"Played from Paver Tee's."
-A combination of tee shots that are downhill, downslope, upslope, open, lightly wooded, large trees, and water holes.
-Approach shots downhill, downslope, upslope, and uphill.
-Some tee shots keep low due to overhanging branches.
-Holes 4, 9, and 11 are some of the highest elevated tee shots I have played. Do not find those around Virginia Beach. No punishing uphill tee shots.
-3 sets of tees, 2 natural, and middle tees paver. I highly recommend playing paver tees, do not worry about distance, most tees are downhill or sloped that should help you with distance. The skip bounce will also help, considering that the grass needed to be mowed, I was surprised how much skip I was getting.
-Arrows on basket pointing to direction of next tee.
-Challenging for Advanced and Intermediated. Beginners and Recreational will have fun.
-From tee 14 to basket 18 very scenic around creek/pond with roar of water over a dam. I rank this stretch 3rd behind Munden Point 7 thru 14 North Landing River, and Waller Mill 5 thru 10 and 18 a lake.
-Hole 9 picturesque with creek and dam in the background ranked 3rd behind Munden Point number 8, and Waller Mill number 18.

-No tee signs also mean no map and navigation can be difficult. Forward and back tees have hole number stamped on wooden markers. Some Pavers have hole number, distance, and par, but most do not. Those that do the paint has faded that reading them is difficult.
-Even with arrows on basket, navigation is difficult no signs to help. For a first timer on course, you may not see the tee pad until you walk up on it. Number 3 basket arrow was pointed in the wrong direction. Took a few moments to realize it, and from that point on I used a course app for the majority of a round for the first time.
-Forward tees are rutted out, some so deep they could provide ground cover for an infantryman. Back tees not too bad. I will not play the forward tees the way they are now, again highly recommend the pavers.
-4 and 11 share the same hill for downhill tee shots and have a blind Criss cross. Need to keep your eyes peeled as you get ready to walk down the hill.
-With out some type of map or app you're going to have a lot of distance guessing and blind shots to basket. May find yourself out of position.

Bryan Park was my first stage of the Greater Richmond Tour De Disc Course. Exchanging course information with those from Richmond visiting a course in my rotation, and those I know local when I asked what course should be my first in the Richmond area, Bryan Park was the first mentioned and it did not disappoint.
For a flat lander course dweller, the elevated tee shots were just epic for me, I could just launch it landing the disc about 75-100 feet past my normal landing area on flat ground. No long punishing uphill holes that I've experience at other courses with elevated tees, but some straight uphill approaches. A few tee shots with campy oak trees to keep the disc low, the elevated and down slope tee shots, and the scenic 14 to 18 part of the course elevated the fun factor to anchor my overall rating at 5. My adjusted rating is based on paver tees, those that play the forward tees may have a different experience.
Having to use a course app for navigation, and the mishap on 3's basket arrow my round took 95 minutes. Bryan Park will be at least a once or twice a year visit and is now in my top 5 for courses.

Notable Basket Placement:
No. 13 Par 3 at 290 feet down slope until about 220 feet, then drops straight to the basket. With short grass can be a roller to the street below. My drive skipped down the hill and out of sight, but ended up in a good position.

Notable Holes:
No.1 Par 3 at 300 feet elevated tee shot to a basket wedge between two thick oak trees. Fairway slopes right to left into the water. Trees on both sides of fairway. Basket about 60 feet from water including slope.
No. 4 Par 4 at 595 feet the first of an epic tee shot to let it loose. Fairway is lazy dogleg right with an up slope for the approach. Large tree on left about 300 out, on the right smaller trees. Best to keep it to the right and swing back in with the dogleg for approach.
No. 14 Par 3 at 445 feet downhill lazy left and then back up to the right. Heavy large trees all the way down the right and some canopy. Straight ahead about 320 feet are trees, heavy brush and then the creek. Slightly up hill slope to the basket.
No. 16 Par 3 at 245 feet across a pond level flight. C1 is on the edge of water, so you need at least 215 feet. Land behind basket, you have a slight roller into the water putting back to basket.
No. 18 Par 3 at 230 feet back across the water. Only need about 170 to make it across. At that point its straight uphill to the basket on a very hard pack dirt surface. Elevation up is about 20-25 feet. Some canopy to deal with if attacking the basket. Can be a roller back down to the water, the hill is about 55 degrees up. I watched my drive slide back down the hill about 30 feet giving me a putt just outside C1. My putt missed, and did a tabletop coin dance, thankfully it settles down next to the basket and not back down the hill and into the water. There was a man in the water who had already fished out more than a dozen disc.

Signature Hole:
No. 9 Par 3 at 505 feet. Straight down hill a lazy dogleg right nothing in the fairway except a tree on the left about 230 out, and trees lining the fairway on right. Very scenic background behind 9's basket with the creek and water running over the dam. The basket sits under an oak with canopy and the surface is hard pan dirt and past the green slopes across number 1 fairway and into the water beyond. A hot running disc could make the water. Gazing down from the tee was my first thought this could be a course favorite. I was thrilled to be able to putt for a par from C2 at that distance, I missed.

Trouble Hole:
No. 11 Par 4 at 740 feet is a straight down hill shot with a creek across the fairway about halfway out. From that point a lazy dogleg right straight back up hill. Large tree on the left side of fairway at about 220 feet. The creek is about 30 feet wide, and after crossing it there's heavy large trees all the way up to the basket on the right. Some large trees left center. Some large oaks protect the basket. Need to stay on left side of fairway with tee shot and find a line for the approach. Only big arms are likely to make C1. On the right side of fairway, you will block yourself out to the basket. I blocked myself out on the right and found my way to a double bogey. From the tee is when I knew that Bryan Park would be a course favorite and I still had 7 holes to play.

The course is overall fun. The players that go there are typically pretty friendly. Most holes have multiple choices of shots, never too pigeonholed by tree density, which could be a downside if you really favor forested courses (which I do, but I also really like this course). There are some long, open shots, and some that are more narrow and creative. A couple of fast greens by the water will test your accuracy and approach strategies.

There are a few water hazards to consider, and on windy days they are just drooling at the mouth to take your favorite discs. They are easy to avoid if you want to play it safe, but if you're feeling brazen just realize it's a likelihood that it will go in the drink with a rogue gust. Hole 15 is kind of short and random, like they just needed to put any hole at that spot, but it's not that bad.
This is kind of a silly one, but when you're driving your car in/out of the park watch out for beginner players who tend to throw a hyzer into the road off of tee 12. I see a disc in the road there every other time.
Just being nit-picky, there aren't posts at the tees and some tees are hard to see, so try to figure out where the hole is. Hole 4 and 11's fairways cross, so be mindful of that.

This course is pretty fun. Hole one has a water hazard directly to the left, so if you're throwing RHBH be sure you're warmed up or play it safe. A friend of mine actually starts on hole 2 to make sure he is warmed up before trying hole 1, which is a good call. I've thrown a disc in there by hastily shooting, and the water is a big pond that gets up to 7' deep, so it's not easy to go get your disc. I went in once with trunks to find a disc I lost and couldn't, but found multiple of others' who had the same thing happen to them. So just be mindful. On hole 16 there is a gold tee pad where you don't have to toss over the pond but is hard to find. It's in the corner on the other side of the pond by the road.

-Takes advantage of elevation on almost every hole
-Takes advantage of some great over water shots, but won't lose your disc if you can easily throw over 150.
-Beautiful clean course with great scenery
-Fairly well marked and easy to navigate
-Tee pads were solid
-Great distance open shots
-My favorite course I've ever played
-Free and easy parking

-If anything it doesn't challege all of your shots off the tee. Most of the time you can throw whatever you want as long as it goes really far.
-I only had to throw one or maybe two forehand shots the entire round
-Distance wasn't marked on some holes

You will not be disappointed if you go play this course. It is awesome.

-Nice water holes on 16 & 18
-Lot of elevation, not sure any of the holes was truly on flat ground
-Its open, but not empty field open. Every hole has a handful of ancient looking trees that adjust the lines you want to take
-Its a long course, but it still plays at a good pace.
-Mosaic tee signs. Some of the holes had great hole and distance markers done in tile. Love extra aesthetic touches to a course
-Each hole felt distinct, not a lot of repetition.

-Maps. Most had hole number and distance marked, but I always like to see a map at each tee, especially on holes where you can see two baskets.
-As others have said the fairways on 4 and 11 cross, and hole 9 basket, while not quite in the way is definitely a visual distraction on hole 1
-Hole 15 left me wanting more, its a great looking creek and it would be awesome if they could figure out a way to have it come more into play.
-I played it early on a weekend and mid-day on weekday. I could see a Saturday afternoon get crowded with non-disc golfers that might cause interruptions in play since the course isn't really segregated from the park, but that's just speculation.

Its a great use of the available terrain and an enjoyable course to play.

This course is very long and very open. There are scattered trees but most of them don't get in the way too much. This course doesn't feature holes that are repetitive, so each hole feels like a new and different challenge. The park is pretty centrally located in the Richmond area so it's easy to get to.

The park that it's in is fairly warn down. The grass sometimes gets overgrown, but they do their best to keep it well maintained. Some of the tee boxes are starting to deteriorate (there are wooden stakes where the distance, hole number and par number are painted on, but some of the numbers are faded)

Be sure not to go straight from hole 8 to hole 11. the tee box for hole 11 is next to the basket for hole 8, so it's an easy mistake to make. you have to cross the road to get to 9 and 10 and then come back to 11

-Beautiful, well maintained park with large mature trees throughout.
-Good mix of holes, especially in terms of distance. Par 3's are interrupted by longer multi-throw holes.
-The long holes especially are just fun. 9 is a long drive that is less open at the pin than it first appears. 11 is probably the signature hole and plays from elevation, over a creek, and then up the far side through the live oaks.
-Uses trees, water, and sloping greens well to add a little risk to the shorter holes on the property.

-Signage and tees are terrible. Its really a shame that a course that has the potential to be really a great course is so impacted by these things but they really do lower the rating. The club has been prevented from installing permanent tees by the park and moves the natural tees as often as they can but the tees are just not sufficient for the kinds of power you want to put on the longer throws here. With the tees being blocks in the ground and no signage there are often first timers wandering around looking for tees.

This was my home course for several years, right around the corner from my house and i still put in a couple rounds a month here. I think it's the best of the Richmond courses and therefore feel a sense of frustration that the little things that would make this course a 4 or 4.5 can't or haven't been done. That being said the park and holes alone make this a great round of golf and a ton of fun. It requires a different kind of golf than the other courses in the area, in particular it requires an approach game instead of just presenting you with 18 reachable par threes. I encourage anyone in the area to stop in and play here and if improvements ever get made to tees and signage this will be one of the best courses in the state.

EDIT (11-30-14): The club has completed the installation of tee pads for every hole! The tees are typically installed at the longer locations throughout the course, making the championship layout really nice. I have subsequently bumped my rating to a 4 and will add another 1/2 a point if better directional and distance signage is added for each hole.

-Beautiful landscape
-Variety of distances
-Multiple tees
-Fun to play
-Some challenges, such as throwing across the large pond

-Natural tees
-Almost too open; it would be nice for variety's sake if one or two holes were a little more heavily forested

Every single time I throw across the pond/lake I get so scared that I will lose a disc, but I never have

Lots of space
Variety of hole types
short and long holes

This is one of my favorite courses. Its got a good mixture of long holes that really concentrate on distance, and others that involve more precision and accuracy. A great course to play at for people of all all skill levels.

- a variety of holes: short and long holes, placement of pins, over water etc
- beautiful setting, especially so close to a major city
- very open: I'm sure the pros and pro-wanna-be's would prefer a more technically challenging course but for those like me who like to be able to air it out, awesome.

- tee pads (or lack thereof)
- not well marked: the map from the website only get's you within a few miles

- my perception going in was that it might not be a good course since it is in Richomd proper; however, I was very pleasantly surprised

Great course design, good and varied use of terrain, easy to navigate once familiar. The recent weather brought down lots of trees and branches, and the park staff has cleared them with good speed. There are only a couple spots where fallen limbs are still present, and considering that the park was nearly wrecked from the storm, that's a good response time. Lots of benches, water fountain, public facilities. Good parking. Each basket has 2 tee areas. You can find maps of the course by google searching it. I set the map as the wallpaper on my phone. They have a practice basket as well, so it's an 18+1.

No tee signs or pads, just wooden post markers. They are pretty old, but they serve. Each is marked with the distance and par. It was hard to navigate my first time around, before I had a map.

If they put in Tee pads and course signs, this would be a 4.5 or 5. After the big summer storms, it looked like a 3.5, but they have worked hard to clean it up.

I don't consider joggers or picnic goers to be a negative to this course. It's a public park, what should one expect?

-Great Variety of Challenges
-Beautiful Park
-Polite People
-Long Drives

-Mystery tee placements
-Mystery Baskets

I played this course for the first time today and I liked it a lot. It was a beautiful park and offered a big course with lots of walking. My only complaint is that the tees are sunk in in some places and there are no taller signs to show the tees or the basket placements so it takes a few minutes sometimes to see the tee and the basket. Small complaint but otherwise I enjoyed this excellent park course.

>Big 18 basket course with multiple tees and basket positions

>Unique, the holes do not become repetitive. You must be able to work the disc to get around.

>Challenging. Though you are not throwing through a bike path through the woods, you do have to avoid trees at every turn. THIS course is no where near as open as they play it out to be. Water holes, vertical changes, it is a fun yet challenging course.

>TEE AREA IS GOING TO GET SOMEONE HURT! Some of these tees are right next to trees, which not only hinder your ability to use it, and challenge you in a place that is SUPPOSED to be a clear shot, but the roots run though, sticking up, holes rutted in places. I throw 350 on full run shots. With these tees, it is more 280-310, because I will only take a few steps and throw, like a fairway shot. Terrible, just terrible.

>No signs, need map to get around.

I would love to give this course a 5.0, but the Tee Pads are so horrible, best it gets is a 4.0

*The course is a quality course. I still balk about the lack of cement pads. If it had decent pads, it would be a 4.5, but as is, the rating stays.

There are some really long holes, as in over 700 feet. Which is great if you like being able to open up and really throw as hard as you can.

The move the pins from time to time without remeasuring and and considering the par set.

Bryan Park is a very good course located in a very nice park that isn't difficult to find. Good (but faded) course map by practice basket. Mature trees are scattered through the course, with very few densely wooded areas. Plenty of windows to approach the baskets on the many lengthy holes. Elevation adds challenge and makes for some exciting drives. Water that comes into play on some holes is mostly low risk, but makes things a little more interesting. All baskets are in good condition. Each has two spokes on the top of the baskets painted, one blue and one gold, indicating the direction to each of the tee boxes for the next hole.

One of the small faults here is the natural tee pads. They aren't in poor condition, but I am spoiled by concrete tees at most courses I play. The other would be a lack of technical accuracy required to negotiate fairways. Without a lot of variety required, I leaned heavily on the old RHBH hyzer. Only once or twice did I switch to a forehand throw, since most baskets are in very accessible positions. High winds made approaches and putts extremely difficult on the day I visited Bryan Park.

I'm sure I would enjoy playing this course many times over again. Glad I was able to find this gem. My favorite kind of course, combining elevation, distance, and fairways that have well placed large trees to dictate your usually generous lines to the hole. Not overly difficult for an established player, but surely it's no pushover.

Very solid, challenging course. It's clearly the best, and toughest, course in Richmond. It's a no-doubt, must-play for any DGer in the region.
- Course has all sorts of challenges - water holes, long holes, doglegs, elevation & some tighter than expected fairways due to strategic trees.
- Lots of distance and open holes = lots of chances to let it rip. 5 holes longer than 400 feet from short tees, 7 longer than 400 from longs. There's only 1 hole under 200 feet (and that one is throwing over water.)
- My most enjoyable holes were the longer ones - #4 (555 ft); #11 (690 ft) & 14 (435 ft). Three fantastic holes that were a blast to play while also combining a fair amount of challenge and risk.
- Course is spaced out nicely throughout the park. You'll walk from one side of the park to the other while playing. And while the course is spaced out, it really doesn't interfere with other park activities, or vice versa.
- Long and short tees present some different looks.
- Good challenge for advanced players. Probably not the best course for beginners, but there are other course in the area they can play.

Two major cons on the water holes ruin an otherwise elite course.
- The first is the erosion/sloping from the baskets down to the water. On holes #1, 9 &18 (and a small degree on #17), the ground slopes sharply from the basket areas to the water. There's no grass between the baskets and the water, which means if a disc doesn't land softly, it can easily start rolling, and won't stop until it's in the water. I saw this happen to my buddy's disc on his very first shot on #1.
- The second problem is the water itself. It's deep even right up to the edge, and its swift moving. We had 2 discs land within 2 feet of the edge of the water, but it was at least 4 feet deep, so we had no chance of finding them.
- I understand if the water came into play through a risk/reward factor, but not when a disc could land within 10 feet of the basket, and then it rolls off into the water.
- The tees are dirt and are only marked by small blue/gold wooden markers. It'd be helpful if they were more visible/larger.
- There are a couple of weird transitions. For example, after #8, you see a tee close by, but that's for #11.
- #9 & 10 have crossing fairways; #4 & 11 have intersecting fairways. The lesson as always - pay attention when you throw.
- The course runs awfully close to the interstate. You can hear and see it, especially on holes #4 - 6. It would take a herculean throw, but if you threw a shot long enough, and far enough right, the road on #14 could come into play.

The water issues listed above were a major concern. Maybe it had something to do with losing 3 discs between 2 people. On a normal course/normal pond, all 3 discs should have easily been found, or not even made it to the pond.
- I loved that there were no "throw away"/easy holes. There are plenty of birdie chances, but it's going to take a good shot(s) to make it happen. Solid course throughout.
- It's great that the longer holes were the most fun and most challenging. You want the par 4s & 5 to force multiple good shots, and these don't disappoint.
- #11 was easily my favorite hole. Playing 690 feet (701 from longs), you throw downhill towards a creek, then back up a hill to a basket nestled between several trees. The biggest arms can be in putting range in 2 shots, but it'll realistically take 3 shots (at least) for the rest of us.
- Very good course. It's the best of the lot in Richmond. A must play for anyone in the area, or driving down I-95 or I-64.

Excellent condition. Clean, well maybe not hole 15 with the homeless guy, but hey, he was polite. Great course to really show off the arm. Pretty open with the occasional tree to throw around. Baskets and grounds in good shape.

Could really use some tee signs with info on them. How about a few of these parks having signs at the entrance showing where to park for disc golfers. I had to ask 2 people before I figured out where the course started and where to park.

Richmond's pride and joy in my opinion. I love this course.....

This course offers an excellent variety of terrains and shots! The course is almost entirely wide open, with few trees and for the most part they aren't even in your line of fire. The course winds its way around a pond, with two of the holes (16 and 18) actually requiring tee offs from across the pond...which means you better have a good arm, or a spare disc as one of the two is required! For those less adventurous, these holes offer second tee locations that don't require crossing the water.
Many of the shots make use of the park's rolling hills. The elevation changes make for some great distance shots, as well as some challenging up hill throws.

The tee boxes are just dirt pads with little wooden blocks on the ground. Many tees are missing one of the wooden blocks, and the writing on the tee blocks that tells you the distance, hole number, and par, are hard to make out on most tees.
Unless you have played the course before, or are with someone who has, it may be hard at a couple points to find where the next hole is as there is no direction or map for the course from hole to hole.

An excellent course that I recommend to players of all skill level. This course will definitely require your distance driver as the majority of holes are over 300 feet. The park is very well maintained and very scenic and the water hazards make for a terrific challenge. I will definitely be back for another round soon!

I play this course 3-4 times a week and have been for months. The holes flow very nicely with the landscape. the baskets are in great shape and the grass is always mowed. The holes are long, so you can let her rip quite frequently! This course is convenient in every way!

Not many trash cans.
Bums live in the woods on 15 so there's extra trash.(they are only there at night, cops will run them off during daylight and they know this.)
Eroded teeboxes are this courses only real important flaw. Wath out for poison ivy at the base of most trees.

I play this course with every disc in my bag!

Excellent shots from the top of a hill, not much opportunity to lose a disc, decent hole distances, paint markers on each set of chains are good indicators to find the next tee, plenty of wide open shots.

Holes over water (especially 18) that might not work for some beginners, a few other places to toss a disc into a stream

After playing it again a few more times, it's easily become one of my favorite courses close to where I live... good opportunities for some grip n rip.

Uses a whole lot of area. No real overlapping of holes. Lots of wide open area covered. Great water holes.

Not enough precision shots through the trees. Would like to have a few more shots with some obstacles Long shot over the water. Be ready to swim if you don't have an arm..

Just went recently and there were park renovations going on which messed up a couple of the holes, including the closing of the bridge to get over the water on 18.

UPDATE: 5-20-10
Course had been repaired. All holes are open!