+ Practice basket, information board and payment slot right next to hole1.
+ Concrete pads are all flat and sturdy.
+ Tee signs are informative and plainly visible.
+ Most of the course plays in a cozy forest, but...

- ...It's too cozy and condensed. For instance, holes3 through 8 all feel as though they are right on top of each other with many different holes' baskets in close proximity.
- Some redundancy issues. Why bother having two baskets on hole3 that are so close together? Why bother having two tees on hole4 that are so close together? And so on.
- There are no 'next' signs to help players easily find their way.
- No system in place to tell players which position the basket is in.

This review is based on the long layout.

I thought that the prettiest hole was also the most annoying to play. Hole12 is a tall woodsy tunnel with nothing but natural quiet all around you. That's a nice place to close your eyes, breathe and enjoy the peace. It's just a shame that when you open your eyes, the hole demands a near ninety-degree left turn from you just a few yards away from the tee! I enjoy matching wits against tough and unusual fairways, but that's just a little ridiculous. What's the deal, there?
Hole18 was my favorite to play because it gives you one last upsloping tunnel before launching you out into the open back to civilization.

On paper, Pohick Bay has a lot of the things that I would normally go crazy over at a disc golf course. It is a mostly wooded course with some satisfying tree puzzles. There are a few fun elevation features. There is even a tiny creek to deal with towards the end, though some players might not even notice. So, why didn't I fall in love with it?

Firstly, it's kind of on the short side. From either layout, the absolute longest hole is 326 feet. That's not so bad considering most of the holes play in the woods. In many cases, a wooded course needs to be shorter to compensate for the higher number of obstacles. But these are a bit too brief with most fairways hovering around 200 feet. That doesn't give the player much opportunity to savor the course.
Secondly, the course starts to feel samey after awhile. The player never leaves the one area of pine woods, so the holes start to blend together into a homogenized experience. I look at the pictures I took, and I still can't really recall playing some holes. It doesn't help that most of the course plays flat. A few hills and slopes try to liven up the experience, but they're over before you know it.
Thirdly, some of the design choices turned me off. Hole3, for instance, has a perpetual left turn protected by a mando. There are a few baskets so close to one another that it is unclear which is meant for the hole you're playing. Hole4 plays too closely to a road according to my overly fretful mind. And I've already mentioned hole12.

But for all of that negative stuff I've brought up, I want to continue and end on a positive note. After all, some of the stuff that I just brought up could easily sound like a good time to some players. Shorter fairways have a certain appeal of their own- especially to newer players. Flat woodsy fairways can certainly make for good training. And who doesn't love a wild and unconventional fairway challenge once in a while?

Whatever you take away from this review, don't think that I view Pohick Bay as a bad course. It's fine. It didn't make me mad or frustrated like some courses have. I don't remember getting lost despite the lack of 'next' signage. If you play here, you can expect to find a decent challenge more geared towards novices and recreational players and a basic refresher for more experienced players. It's not a great course, but you can do worse.

+ They've done a lot with a little bit of property (multiple tees, some alternate baskets)


+ Two short loops of 9. Primarily wooded, but the clever design (by a certain Mr. Headrick) has each 9 starting and finishing with open holes


+ Many of the holes feature tight - but very fair - lines


+ Hole #17 is downhill with a split fairway, and the basket down to the right. It's only 200' but it's a gorgeous hole, designed to offer two routes, each with a challenge. The left route requires a touch to turn at the right moment; the straight route is really tight

- The main "con" is that they've tried to do a lot here,and didn't have the room to really carry it through. There isn't consistent use of long tees or multiple baskets: some holes have two tees, some have two baskets, some have both, some have neither. And the course is so short that "long" tees or baskets give you a different look, but don't fundamentally change the hole. But it's also true that this course was designed in a previous era, at a time before our modern discs. Maybe the true way to evaluate the differences in the layouts would be to play with lids?


- Hole #8 is just bad. It's a 200 foot hole that turns almost 90 degrees to the left about 30 feet off the tee. It's so sharp and so close that it's like the tee is facing the wrong direction. And there's a mando at the corner - so you can't cut it

COURSE AMENITIES SUMMARY: Poured tees, old baskets in good shape, good signage. Cart-friendly, restrooms in the park. This is a 30+ year old course, and while it's not in disrepair, it shows it's age in subtle ways, like wear and erosion around the tees


~ Everything is so squeezed together, I wish they had used more of the park for the layout - but in the era, 4000' for 18 holes was probably ideal


~ I had the great fortune to play on a sunny winter morning, with very few people around me in the park, and only a few players on the course. I didn't have to pay to enter the park, I didn't have to worry about my throws interfering with other players. Playing disc golf in the woods, on a compact classic course. Nothing better.

Course plays mostly in the woods with a few throws across a field. The woods shots are tight, technical, shortish lines with some good variety. It is not overly challenging and the front 9 plays very fast. This is a similar course to burke lake (if you are familiar with that), but slightly more challenging.

Most holes have 2 concrete tees and 2 basket positions. Bright yellow DisCatcher baskets are easy to spot. Decent tee signs and benches. Easy to navigate. Well maintained and no underbrush to lose your disc. Great mostly wooded beginner course.

Available terrain and elevation was integrated well into the design. Surprising amount of technical variety on a short course. Decent fun factor with some ace runs and required trick shots to navigate some tight fairways. There is some OB on the course with roads and OB string adding to the challenge.

Pavillon by parking lot. Pirate themed putt putt golf next to course. Other park amenities.

Fore! Compact layout has errant shots ending up in other fairways.

No restrooms near course.

I don't usually consider pay to play a con, but the price for non-residents is a little steep for the value.

The only reason I finally made it to Pohick Bay was to play in the Chad Dukes Disc Golf Classic tournament. I'm a big fan of the Chad Dukes vs The World sports talk radio show on 106.7 The Fan, and he has talked about disc golf on the show on some occasions. This was a good choice for the tournament with several newbies being introduced to the sport and the crowd was a little more of the rowdy type - don't worry this was not a PDGA sanctioned event. The event was great, but there was a lot of yelling Fore!

Pohick Bay is your old school short wooded course that is now often called a Pitch & Putt with the advance of disc technology. There are some Super Class tournaments held here to make it a little more challenging playing the course with slower discs like it was originally intended for.

Overall I'd recommend the course for new players that are residents. For non-residents and more experienced players there are other courses in the area that might be of more interest. For the traveling course bagger that doesn't mind paying, it's close to the highway and quick and fun to play and only really need your putter and maybe a driver.

* Fun lines to throw
* Good place to practice your midrange/putter drives
* Very compact course
* Signage is reasonable
* Big parking lot
* Trash cans and benches on several holes
* Area drains reasonably well and plays well in rain
* Lots of shade
* Annual passes available work at other disc golf courses in area
* Baskets are moved between locations regularly
* A 3X pro world disc golf champion (age protected division) plays the course often and may join you

* You are never far from a road and/or road noise
* Drives on 10 and 18 are blind and could hit people on tee pads you can not see
* A bad shot or tree kick on most holes can land in other fairways
* Bathrooms require travel to the park office or campground
* Signage does not tell you which pin position is in play
* Long tees are not on all holes

Playing this course can be a wonderful experience. It is in a very pretty woodland and it seems I always find some cool bit of nature to geek out over. There are times when this course feels like it is part of the DC metro area (noisy and crowded), but usually it is a good place to play disc golf.
There is a disc golf fee in addition to the park entrance fee, and there have been rangers checking fee compliance. The local club leadership (www.novadiscgolf.org ) has some input, so the money should see a disc golf benefit.

Holes are short and tight, which force you to think a little creatively about how to get through the trees to the basket.

The park is pretty and free (for Fairfax County residents).

The focus here is on curving mid range shots and putts. Good for skill building.

A couple of slight up and down holes but not so much that it is challenging.

The course is very tight and it is not uncommon to land a disc on one of the other holes if you misfire.

At some points, the trees are obnoxiously dense and a novice could easily become frustrated at the high likelihood of smacking one.

Not a whole lot of variety here. Many are simple pitch-and-putt holes with a slight bend.

This park is pretty close to me, and I am kind of disappointed it isn't nicer. I suppose the designer did a pretty good job with very limited space, but nevertheless Pohick Bay leaves you wanting more, especially having played a gem like New Quarter in Williamsburg.

Pohick Bay is a very entertaining course that although short plays creatively through some thick woods with very little underbrush.

The baskets and tee signs looked pretty new. The signs were accurate and very dscriptive.

Quite a few holes had two tee pads, with the longer tee usually subtlety changing the angle of the hole instead of adding distance only. There are also multiple pin positions that help create a little variety.

The course is very compact but the designer tried to make the most of it. Using all available elevation, obstacles and using some mando's to make it more interesting. There is a good balance of straight, left and right turning holes. The course also starts and finishes very close to the parking lot.

This is a very fun, very fast play. You could easily crank out 18 holes in 35-45 minutes without rushing.

A great place to have an all putter round or to work on your Mids and Putters off the tee.

Very short and not too challenging. I would imagine this was originally designed for Lids but I am not sure.

Compact. I am not too sure how fun it would be to play when the course is crowded since a lot of the tees and baskets are fairly close to each other.

No other real cons the course is what it is.

This is a fun little course that would be a great beginner course, or a putter course for those more experienced. It will provide a nice technical challenge through the trees without being overly difficult with a couple of ace runs available.

The course itself is located is a nice regional park that has a lot of nice Non-Disc Golf activities. Plus there are two other courses right down the road: Burke Lake and Giles Run!

Close parking to 1 and 18
Nice tee pads

For some reason this course just didn't do it for me. It just had a really old feel to it. Lots of trash on the ground and I just didn't enjoy it. Burke Lake & Giles Run are down the road and I feel are much better courses. It doesn't have that welcoming feel like Burke Lake or Rockburn Branch. I know I am gonna get some backlash for this but it's just how I feel. I won't be going back.

Concrete Tee Pads. The fact that the course exists at all is a pro. Nice park.

Trash. Pohick has the most available trash cans of any course I've seen and unfortunately the most trash. I've personally pulled well over three cases worth of old beer cans/bottles out of this place, not to mention cigarette packs, etc. Unfortunate.

The place can get pretty muddy in wet weather.

Baskets are old and ragged-out...But they work, so only a minor con.

I refer to Pohick as the putter course because frankly you could easily play all 18 with your putter and probably do quite well. In fact I would highly recommend you do so.

With it's tight trails this is a great little course to learn to finesse your putters and mids. If you are one of those throwing a high-speed driver out here now is the time to rethink your game!

The tee pads are a little on the small side but they work. The distances here are short so huge run-ups aren't really necessary.

I like this course when I just want to play a quick round and experiment with putters/mids. I can easily get in 18 holes in 35 minutes here.

It's tough to honestly give this old course more than a 2.5 but I really like it for what it is. I got my first and second ace at this course, both on hole #1.

Minimal chance to lose a disc. Signs at teepads. Fairly easy to navigate. Mostly away from other park users.

Single tee (small)/single basket (old, single chain). $7 to enter park. Short-n-flat - a bit muddy in places.

Update 11/19/11: Baskets have been upgraded (Discatchers, yellow-banded, double-chained). Tee pads have been upgraded (5'x10', concrete). Tee signs have been upgraded. Multiple pin-positons per hole. Most holes have multi-tees.
Proximity of neighbouring fairways still an issue on many holes.

Course plays in the mostly-wooded corner of a multi-use park. With only fives holes >200', maxing-out at 250', and most holes having fair throwing lanes defined by moderate-sized trees, this course is good for introducing new players to (and experienced players practicing) shot-shaping. Most holes require some type of turn, with left-turns being about twice as prevalent as right turns, and more extreme in nature. Most of the right-turns are subtle and near to the basket, while most of the left-turns occur early-/mid-flight, and are sharper.

Avoid the fee by coming when the gatehouse isn't manned - visit http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/pohickbay/ for a schedule. This course serves a purpose and you can enjoy yourself here, but nearby Giles will provide much more length, openness, and challenge.

- Well laid out for the small space it's located in.
- Good variety of shots between holes if you want to use your whole arsenal.
- Can play multiple rounds in a short amount of time.
- Great course for beginners or rec players.
- Tight fairways on most holes let you practice accurate approach shots.
- Amazing practice for an advanced players short game.
- Multiple ace runs.
- About 15 of the holes are relatively easy deuce runs if you're on, and all 18 are possible deuces.
- Seemed most locals including beginners realize when to let someone play through without any problems.

- As already stated in other reviews, many baskets are in horrible condition.
- Putts and anything hitting the chains fast has a higher chance of bouncing out.
- In a couple places, errant throws from other holes are a danger.
- Signs on a couple holes (as of 7/25/09) were missing, but even the rest of them are only so-so.
- The listed pars on the course, even though they're meant for rec players are a tad ridiculous. (Hole #18 :: Par 5 :: 261 ft. and it's one of the more open holes on the course)
- Teepads are a bit short, but because of the length of the holes, a big walk-up generally isn't necessary.
- One hole runs parallel to the access road and the basket is located right next to it, so an overshoot could easily end up in the road.

:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSTurGcJj6w :: Video of Course

- It's in a great park, there's a huge bay that you can go canoeing and kayaking, a small waterpark for the kids, and plenty of camping (including rentable cabins).
- Really is a short course, I lapped a group of 4 players when playing by myself.
- The park does have a mini-golf course, but it's not well maintained and isn't very large either.
- Definitely a course where you could just bring one disc, I use my putter to drive on most of the holes, but could easily use it on all.

This short course is a great place to get in a quick game, or enjoy a few rounds without taking the whole day. The course has some variety, but most holes are wooded (only 4 are open). The teepads are cement, which is nice. Most tees have a sign with par, distance, and a diagram of the hole. They also often show the location of the next tee, which makes the course really easy to navigate.

No two holes here are the same - it's a short course, so you won't be airing it out much, but you will get to throw plenty of different shots. The course is short, but technical - a great place to work out the kinks in your short game. It's also only a few minutes from 95, which makes it a convenient stop if you're passing through northern VA.

The place definitely needs some love. All of the baskets have had chains replaced over the years, and my Aviar bounced right out of them several times. A few of the tees were missing signs, but the holes are short enough that it wasn't much of a problem. Others have mentioned that the tees are short, but the course is so short that I don't think its necessary for them to be any bigger - you really don't need that long of a run-up to play here.

I enjoyed this course more than I expected to. I expected to have to pay to get into the park, but there was nobody in the booth at the entrance so I was able to drive right in. There are envelopes for donations at the start of the course, but it didn't seem like a requirement. It's worth making a small donation, though - the course could use some TLC.

Very tight, but short; drives are really like upshots on most other courses but stress accuracy (good practice)

Very short; dilapidated baskets--good putts can often bounce out which is frustrating (soft putters an advantage). These old baskets were replaced in Jan 2011 (led to update my old rating)

Previous review stated hole 18 is a par 5--this is for rec players--I have seen #18 aced. It is about a 250 anhyzer shot with no ability to see the basket from the tee. Advanced players often deuce this hole--not a par 5!

Many adjustments to tees (along with the new baskets) forces me to upgrade from a 1.5 to a 2.5.

Nice little course with tall pin trees.

Baskets are old, tee boxs are short.

Hole 18 par 5