Stephens City, VA

Sherando Park

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3.465(based on 26 reviews)
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6 0
DumfriesLizzie
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 5.5 years 110 played 101 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Excellent tucked-away course

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 14, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

One starts off with two bombing holes; this is quite welcoming. They both are short par 4s, but it's encouraging. Then you go into the woods with a number of short holes, some of which have distinct elevation (nos. 5, 6; no. 11 on the B9). At no. 7, you come back out into the open; stay in the open for no. 8; but then go back into the woods (briefly) for the drive and approach to no. 9's basket in a small open green. You are briefly back in the open at no. 10, but nos. 11-15 are in the woods. No. 12 fairway is open but does have a ceiling. There is some openness to no. 13, and none of these fairways are without gaps. Back out in the open for no. 16 (tees in the woods). Numbers 17 and 18 either start out in the open and go into a cove or start in a cove and go out into the open. The mix of open and wooded holes is balanced and spaced well. Sherando was something else before becoming a disc golf course (maybe a par-3 9-hole ball golf course?). The difficulty of the holes varies as well. The testers are nos. 5, 6 tee, 7 approach, 9 tee, 11 tee, 14, 15, 17 green, 18 tee.

Cons:

There are no benches anywhere. Understandable for some of the cramped holes, but perhaps there could be a bench at nos. 2/8 and another in the woods (no. 14). In summer, the grass is a bit buggy. Apply DEET etc beforehand. It's very easy to confuse the X hole with no. 12. Next-tee arrows would be useful to help with this. Udisc should help, and there is a picture of the course map (same as what is online here at DGCR) at the no. 1 kiosk. I snapped a picture of it to help me navigate the course.

Other Thoughts:

From the small parking lot, walk forward directly into the large field to get to the no. 1 tee near the kiosk bulletin board. You walk through a soccer field or along a gravel path to start. If 18 holes are not enough for you, there is an X hole (east of hole 11) and a Y hole (somewhat parallel to no. 18). Neither naturally flows with the rest of the course, but there you are if you are interested. I guess you would play X between 15 and 16, and you would play Y after playing 18 (walking back to near where you started for 18). I didn't always find the blue tee for some of the holes. There are three pads at no. 16, if I'm not mistaken. If you're not local to the area, I think pairing Sherando/Rockland/Jim Barnett makes for a good day trip with each course quite different from the other two.
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8 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 584 played 536 reviews
3.00 star(s)

My Sherando 2+ years

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

Pros:

Sherando Park is a simple course that offers some fun plays. With layouts that reward great shot-making, players can see some low scores.
- Don't let the first two holes fool you. Two field holes quickly lead to a series of shorter, hilly layouts in the woods. Some sharp doglegs make holes #3 - 6 (the longest being 201 feet) non-guaranteed 2s. In fact, you might be searching for a disc deep in the woods if you get too aggressive and miss your line.
- For such a compact space, these holes do not feel on top of each other. I felt like I kept winding back and forth, expecting to start overlapping with other holes. Instead, these holes have the proper spacing.
- For a short course - average hole length 260 feet from the regular tees - there's a high risk/reward level here. Average players could play smart, safe, boring rounds and card 54s. Or you can try to be aggressive, even if it's only selectively so, and start seeing your fair share of 2s on the card. Just be prepared for some bogey 4s as well once you start playing that game.
- Not a single blind tee-shot that I can remember. Compared to other courses nearby - Jim Barnett, Signal View, and even, Poor Farm House - you're able to see where you're throwing from the tees. With mediocre tee signs, you need the help.
- #9, 12, and 14 all offer classic straight-line holes with fairways lined by trees on both sides. They range from a tight line on #9 to more spacious fairways on the other two holes.
- The park has some very nice-looking soccer fields. You'll get to see all of them up close and personal during your 5-minute walk from the parking lot to the first tee.

Cons:

Navigation can be greatly improved. The tee signs are useless as there's not much info on them. At least the hole numbers are correct.
- Getting to the first hole, I was thinking about playing the long tee. I couldn't tell for certain if the lone tee pad off to the side was the one for #1. There's another tee pad in the middle of the field that serves no purpose. Perhaps it's for an old layout - #9, perhaps? - or it's another random, unmarked long tee.
- The long tees were clearly put in well after this course was designed. It shows as there are a couple of awkward lines right off the tee pad making for some unnecessarily and unnatural shots. A little more work should have gone in to making a true second layout if that's the intended goal.
- Benches, trashcans, water fountains and other amenities aren't to be found within the course itself. There are picnic tables at hole #1, but that's as close as you'll find.

Other Thoughts:

Sherando Park is a good, change-of-pace course. Being more of a mid-range layout (13 holes are under 300 feet), it gives players a chance to rest their arms and instead focus on accuracy.
- I surmise the fairways are a little tighter in the summer when the trees have full coverage, and are a little more open in the winter, when leaves have fallen. That's a good thing because a couple of holes had low ceilings during my June round.
- LHBH players will enjoy the sharp dogleg rights on #6 & 7. #7 has the added challenge of trees, giving players the option of hitting the narrow route, or going wider, taking the safe route.
- What is it with courses in northern Virginia along I-81 and the inability to have a good closing hole? Probably half the holes on this course would have resulted in a better ending to the round that the wide-open, no-obstacle current #18.
- This was a good, mid-range course. Even if you can't throw a tee-shot more than 250 feet, you'll still be able to make your way around this course in good shape.
- This is an average to slightly above average mid-range course. This falls in the 2.75 range in my book. The near quarter-mile walk to and fro the parking lot is ridiculous. It's also as long as the first 4 holes combined.
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2 0
thirtydirtybirds
Experience: 8.9 years 15 played 10 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun course for a quick round 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

This is a nice course. The layout is easy to follow, and I like the tee pads. All the holes are marked well. There is more open than wooded holes, but the mix is good. Trash cans on every hole make keeping it clean easy.

Being fairly open, the biggest obstacle for me was the wind. There are still well placed pins on the open holes, using elevation or sparse trees to add elements of difficulty.

Cons:

Not many to mention really. It was a little muddy, but this isn't that big a deal. The walk from the parking area is a bit long, but that also means the course is isolated from the rest of the park.

Other Thoughts:

I will play this course again. It is a straightforward course that can be played pretty quickly if you want to sneak in an after work or morning round. Very clean, nice layout, very playable.
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1 0
JMcCon
Experience: 22.6 years 15 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun and Nice 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-Easy to follow and beautiful park with the course off to its self.
-Variety of holes
-Good for all different skill levels
-Like how it loops around

Cons:

-Only bad thing is the hike to the first tee/course area. Luckily i knew from the other reviews where to look for it at.

Other Thoughts:

Fun course to check out. I was in the area for the day and it made a fun little game never being there before. I will go back when near by. I suggest you go as well if you are in town.
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4 1
amlenke
Experience: 14.5 years 15 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

This is my go-to course! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Well established course that hosts a local club that keeps the place on the up and up as well as returns lost discs. Hosts many events and there is almost always someone friendly and often challenging to play with whether you know them or not. Many of the phenominal area players make this their home course. This course has a great layout with two loops of 9 for quick 9 hole games or full 18. 1 and 9 are right next to each other for easy start and finish short loops. The design is easy to follow and they have nice concrete pads throughout. There are also multiple basket placements that are only moved for tourney play.

Cons:

The baskets are never moved unless there are tournaments. Two of the concrete pads should be redone; hole number 5 pad slopes down while throwing up hill and hole number 16 slopes up while throwing over a slight rise (I have busted my butt on both when the concrete was wet on more than one occasion though I now know how to compansate for it).
On a windy day, this course is down right brutal and the ravine to the left of hole 11 has eaten a good number of my discs over the years (usually to be replaced with others found in the same spot, and yes I always call if there is a number on it)

Other Thoughts:

All and all my favorite and I guess I would consider this my home course. Playing the full 18 is like a warm up on the first 9, with the second 9 being more technical. This course will challenge right handed players as it does have a large amount of right handed doglegs that appeal to lefties. Great course for teaching someone to play, not as long or as confusing as other longer more wooded courses. Make sure you write your name and number on your discs if you play here as you have a pretty good chance of someone calling you if they found it. Also make sure you join our club in the links if you play there a lot for additional challenges and fun.
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6 0
nuttinbutchain
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.9 years 44 played 23 reviews
4.00 star(s)

One of my favorite courses 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

This is still one of my favorite course that I've played on so far. I first learned how to play disc golf on this course and after playing 20+ more courses afterwards, it remains one of my favorites. Great course for beginners to learn on, but still challenging for more advanced players
- Great tee signage and concrete tee pads
- beautiful beautiful course, with a great mix of open and wooded holes. some require distance, some require accuracy and finesse.
- very easily navigated, course flow makes alot of sense
- cool practice putting area
- secluded, you will never run into other park goers unless they're playing disc golf

Cons:

- I really don't have any major complaints. The only thing this course lacks is elevation. I love throwing downhill and there is no such hole on this course.
- Its a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the first tee. I don't mind this as much because this is what allows the course to be secluded from other park goers. However I'm mentioning it as some people will view this as a con.

Other Thoughts:

Overall one of my favorites if not my top favorite course played. Besides not having a "top of the world" type of hole to throw downhill, I have no major complaints about this course and I miss it alot now that I'm back in California. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. Locals are extremely friendly (as are most DG'ers in general).
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1 2
zubeala
Experience: 12.6 years 109 played 13 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Play it more than once 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Good signage, though "Next Tee" directions would be helpful.
Excellent concrete t pads...nice and long. Nice mix of open and wooded. The woods are not so dense as to lose discs even in July. Has not been crowded when we have played. Very generous par ratings...I liked it.

Cons:

May be a few more dog leg rights than most, but I didn't find it annoying.

Other Thoughts:

First time I played this I was not overly impressed (February), but the 2nd time I really enjoyed it. I think the foliage on the trees made the holes more interesting and a bit more technical. I can't wait to go back.
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4 0
ibekent
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.7 years 25 played 25 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Doglegs and Angles and Ivy. Oh my. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 24, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course sits on its own land apart from the baseball and soccer fields. It is a mix of fairly long open shots (after the first one) and wooded shots which require a moment's thought. The tees are mostly large, concrete trapezoids most of which are cleverly placed or angled to make the shots a little bit tricky. It has some risk reward decisions, good pin placements, and decent variety of shots.

The course is well kept. Benches and trash cans are available. Tee signs are excellent. The course has no directional signs, but they aren't really needed. Just follow the trail. The course has decent flow, but also has some awkward walks and backtracking. It's almost two loops of nine; (tees 1 and 9 are next to one another). And it has the perfect amount of traffic. It's well used and stays beat in, but is not beat up and worn out. There are always folks to play, but I've never had to wait or play through.

In general, it's not an overly challenging course, but is challenging enough and very enjoyable. If you enjoy the calm of the woods, you'll really like this course.

Cons:

I can think of only two things that everyone will call a con: 1. I don't think I've ever seen so much poison ivy in one place. 2. It's a fair walk from the parking lot to the first tee.

Other thing which some might call cons: The course significantly favors players with RHFH flicks. The longest hole is 440 feet. Some of the wooded shots are lined with significant schule. The first two shots are relatively uninteresting. Water and restrooms are available, but not nearby.

Other Thoughts:

When you park, just start walking back across the soccer fields toward the woods. You'll see a small kiosk back there which is next to the first tee.
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1 2
tehrain
Experience: 23.8 years 12 played 10 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Solid 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 25, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

As far as city park courses go, this one is pretty solid. It's fairly large and well spread out with some good variety. Not overly crowded but on sunny weekends you might get slowed down a bit if you're quick.
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6 0
jblough
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.9 years 85 played 82 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A bundle of possible aces! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 11, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course plays over a nice park that is open and conducive to disc golf but doesn't seem like there would be too many run-ins with non disc golfers.

- This course is pretty old school in regard to being broken-in (well identified paths from hole to hole, benches, and groomed trees and foliage). Hole lengths are pretty short as well and pars follow standards from the 1970s-80s. Nevertheless, there are elevation changes and doglegs that make it interesting. A few blind shots, while short in length, require concentration and "scouting" to ensure accuracy and par.

- Front nine are sort of like a warm-up (in terms of hole lengths and placement of baskets), while the back nine require a little more skill and finesse.

- An unusual number of right-turning doglegs that favor lefties and require anhyzer releases.

- Lots of benches for seating between holes in case the course can get crowded. Baskets and teepads are in pretty good condition, too.

- Practice basket and ample parking.

- Scenic views and a nice park landscape with nice locals.

Cons:

- There are plenty of chances for aces, and course patrons have expressed few reservations about making that known. Numerous signs are covered in sharpie, denoting people's aces (a huge peeve of mine), and some signs are really graffitied. Aside from sign vandalism, the course is maintained pretty well.

- Hole #8 is really the only hole that has any decent length to it. While I'm not the type that likes to see every hole turned into a marathon, a few more chances to air out some drivers would be fantastic.

- As I already mentioned, hole lengths are pretty short and despite many holes being in the woods, a true technical challenge is limited, as few holes (with the exception of 13) use the dense tree placement to make it interesting. The pars are definitely out of date, too; play most of them as threes if you're more than a recreational player.

Other Thoughts:

- Back nine has more challenge and variety in shot selection than the front nine and is therefore more enjoyable. If I had to rate the first nine compared to the last nine, I would give them a 3.0 and 3.5, respectively.

- While the course isn't particularly difficult, that's what I enjoy about it. It's a nice relaxing set of 18 holes and a great place to take a newbie without frustrating him/her. It's a nice scenic walk between holes too and that adds to the allure of the course. By no means am I a great player, but there were a couple of instances where I nearly saw flashes of my first ace go before my eyes. I can see why there are so many of them here; I just wish people found different ways to celebrate their aces!
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1 7
LeftyChris
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Favorite Course In The Area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 29, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good variation

Well maintained

Maps on each hole are very helpful



Cons:

Sometimes may be confusing for first timers when finding a few tees

If you throw in the rough, you may run into some thorn bushes



Other Thoughts:

Overall awesome course. I live about 40 minutes away and it's well worth the trip every time. It could use a little improving but nothing major.
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2 1
flyerzphan923
Experience: 9 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Right off of 81! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 29, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

good mix of open and wooded. baskets are in great shape. There is Pars on score card for beginners and pros.

Cons:

Just didnt stand out in any way to me. there Is not a single hole I can remember (played one week ago) that really stands out and makes me want to go back real soon. Many of the holes favor left handed or RHFH throwers, as a lot of them dog leg to the right.

Other Thoughts:

It is in a great spot right off of 81 and makes a great stop if taking a longer trip along this highway. I would not drive a long distance to play this course, but if I was driving by it, I would definately stop and play it again.
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7 0
bcr123psu
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 85 played 64 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Excellent Example of a Community Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Sherando Park is another great course along the I-81 corridor and is very easy to get to. The park is exceptionally manicured and well maintained.

Sherando Park is an amazing example of a disc golf course in a community park making the most of the space that it has available Included were a variety of holes from long, wide-open field fairways to short, tight, densely-wooded holes. While the elevation at the park is limited, the change in elevation was incorporated into several holes. Each hole held its own unique characteristics and challenges, but numerous birdie bonuses and ace runs were definitely possible.

The walk from the parking lot to the first tee crosses a soccer field. This is excellent for shaking out the cobwebs and practicing a few drives before playing your round.

Tee Signs at Sherando were great. The signs included picture of the hole layout, expected flight path, obstacles, distance, and par.

The baskets were in pretty good shape as were the concrete tees pads.

One of the best things about this course were the locals. I played as a single and came across three separate foursomes that were more than happy to let me play through and were immensely friendly. While waiting for another group to finish putting, I was greeted by a pair of local players and they were helpful and seemed happy to have me on their course. The welcoming vibe at Sherando is a big plus.

Cons:

Navigation at Sherando was a bit confusing at times. In some cases, the clustering of tees relative to baskets seemed a bit cramped and might have some subtle safety issues. Having "next tee" markers on more of the sings would have been nice.

As for the sings themselves, it was disappointing to see so much vandalism as numerous signs were tagged when aced.

Recognizing that Sherando Park probably did the best they could with the land they had available, several of the wooded holes seemed a bit short.

Other Thoughts:

Sherando Park was a fast play, but a lot of fun. This park is great for all levels of disc golfers, from beginners to more experienced players, children, and families. Stephans City did right by themselves in their implementation of this course and I would recommend this to anyone in the area.
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8 0
optidiscic
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 156 played 147 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Sherando Glow 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 13, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Snuck in after hours and played a glow round here. Perfect glow course as 9 holes are primarily wide open and the woods holes are delightfully challenging but well maintained and relatively short. Perfectly mowed grass, concrete tees, signs, and cleanliness and nice bathrooms make this quite the amenity rich experience. Course weaves between the woods and fields in a way that keeps you interested. The 9 open holes allow for some big arm birdie chances as all can be reached with a 300ish ft drive. Hole 8 and 9 were the best field holes as 8 allowed for a big crush over 400 feet of distance down a gradually sloping hill. Then 9 begs to be birdied as your throwing across a field into a wooded green. The best holes for my taste were the wooded holes 3,4,5,6, and 11. All of these employ a steep slope and some rolling terrain with tight yet ample fairways to challenge your skill set. Not brutally tough but still very fun holes to play. 6 is a blast up and out of the woods to an open field anny. Long ace runs are possible on holes 1,2, and 16 as these are all reachable with solid drives and are open and visible from the tees. These would be long aces though! 3 and 9 play from the fields into the woods and 6 plays from woods to field. There are also 2 holes (14,17) that employ evergreens to guard the greens. Some love the terror of these disc eaters so I mentioned it as a pro. This is a very well groomed course that serves many levels of player well. It's stress free golf but has enough length and variety to hold one's interest no matter what your skill level is. Course is to the rear of this huge park so non DGer traffic should be minimal.

Cons:

Nothing truly memorable here. I played well here on my first time and it was pitch black. I have a feeling top pros would shred this course during daylight. Course peaked for me early. The last 7 holes were not so memorable and did not really build up to any kind of big finish. I'd start at 9 and finish on 8 if you want to save the better holes for the end. I wish there were more half woods and half field holes rather than so many (9) pure field holes. I think the woods could have been incorporated more into the design on the open holes to give it a bit more challenge yet keep the balanced feel.

Other Thoughts:

It's a long walk from the car but like others say you can actually warm up your drive and the walk provides the courses isolation from other activities. The layout of the course is 3ish to me but the outstanding amenities and upkeep raise it up to a 3.5. I would definetely reccomend anyone traveling along I-81 to drive the 30 seconds off the Interstate and play this course.
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4 0
FierceTable
Experience: 15.6 years 32 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

a fantastic course for what it is 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 19, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

There is a wonderful variety of holes in terms of both wooded/open and left/right turning. Almost every hole has at least two vastly different ways to acheive the same end. The walk from the parking lot to the practice/first tee is open field offering an opportunity to warm up while throwing in the direction you want to go anyway. It is relatively easy to find your way from the last hole to the next tee.

Cons:

Lacks variety in terms of distance. The longer holes don't require you to be accurate for the most part, so if you can throw 300' reasonably accurately there's no danger in scoring worse than par. None of the holes are overly challenging.

Other Thoughts:

Despite none of the holes offering a difficult challenge I've never found the course to be boring. The variety in hole design keeps your interest and the lack of difficulty makes you want to do better than your last time out. The relative lack of punishment for being off the fairway makes this a wonderful course for casual players or those who are just learning to play.
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3 0
natedog007
Experience: 15 years 7 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Times 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 26, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A course that makes any skill level player feel good about their game. A very well kept well marked course with nice long concrete tees. It has a great combination of open and wooded holes and most holes you can see the basket from the tee. If your disc gets off the path its not hard to spot and recover.

Cons:

Bring a garbage bag! Even though there are about 5 trash cans along the course it has quite a bit of litter. We carted off as much as we could carry, but next time we'd bring a trash bag. The only other con is that it rained as we were approaching 18 that kept us from playing a third round.

Other Thoughts:

All three of us have very little experience and were able to all have adequate scores. 63-68-72. We played all 18 in about 1hour 15 minutes and had so much fun we played it again scoring 57-66-68.
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4 0
tmahan
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 40.8 years 86 played 31 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Country fun 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 27, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nice mix of open field holes and technical woods holes. There are a number of fairly easy birdie opportunities and a couple challenging pars (like #11) making this a great course to learn on. Great use of the elevation changes that are available. I'm partial to holes that traverse valleys and there are a couple of those here. #11 is one of my favorites, it plays across a couple of those valleys and has a number of strategically placed cedars, I imagine this is the toughest scoring hole on the course. #9 is well designed in that it's wide open to start but the pin is well placed back in a grove, leaving a fairly tight gate for a straight approach and a risky but available hyzer bomb lane that will punish you if you miss it. A couple other holes (#7 and #16 I think) that start you in a hole where you have to clear a tight early gate at the right angle and pace to reach the hole located a ways out in the open. Decent sized concrete tees.

Course location is very convenient to I-81, and some classic Americana schlock in Dinosaur World (at Rts 522 and 340 I believe). You're also only a few minutes from Front Royal and the start of Skyline Drive

Cons:

There's a fairly long walk from the parking lot to the course along side a soccer field. Fairly flat for my tastes. Not too many really challenging pars.

Other Thoughts:

You can use the long walk to warm up your arm on the way to the first tee if there aren't any kids on the soccer field so maybe it's not that much of a con. I haven't played the long tees here, I might have to bump this course up after I get the chance.

Consider including this course on your road trips to Walnut Creek and/or Paw Paw, it's worth the stop.
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6 0
Jimb
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.1 years 126 played 54 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Time At Sherando 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice park facilities that are well maintained, including a clean bathroom. You can play all 18 in a row pretty quickly. Or if you're in a real hurry, you could actually play either the front 9 or the back 9 as separate courses if you wanted. Either way, you finish close to where you started. And there's a practice basket pretty close to #1.

Efficient map available. Definitely print the map that there's a link to on this site. The course is very easy to navigate, and with the map you shouldn't have any trouble identifying proper tees and pins.

There are good signs at each tee showing the length and basic path of the hole. Having the alternate par for each hole on the tee signs makes it more fun for newbies. The concrete tees are good and long and the baskets are all in good shape.

There was a very good mix of open holes, wooded holes and hybrid holes that played both in and out of the woods, The wooded holes aren't really heavily wooded, though, and there are clearly defined paths to the pin on every hole. Experienced players shouldn't have much trouble staying on the fairways. The length isn't overwhelming on either the open or wooded holes. The grass was well maintained and the underbrush along most of the wooded holes wasn't too thick when I played there.

The holes make good use of what elevation changes are available on this plot of land.

Good variety of left and right turning holes too... with more right turning holes than almost any course that I've played. (This was kind of a bummer since I had just lost my Stingray a couple days before I played here.)

Cons:

It's not a big deal, but the first (or 10th if just playing the back 9) tee is a bit of a walk from the parking lot.

If you're a big arm and live for 400' plus long holes, then this course could disappoint you (only a negative from that perspective). And if you love water holes, there are none.

Other Thoughts:

I played this course with my totally newbie brother in law and it was a lot of fun for both of us. The course was very interesting for me with a lot of missed birdie opportunities on my part. And it didn't overwhelm my BIL, playing his first 18. There was nothing about the course that should really keep a newb from playing and having fun.

I think that there were only two open holes that I couldn't reach with my typical 325' drive. And on the wooded holes I think that I used my Aviar Putt and Approach to drive on every hole exept one. So experienced players should be able to score pretty low here. Playing it for the first time, and missing several birdie putts, I was still able to score a 2 under par 52.

I believe that the longest hole is #8 at 440'. It's slightly downhill and I came up only 40' short of the pin. I was thrilled as this was well beyond my average drive distance!

Using the amatuer par, my BIL was able to score several pars and I think even a birdie or two.

All in all this is a really good course. It's not the kind of course that you'd drive 500 miles just to play... but if you're on I81 anywhere near Winchester, VA, I'd definitely recommend checking it out. I'll definitely be back and it's about 1 1/2 hours for me to get there.

And finally, one note of caution and one reccomendation... If your heading to the course from I81 and your directions say to take LandGrant Lane, don't. The park entrance is about a couple hundred yards past LandGrant. I drove back LandGrant and it dead-ended at a farm. And bring bug spray. The gnats were pretty thick at times on the open holes.
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7 1
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 755 played 414 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Moderate Mixture 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 6, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Between the map available online, and the signs at each tee, this course was easy to navigate for a first-time visitor.

In the back of the park, away from the ball and soccer fields.

Long concrete teepads. Practice basket. Room to warm-up with long drives.

Cons:

Concrete teepads a bit slick when wet.
Minimal elevation change.

Other Thoughts:

About 1/3 of the holes played entirely in the open, about 1/3 entirely in the woods, about 1/3 in/out of woods.

Several holes 200' or under, only one over 400', average distance was 260'.

Fairly good mix of lefty/righty/neither advantage holes - the shorter, wooded holes tended to favour lefties.

When throwing for #8, the more visible basket, slightly in the woods, is actually #9 - #8's basket is over to the left, short of the trees, not easily visible from the tee.

Overall, a solid course - not too daunting for beginners, not too easy for those with more experience.
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7 0
craigg
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 42.6 years 186 played 37 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun to play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 26, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Stephens City is what one might call a remote suburb of the DC metro area - a little over an hour west. This puts it in the Appalachian foothills and so the DGC enjoys a gently rolling topography - hills everywhere, but none to long or to steep. The DGC was actually relocated from another area in the park (across the highway) over a decade ago - it used to be a total woods course - but the parks department decided to push it to the back of a newly develpoed ball field facility, giving us what we know today. Having done that, parking is plentiful - but requires a 1/4 mile walk to get to the first tee.
The course may not move much, but there are several holes with multiple pin placements. And when they have events, there are a fairly standard set of alternate teepads, that make for a nice added challenge to the original daily layout.
Being added to the ball field facility has its perks, as there are nice bathrooms and water available. Being pushed to the back of the park is also sometimes advantageous - as there are virtually no park users that venture onto the golf course - so it's basically a dedicated use area.
Baskets are all in good condition, and concrete tees are flush to grade, and adequately sized.

Cons:

That 1/4 mile walk.

Other Thoughts:

The course in it's standard layout is fun to play, but not exceedingly challenging. It's fun because it brings the natural topography into play on almost every hole in a way that helps teach you how to make a disc turn (one way or the other). But it's not very long, so errant shots seldom pump up your score.
The tournament layout is a little more challenging, and the spring tournament has a history of wacky windy weather that adds a pleasantly challenging dimension to the course. That event is on my list virtually every year - an enjoyable place to play.
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