Change of Pace
10 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: I like to get away from Bryan at least once a week and play Dorey. Dorey is a nice big park just outside of Richmond with a big field for throwing practice and a nice driving entrance reminiscent of the Michigan courses I started playing on. It has a feeling of privacy and serenity absent from the big and bustling Bryan. The tight fairways are challenging but not ridiculous (except on 17 blue, what?). There is a nice variety of shots and no specific style of play will give one an advantage here. The forest dampers gusts even on windy days. There is also a nice little bit of elevation change to make you think. The two open holes down the power line in the middle of the round allow a big armed player to break loose for a few as well. 11 and 12 are cool because they have more pine trees and when you play them it seems you are temporarily walking onto another course. I tend to play this course alone a lot and it is always soothing, a nice walk in the woods.
Cons: The biggest complaint I have is the tees. They are natural and in various stages of decay. Some are slanted, some are muddy, some are root ridden, some rocky, and some just way too short. I would raise the course a whole star if it had nice composite or concrete teepads. Also, a few of the baskets, especially on the back nine, are bent and need work, but I hear this is coming. There are many, many leaves on this course, the fairways could definitely stand to be raked a little. Watch where your disc lands closely because it may very well be buried. I like to throw practice shots when playing alone but I throw less and less every time I go out to Dorey. You won't have too much trouble finding the next white tee, but good luck finding all the blue tees. It took me 5 or so trips to figure them all out.
Other Thoughts: This course is too easy from whites and too hard from blues. sometimes it seems like the distance between tees is larger than the distance between the white tee and the basket. Don't trust the signs if you are trying to find the blue tees, trust your gut and look at the ground closely.
Many of the greens have trees so you have to avoid them on more than just your drive. This course is definitely not very busy and if it were closer I would play it as often as I do Bryan.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Dorey Park
1 Helpful / 10 Not
Pros: Dorey Park is well put together, as well as well maintained. It is a walk in the woods.
Cons: There are no cons to Dorey Park, if you are a religious disc golfer. However it can get muddy in wet weather.
Other Thoughts: Dorey park is the ideal disc golf course. It's not as challenging as Bryan Park, and it's not as easy as Dunncroft. However it is the perfect first course for anybody willing to try the sport out. Some shots are challenging, but most of the challenges are due to the trees. You may find yourself resorting to the tomahawk throw to navigate through the intense foliage.
1 of 11 people found this review helpful.
A quiet place to play.
6 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: This is a great technical course with some long drives down a power line. If you like a quiet place to play and is in decent shape you have it here. This course grows on you. The dual tees add variety and will challenge the better players while still making it enjoyable for the average person or beginner.
Cons: There is some drainage problems. Some of the direction and tee signs are in bad shape. There are signs to get you to the proper parking area but none that tell you to walk about 1/4 mile across a very beautiful area to the first tee. Some of the tees need work because they are uneven or have roots.
Other Thoughts: I got my first ever ace here in August on 18. Also the first time I lost a disc was here on 11. This could be a great course if a local club took up the job. I do not think its possible to find a park that is better to play for a group of people of various skill levels who just want to have a great time together.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Dorey park
0 Helpful / 11 Not
Pros: Very Forgiving course.. if your off line you can get it back on line
Cons: Need a little bit of tidying up
Other Thoughts: Great course to play 18 holes
0 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Wooded, challenging, must be accurate
2 Helpful / 2 Not
Pros: I found this course to be somewhat challenging, but forces you to be accurate. Great small course to practice accuracy.
Cons: Challenging course, trees claimed many of my shots. The undergrowth was thick in spots, some drainage issues. Blind shots. Navigation through the course may be difficult for a first timer due to the thick woods.
Other Thoughts: On this course you must be accurate or it will become very frusterating. It is not a "grip and rip" course by any means. I would recommend this course if you wish to work on accuracy because you could get yourself into trouble if you miss-throw.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Nice short course in Va.
8 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Very nice setting. Shaded wooded course. Well placed baskets. Easy to follow from hole to hole. Almost all holes marked off with tee signs. Overall fun course with many Ace possibilities. Its an easy course for beginners to jump in and have a great time with. At the same time it can be as challenging as you want it to be. The Blue tees are much further back to accomadate the experienced player and just the challenge of going for an ace on many of the holes makes Dorey tough and fun for the advanced player as well. An all around good time of Disc golf!
Cons: Old. Not sure but I believe this is one of the older courses in Virginia and it shows. Some of the baskets are beat up and the signs have been there for a while. The sign on Hole 13 is gone except for the frame. Many of the signs are sitting against a tree or a stand due to the fact that they have been torn from there original spots. The par settings are also far too easy. This I believe comes from the fact that the course was probably built a long time ago. Most courses I've played on have the same par for both white and blue and if Dorey is set up the same then playing from white is way too easy to make par. It is very wooded so bring your bug spray. One errant throw and you will be visiting Tick City.
Other Thoughts: Dorey is a nice little park. The setting is amazing and as you walk to the actual course you pass a huge open field perfect for practicing long drives. Not that you'll need them on the actual course. I threw the entire course with a mid range and a putter. Because of its easy level I can't make the rating any higher, but Dorey is really a great fun time of disc golf and truly earns its 3 disc rating. I highly recommend it for a wonderful time of golf with a friendly competitor (where one errant throw will lose the match for you) or with a group or family of first timers. You can't go wrong here.
Update 07-01-2011: The messed up signage, with high par markings, have all but been removed. Now the signs are newer, but only have the hole number and are stationed at the whites.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Dorey Park
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Nice course.
If you like to hike this is the course for you.
Bring boots - some of the early holes are up hills sewn with river rocks and exposed tree roots.
Seemed easy and I'm new to this.
If you like mid-range game play this is the place.
Only holes 10 and 11 are straight shots, and they are easy.
No bugs.
Thin foliage makes finding errant discs easy.
It was 95 degrees and sunny but the heavily shaded course kept me from cooking
Quiet area accept for the jets landing at the nearby airport.
Lots of benches for old people like me
Cons: This course needs some maintenance. Some of the tee sign/maps were knocked over. Hole 13s tee sign/map was missing altogether.
Many of the Blue markers were missing and a few of the White markers. Making knowing where to start difficult to impossible.
Some of the course tee sign/maps have been edited by players correcting distances or movement of tees.
Tee markers need to painted
Other Thoughts: This course is looking rough. Dorey Park itself is really nice - but the disc golf course looks forgotten.
I could easily give it a 4 if I could find the tees and where the holes were without wandering around looking for unpainted wooden blocks in the woods.
Henrico County please fix these problems.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Richmond's Most Relaxing Course
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Quiet setting, varied elevation.
Other Thoughts: Dorey Park is typical of several of the older disc golf courses in Virginia; it's a relatively short course in a big, nice park but is set away from the main park in a set of woods that otherwise probably wouldn't see much use. But that said, Dorey Park is another of my hometown courses that perhaps doesn't stand out at first, but really grew on me.
Except for three holes set out along a pipeline easement, this course plays entirely in the woods, with a decent amount of up and down on most holes. A lot of players, I think, can get easily frustrated with a woods setting, but I always recommend this course for several reasons: 1) the hills make it actually a bit of exercise; 2) I find the quiet setting most appealing; 3) it's never crowded; 4) this course makes you get good at throwing accurately, which has helped me immeasurably on more open courses; and 5) throwing a good drive here, especially on the downhill holes, that skims high among the trees but doesn't hit any of them, is a great feeling.
The tees at Dorey Park are marked but not even graded, and the slope or rocks or roots can make teeing off a challenge sometimes, especially if you're not used to courses with "natural" tee pads. Dorey does feature both am and pro tees, however, and many of the holes are made considerably more challenging by the pro tees. Tee pads and basket placements never change.
While woods courses like Dorey Park can be an acquired taste, I always relish a round there. The game is all about distance AND accuracy, and Dorey makes you use both, but is not unreasonable in its demands. Learning the skills necessary to throw a good round at Dorey Park has improved my game more than any number of rounds at a more scenic but open course would. And the serene playing environment is always a good thing.
Favorite Hole - #16 - Steep downhill shot with stream just before basket.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
A peaceful walk in the woods
4 Helpful / 5 Not
Pros: A nice mostly wooded course. There are some scenic fairways and some fun holes.
*It's very peaceful and secluded and not crowded.
*2 Sets of tees adds variety.
*A creek comes into play on some holes.
Cons: There are drainage problems on some tees and fairways after it's rained.
Other Thoughts: Long Tees Course Level = Blue
Hole lengths-- White: 17 <299/ 1<399, Blue: 12<299/ 4<399/ 2>400. Longer throwers will probably think that the White tees are too short for their game.
-My favorite holes were 16. A straight downhill ace run in a tight tree lined alley, and 14. Left and downhill to a great green.
-For people who like courses in the woods this should be a fun one to play.
For more detailed information check out the my Review notes in the Files section.
4 of 9 people found this review helpful.
very fun course
1 Helpful / 3 Not
Pros: very fun course with a good variety of holes. Challenging with alot of woods.
Cons: Poor drainage on some holes. bring your muddy sneeks if you play after rain.
Other Thoughts: difficult to find the park for the first time. Once in the park I had to ask around "where is the disc golf course?" Some nice old man fishing in the pond told me where it was. Its way in the back of the park.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Layout Extinct 
3 / 225ft. 
5+ 
8/26/2008 
8/26/2008
Review By: nygfaninva 
This review was updated on 7/6/2011
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