I get the impression that some people think that Little Wing is a pushover course. Perhaps it is for the intermediate and up players, but those of us who are novice and recreational are going to face a challenge. Those of us of a certain age are going to also face the challenge of navigating the course (good deal of elevation change and a pretty long track). I consider these challenges a good thing, and yet the course also gives you a lot of opportunities to score par or better.

I like the interweaving of woods holes with more open holes. Even the latter have some sort of obstacle: steep uphill at nos. 2 and 18; wooded green at no. 3 with a wall of bushes/trees left of the green and OB marsh to the right; huge clump of short, bushy trees at no. 11's tee; easy-to-get-in bunker at no. 16's approach area. You get the picture. The totally-wooded holes are not oppressive. Most are pretty short. However, uphill no. 12 with its initial gate and guarded basket puts something on your mind (as my father would say - may he RIP). And longer no. 15 is likely the hardest hole on the course, starting open but pinched up against the tree line and then into an elevated, deep-pocket wooded fairway. While both of these holes play tough, they are not unfair, and one can see oneself figuring them out over time.

Being a former ball-golf course (half of said), it is a very pretty course. It's very well maintained, and the summer bugs are not so bad. However, I still got a little poison ivy rash despite wearing long pants.

There are many marshy areas that are not OB (most are not), and you are allowed relief from them. That's graciousness. Maybe that is not the case though for the "big" Wing layout; I don't know as I didn't visit those tees and hole signs.

I don't think any two holes are completely alike, even if there may be some similar features (like the aforementioned relief areas or short/tight/straight in the woods). Usually there is something to distinguish the holes. For example, nos. 9 and 10 fit the short/tight/straight designation, but one is basically flat, and the other is distinctly downhill. Nos. 4 and 8 both cross a relief area with the basket on a steep upslope, but no. 4 starts through a gate to an initially-flat fairway and no. 8's tee is out in the open with a descending initial fairway.

Nos. 3, 7, 14, 16 are bombs-away (to start) feel-good holes. Nos. 1 and 13 call for a bombing approach if you were short off the tee or short out of the gate.

The clubhouse has a great menu of tasty lunch fare. There's also a pro shop with discs and other accessories you may need.

There are two areas with practice baskets: one on the old ball-golf course's practice green possibly or the old no. 1 pro tee of the previous ball-golf course (hard to tell which). The other practice basket is near the picnic shelter on the other side of the clubhouse.

There is an open grassy area (old ball-golf driving range?) with a raised shelf where one can practice driving (you hardly ever see that on disc golf courses). However, it likely gets a bit dangerous if multiple people are firing discs while others are out in the field picking up discs...

As noted, traversing the course involves a good deal of walking up and down hills. You want to definitely bring water and possibly try to play when not so hot.

There are some chairs at some tees on the B9, but nothing on the F9. You might want to bring a folding stool if you don't roll a Zuca cart with a seat.

Without hole sign information (make sure to read it) and/or UDisc information, you might lose track of where you are going.

Some baskets are neither red-banded nor blue-banded. Are green, silver, etc.

$10 per round (per round, not for the day) is not very appealing. Active military, students, affiliated clubs get a discount though. And if you are vacationing in the area several days, you can get a weekly pass for $35.

It's a long hike, even from Charlottesville or Louisa. So you want to not have much else going on for the morning or afternoon that you play. You may be on the course for 3 hours.

I've played it 3 times, but all in conjunction with 1 tournament. Pre- and post-tournament, I played the surprisingly-good Meadowcreek Gardens in Charlottesville but got rained out (pretty much) from playing Walnut Creek and Pleasant Grove (both in the area). Betty Queen is in the general area also. Next time.

On the way home to metro DC, I played Rockwater Park in Culpeper. Even if you live in greater Charlottesville, I think pairing this course up with others is a good idea. Of course, there are two other, harder courses on the property itself. But if you want something decently close but entirely different, the aforementioned courses all will do the job. If you are coming from afar, you definitely want to pair RRLW up with other area courses.

If you are staying at the resort that you drive through to get to the course, there's some lovely-looking cabins, but they definitely are not cheap to rent! Seems also that the resort has basketball and tennis courts, I assume a pool somewhere, and other recreation opportunities including fishing on a beautiful lake that separates the resort from the residential subdivision that the disc golf courses are sitting in.

-Little Wing plays along the Wing course holes 1-2, and 15-18. A shorter distance version of the Wing course with the elevated tees, roller greens, and uphill holes. There are a handful of transition holes that have been cut thru the woods. As with the Wing, the course is on an ex-ball course.

-You're playing off of some of the same tee's as the Wing course and play some of the same baskets. Little Wing does have some of its own tees, and baskets as well. Tee surfaces can be on ball course tees or on a fairway, all natural.

-As with the other courses on the property there are placards posted on tee blocks with hole number, par, and distance. Navigation is clockwise with a few signs to help guide you thru the woods. It would help to have UDisc to find a few of the tees and baskets.

-From the bag on the tee putters, mid's, fairways, and a few drivers. On the wooded holes, you may need to become creative. Wind when present, will come into play.

-Beginners and Recreational you'll have a good taste of what's waiting for you on the more challenging Wing and Talon Courses. Intermediate and Advance you can get warmed up for the longer distance courses.

-As a Disc Golf property Raptor's Roost ranks #1 on my courses played. On the property are a total of four courses 1-9-hole putter course The Woods, big brother 18-holer Wing, and a second 18-hole course with full distance Talon. A disc driving range. A fully stocked pro shop with a large disc selection. Also, a grill that opens Thursday thru Sunday with a chef, other days snacks and beverages including adult with indoor seating.

-Raptors Roost is located on the Shenandoah Crossing Resort property and would be a family destination with several options for lodging including camping and RV hookups. A large variety of outdoor entertainment.

-Since your sharing space with the Wing course, on a few fairways is a cluster of tees and baskets that can cause confusion even with UDisc. Without UDisc, you may be doing some wandering reading tee placards.

-With the clustered fairways and if it becomes busy on a weekend you may have players from both courses wandering thru each other's lines. On both of my visits to the property on a weekday morning, I was the only one playing.

-I favor woods golf, but it seemed to me the few wooded holes were forced. They're very short distance and narrow holes, you'll need creative tee throws on a few of the holes. Seemed more gimmicky than practical, but their purpose is to transition from one fairway of the Wing course to another fairway.

-Lost disc potential can be high there are gullies to cross with heavy brush on a few holes, a creek or gully that may have water, and a tree kick in the wooded holes can send your disc into the brush.

I see Little Wing as the perfect warmup for Wing and Talon Courses. The joy is the shorter distances with elevation, giving a chance for a good score. The course also had its short steep uphill climbs to remind me a few strokes can be taken back as well. I will return to play the longer courses, but not likely Little Wing, I'll just have to keep the memories of a few solid tee drives. I don't have a personnel con, the course provides its purpose as a preview and warmup course, and a fun round for those not wanting to play the longer courses. I do have a personnel preference in not playing on the course, if I think a warm weekend will bring out a crowd becoming a cluster round from both courses.

-My overall rating is anchored on a 4.0 with elevated tee throws, and a few difficult holes. The time to play was 50 minutes taking pictures.

Feature Hole:

-No. 4 Par 3 at 213 feet short and sweet, sort of. Straight away tee to basket close to being level to level. From the tee slopes down to a gully that had some water in it. Heavy brush and bushes clutter the gully, need to get the disc up to clear it, with the basket on the other side a roller green to the gully. To clear gully need a height of about 15 feet, and distance of 190 feet. Scenic in the foilage months, and basket likely to be hidden.

Signature Hole:

-No. 1 Par 3 at 299 feet using the Wing course tee, and short basket. From the tee highly elevated, straight away flying over a gully with water clearing it at 200 feet. Basket sits on an open slope rolling back towards the gully. The elevation tee shot a great way to start the round, no obstruction from trees, and scenic.

Trouble Hole:

-No. 15 Par 3 at 331 feet is a straight uphill open tee throw with heavy brush and trees on the right. With the climb up the hill, you're playing more distance. The basket sits hidden in the tree line and will need to get at least 300 feet to have a clear run at the basket which sits about 20 feet in the woods. The basket also sits on a steep roller green back to the open fairway. You're going to want to hug the tree line with lost disc potential to the right, and if your disc flips on its side it's going to roll quickly to the fairway. I found the hole to be a struggle.