or you'll be in the cedar trees.
#11 - Single tee with open fairway but the basket is down about 6-8' in some large trees.
#12 - Open shot if you can thread between two trees. The one of the left is huge the one of the right is bushy with poison ivy around the base.
#13 - Straight up an old ball golf hole with the basket up on an old green. The long tee is almost 500'.
#14 - Probably my favorite hole. You throw across a little low gap with the basket tucked between several huge trees on a slope. Most approach / putts will require some shaping to get around the trees.
#15 - The long tee plays longer than it is due to some low hanging limbs that limit the overhead. Several tees involved but only if you get off line. The basket again, is protected by some large trees.
#16 - Great opportunity for an ace. Wide open straight throw across a low spot. Be carefull though in wet weather this low spot can get muddy.
#17 - much like #6 this hole has two tees with different angles. But both are relatively open unless you get a little left where you'll have to throw around / over bushes.
#18 - From the long tee it's a left hand dogleg. From the short tee is straight on. Both are open to the basket. (again on an old green). If you over throw the approach you'll have an slightly uphill putt.

As mentioned in another review some folks throw from the #3 tee over the pond to the #18 basket but as the brush along the water's edge is growing up that line is getting trickier. Then the line from the long #18 tee to the #3 basket would require a pretty careful approach.

They have installed a running path that comes into play for holes 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, & 15. But it's not too heavily used.
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1 3
FlickItInDChains
Experience: 20 years 44 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Switch 3 & 18 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Straight forward open layout.
Mach 5 baskets.

Cons:

Straight forward open layout.

Other Thoughts:

If you want to make your round a little more challenging:
(1) Hole 3 -- Throw from 3's Tee to 18's Basket; and,
(2) Hole 18 -- Throw from 18's Tee to 3's Basket.
This layout does not change the flow of your round but it turns 18 into a legitimate par 4 to par 5.
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10 0
prerube
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.8 years 274 played 235 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Exceeds Expectations 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

- It's a John Houck course and utilizes the few features in the land to it's maximum potential.
- Hole 3 is a interesting signature hole where a peninsula surrounded my snake infested water protects the basket and eats discs.
- No crowd.
- Beautifully manicured, I heard this is often not true, but they day I went it was perfect (If you plan on going try to go during the second week of the month.)
- Lots of variety of distance with 5 holes under 250 and 2 holes well over 600. (average distance 353.33 feet)
- Course map and scorecards available
- concrete tee pads, multiple concrete tee pads on 9 of the holes
- Nice signage
- Nice quality Mach V baskets.

Cons:

- Not open to the public
- lacks variety, Most holes are straight and wide open with obsticles in the last 20 feet.
- Chance of disc loss on holes 3 and 4.

Other Thoughts:

See my hole by hole break down in the links section.
Even though this course is not the greatest course in the area, if you have the chance to play here take it, it is a unique expereince and you will have the whole course to yourself.
the wide open holes are more forgiving to less expereinced players, which makes this a good course for beginners as long as they play from the short tees and maybe skip hole 3.
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13 0
gottafixit
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 21 years 861 played 68 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Where are the golf carts? 2+ years

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

Pros:

- Well groomed
- Concrete tees
- Most holes have duel tees
- Tee signs at every tee
- Scorecard/maps were available at kiosk
- Parking available close to the first tee
- Fitness center has discs

Cons:

- Too wide open, no major risks
- No overall map at kiosk
- Kinda loops after 18 but 9 is far from the start.

Other Thoughts:

I should have played the shorter tees. I think it would have been more exciting that way.

This course was designed to reuse an old golf course. The kiosk near hole 1 has scorecard/maps but little other info if those were all taken, an overall map would have been great. The amenities are great with most holes having duel tees and all tees are concrete with tee signs next to them. The tee signs are very basic but have all the info needed. Would have been nice to seen a bench or two along the way. Navigation isn't hard as it is mostly open fields and you can see the tee sign or concrete of the next tee from the basket. The course was well groomed and all though wet from the rain I was happy to see it wasn't muddy.The difficulty of this course comes from the minor elevation changes and well placed pins, however there are still many open no obstacle holes. The duel tees are nice but I felt the long tees didn't add anything but distance and unless you have that killer bomb the shorts are likely more exciting. I would have given up some distance to try and make better use of the trees and obstacles. I also thought hole 4 could have thrown over the water for a long tee and 18's basket could have been closer to the water for a risky approach. This course is a good walk and I didn't notice any bathrooms on the way(there was a commissary near 13). You find your self kinda out there after 9 but it does bring you back close to the start(hole 3) by 18. Over all this is a good course I just want a golf cart if I go back. Hole 3 was my favorite and the riskiest hole on the course with its half island type layout.

Being located on a base there are the typical base amenities. The ones that stood out to me were the theater, roller hockey rink, commissary, and I think a paint ball range.
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8 0
Yank it Right
Experience: 25 years 68 played 12 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Open,short, but great begineer course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 26, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Distance wise is begineer freindly 200-325 mostly with a couple par 4's and longer holes mixed in. Concrete pads (small). Alternate tees good for a blue level player. Good signage. Really like holes 10-15. plays back and forth through a stand of trees between two old ball golf fairways. Mach 5 baskets.
Favorite hole #12 slightly uphill right turning with a low ceiling about 265 or so.

Cons:

Wide open for about 13 of 18 holes. Is on an old ball golf course. Could use a little more variety.

Other Thoughts:

Aced hole #16 260' wide open fairway with a predator flick. Can be hot not much shade. Must have naval/military ID to get on base. Person can sponsor others in car must have photo ID. Scorecards available at the gym. Was my dad's second time ever playing and he enjoyed this a lot more than the course in florida (barnett park) we played. Very good course to introduce disc golf (which is the purpose of the course // well desinged by John Houck with wwhat was available. Does not loop.
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