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Eastville, VA

Indiantown Park - Murray

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3.255(based on 2 reviews)
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Indiantown Park - Murray reviews

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11 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.9 years 550 played 429 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The Marvelous Murrays

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 19, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

The 18 hole Murray course is largely comprised of short range shots through dense woods. A handful of holes step up the distance and the trees thin out somewhat, but well shaped shots through tight lines are imperative if you want to keep the score low. Branches and vines umbrella the fairways and will redirect a shot that soars too high or strays from the path.

The heavy rough can be punishing but recovery is not unrealistic on the short holes. Terrain is flat except for one tee that is slightly raised on a mound. No water, standing or moving on the day I was there. Fence lines could create OB on a hole or two I guess, but it is not a major concern.

I liked the makeup of this course and found it to be sort of tough. Not a ton of exertion required but it takes a bit of skill and luck. My scorecard on Murray had a lot of room for improvement. Getting hung up multiple times on the longest hole, the par 4 number 9, resulted in a snowman that took a big bite out of me. Numerous birdie holes ease the pain of these difficult moments.

Cons:

There is a somewhat limited variety of throws to be made. It can feel somewhat repetitive because of this.

The natural tees were very playable, but nit picking for DGCR requires me to point out concrete or turf would be an obvious upgrade. Murray baskets are fun to look at, but I missed a lot of putts on them. Can't say that is their fault as much as mine, excepting for a shot or two.

The layout is unusual, with the front and back 9's are 2 loops, each spurring off of front and back of the larger Innova course. Due to the two separate Murray intermissions, continuity is a bit weird for both courses. With a bit of added walking you could avoid this, but I was aiming to get around all 36 in a timely manner.

Other Thoughts:

Take the ride and play these courses if you're able. It wouldn't be the first option for me traveling out of the Norfolk/VA Beach area, but there is a cool vibe here and several really fun holes.

This is the first course with Murray baskets I have seen anywhere. I've played over 500 now, spread across all 50 states. Never even seen a photo of one prior to this visit. It feels like the disc golf equivalent of putting at Mayor McCheese on an old school McDonald's play place. I didn't hate it. Variety of colors is uniquely cool.
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11 0
lee76007
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 4.7 years 112 played 111 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A Side Course with A Putter on Top 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 27, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Murray is an additional 18 holes to Innova's 18 holes. Seems to be a side course for Innova.
-It is a shorter course with variety, 11 holes less than 200 feet, 4 holes less than 300 feet, and 3 holes greater than 3 hundred feet.
-With heavy woods and canopy the course offers a challenge in the short game. Most fairways are clutter with trees and hanging branches, most baskets have tree guardians, and narrow fairways with deep rough in the warmer months. You will have to find a line.
-Advanced and some Intermediate players will have ace runs on some holes and will find most holes challenging despite short length. The course will test your short game from the tee. Beginners and Recreational will have a good teaching round.
-Murray has its own separate identity, only a handful of holes mirror the Innova course.
-Brand new tee signs with hole number, par, and distance. Tee pads are natural, where their dirt, they are well groomed.
-Navigation is good with signs separating both courses, and when needed to find the next tee.
-Local club keeps up with course maintenance. Fairways are kept mowed and have a skip bounce. They have put in a lot of time in the construction of the course. Drainage should be good as with the Innova course. It was my 4th visit with the Innova course, and the course always looks like a country club, I would expect the same for Murray.
-With sunlight streaming thru, the course is scenic.
-Critters I have seen at Indiantown on past visits are deer.

Cons:

Jumping on and off of both courses in the middle of a round is awkward. Both courses are different for the most part, so it is like shifting gears to find rhythm. The Murray F9 and B9 are about a third of a mile apart, you can play Murray only, but you are going to be passing by several of Innova's holes to do so.
-No course map and no hole map. For a first-time player, a map is needed more on Murray than Innova. Several hidden baskets from tee.
-With so many short holes, they run together and some not memorable, even though there difficult.
-Even though on my four visits to Indiantown and not having seen the course swampy or muddy. I must wonder after a heavy rain how well the dirt tees will hold up, and how long to become rutted.
-The Murray baskets do not catch very well, and the chains are flimsy. Spit outs are very possible, some baskets lean. A C2 putt went right thru the chains, and another C2 hit lower left in basket did a 270 roll and spit out.
-In the warmer months disc lost potential is high. Fairways are narrow, and rough deep. Mid-summer could find rough 4-6 feet deep. I saw it last year playing Innova.
-If you like open fairways, you are not going to find it on Murray. Leave your grip it and rip it in the car.

Other Thoughts:

I was surprised 18 additional holes had been added when word came thru on a local disc facebook page that it had opened. Murray is a collection of old holes when there was an original 36 that was reduced to 18 some years back and what appears to be some newly constructed holes. IMO Murray despite being much shorter than Innova is more difficult. The clutter of trees in most fairways, tight lines to the basket, tree guardians that keep the course from becoming an easy ace run, and short holes for the most part, you need a very tight short game. Murray is a mixed bag for me, it's a very good challenge, but just too many short holes, dirt tees, and Murray baskets leaves a lot to be desired. The past 5 months I have worn my putters out on the practice field, so I threw putter on 11 of the tee pads. Add 100 feet to at least 7 of those holes, and you have an extremely difficult course. Pick your targets well, you can at least run birdies.
With the stress test on the short game, good navigation, scenery, and some surprise holes my overall rating is anchored on a 4.0.
Notable Ace Runs, when baskets are in full view:
Hole 12 at 194 feet straight away on left side of fairway. However, tree leaning over in front of basket, if you come in low the deep rough is just a few feet behind basket.
Hole 13 at 117 feet straight down the middle. Fairway starts at 15 feet wide, narrows to a 4- foot gap in front of basket.
Hole 14 at 123 feet straight down the middle. Fairway meanders right to left to right. Tree gaps all the way down at 15 feet but with the meandering narrows at the shallow turns. Canopy also drops.
Notable Holes:
No 7. Par 3 at 149 feet has an elevated tee at about 4 feet and may be the shortest hole I have played with an elevated tee. The basket is off to the left fairway trees protect it. Theirs also an OB in C1 that is marked about 25 feet in diameter and closes point to basket about 10 feet. Straight ahead basket high are some large pines, hit those and you could bounce into the OB.
No. 8 Par 3 at 171 feet is a dogleg right in the form of a reverse question mark. Narrow gap right off the tee, heavy rough at the turn about 100 feet. The basket sits on a knoll just a few feet high, but enough to roll. Over hanging branches are before and above basket. Hardest short hole on the course, and anywhere else I've played.
No 9. Par 4 at 390 feet. Looking from the tee straight down to about 230 feet is nothing but at the end a wall of trees, and heavy rough on the left and right. Gotta be a fairway and basket somewhere, the flow tells you to the right. At about 170 out is the first approach to the basket to the right. The first approach is only about 10 feet wide with heavy canopy and you cannot see the basket. The second approach at 220 feet from tee to the right is about 15 feet wide and you have a glimpse of the basket at 170 feet. Heavy rough between both approaches and basket has about 20 feet of clear space after rough with guardian trees. You do have 1 stroke to burn if you do not get it right from the tee.

Signature Hole:
No. 18 Par 3 at 253 is straight down to the basket, but meanders right and then back to the left 20-foot-wide fairway with heavy rough. Protruding trees at he turns, with trees leaning over the fairway. A fallen tree right over the fairway at the edge of C1, tree is about 2 feet off fairway and 2 feet thick. Canopy over C1 from other trees, and very scenic. I hit one of those protruding trees, and on approach aimed right for the canopy in C1 to avoid the fallen tree. Its also a good transition hole back to the Innova course.

Trouble Hole:
No 3 Par 3 at 333 feet is a lazy dogleg right with heavy trees and brush in the middle of the fairway. Fifty feet out is a line of pines in the middle of fairway offering 2 lines, both about 10-15 feet wide. The left line swings out along the outer edge of dogleg and past heavy brush in middle of the fairway about 210 feet from tee and an approach to the basket. The inner line swings inward to another approach that is narrow at 10 feet with canopy. The basket has guardian trees. Not a whole lot of room to work with and a hit tree can put you in a bad spot, and unlike No. 9 no stroke to burn up.



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