The Village DGC reviews
10
0
Very Tight Lines 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Sep 4, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
Pro's:
-A heavily wooded tightly gapped course with an open meadow to Criss cross a few times to reach another portion of the woods. There's also some canopy. Some elevation comes into play with streams that filters into a creek. The course also has a variety of distances and pars to keep your interest.
-The course is highly technical; you'll have a variety of shot making to create. I used from the tee and approaches a variety of putters, mid's, fairways, and drivers. Pulled out specialty disc that often don't use, but The Village offered the choice. I pulled out more discs than I had at any other course in quite some time.
-When playing here for the first time, you'll need your strategy or scramble skills on the fly. Baskets are hidden for the most part and found me walking up fairway on some holes for approaches.
-The layout at The Villages is one of the best heavily wooded courses I've played from 1st tee to 18h basket and is exceptional.
-Baskets still catch well, and there are some rollers in play with a few death roller/putts into water.
-Tee signs when they were present had hole number, distance, map, and par. Tees were pavers with most still in decent shape.
-Navigation is counter-clockwise with some directional signs. Recommend your favorite course app.
-I normally don't comment on amenities but it seemed there were benches on every hole. I didn't used them for sitting, they were very helpful in locating the next tee.
-Per property manager the course is no longer private, no fee to pay, and no waiver to sign. Open to the public.
-Beginner and recreational players will be extremely challenged but will find it to be a teaching course for hitting lines. Intermediate and advance will likely be pulling a variety of discs out of their bag for a creative round.
-A heavily wooded tightly gapped course with an open meadow to Criss cross a few times to reach another portion of the woods. There's also some canopy. Some elevation comes into play with streams that filters into a creek. The course also has a variety of distances and pars to keep your interest.
-The course is highly technical; you'll have a variety of shot making to create. I used from the tee and approaches a variety of putters, mid's, fairways, and drivers. Pulled out specialty disc that often don't use, but The Village offered the choice. I pulled out more discs than I had at any other course in quite some time.
-When playing here for the first time, you'll need your strategy or scramble skills on the fly. Baskets are hidden for the most part and found me walking up fairway on some holes for approaches.
-The layout at The Villages is one of the best heavily wooded courses I've played from 1st tee to 18h basket and is exceptional.
-Baskets still catch well, and there are some rollers in play with a few death roller/putts into water.
-Tee signs when they were present had hole number, distance, map, and par. Tees were pavers with most still in decent shape.
-Navigation is counter-clockwise with some directional signs. Recommend your favorite course app.
-I normally don't comment on amenities but it seemed there were benches on every hole. I didn't used them for sitting, they were very helpful in locating the next tee.
-Per property manager the course is no longer private, no fee to pay, and no waiver to sign. Open to the public.
-Beginner and recreational players will be extremely challenged but will find it to be a teaching course for hitting lines. Intermediate and advance will likely be pulling a variety of discs out of their bag for a creative round.
Cons:
-I like the nature part of courses to be left alone as much as possible. But the overgrowth on in the rough extended into fairways with protruding branches just about every hole was just too much. Waist high brush in the rough, and meadow fairways knee high grass. The morning dew in the high grass soaked by shoes and socks. The lost disc potential is high. I spent at least 10 minutes looking for discs but managed to find all of them.
-Some tee pads were missing paver stones and had grass overgrowth. On those had to watch footing for tee throws.
-Tee signs were missing, some broken in pieces on the ground, and a few where half were still hanging on the tree.
-Directional arrow signs were as small as the palm of my hand and easy to miss or laying on the ground. Lots of overgrowth from basket to tee trails and around some tee pads, this is where the benches came in handy, when I saw one, I went right for it. UDisc with the canopy had a hard time catching up.
-Spray yourself in the warm months, bugs will be everywhere. It was in the morning 50's when I played so they weren't active yet. Spider webs across narrow fairways, constantly checking myself to make sure I didn't land one on me. Would be easy to cross a snake and not see them in the high brush and grass.
-#18-foot bridge is almost broken all the way thru.
-Trash along holes 3 and 18 that border the trailer park, and other places here and there.
-The walking experience from 1st tee to 18th basket is the second most miserable one I've played. It motivated me to buy waterproof light weight hiking boots, and ditch tennis shoes.
-Not hard to figure out nobody or group is tending to the course or at least not consistently.
-Some tee pads were missing paver stones and had grass overgrowth. On those had to watch footing for tee throws.
-Tee signs were missing, some broken in pieces on the ground, and a few where half were still hanging on the tree.
-Directional arrow signs were as small as the palm of my hand and easy to miss or laying on the ground. Lots of overgrowth from basket to tee trails and around some tee pads, this is where the benches came in handy, when I saw one, I went right for it. UDisc with the canopy had a hard time catching up.
-Spray yourself in the warm months, bugs will be everywhere. It was in the morning 50's when I played so they weren't active yet. Spider webs across narrow fairways, constantly checking myself to make sure I didn't land one on me. Would be easy to cross a snake and not see them in the high brush and grass.
-#18-foot bridge is almost broken all the way thru.
-Trash along holes 3 and 18 that border the trailer park, and other places here and there.
-The walking experience from 1st tee to 18th basket is the second most miserable one I've played. It motivated me to buy waterproof light weight hiking boots, and ditch tennis shoes.
-Not hard to figure out nobody or group is tending to the course or at least not consistently.
Other Thoughts:
The tight gaps, variety of shot shaping, and heavy woods for the most part reminded me of Northwest River in Chesapeake, Virginia one of my rotational courses I used for teaching purposes to hit lines. Despite the cons, if I lived in the Richmond area, I would frequent The Villages for game development. Up until last year Northwest River was very much overgrown with brush until a local group cleaned it up, so it can also happen for The Villages. At the time of this review, I've now played all the available courses in Richmond, and I agree with mshelton in his review, The Villages could be the best course in the Richmond area if those cons were remedied. With the woes, the course is very fun and challenging! The course reminded me of a mixture of Casey Logan in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, and Northwest River.
My overall rating is anchored on a 5.0 for the course layout which is very challenging and will test your skills. With some course maintenance would not be too hard to raise my overall rating. The time to play was 85 minutes snapping pictures, some disc looking, and a few navigation issues looking for tees.
Notable Holes:
No. 3 Par 3 at 311 feet is a lazy dogleg right until you get within 240 feet with abrupt turn to the right and a quick elevation drop of 5 feet. From the tee with slight elevation is heavily wooded both sides and narrow at about 30 feet. LHBH and RHFH on a good throw will enjoy the backdrop of pines on the left side as you make the dogleg, beautiful. On the drop to the basket are guardian trees, and a stream that meanders on three sides of the basket within C1 and is a roller. This was my favorite throw from the tee, after peering around the guardian trees, decided to dump the putt.
No. 4 Par 4 at 610 feet is a straight away tee to basket with heavy woods on both sides a gap starting off at 10 feet and doesn't open more than 20 feet all the way to the open meadow at about 330 feet. Gotta keep it straight and narrow. From the meadow to the basket is the remainder of the distance, the basket sits back into some moderate woods with guardian trees about 80 feet in. Also, a brush pile in the middle of the meadow. After hitting a tree early, I was happy with a bogey. Very difficult hole!
No. 11 Par 3 at 243 from the tee is straight up hill with trees both sides. At 170 feet Sharpe dogleg right dropping a little back toward you at an elevation of about 7 feet downward. Basket has guardian trees, theirs no short cut to break the dogleg. Past the basket is a roller into a creek at 60 feet. Anybody making the dogleg, there are no brakes for this hole. At the top of the hill another dump putt.
No. 17 Par 3 at 259 feet is a straight away to the basket with heavy woods both sides with a gap right off the tee 20 feet in front of you and 6 feet wide. Doesn't get any better with a few more gaps down fairway with a pine tree right in the middle 150 feet out. You can't see the basket down fairway there is a skinny crooked pine bent over the fairway with several branches hanging down towards the ground. The basket sits behind it about 20 feet. The pine reminds me of Casey Logan where theirs a few guardians that look just like it. After hitting another tree and no line past the crooked pine, I dump off to the right to get by it.
Signature Hole:
No. 18 Par 5 at 602 feet is a straight away down slope until about 270 feet where the fairway crosses a stream, heavy trees both sides the gap as narrow as 20 feet. At the stream slopes back up meanders left, then lazy dogleg right at 230 feet from basket. At the dogleg heavy pines with narrow gaps small as 5 feet even for a lefty hard to hit. To the right of the dogleg is heavy brush and canopy, but it's a little open as well as around the stream. On a good throw you can get at least 150 feet past the stream, then with a follow up throw back on the fairway, your blocked from advancing thru the rough. From the fairway no matter which route you choose the fairway narrows all the way to the basket at 15 feet. The basket is surrounded by brush within C1 and a roller to the right into the brush. Very scenic hole from tee to basket, but extremely difficult. After hitting another tree, I took the right gap into the brush cutting off needed distance to save par.
Trouble Hole:
No. 8 Par 4 at 449 feet tees off just on the border of the woods into the open meadow. From the tee you'll see two open gaps. The one to the left leads to the #13 tee. The one to the right is your gap at about 350 feet and is small. The gap is about 15 feet wide with heavy trees, brush, and canopy very heavy lost disc potential, and lost stroke to get out. At the gap the fairway drops straight down with guardian trees to and around the basket. The drop is a roller into the brush past the basket at about 15 feet. This was the most intimating drop on the course. From the tee some trees are protruding from the right into the meadow, you'll have to throw a left to right to reach the gap or set yourself up from the meadow. Hit the right trees at the gap on an approach was happy to find my disc on the edge. Looking downward to the basket at 100 feet, another dump putt.
My overall rating is anchored on a 5.0 for the course layout which is very challenging and will test your skills. With some course maintenance would not be too hard to raise my overall rating. The time to play was 85 minutes snapping pictures, some disc looking, and a few navigation issues looking for tees.
Notable Holes:
No. 3 Par 3 at 311 feet is a lazy dogleg right until you get within 240 feet with abrupt turn to the right and a quick elevation drop of 5 feet. From the tee with slight elevation is heavily wooded both sides and narrow at about 30 feet. LHBH and RHFH on a good throw will enjoy the backdrop of pines on the left side as you make the dogleg, beautiful. On the drop to the basket are guardian trees, and a stream that meanders on three sides of the basket within C1 and is a roller. This was my favorite throw from the tee, after peering around the guardian trees, decided to dump the putt.
No. 4 Par 4 at 610 feet is a straight away tee to basket with heavy woods on both sides a gap starting off at 10 feet and doesn't open more than 20 feet all the way to the open meadow at about 330 feet. Gotta keep it straight and narrow. From the meadow to the basket is the remainder of the distance, the basket sits back into some moderate woods with guardian trees about 80 feet in. Also, a brush pile in the middle of the meadow. After hitting a tree early, I was happy with a bogey. Very difficult hole!
No. 11 Par 3 at 243 from the tee is straight up hill with trees both sides. At 170 feet Sharpe dogleg right dropping a little back toward you at an elevation of about 7 feet downward. Basket has guardian trees, theirs no short cut to break the dogleg. Past the basket is a roller into a creek at 60 feet. Anybody making the dogleg, there are no brakes for this hole. At the top of the hill another dump putt.
No. 17 Par 3 at 259 feet is a straight away to the basket with heavy woods both sides with a gap right off the tee 20 feet in front of you and 6 feet wide. Doesn't get any better with a few more gaps down fairway with a pine tree right in the middle 150 feet out. You can't see the basket down fairway there is a skinny crooked pine bent over the fairway with several branches hanging down towards the ground. The basket sits behind it about 20 feet. The pine reminds me of Casey Logan where theirs a few guardians that look just like it. After hitting another tree and no line past the crooked pine, I dump off to the right to get by it.
Signature Hole:
No. 18 Par 5 at 602 feet is a straight away down slope until about 270 feet where the fairway crosses a stream, heavy trees both sides the gap as narrow as 20 feet. At the stream slopes back up meanders left, then lazy dogleg right at 230 feet from basket. At the dogleg heavy pines with narrow gaps small as 5 feet even for a lefty hard to hit. To the right of the dogleg is heavy brush and canopy, but it's a little open as well as around the stream. On a good throw you can get at least 150 feet past the stream, then with a follow up throw back on the fairway, your blocked from advancing thru the rough. From the fairway no matter which route you choose the fairway narrows all the way to the basket at 15 feet. The basket is surrounded by brush within C1 and a roller to the right into the brush. Very scenic hole from tee to basket, but extremely difficult. After hitting another tree, I took the right gap into the brush cutting off needed distance to save par.
Trouble Hole:
No. 8 Par 4 at 449 feet tees off just on the border of the woods into the open meadow. From the tee you'll see two open gaps. The one to the left leads to the #13 tee. The one to the right is your gap at about 350 feet and is small. The gap is about 15 feet wide with heavy trees, brush, and canopy very heavy lost disc potential, and lost stroke to get out. At the gap the fairway drops straight down with guardian trees to and around the basket. The drop is a roller into the brush past the basket at about 15 feet. This was the most intimating drop on the course. From the tee some trees are protruding from the right into the meadow, you'll have to throw a left to right to reach the gap or set yourself up from the meadow. Hit the right trees at the gap on an approach was happy to find my disc on the edge. Looking downward to the basket at 100 feet, another dump putt.
6
0
Potential for a great course 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 30, 2018
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Use of land in elevation and features.
Every shot and then some are covered except the huge hyzerbomb
Fairways are challenging and difficult but fair
Nice paver teepads and hand carved signs gives it theme
From the designer "course plays as an equalizer" favoring accuracy over power
The main fields get mowed regularly
Every shot and then some are covered except the huge hyzerbomb
Fairways are challenging and difficult but fair
Nice paver teepads and hand carved signs gives it theme
From the designer "course plays as an equalizer" favoring accuracy over power
The main fields get mowed regularly
Cons:
Doesn't seem to get the play it should and as a result doesn't get beat in
Grass in the areas outside the main fields gets overgrown
Low lying areas collect water and get and stay swampy, especially in heavy rain years
Buggy
And yes the last 2/3 of hole 18 has a crapton of trees but it is a par 5
Grass in the areas outside the main fields gets overgrown
Low lying areas collect water and get and stay swampy, especially in heavy rain years
Buggy
And yes the last 2/3 of hole 18 has a crapton of trees but it is a par 5
Other Thoughts:
The Village has the layout and the potential to be the best disc golf course in the city. Course reminds me a lot of a shortened mix of the 2 Blockhouse courses. It's definately not an easy course, puts a good price on accuracy and you will be scrambling for par or more than likely. bogey.
Couple things that hurt the course are the low lying areas with bugs and the grass that has grown up in 3 or 4 of the fairways. Both of these are more the result of a recent rain heavy summer but the course could still benefit from some love.
If you like wooded courses then this is a great one to check out.
Couple things that hurt the course are the low lying areas with bugs and the grass that has grown up in 3 or 4 of the fairways. Both of these are more the result of a recent rain heavy summer but the course could still benefit from some love.
If you like wooded courses then this is a great one to check out.
4
1
Hix007
Experience:
22.1 years
120 played
10 reviews
It Takes a VIllage 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 26, 2018
Played the course:once
Pros:
This course will make you throw a variety of shots off the tee for accuracy and scoring. Generally not as lengthy as it states, but still, holes #1-3 are challenging starting off, with a few of the holes in the middle of the round offering birdie opportunities. Paver tee pads are longer than most on other courses. Good tee shots reward good scoring on most holes.
Cons:
Some fairways are super narrow and they could've cleared a few more trees to open up the rough a bit and shape some hyzer/anhyzer shots, especially 18, you just get lucky or not. Only one set of tees. Shorter tees would make this really fun for the amateur/intermediate player, but still challenging. There are a couple of old wire fences that serve no purpose, just off the edge of the fairway, that could be removed on #3 and I think #6. If you're up against them you have no chance for any distance shot towards the basket.
Other Thoughts:
This is not a course for beginners. Easier to play in fall through spring when there is less foliage. Much easier to see and locate baskets for tee shots. Someone has to upkeep this course, so that's where the $$ comes into effect.
