Most courses have a practice basket to warm up. Maybe even 2 practice baskets. This course has a full practice hole. It sits in a low field beneath the disc-golf parking lot, on the other side of the park entrance road from the no. 1 tee. The field is maybe 250 feet from a natural tee. You cannot stir that with a stick!

The course has a nice balance of open and wooded holes. Ditto, short and long holes. The longer holes also are nicely spread out to give you a break from all the woods. And there are in-betweeners that have a generous fairway if not totally open.

I believe (not certain though) that older framed/gravel and brick-marker tees have been retired, and that we are now shooting from the green turf tees in the long position to either the short basket or long basket. The turf tees are nice. Long enough and in good shape. I believe they all are relatively new.

Speaking of the baskets, I like that the long basket's relationship to the short one is most often really thought out. Sometimes a very long distance from the short basket. Placed in a location with additional challenge, not just distance (i.e. guardian trees or a sloped green). The holes where this is done the best are nos. 1,5,6,8,9, and 18.

I'm partial to a parkland course with significant but not overbearing trees. The holes that best feature this design include nos. 1 (short B pin and the long green), 5, 8, 10 (big and open but that acute slope requires strategy), 13 (through a tree "gate" into and across an open field into a treed green), 16 (wooded pocket, open fairway, wooded green), 17 (sloped with big mature trees spaced out nicely), 18 (similar but more open at the end). Indeed, 17 and 18 could be feel-good ending holes for those having a good round.

I feel like most of the short wooded holes are junk holes. Especially 2, 3, 4, short 12 when there is no pond to throw over. One might say that also of 7, 14, 15, but I like all of those. The green of 7 is well-guarded and a challenge. I like how the fairway of 14 is something of an S. And I love the terraced fairway of no. 15.

I'm not sure I encountered one bench...

Do note that the local club has redesigned the course over the past year or so. Some holes totally redesigned and others renumbered. Thus, some of the photos here are out-of-date. For example, the no. 6 tees are now across the street in the same green strip as the baskets. Nos. 7-9 are all different now. Old no. 9 is now no. 10. Old no. 10 is no more. You walk between two baseball fields to get to no. 11 (gated fence to enter). You descend down a short, rocky ravine to the other side of the park.

Happily, new next-hole signs help guide the way. Both the blue arrows under baskets and especially the tall red-on-white signs.

Some holes have white stakes (8 and 9, for sure; maybe also 12). I am not certain these are OB stakes or relief stakes. I recall noticing that the OB line for no. 9 (e.g.) on the temporary hole sign is far more generous than the stakes in the ground.

Overall, an excellent course. Indeed, something of a jewel and possibly gravely overlooked. The happy thing about the latter is it doesn't seem to get overly busy. So you can play a pleasant, comfortable round in peace and quiet.

It's not tremendously far off of the I-81. So if you want a break from driving (those not local and passing through), this would be a nice diversion. So too Westover in downtown Harrisonburg, but I think I like Montgomery Hall better.

Variety, variety, variety, you will be hard pressed to find a course with more different types of holes than this one. There are multiple tees on most holes and multiple basket positions on several holes, to change things up even more. The Yellow baskets can be changed between two positions, then Orange baskets add additional length and challenge.
There are a few wide open holes (1,10,17), tightly wooded holes (3,4,7,12,) and everything else was partially wooded, so bring your complete game.
Multi-shot holes to most of the long orange pin positions and even a few to the long yellow pins.
A course maintenance building next to #13 tee has a slot for found discs, while it would be convenient to have this at the end of the course, still a nice feature. I got to use the slot for a disc I found early in the round.
Good tee pads, concrete with turf over the top. Informative tee signs and the DISCatchers were in good shape.

A couple of long walks between holes, 9-10, 10-11 and 15-16. While this course moves around the other uses in the park, and finishes back pretty close to the first hole, these walks are necessary to connect the course. (The walk between 10 & 11 use to be another open hole, but its proximity to two ballfields and a playground, probably led to its demise.)
The short pin position on #12 is just a few feet off the only pond on the course, probably a little too close for a true test.
#16 has a Mando that appears to be unnecessary. No outside interference issue and the basket is guarded enough by large, bushy trees, seems strange to have a Mando.

I really enjoyed playing this course, it starts with an open, uphill shot, then a few in the woods. I was starting to think it was going to be another slug through short, tightly wooded holes, then I came to #5.
#5 starts in the woods, then opens into a grassy open area, that's where the short pin position is, but it was in the long position the day I was there. Just beyond the short position, the ground drops away to the park road, the basket was around to the left another 75' or so and perched on a rocky ledge, just above the road. A very cool, fast pin position.
When the locals had to remove old #11, they redid #6-#9, #8 and #9 are two of the best holes here. #8 is a Par 4 just over 500' to the long yellow position, it plays down, then up through a powerline ROW, with the basket tucked in the woods on the right. #9 another Par 4 at 475', from an elevated tee down through scattered trees to a partial clearing, then left about 45 degrees through a narrow fairway to a basket on a slope leading up to the ballfield.
#10 plays completely in the open, downhill, until you reach the basket guarded by large trees. #17 is another open hole, but it plays up and over a rise to a basket heading down the backside.
Then the course finishes with an interesting closing hole, the tee shot carries downhill to the basket just in front of the tennis courts fence. A large, wide branched tree is in the middle, a small bushy tree protects the hyzer route and the large branches create a long path around on the annie route. Most players will probably have several options to mull over on this hole.
From earlier reviews, it looks like the redesign and added work (including the turf tee pads and new signs) were great improvements to this course. Its definitely worth a stop if you are in the area of Staunton, VA.

-Lots of hole variety, up down left right straight tight open
-Interesting holes (6,11,12,13,18)
-It is set in a nice park with lots of amenities (Baseball, Tennis, Basketball, Swimming, Park, Shelters, Walking Trails)
-The baskets are very nice discatchers that are color coded to the layout you are playing
-Greens are very tricky (i.e. 2 has a steep downdrop that ends with OB)
-There are no throw and hopes
-Thorns were not a problem on the fairway
-Locals were friendly
-Not a lot of trash on the course

-Hole 9's long pin - the pin is situated on a very steep slope with pine needles on the ground, even if you throw a perfect shot, it may roll/slide back down the hill
-Teepads, they are crushed stones and most have little mounds in the middle of the teepad where one could role your foot, hopefully they can install concrete some time

Overall it is a pretty good course. It has definitely improved over the last few years. When I first played this course it was pretty bad, not the design, but the upkeep and the dirt tees. The club (SAW) is improving this course and it will only get better with time.

This is a course that I look forward to playing whenever I am in the Staunton area. It has many of the characteristics of an excellent course: a good mixture of open and wooded holes, great use of elevation, tough enough to challenge experienced player but forgiving enough to allow beginners to enjoy the game and as a bonus, free scorecards with maps on the rear make navigating the course a breeze for newcomers. The course starts off with a nice open hole to allow players to get warmed up before heading into the forest for progressively tighter fairways for the next few holes. It then follows a pattern of an open hole and then two or three tighter holes that will test your accuracy skills. This pattern gave the course a nice flow and didn't really give an advantage to any one style of play which is nice when playing with friends.
Below are some of the main positive points about the course.
1: Course provides scorecards and pencils that are located in a mailbox between the practice basket and the first tee. The scorecards have a map on the back to help first timers and infrequent visitors navigate the course.
2: The course is free and has a dedicated parking lot next to the practice basket for disc golfers.
3: There is very little pedestrian traffic on the course. This allows you to throw to your heart's content without fear of striking an unsuspecting hiker or someone walking their dog.
4: Good use of the parkland and elevation. Has plenty of hole types to suit just about every type of player.
5: Beginner friendly - This course would be great to bring friends and family and introduce them to the game but still challenging enough to test the skills of seasoned players.
6: Signature Holes. Every great course should have at least one memorable hole and for me this is hole 6. The tee pad is perched on a small hill and to reach the basket you need to launch your disc over the road and onto the green and avoid the thick brustle to the right and behind the green. Its like playing across a river without the fear of going swimming for your disc if you come up short.
7: Well sign posted: It was easy to tell where the tee pads were and which hole they are for.
8: Multiple tees and baskets: Multiple tees are an essential part for any good course and have two different baskets on many of the holes allows for a different playing experience.

There really isn't a whole lot to say negativity about this course as it is a fun course but I have a couple of items that you may want to be aware of:
1: It's easy to end up on the tee for hole 6 instead of the tee for the third hole. Just keep going past the tees for hole 6 and you will find the tee for hole 3. If you have your trusty scorecard map it will point you in the right direction.
2: The pathway behind hole 11 down to the tee for hole 12 is steep. If you have mobility issues you may need to find a different way down to the 12th tee.
3: It can be a little confusing to find the 16th tee. Its a decent walk and there seems to be a few paths on the way. If you follow the map on your scorecard you should be ok.

The course is a great way to spend a few hours with friends or even as a solo challenge to get a new personal course record. It may be missing a few of the "nice to have" items like concrete pads, bag hangers etc but this does not detract at all from having a good time here. If you are in the area you need to stop by and play a round, you won't be disappointed.

>Awesome variety, woods, open, differing elevation.

>A real challenge, not a pushover course.

>Looks great. Well taken care of, nice views.

>Natural Tees, always a negative to me.

>Sometimes confusing. Could easily go from 2 to 6, missing 3-5, if not paying attention.

>15 to 16 should be better guided with a sign or 2, so far away. [16 outside right field of baseball field, over the fence.]

>I have to acknowledge that the low ratings on this course is unjustified. This is an excellent course to play.

There are lots of different combinations of holes. Two current sets of tees, and nine holes with long basket overlays. Many of the greens on the more open holes have sloped greens that add in the factor of 3-putting.

The red tee-yellow basket layout is pretty short, is good for beginners, but still has a few longer holes. The red-orange and blue-yellow layouts are good for intermediate-advancing players. Blue-orange is well suited for advanced/open players. I almost always play this course from the blue-orange layout, so I tend to think of it in that setup. It has the best selection of holes including nine par 4s.

A fun and challenging assortment of holes with well thought out extensions. These holes require controlled distance along with a solid upshot/midrange game to score well. You'll get to throw every shot at some point on the course. Wooded-open, open-wooded, tight woods, forgiving woods, and a few air it out holes. Everything from ace runs to long bomb double driver holes.

Never have to wait to play. The course is getting busier but you can always just walk on and play.

The park is always nicely mowed and the course is free to play year-round.

Several tee boxes have been built recently. Timbers with packed gravel. Most are still grass.

Lack of consistent tee signs. Also, hard to know where the pavers are buried if you aren't familiar with the course. There is a map on the back of the scorecards that are in the black mailbox by the first tee.

Not many trashcans available. There's one on the way to hole 9 in the parking lot by the upper softball field, and in the parking lot near hole 17's tee. There is some litter around.

The course is in a multiuse park with a road running close to several of the holes. If softball season is in full swing, occasionally you might have to ask someone to move or wait for cars to go by before you throw.

Some list natural tees as a con. I guess I have played on them so long I don't mind. Some of the tees are a bit uneven, but most are fine.

On holes 4 and 5, there is only one box constructed (the blue tees) Holes 3, 7, and 8 have both red and blue Most of the tees are still grass.

Some of the wooded holes still have small piles of logs next to the fairways that have not been moved.

This is my home course, and a lot of people have contributed creative ideas and worked hard in implementing it's redesign. The main reason I gave the course a 4 was because of the of the longer layout and the full range of golf shots you will throw. A really well rounded setup. I know a public park isn't the most beautiful setting you will play disc golf in, but I think the course makes up for it.

Gold tees will be finished soon.

Estimated SSAs
Red-Yellow- 47
Red Orange- 51.5
Blue-Yellow- 53
Blue-Orange-60

Hole 14 is completely different. Now a wooded par 4. Hole 15 is now 100' longer and turns right down the hill.

Hope to add new pics soon

Kiwanis is a great course. The most obvious pro, to me, is the variety in the holes. The course makes great use of the land in the park - no two holes are alike. The course provides plenty of chances to air it out, but also has plenty of technical, wooded holes. With two tees (red = short, blue = long) and two baskets (yellow = short, orange = long) on almost every hole, the course appeals to recreational players as well as pros. I would recommend playing a few rounds here, if you have time, and taking advantage of the different tee/basket combinations.

The course has clearly gotten a lot of TLC since some of the early reviews were written. All of the baskets are very nice and appear to be new. The course layout has been redone recently and is very well thought out. The long (orange) basket for #9 serves as a practice basket, and there is actually enough room to throw drives and use it as a practice hole, which I've never seen before. The bulletin board by the tennis courts has information about upcoming events, and scorecards/maps and pencils can be found in the mailbox by the blue tee for #1.

I really only have two complaints about this course, and I have a feeling that they will be addressed eventually so I'm not losing sleep over them. First of all, the tees are all natural - usually I don't mind this much, but I just played a tournament here in the rain and the tees were quite problematic. Also, they are marked by pavers in the ground, which are tough to see sometimes. Framed-in tees would provide more traction, and would also be easier to find.

My second complaint is the lack of signage on the course. There are tee signs on some holes, but not all of them. This is probably due to recent changes in the course, though. Also, there are a few signs pointing to the next tees, but there need to be more. The map provided on the back of the scorecard is very helpful, though, so be sure to pick one up.

#9 was the hardest tee for me to find - after finishing hole 8, follow the fence past the baseball field and down the hill towards the road. The red tee throws between the two big trees, with the basket straight ahead about 400 ft. This tee would be a lot easier to find if there were a sign, but once you play it once it's not a big deal.

Overall I think that Kiwanis is a great course. It's well worth the 40-minute drive from Charlottesville, and if you're ever in the area I definitely recommend checking it out (it's only 5 minutes from 81).

I have heard people say that this is the 4th best course in the state, behind The Grange, Loriella, and Walnut Creek Park. I'd put this course above Loriella, but I think that Bryan Park in Richmond belongs in that conversation as well. All in all, a great course that is a must-play for Virginia disc golfers.

Good variety of holes, some open and grassy, some through the woods, some gradual uphill, some hills sloping to the left, others to the right. Makes good use of available park space.

Some holes are a bit rough (13 & 14) and be careful of poison ivy. Navigation could be a little better. I like the low impact paving stones as tee markers, but they were sometimes hard to find. We were lucky to have a guide our first time at this course.

Lucked into an informal tournament during our visit. Met lots of great people, and may have to make a return visit, if this is any indication of the typical Virginia Disc Golf Community. Great course! Kudos!