Winchester, VA

Jim Barnett Park

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3.465(based on 25 reviews)
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10 0
DumfriesLizzie
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 5.5 years 111 played 101 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Parkland gem at the top of the valley

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 28, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very beautiful course that expands after hole 7 to give one breathing room. Holes 1-6 are close up on one another and two picnic structures. While 8 and 9 are parallel, there seems to be a slither more room here than at (say) nos. 3-5. No. 10 is on its own island. There's a good walk over to no. 11, and things stretch out even more.

Four or five bombs-away holes as a relief from the woods (nos. 7, 11, 12 possibly, 13, 16) are most welcomed. Said woods though are more parkland than dense forest. Pretty well-swept floor until no. 18 (more later). As far as beauty is concerned, I think no. 16 is the signature hole. Pretty fun to play also.

The track meanders throughout the park, but one never really feels totally isolated. As there are picnic pavilions all over as well. And if those have tenants, then you are not alone.

Some may not like it, but I think the generous par 4s and par 5s are very encouraging. Even if you bogey one of these the first time, you likely experienced something to let you know where you could have saved a stroke. The higher par maybe even allows you to score birdie; if I can birdie island hole no. 6, anyone can (smile). And I did!

BTW I like an artificial island like this. No lost discs!!

Cons:

As noted, holes 1-6 are a bit on top of each other.

While having folks around in the picnic pavilions mitigates the isolation, it also means there is potential conflict between said and the disc golf course. I didn't have a lot of problems, but I was there a lazy afternoon where there were few cars in the parking lot near holes 1 and 18. I did have a family that had set up shop at hole 18's basket with a birthday party (table, food, music). Some of the partygoers were in the way at the basket but ultimately moved.

There are not enough benches. I sat down at the no. 7 bench and on the rocks at no. 13. No other perches.

Although the forest floor is swept in most places pretty well, in other places the maintenance is a little lacking. I could deal with the vegetation at most holes but not at no. 18. It pretty much starts in a jungle, which is not very fair. I never found the blue pad, but the white pad requires a blind turnover or forehand over a good deal of tall, bushy rough to get up and out to the fairway.

As the track runs throughout the park, there's several roadway crossovers. Can get tricky and dangerous with the inevitable interaction with motor vehicles, particularly walking from no. 6 to no. 7, no. 7 to no. 8, no. 9 to no. 10. The street comes through the fairway of no. 13. After you leave the green of no. 16, you come down to a point where vehicle drivers are not expecting you to be crossing and where you will not be very visible. I would not change the design of the holes to try to mitigate this, as it would upend the lovely flow of the course. However, the onus is most definitely on the disc golfer to watch out for cars.

"Next tee" stickers etc. on basket bands are not always accurate. Other signs happily give fuller information from nos. 7-8 and nos. 15-16. You might also need UDisc to assist on your first visit.

Other Thoughts:

All in all, it's a very beautiful park. Much larger than I expected it to be, and the disc golf track that meanders through it is well-designed with interesting and varied holes, especially after the initial six. For metro DC and metro Baltimore people, it may be too far of a hike out to the west to visit on a regular basis. But it is certainly worth the drive on occasion. I would recommend making a day trip of it with Sherando and/or Rockland. Certainly would fit nicely with any weekend getaway to the Shenandoah Valley and/or Shenandoah National Park. Locals (no doubt) know and appreciate the gem that they have.
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8 0
lukedpt
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.2 years 71 played 50 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun Local course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 7, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Good variance of shots
-Plenty of parking
-Short and long tees for all holes (Signs only on long)
-Fairly useful tee signs, but not always appearing to be the most accurate

Cons:

-The par definitely needs to be reassessed as it is too high for most holes. The positive is that you have a good chance of scoring an eagle on a few shots
-I didn't see any bathrooms available, but I played in early February when everything is shut down normally
-There were a few shots crossing over roads in the park. Very little traffic, but could still lead to problems if not careful
-There were multiple downed trees and branches, as well as general disrepair including a mulch pile that almost hid one of the tees

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed playing this course, but it doesn't have any holes that make it specifically unique, besides being able to easily come in WAY under par. If I was in the area again, I would think about playing here again, but I'm not making a trip just for this course. You'll enjoy playing this course, but I recommend using Udisc so you can find your way around more easily.
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3 0
DiscoGolf13
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Something for Everyone 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 19, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The variety in which one can play this course is excellent. There are long and short tees and long and short baskets so you have 4 courses in one. Tees are solid concrete and signage is easy to read.

The course has a good variety of long and short holes, open and wooded holes, holes requiring simple strategy and holes requiring you to think outside the box.

The grounds are kept up well and I have not seen the vegetation out of control.

One of the holes, 6 I believe, has a great concept. It is a short hole with limited obstructions but there is round area of mulch representing the "green" and landing your disc anywhere outside that "green" area is like landing in water costing you a penalty shot and requiring you tee off from a closer tee box. The hole is high risk/high reward as you can easily birdie, or even ace it or you can get easily get a double bogey with a slightly off drive.

It is unlikely you would lose a disc here unless you have a shot that is way off course.

Cons:

There is no area to warm up with drives. There is a putting practice basket but I like to warm up with drives before I play.

One of the holes, 14 I believe, runs along a small stream and is often unplayable due to the mud. Drainage of water on this hole must not be that good.

Hole 17 seems jammed into an area which it shouldn't be. Fairway is a hill and is narrow with a small stream bounding the right hand side.

Other Thoughts:

The variety of this course has something for all levels of disc golf players.
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2 3
seayhorse
Experience: 27.8 years 22 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

nice little course, but not a super duper course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 24, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

nice park, with parking restrooms, other facilities
pretty easy to find a wayward disc
challenging enough to remain interesting to advanced players who will look for birdies; and accessible to beginners as well.

Cons:

there are a few places where finding the next tee was a challenge.
hole 18>? is there a fairway somewhere? I couldn't see it, so I just skipped it and walked to my car
these holes are most if not all par 3. the course is awfully generous with strokes.

Other Thoughts:

I'll happily play this course whenever I'm in Winchester, VA. It's a nice hike, too. There's some elevation changes and a nice long walk through the 18 holes. As others have noted- it's an 18 hole walk. 10 Tee is not located near 1 Tee/parking.

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1 3
rudy1337
Experience: 7.7 years 2 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Some solid holes here 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 30, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Every hole has two tee large tee pads except for #15 in which I could only find the blue pad. (there may be a white one somewhere, but it was not obvious to find.
Variety throughout the course in which I could find the basket before I threw on every hole. Plenty of opportunities for various lines for most throwing styles. Most holes seem to play to RHBH with few shots for RHFH.

Cons:

#17 feels like it was a forced hole. I assumed the blue teepad to have been buried under dirt as it is essentially in the creek bed. All uphill and sidehill. Not the greatest of designs.
#18 could be good, but no real obvious lines. I felt it was more of a throw and hope type of hole. A little bit of work and this hole could be nice.

Other Thoughts:

Not sure what the deal is on the "par" score is for each hole. Most of these holes should be par 3 and not the 4's and 5's marked.
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7 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 585 played 538 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Jim Barnett 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Jim Barnett Park was a surprisingly simple, yet well executed, course layout. The course might not have any top-level holes, instead offering one solid hole after another.
- I thought this was a well-designed course. From the long tees, it's a 6600-foot layout, giving us noodle arms a chance to still offer respectable scores.
- The course's biggest strength is that it plays throughout a series of rolling hills, weaving in and out of wooded portions of the park.
- You get a taste of that immediately. Hole #1 is 410 feet, starting in an open field, through a gap in the trees, to a slight uphill basket. An interesting aside: four holes are longer than 500 feet. Besides those holes, #1 is the only other hole on the course longer than 400 feet.
- The course ebbs and flows from more challenging, take-your-par layouts, to shorter and/or easier holes. There were several times throughout the round, I'd get back-to-back 3s where I felt one was a great score and the other was a letdown.
- Hole #6's gimmick layout actual worked perfectly on this course. It's a fake island green, 198-foot layout where players must land inside the artificial 'green' or be considered OB. Normally, I wouldn't like this layout. In this case, you can either have a long walk between #5 & 7; have a simple, wide-open layout; or take a chance with this type of design.
- The course peaked with a wonderful five-hole stretch from #12 - 16 that best reflects this course's best features. #12 is a slightly wooded dogleg. #13 is a sweeping downhill dogleg that starts in a field to a basket in the woods. #14 is a long multi-shot layout that starts tight and ends in an open field. #15 is a wooded, uphill layout. #16, at 574 feet, will reward two solid shots with birdie chances. Sadly, the final two holes are a letdown after this stretch.
- Great tee signs. They're very descriptive and helpful. Tee pads are also solid.
- This is a large multi-use park that offers a wide variety of activities. Throughout the round, you'll play alongside the walking trails, picnic shelters, horseshoe pits and the dog park.

Cons:

My biggest issue with the course is the complete letdown you get with the final two holes. Both need some major love and attention. #17 starts in front of a mudpit/mini-swamp that seems to collect every nasty smell from the entire park. #18 is a 560-foot hole that offers no discernable fairway. I threw my brightest colored disc, hoping it would be easy to find in the middle of the fairway. What a dud that I could just throw a putter 175 feet 3 times in a row then two-putt for an easy 'par' 5.
- In addition to those two holes, there were several other spots on the course where the grass was needing to be cut down. It was essentially the wooded holes that were being neglected - #5, 8 & 9 come to mind as most egregious.
- Signage could be better in a couple of places. Going from #15 to 16, for safety reasons, signs need to discourage players from trying to walk up a steep hill, and point them around the corner instead. Going from #16 to 17, there's a long walk that could be aided with a couple of arrows.
- The entire course is one long loop around the park. There's no easy spot to bail out early. If you're coming for a round, prepare to play all 18.

Other Thoughts:

Jim Barnett Park offered a fun round of disc golf. The course got progressively better for 16 holes, then it came to a screeching halt for the final two holes.
- #17 could be a fine hole if it's cleaned up. As it is, it's a simple par 3 that can be considered a victory if players avoid the cesspool. #18, on the other hand, even if it were cleaned up, doesn't seem like it has the cache you'd want for your closing hole.
- I enjoyed how the course flowed from wooded to open layouts; from flat to uphill & downhill shots; from straight to dogleg layouts. With each hole offering different combinations of those variables, you get a great variety.
- I feel that if I played this course multiple times, I'd have a different favorite hole each time. It's a course that will reward good shot making, but won't punish you too much if you're having an off day.
- Not sure who Jim Barnett is, or was. The top 3 Jim Barnetts on Google were a former wrestler, basketball player, and recurring character on Baywatch. Just a hunch, but I don't think the park was named after any of those 3. Now, if it were the Hobie Buchannon Park, it would all make sense.
- There are several good courses in this stretch of I-81 from Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. Of the six I played in this area, Ditto Farms in Hagerstown was my favorite and Jim Barnett was second. This is a solid 3.5 rating in my book. I'd gladly play here again if afforded the opportunity.
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3 0
Discette
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.6 years 658 played 64 reviews
3.00 star(s)

It's a Big One! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 30, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

This 18 hole DISCatcher course is sprawled out in a sizable community park. The course has a mix of open and wooded holes with some elevation in play. I played this course as part of a disc golf road trip where I played 12 courses in 12 days. This was the only course I played in the state of Virginia.

I used bullet points for those that don't want to read the entire review.


Variety
This course winds through some open areas of the park, but also plays through some lightly wooded areas. The gently rolling terrain also provides some shots with elevation. Although there were some blind holes, it was a pretty straightforward design. There were no random trees in the fairways to frustrate advanced players. Big arm players should enjoy this course as there are plenty of opportunities to go for big distance.

Amenities
Each hole had two fully developed concrete tees. The longer Blue tees had professional tee signs with full color graphics. The Blue and White tees had blue or white paint patches on the back corners to denote which tee. Only one or two Blue tees had benches. Only a few tees had trash cans, but there are plenty of trash cans located throughout the long walk.

All 18 in a row
Once you tee off on Hole 1, you do not make your way back to the parking lot until the end of the round. It is a long hike and it took nearly 2 1/2 hours to play this course on my own. Partially because of some backtracking, but mostly because it is a very long walk even if you stay on course.

Upkeep
Overall, the course was in good shape. Most of the tee signs were in good shape and free of graffiti. Only a few of the DISCatcher target bands had stickers or Sharpie signatures from players that got aces. The wooded fairways were a bit shaggy in the rough areas and could use a little trimming. Overall, a very clean course.

Kids and Strollers
You can absolutely bring kids, carts and strollers. There are a couple of rough patches with some roots and a small creek on Hole 15 to navigate. The course is a fairly easy walk, but it is a long walk. This will wear out the kids if they walk or play along. Probably only older kids will have enough attention span or energy to play all 18. There You don't get back to the main parking area until after you play Hole 18.

Nice park
I played on a rainy weekday afternoon and had the entire park to myself. However, I can see how some holes would easily become unplayable on a busy weekend or if there are other events in the park. I played in the rain after it had been raining in the area all day. I was surprised how well the course played in such conditions. Most tees drained properly and there was very little standing water. I was unable to fully play Hole 15 as there was water on the tees and fairway from the creek.

Disc Friendly
It would be pretty tough to lose a disc on this course. There are a couple of rough areas off the fairway that could make it tough to find a disc. It could be possible to lose track of a drive on some of the blind holes, but that would be some terrible luck.

Restrooms
There are restrooms near the parking lot and near the shelter at Hole 10.

Cons:

Big Walk
There was a lot of (unnecessary) walking. Even though I had a map and there are accurate tee signs, it was hard to navigate at times and I was forced to backtrack and wander about looking for the next tee.

Average
Sad to say, but this was one of the least memorable courses I have played. This was just an ordinary disc golf course in an ordinary city park.

Blind Holes
I don't mind one or two, but it is bothersome when you are playing a course for the first time and have no idea where the target it located. The problem was compounded by the size of this course. I simply didn't have the motivation to add more walking to see where the pins were located.
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3 0
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.7 years 297 played 197 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Apple Blossom Festival 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 20, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Two concrete tees with good signage and a Discatcher basket for each hole. Very nice variety of open and wooded holes in city park setting. Great use of the available elevation providing some fast greens and diversity of fun and tough holes playing up and downhill as well as flat. Good mix of pars and distances from ace run islands to some decent multi-shot holes mixed in. There is some navigational signage to help in spots and benches.

Cons:

Beware of other park users in the fairways and festivals may temporary close the course like the Apple Blossom festival where I got chased off the course by security my first attempt playing here and there was no signs anywhere saying the course was closed. Trash and bottles on the course. Poison ivy and underbrush control is not the best here. Only one big 18 hole loop back to parking main lot. Course is not in own separate disc golf only area of park.

Other Thoughts:

As the review title suggests, the Jim Barnett Park is host to the Apple Blossom Festival in the spring which is a pretty time to visit, but not to play. Being from the DC area I'm more familiar with the Cherry Blossom Festival downtown, and so the Apple Blossom Festival was something I'd never heard of before and those dates don't match up either and can change each year. It is best that the course is closed during this festival because the course plays through shared park space and there would be some issues. I came back park another day and this is a very good course overall, not quite destination worthy, but if you are in the area should be enjoyable for most players.
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1 4
JKPage00
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Not what I was hoping for 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 17, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Will challenge most player.
Has a couple of big arm holes, as well as some for those whom play with a bit more finess.
Multiple tee pads
Good signage - even when you need to make a longer walk between holes. Signs have accurate information

Cons:

While signs are accurate - cannot see the pins from majority of tee pads. Flora and fauna cause sight line issues. DiscCraft baskets have a yellow ring up top - perhaps a red one might be better. Maybe flags above baskets for those holes that are down and away

Course upkeep - some holes are well maintained (6, 7, 10-13, 16) while others looked horrible (5, 8, 9, 17) - to much debris or undergrowth.

Some holes make no sense - the ending hole should a memorable one - the design is just all wrong. Completely blind off tee pad. Down hill tee shot, back up narrow lane, basket can't be seen until the other hill is reached, and then your still hammered by over growth.
#6 is artificially designed as an ace run (cute- but not needed)




Other Thoughts:

Heard about this course while playing Rockland earlier this year. Made the trip out, and 4 of us played the course.
It took 3 hours. Yes we had some errant throws (we all do) but a skip off a tree shouldn't be hole killing shot.

Played from the Blues - (75-76-78-84) I shot the 75.
If out this way again, may give it another shot, but would not make special trip.
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1 0
thirtydirtybirds
Experience: 8.9 years 15 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun and challenging course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 6, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Jim Barnett park is a very large park in the heart of Winchester VA. The whole park is well maintained, and full of activities.

The disc golf course is a pleasant mix of open and wooded holes. It offers a fair variety of challenges, from obstacles to island greens to elevation change. i found the pseudo island green (number 6 I think?) to be quite fun, and there is plenty of opportunity to air out your drives.

I very much enjoyed this course. It has a good mix of challenges. It doesn't favor technical play or wide open bombing, but rather having a complete game.

Cons:

Being a newcomer to the course I found navigation to be a bit tricky at times. There are a few holes that have longer walks to get to, and sometimes aren't marked extremely clearly. That said I didn't get lost, just had to backtrack once or twice.

It has been a wet winter in this area, and as such the course of as very muddy in a lot of spots, and even submerged in one area. It's nothing that made it unplayable, and it may well dry out in the warmer months.

Not a lot of cons really.

Other Thoughts:

I like this course quite a bit. I work very close to it now, and look forward to the after work rounds. The local club seems to do a good job with upkeep, and it's a clean course that is a lot of fun to play. The group of friends I played with ranged from playing for a couple weeks to playing a couple years, and we were all challenged and had a great time.

If you are in the area, it is worth getting a round in!
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3 1
ARIK HANZIN
Experience: 12.8 years 9 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Loved it 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 13, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Good variety of Field and wooded holes.

- Wooded holes utilize clever shots and windows; not just a bunch of random trees in the middle of the fairway.

- Open holes encourage specific lines and strategy; not just a basket in a field.

- Many par 4s and 5s, (subjective, but I see this as a pro)

- Course utilizes a variety of shot type, especially a nice S curve. It constantly put my hyzer flip to the test.

- Good use of elevation and landscape.

- Helpful and detailed tee signs.

- Beautiful landscape.

- Generally good, concrete, tee pads. Many tees have benches or tree stumps as well.

- Many holes really let you rip the disc; Something most courses don't let you do enough in my opinion. Even the wooded holes ask for some mustard.

Cons:

- Par info makes some of the short tees ridiculously easy.

- Pedestrians on course, though most of them seem to know what's up and will get out of your way when they see you.

- Hole 17 pro tee pad is a swamp.

- Course flow was tough to follow at first, but most baskets show the direction to the next hole, and there are signs guiding you on the longer walks.

Other Thoughts:

Many holes appear to be easy birdies or even eagles, but there is a steep hill behind the basket. Not noticing this or failing to adjust will land you in some really unforgiving rough.


All in all, this course is just short of perfect in my book. There wasn't a tee shot, short or long, that I didn't like. I plan on attending as many tournaments as possible at this park.
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1 2
JMcCon
Experience: 22.6 years 15 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice Place 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 15, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Beautiful Park
-Nice variety of holes
-Easy to read signs with two tee pads

Cons:

-Flow of the course can be difficult but the next tee signs on the baskets helped alot.
-A couple tees were muddy and somewhat covered.

Other Thoughts:

I was in town for the day so stopped by and put a game in. Overall great course and would love to play it again. There are not really any cons unless you are just that picky over little things. If you love disc golf and like to have fun or looking for a challenge then you will like it here.
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1 2
adamisawesome777
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

like the course dont like the upkeep 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Fun course to play at. Makes for a good hour to hour and half play. Good mix of short and long holes.

Cons:

You run the risk of hitting someone with a disc. Its in the middle of the public area where people could be anywhere and you might not necessarily see them. The grass on holes 5, 8, and 13 needs mowed always. I and people I know have lost discs in the middle of fields because the grass is so high on some holes. And there's usually litter at every hole. Not a lot but just enough to wonder what the park and rec people actually do.

Other Thoughts:

This is my home course. I live right down the street from Jim Barnett park. I play here all week long and do enjoy every round I play there. But something has to be done about about the upkeep of the grass on some of the holes. It would be a lot better if there wasn't the chance of losing a disc in the middle of a field (which happened to me the other day).
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2 0
Kent18
Experience: 15 years 193 played 17 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Has all the fix ins on a good course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 20, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

In terms of amenities this course has it all. Two concrete teepads, benches, signs to next hole, tee signs with distances from short/long, trash cans. Course is situated in a nice clean city park. Course itself flows nicely from hole to hole. Equal number of shots for lefty's and righty's. Uses what elevation it has in grand fashion on a small handful of holes.

Cons:

About 3 holes from the longs/blues are poke and pray holes with no professional route or fairway available. Really that might be the biggest knock about this course. I played it several times from both tee pad locations and those holes were very frustrating considering how fair the other holes were. I would guess the city park probably prevents these trees from coming down? Several of the holes do play close to shelters and park grills. I would bet some of these holes do have poor drainage.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed my rounds at Jim Barnett park overall but didn't leave with a passionate desire to come back in the near future. Besides maybe 6-8 holes the rest don't have a ton of character and play kind of eh. I would be very happy if this was my local course with all the great amenities and to get some good practice in but I wouldn't stop in or go out of my way to play here unless it really was easy to pull off.
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3 0
nuttinbutchain
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.9 years 44 played 23 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 17, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Jim Barnett is a great park in general. The course for the most part is isolated from other park goers
- great mix of open and narrow wooded holes
- signs are awesome, there are regular and pro tees that both offer different experiences
- easily navigable, with arrows pointing to where the next basket is
- lots of parking

Cons:

- can sometimes run into other park goers, but very rarely
- poor drainage, this place can get soggy and muddy after the sprinklers turn on or on a rainy day. Even a full day of sun sometimes does not dry the sloshiness of the course at times.
- easier to lose your disc here vs Sherando Park (the other local course), keep your eyes peeled

Other Thoughts:

The highlight of this course is hole 13, a "top of the world" type hole. I mostly play the regular tees on this course, but on this hole I play the pro tee because its so much fun to watch your disc glide down into the "stone henge" surrounded basket. Be careful not to lose your disc on the following holes:
Hole 7: on your left is the freeway and massive amounts of shrubbery, so try to avoid a shot that curves too much to the left.
-NOTE: in the pictures, I believe he lists hole 7 as "hole 6". Hole 7 is the photo with the telephone/electricity poles to the left
Hole 13: if you accidentally throw your shot too far to the right, you risk losing the disc in those parts of the woods as its full of thick bushes. Other than that, this course is awesome and may be my 2nd favorite course I've ever played (I've played 9 courses total up to this point).
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0 0
Jer13
Experience: 4 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice course in a park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 30, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-A very beautiful park
-A good mix of wooded and open holes
-All the holes have a novice and advanced teepad
-No cost to play

Cons:

-The largest criticism I have with the course is that it is in a park and a couple of the holes are designed around picnic shelters as well as a playground or two. Hole 8 has been rendered unplayable at times due to people cooking out on the teepad as well as tying up their animals on the fairway.

Other Thoughts:

It can be hard to gauge when the park will be busy and when it won't be. Weekends are the worst but there are sporting events throughout the week that can make it busy. Weekdays seem to be the best if possible.
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1 4
raj5021
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

An unexpected great course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well designed. Lots of variety and very memorable holes. Tees and tee signs were top notch. Park has alot of amenities to include many pavilions, pool, playgrounds, rc car track, putt-putt course. Great family day and a stellar course

Cons:

The only criticism I have is not really a criticism but philosophical point on Par. Par on this course is set right for casual or rec players. The question is whether to set par for a pro or rec player and I am on the fence since I believe there is good reason to set par for rec players as it serves to encourage them when courses eem a bit challenging. This is a very small point but if you are advertising a par 70 course to an experienced player, the expectations are different. Like I said, not a criticism but a clarification. This is a very challenging fantastic course and you shoot what you shoot regardless. Thanks to all whole put together and support this course.

Other Thoughts:

I will definitely be back soon and hope to hear of a tournament to enjoy the course with the locals and other players. Thanks again for a great afternoon of disc golf
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7 0
ibekent
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.7 years 25 played 25 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Well cared for 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Excellent tee and direction signs, large, grippy tee pads, ubiquitous benches, water, and garbage cans, quality baskets, convenient parking, and central location in Winchester make this course an enjoyable outing. The newly expanded, 18-hole layout improves the course tremendously. Each hole has clearly marked pro and am tees which provide significantly different levels of difficulty. The flow, aided by good signage, is pretty good, though it's a single-loop course with some long walks. And the park is very well mowed and kept. Woods with thick underbrush are available if you really have no control, but the places you're disc will probably land are pretty well thinned out.

The course winds through a manicured and heavily used multi-function park (with lots and lots of facilities). The most unique part of this course is that although I had to throw past 12 parties, volleyball, horseshoes, model car races, playgrounds, and more, the holes are laid out so that no one was in direct danger from my throws. That's pretty impressive.

Cons:

There are long (though mostly well marked) walks between holes, and a few sketchy throws around the many, many people and facilities. The course hosts lots of poison ivy, one (otherwise-nice) shot across a paved road, and a fair amount of debris on the tee pads. Distance is a challenge on a few holes, but apart from that, the shots in general aren't demanding. A few fairways are sort-of tight, but they require no technical expertise apart from moderate accuracy. There is no real danger (to your disc - pedestrians are occasionally in danger). Risk-reward decisions are lacking, recoveries are easy, and you can play the whole course with a basic, straight, RHBH throw. Also, the new number 6 is a bit gimmicky and its basket is too high. I guess that was a necessary evil of expanding the course; they had to cram one more, short hole in and make it as interesting as possible.

I recently played this course in the rain; both of #17's tees were under more than a foot of water.

Other Thoughts:

Several fairways - particularly #18 - provide no possible path to the pin on your drive. Some people find this objectionable,so I thought I'd mention it.

Hole #15, for some reason, is not as well marked as the rest of the course. You get to it by walking around the brick wall, not up the rocky path, and after #15, go up the steep hill to the left of the pavement.

Lastly, hole #1 is in the back-middle of the park, across the parking lot from the main pool building.
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3 0
amlenke
Experience: 14.5 years 15 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

New holes + New Layout = A Worthy Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 22, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

All holes have white (novice) and blue (advanced) concrete tees with good grip on them.

Good mixture of course features. First portion of the course is made up of the original 1st 9 that have been there for awhile plus the new ones. There has been some reconfiguration with the new integrated 9, so if you have played before prepare for some changes.

There are a few holes worth mentioning. The first is hole 6 which is a faux water hazard course. If you land outside of the ring off the tee then you automatically get a stroke and will have to throw from the alternate pad. This is more of a skill shot. The other one I really liked is hole number 13. It is a nice long downhill shot over the road and into the woods. This hole could be done in one with a really really good well placed shot but that is unlikely. I have managed to deuce it a few times. The pin stands behind a row of boulders so that normally stops you but if you have a good arm and good driver... well you can really sail on this one. A fantastic hole to air out your driver!

All in all a very good but very technical course. The nearby Sherando course is also good if you want fun but not too technical.

Officially kicks the crap out of Sherando at this point. PDGA needs to get over here and make it official as this is one of the best courses I have ever played.

Cons:

Be prepared for a walk and follow the arrows toward the next holes, they are in that direction, really I promise.

Sometimes you may have to walk a bit along forest paths, around large obstacles, or up the big sledding hill (follow the white arrows on the ground).

Other Thoughts:

There are several places that are very marshy, bring shoes that you don't mind getting muddy. Hopefully this will get better as we get into the drier summer days.

Leave yourself a good amount of time to find the holes the first time you play it through. You can also make a day of it and play a first round of 18 from the novice pads and then a second round of 18 after lunch from the advanced pads. Two completely different experiences.

One more thought that needs mentioning. May 1st was Weekend in the park event with thousands of people. I highly recommend that you avoid the course when there is a large event going on as we had to dodge cars at some places and the first hole was completely unplayable because of all the cars in the way.

There is adequate trash cans and restroom facilities throughout the course but I always carry a trashbag to help keep the mess down and pickup the trash that others leave.

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2 0
bghst03
Experience: 13.7 years 7 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

9 more holes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 5, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good mix of tight wooded holes with open field shots. The white and blue tee pads offer different shots at each hole. The course flows much better with the new holes. Hole 18(previously hole 9) from longs is the equalizer hardest hole I have ever played. Great long course with a great variety of shots. New holes are a great extension on the previous 9.

Cons:

There are not signs for the new holes yet. There is always trash to pick up. Some areas of the park hold water and is almost like a swamp through the winter or when it rains.

Other Thoughts:

The course added 9 more holes, 2 tee pads each and one basket. Hole 6 a green island will be built up throwout the year. 1-5 stayed the same 6 added, old 6 becomes 7 holes 8-15 added old 7-9 becomes 16-18. When it is nice out watch out for people
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