Seneca Creek is one of the classic east coast woods courses, set in a (mostly) disc golf-exclusive part of the state park. Located in the Maryland Piedmont, the course features rolling hills and stream valleys. Tree cover ranges from mature deciduous forest down by the creek to newer growth with deciduous trees and junipers closer to the parking lot. Some of the creek holes with their soaring canopies feel like wooded disc golf cathedrals (at least until your disc hits a tree and kicks into the rough, but that's on you - the lines here are fair). The park is particularly gorgeous in the spring when native dogwoods and redbuds are blooming, and again in the fall when maple and tulip poplar leaves glow in the evening sun.

Some holes are fairly open and some are tighter, but make no mistake - you are mostly playing in the woods, with a handful of park-style holes. Nice variety of holes that favor left-turning, right-turning, and straight shots, plus uphill, downhill, side-hill, and valley hole designs. Playing well at Seneca Creek requires you to shape the entire flight of the disc, not just hit a gap. This is a higher-level challenge, and one of the reasons I love playing here. Success must be earned, and the course keeps you honest.

Seneca Creek has three 9-hole loops, each conveniently starting and ending near the parking lot. There are also a few bonus 2-hole or 3-hole loops that bring you back to the parking lot: holes 1 and 2; holes 10, 11, and 27 (or 10, 11 and 9); and holes 19, 20, 17, and 18 (or 19 and 18).

Many holes have a huge variation in distance and difficulty depending on which tee and basket you play. For example, hole 10 can range from 242' (short tee, A pin) to 562' (long tee, C pin), and the D pin is even longer (and more fun). In contrast, sometimes the long and short tees are similar distances but play at different angles to the fairway. Several holes offer the choice of two fairways, and some of the long tees require you to navigate a tunnel just to reach the main fairway. At least two paved tees on every hole, plus recreational tees marked by yellow-painted blocks. Even though the rec tees are short, birdies are not always easy.

Excellent tee signs include a detailed hole map, distances from each tee to every basket, and a hook with a colored bead that shows basket position(s). The colored beads are very helpful because many of the longer pin positions are blind from the tee. The club rotates basket positions regularly, which enhances replay value. Usually the course is set up with a balanced mix of A, B, and C pin positions.

Second baskets have been installed in the long (C or D) position on several holes. These long pin positions are highlights of the course and significantly enhance the challenge and joy of playing here. As of fall 2021, long baskets have been set up on holes 1, 5, 13, 18, 23, and 27.

Remarkably low risk of disc loss for a wooded course. The club does an amazing job of clearing underbrush near the fairway (thanks Mr. Bill!). There is a lost disc drop box at the kiosk, and lost discs with identification can be retrieved at the ranger's station near the park entrance.

Practice basket near the parking lot, and the permanent long pin for hole 18 serves as a second practice basket (just make sure no one is playing the hole). Also near the parking lot you will find a kiosk with a detailed course map, and picnic tables suitable for hanging out after the round. Abundant benches have been installed throughout the course. Port-a-pot near the parking lot in summer, and indoor bathrooms are available elsewhere in the park.

Bright yellow flags make the Mach 3 baskets easier to spot in the woods. Flags are usually swapped out each spring, so they might get a little worse for wear by late winter. Red-banded baskets have been installed as permanent long pins on a few holes, but the older baskets are solidly mounted, level, and catch well.

Too many memorable holes to list, but here are a few favorites:

Hole 13 is the signature hole on the course, with a fairly generous fairway lined with OB creek left and mature deciduous forest right. The slightly downhill drive is about 280' from the short tee with a tricky landing zone. The hole then doglegs right, still following the creek, and the permanent D pin is another full drive from the landing zone. The long tee adds 90 feet to reach the dogleg.

Hole 6 is a dead-straight, high-ceiling tunnel, with distances ranging from 278' to 405' from the short tee. The long basket requires an accurate drive and tricky approach through scattered trees. Gorgeous and intimidating.

Hole 22 is steeply downhill, low ceiling drive with distances ranging from 296' to around 500'. Lots of ways to attack the hole: roller, backhand turnover, or sidearm can all work. Hitting the line just right is never easy but always satisfying, and scramble opportunities are usually available if your drive gets knocked down early.

Have a course map available the first time you play here because navigation can be confusing where the 9-hole loops cross over each other. Loops cross between holes 5 and 6, holes 7 and 8, holes 12 and 13, and holes 24 and 25.

Some of the older concrete tee pads are a bit narrow, but most pads are level with the ground so this is not a big problem. Some of the paver tee pads in the woods are getting a bit uneven. Uneven turf pads on a few bonus extra-long tees in the woods.

A combined sewer system (storm water and sewage) follows the creek. This is common in older sewer systems, but after a heavy rain the olfactory experience may not match the visual beauty of the creek holes. Bring a towel and don't lick your discs after they go OB in the creek!

There is a dog waste station near the parking lot but otherwise no trash cans. Maryland state parks have a pack-it-in, pack-it-out policy so plan accordingly.

Once each summer baskets are moved to the A (short) position for a children's disc golf event.

I never get tired of playing here, even though I have probably played Seneca Creek more than any other disc golf course. Heck, I might have played Seneca as often as all other courses combined. But with 27 challenging holes, multiple tees on every hole, ever-changing basket locations, multiple baskets on many holes, and multiple ways to attack most of the holes, this course never gets old for me.

Some feel that Seneca is a "lefty" course. Often this means that the course is well balanced between right-turning and left-turning holes, and such is the case here. In fact, some of the right-turning holes set up better for a RHBH turnover rather than a righty sidearm. It is true that the five creek holes all have OB on the left side, but on most of those holes you have righty-friendly options.

Seneca Creek started as an 18-hole course with lots of low-ceiling holes that favored rollers. Since the redesign to 27 holes, rollers are no longer required (but still useful on a few holes). If you run into any Seneca long-timers they probably have a solid roller game.

There are official hole pars for tournaments, but for casual play everything at Seneca Creek is "par 3". Yes, even those 560' dogleg holes. Deal with it.

When you play the five creek holes, note that the yellow OB rope usually follows the tree line, well away from the creek. If your drive skips left past the tree line, you will generally be out of bounds.

Seneca Creek State Park comprises 6,300 acres with a 90-acre lake. Park activities include more than 50 miles of hiking and mountain bike trails, playgrounds, volleyball, boat rentals, fishing, hunting, historic sites, a winter light show, and a beautiful peony display garden. The park is an oasis in the DC suburbs, hosting abundant wildlife such as foxes, hawks, owls, snakes, chipmunks, and of course deer.

Nominal fee to enter the park on summer weekends.

Fun fact: Most of the 1999 horror film 'The Blair Witch Project' was filmed in Seneca Creek State Park (but not at the disc golf course).

+27 holes of beautiful, varying, and challenging disc golf. Combination of true-wooded holes and meadows with imposing trees set on rolling hills, with a creek and significant OB coming into play on five holes. Each of the three 9-hole loops goes through each of the different settings on the property, so you get the full gamut of challenges even if you only play nine holes.

+Even with 27 holes (27!), there's not a junky hole in the bunch. All of them really offer challenges - tight gaps to hit, big elevation changes, low ceilings, specific shots...it's got them all. There might not be a *true* signature hole (#13 and #23 are close in my mind), but all of them are worth playing.

+Setting is a disc golf-only section of the state park. You'll get the occasional hiker coming through, but you won't have any of the issues of throngs of non-DG players coming through or picnickers in the fairways, even on busy weekends. Also, for having 27 holes, they've done an amazing job of ensuring that the safety hazards are low - barring some epic shank jobs, you don't have to worry to much about flying discs from other holes.

+Course map at the parking lot provides tons of information - definitely take a picture of it your first time playing (or find the map via Google image search) so you don't get lost between holes. While I consider it a strength that each of the 9-hole loops go through all of the ecosystems of the property, it means that those loops do cross each other between holes, so it could get confusing.

+Tee signs at every hole (generally at red tees or between red and white) provide all the info you need. All holes have two tee pads plus a third set of yellow novice stone markers. Nine of the holes have additional blue "professional" tee pads, but they aren't consistent and have them sprinkled through the three loops. One pin per hole with 3-4 positions that rotate.

+Each of the loops start and end at the parking lot, which is great for restocking on water and food or just taking a break. It's hilly and a bit of a workout!

+Set within a great state park, which has wonderful hiking, boating, fishing, and playground opportunities to make a day of it.

-Tee pads are definitely showing their age and vary in size/quality/composition by hole. However, after playing 54 holes here across three visits...they honestly didn't affect me all that much (i.e. not a safety hazard in my mind). But definitely not in a condition to be called a "plus".

Free during the week, and $3/adult ($5 out of state) on weekends April-Oct; very reasonable.

Doubles on Wednesday evenings during late spring/summer/early fall. Starts @ 5 PM I believe.

Some of the pin positions in the longest setting are absolutely par-4 in length - simply not reachable, even from red tees, by anyone but a pro with a perfect shot. I'm never going to make the pars on a course a pro or a con - they are what they are - but I think there's a way to say "A/B/C pin positions are par-3, D is par-4" in those cases. Seen this done elsewhere (Richmond Hill in Asheville, NC) to good effect.

Fantastic 27-hole course which plays in a large "disc golf only" section of a big state park. The course itself is predominately wooded and stretches across several rolling hills with many shots facing slight changes in elevation. The course is wonderfully maintained with beautiful grassy fairways. There are 4 tees and 3 basket locations for almost every hole allowing you to make the course as easy or hard as you wish. Very scenic with tee shots requiring you to maintain your line through the trees for 300-400 feet or more depending on the layout you're playing. Course is challenging yet fair in that good shots are rewarded and a bad one isn't going to cause you to lose a disc. More open than one would think for a wooded course. Great variety of shot type.

This is one of the best courses I have played. You can tell it's gonna be a good the minute you pull into the parking lot. The isolation of the course from the rest of the park allows you to really get immersed in the experience.The beautiful tree lines and overall upkeep make it feel like you are in an enchanted forest. The holes are challenging and unique. Really tests your distance and accuracy. The rough isn't going to tear you up, but it does certainly make your next shot much harder just based on the angles to the basket. Very long and tiring to complete. Expect to be on the course for several hours. Bring food and snacks.

The only suggestion I have would be the introduction of more true par-4s, and a few holes requiring more shot shaping or angled throws. This should not detract anyone from visiting this course though.

Lastly any review here would not be complete without a special shoutout to Mr. Bill and the other volunteers who upkeep the course! Mr. Bill is very friendly and always found doing something to keep the course looking great. He has even been recognized by the governor for his volunteer service. If you see him say hello.

Overall this is a great course and you'll be hard pressed to find a better one in the area (or state for that matter). If you're looking for a comprehensive disc golf experience, this is the course for you.

Multiple concrete tees
Multiple baskets on every hole
Flags on top of each basket.
27 holes
Great variety of elevation change between each hole.
The holes do not cross or run parallel
Great variety of course design - had to break out almost every disc and every type of throw.
Good mix of tight wooded tunnel shots and open fairway shots.

You have to pay the general park fee to even enter the greater park.
Maybe the restrooms and water are not close to the course.

Gorgeous park by itself. The course is beautiful and relaxing.

- Three pads on every hole giving great options.
- Signs and maps on every hole.
- Well marked and laid out.
- Great variety of shots. Long, short, left and right.
- Decent amount of hazards and O.B.'s with minimum chance of loosing disc.
- Not crowded but it was a Wednesday so not sure about weekends.
- Set up like 3 nine hole courses so you end up by parking lot after 9 and 18. Gives great options to play 3 different 18 hole courses if you don't have time for 27. Also worked great for me when I caught a foursome on hole 9. I skipped to 19, and then went to 10 thru 18 after 27.
- Nice scenery including wildlife.

- Love the options with 3 pads on every hole, but some of the pads are in pretty bad shape.
- Some fairways are pretty close. Guessing it's a problem when crowded.
- With the space they have, it seems like they could spread out some of the holes a little.

I wish my home course was like this. Lots of options with the multiple pads. Also can handle more people with 27 holes. I will definitely play this course again if I get a chance. I live in California and have had the chance to play 2 courses in Virginia and 2 in Maryland. This is my favorite for the DC area. (So far)

Seneca was my favorite course in the Mid Atlantic region back in the mid/late 90's, upon returning 17 years later (Dec '16) I found the 9 'new' holes to be just as great.

This course set in a scenic state park has tremendous variety to it: tight wooded shots but none are unfair, great elevation changes up down and across hills, a creek comes into play several times, marked OB rope, at least 2 tees and the majority of holes have 3 tee options, yellow flags on top of each basket, good tee signs, white poles near the disc grabbing cedar trees and multiple pin locations which I'm sure they rotate.

Seneca was known as a 'roller' course but I didn't throw any rollers (on purpose), I was able to backhand every tee shot.

The 3 loops of each 9 return to the start. 2 baskets on 3 holes. Mach 3's are my favorite basket type.

Not beginner friendly, this is a plus!

Nitpicking here since it's hard to dislike anything about this course...
The last 1 or 2 holes on each 9 are somewhat of a let down, simply not great holes and generally play left to right. I'm a RHBH player.

The tee pads are a mixture in size and material, some old ones have long narrow cement slabs, some have cement pavers and some have gravel around them helping with erosion.

Some of the original basket locations have been extended and depending on which tee you are using I thought some are now "tweener holes", a tough par 3 or easy 4.

Seneca is now listed in my "favorites".

Located near several major highways it is close to the exits but the Wash DC traffic is a pain even in non rush hour times.

Don't drive 12 mph over the speed limit on Clopper Rd with out of state plates or you might get a $40 ticket in the mail 2 weeks later.

Excellent shot variety here. Great mix of dense woods, with some more open shots. Lots of route options on this course, that will test every shot in your bag.

The signage is good, with well thought out tee and pin positions. Pin Positions were clearly marked.

Maintenance was great! well defined areas of play, well landscaped, with well worn paths. Good tee boxes.

Some of the holes run fairly close to each other, with mediocre to bad shots often sharing the same space. This really isn't too much of an issue, but if you aren't paying attention you bight get beaned by a rogue throw.

This really is a great course. Every hole offers excellent variety. There are doglegs in all directions, and lengths from ace run to long bomb. The trees are dense in some spots, but there is almost always a choice no matter where you land.

This is a fair course that really challenges and rewards thoughtful play. Its a good workout for your decision making and course management, which I thought was very fun.

As said above, some of the holes are pretty close together, and when it gets busy can be a bit crowded. This is something that I'm just not used to, but its not that big of a deal.

I have only played here once, and all the pins were still in the long position from the recent Seneca Soiree. This is a tough layout! I will definitely be returning to see the other pin positions, looks like pin position has a big impact here.

I will absolutely play here again, its worth visiting if you are in the area. The park on the whole is very nice with lots of other well maintained activities.

Absolutely beautiful course with some very picturesque holes, with challenges to match. A whole bunch of factors come together to basically make this the best course I've played to date.

The 27 holes weave in and out of a fairly dense forest and back into grassy clearings with much more spaced trees. Each set of 9 holes forms it's own loop returning to the parking lot, so that you can play any set of 9 or 18 holes you desire. The parking lot and start of the course is on the high ground of a hill that slopes down into the surrounding creeks, so there's usually an uphill/downhill factor in most holes.

The baskets are adequate older DGA baskets with no issues, well maintained, and the various tee pads are often made with large paving stones and bricks with a few newer poured concrete pads. All are nice and long though sometimes slightly narrow. The signage is good and most of the course has various indicators of how to move from a basket to the next tee. Navigation was rarely a challenge.

There's red and white tee pads for every hole, and on some of them an additional blue (hardest) tee, that generally seemed to take the tact of giving you a more occluded entry into the fairway without being much further. Then on top of that there's 2-4 pin placements per hole to keep things fresh if you come here often. There's even a bead on a set of hooks on the tee sign to let you know which placement the pin is in!

It's hard to put my finger on exactly what it is that makes this course exceptional; everything about it is great with no weaknesses, but what exactly is outstandingly unique about the course? I think there's 2 really memorable aspects for me:

First, it's pretty. Very pretty, at least the parts within the grassy clearings with some trees with lots of character and rolling hills surrounded by the forest. There were a few tees where I just stopped to enjoy the beauty of the hole for a second before throwing. There was one completing a loop, I think it was hole 18, that made me regret not bringing my camera because I could have made a great desktop background out of that view.

Second, there's some really good course design here largely due to just how conducive the landscape is to disc golf, but credit to the designers that they didn't waste it. Some of the holes are really interesting in how they play the ceiling created by the trees against the rolling landscape of the hills. Traditionally when we talk about hitting a gap in disc golf, it's implied that the gap is horizontal in nature, between the trees on the left and the trees on the right. Here, on numerous holes, the gaps are vertical, and you've got to hit a spot between the ceiling created by the tree branches and the floor created by the rising or falling slope of turf.

One hole stands out for me where you have to play downhill and then uphill again, but in the apex of the gully the tree cover will knock down your discs as you try to squeeze out max distance. There's a risk reward decision there and on many holes, challenging how high do you dare throw in the name of distance.

You can always nit-pick, but the complaints here are really small.

The strongest complaint I can come up with is that there's an over abundance of holes requiring left-to-right shots relative to the right-to-left shots, meaning that a really good RHFH or LHBH game would have a significant advantage here, I think. I have a heavy preference for RHBH but found myself trying to throw a lot of long distance forehand here because the hold demanded it.

Besides that, while the holes that played through the scenic grassy clearings near the parking lot were amazing, some of the holes playing through the forest were a little too "plinko" for my tastes, with the fairway not being fair. I'm pretty confident hyzer flipping up tunnel shots, but there were a few here where all you can do is throw it up the gap and hope you get fairly far before you inevitably hit a tree, and don't kick too deep. One hole I recall, the biggest gap was 3 to 4 feet (it would have been okay from the tee pad immediately in front of it, but didn't play very well from the harder tee). To put this into perspective, though, it's a 27 hole course and this is maybe 5 holes we're talking about where I'd complain some trees needed to go. Generally, there's a well defined fairway to hit even through the wooded holes. This problem is sparse.

The tee pads were a bit narrow. The grass was thin and since it rained the day before it was a bit muddy. Stuff like that. You really have to reach to try to criticize this course.

It's a challenging course and I like that. I didn't play great in my 2 rounds here but that's what you'd want if you're lucky enough to get to play this course a lot. It would take time to learn the best shots for all the holes and put up some good scores.

What I'd give to have this as a home course... I could play thousands of rounds here with the multiple pin placements and never get bored.

It's great golf all around, and lots of variety. I am really glad I made the trip out. The drive through the state park to the course sets up some high expectations, and you're not disappointed in the slightest when you get there.

A major effort to replace the older teepad has begun. The local club installed ten new concrete teepads in 2015. They are ready to play on holes 2 Blue, 3 Blue, 6 Red, 7 Red and 7 White, 11 Red, 13 Red, 18 Blue, 23 Blue and 27 Red. Average size is 4 1/2' wide x 15' long. They are large and level!

Three separate nine hole loops, multiple pins and two tees on every holes give so many options for the casual player and tournament layouts to be different.
Outstanding design and use of the land (which is pretty great in its own right). Many different shots must be played through the field holes and the wooded holes alike. Having a good, well balanced game of power and finesse comes into play here - too much of one and not enough of the other will not yield a tournament winner.
Back to the land, nice elevation changes, streams, nicely mowed grass fields, beautiful wooded areas with views of the creek and far hillsides on several holes.
The park itself has nice amenities, heated bathrooms, running water, ample parking, well maintained. This is a pack it in, pack it out park - so don;t expect trash cans. But be respectful and clean up after yourself.

The tee pads always seem to be a work in progress. They are being worked on and I like what I'm seeing.
Used to be very narrow tee pads, and the older, shorter concrete ones are being expanded on.
Last time there I saw 4x6s around a few tees and others were already expanded and had a gravel base down, so this one draw back is being worked on.
And I do know just how much work it is to install 54 tee pads in some not too easy to get to places... But its my only con at Seneca

I've been traveling to and playing Seneca for 10+ years and really love it here. Seasonal allergies do just about kill me as I'm allergic to the invasive Olive trees & have had a really tough time at the Soiree more than once...
The course is well worth the 3 hour drive for me, and I would recommend it to any golfer.
The design is what I really like, it has worked through the old roller course (still was a great course) and evolved into one of the more well rounded courses in my opinion. As stated, it takes all your shots to do well here.
The variety of shot selection, risk/reward shots, as well as the mental & physical challenge of playing 27 holes in the longer pins - Seneca is truly one of my favorite courses.
If/when the tees get finished and are all large, level and consistent, this is easily a 4.75-5 course for me. I'd put it at 4.5 even with the variety of tees in use today.

Seneca Creek State Park hosts 27 holes of disc golf bliss. There is an terrific blend of grass, woods, water, elevation change, fun and frustration that is all contained in a wonderfully beautiful and clean park. There isn't really extreme terrain, but all of the elements that make up a good course can be found here. My favorite holes were 5, 13 and 14, some of the longest, and more wooded holes, with a creek running the length on the left of the fairways. The course was obviously very well loved, and someone was dutifully trimming branches here and there while I played. Long and short concrete tees for most, if not all holes, and usually multiple pin positions.

I couldn't really complain, but trash cans would be nice. They are going for pack in, pack out trash, and it seems to be working. All par 3, but on some holes, certainly with the long pin positions, thats no gimmie. Pets must be leashed to my doggies dismay.

Would be playing this one frequently if I lived in the area. The 4.25 average rating is dead on, but I went ahead and gave a 4.5 by virtue of having 27 holes with great equipment and impeccably clean and beautiful surroundings. I really liked the personality of this course, and it was in magnificent condition. I played the day after a tourney was hosted there. There may not be a trademark awesome hole here, but there is consistent high quality through all 27 holes. I shot a 10 over par 91 on my first and only round so far. Hope to get another crack at it someday. Very fun course in a very nice park. Other activities in addition to disc golf.

Variety of difficult shots. Fairly easy to navigate. Bugs are not too much of an issue. I consider myself very amateur and I did not lose any discs.

Most of the hole were very difficult. Only about 5 holes were open enough to make a very simple shot. Although they weren't terrible, some of the tee boxes could be redone. As mentioned the course is easy to navigate, but some new arrows and signs could be fixed or added.

If you plan on playing all 27, it'll take you at least 2.5 hours, so start before 6 during the summer! I haven't been to TOO many disc golf courses, so my rating may be subject to change at a later date. Make sure to bring water because their is no running water or bathroom facility besides a portapotty.

We played in a Thunderstorm, no other players, just 50 to 60 White Tails, trying to be moving obstacles.

Maybe a bit better use of all the great elevation change would improve this to a higher rated course. It is great, could be even better.

Lost a Morley Field Hat and a pair of Sunglasses, please contact if found. Hat was Black. Glasses have a strap. Can you ask if park staff found it for me, please?

There are a lot of pros to this course. Lots of elevation change. Very wooded fairways and not so wooded fairways. 2-3 tees on every hole. In the fall season the trees are absolutely beautiful.

The majority of tees are not level. They vary from being slightly uphill/downhill to being too much on way or the other. Also most of the tees are made up of slippery cobblestones or flag stones which make it very difficult to get a good throw off in wet or moist conditions.

I was very impressed overall with this course. Its laid out in a 30 acre area which makes for a lot of variety. The first nine begins with a tight fairway that I have yet to hit, and continues on through the forest getting a little bit more forgiving as you go. The second nine is brutal to say the least. Very long and very wet in a few places. The final nine is very manicured looking; rolling grassy hills with a variety of trees.
Im from Nor Cal and we have some pretty awesome courses in our area but I wish we had this course in our area as well. Cant wait to return to Gaithersburg in the future and play here again!

great obstacles. hazards, and other objects to throw around. The course is quite challenging but it is great fun to throw in and out of the trees. The best course i have played yet. great variation of obstacles and trees to avoid

in spring when i went there were to many gnats just all over the place flying into you. no water anywhere to drink and no vending machines.

overall this is the best course i have played

27 Holes. Multiple pin placements. Multiple tees (3-4 depending on the hole - includes special novice tees which can be used for a fun ace run). Great variety - open holes, wooded holes, aces possible but not easy. Pin locations rotated frequently so each trip is slightly different. Park is beautiful; course is isolated in its own area. Good local following. Course well-maintained - despite no trash cans, I never see any trash on the course. Three 9-hole loops so you can mix and match as time permits. New tee signs are very nice. Two practice baskets. There are discs available at the Ranger station and at the boat house in the summer. Course plays very differently in the different seasons - come back frequently.

Not all the new tee signs were there and they are inconsistently placed - some at red tees and some at white. Can get very crowded especially on weekends. I was told by one of the tournament directors that spectators were not welcome which seems bizarre to me. Hole 16 from the red tee seems to have no decent line - I guess you can thumb it or roll it or go very wide right (if you are RHFH) but there seems to be a bit too much chance involved.

This is my home course which I have been playing since it opened (so I may be a bit biased). I'm one of those who loved the old 18-hole layout and it took a while for me to warm to the new 27-hole course. They are currently installing the blue tees to complement the red and white tees.

Some notes:
- you will notice red bands around trees with small white arrows on them. These are not mandos - these are pointing to the location of the novice tees. It confused me at first.
- the stretch of road on Clopper (Rte 117) between the 270 exit and the park entrance is a favorite spot for a Montgomery County speed trap - drive appropriately.
- old holes 3, 9 and 14 are sorely missed. Each of them could have been the signature hole - none of the current holes (except perhaps #10) have the majesty of these old ones.

27 absolutely solid holes with multiple concrete paver tees and pins can make this course anywhere from fairly easy in all shorts to a beat-down long to long. 3 loops of 9 hole back to the parking lot. Rolling hills provide lots of elevation changes. Nice tee signs with pin indication. This is a pretty technical course that rewards accuracy over distance. Bad shots are punished, but if you have good trick shots you can get out of trouble. Well maintained course with defined fairways and groomed grounds for rollers. Great course for tournaments, often forget there are other people on the course and feels like its just your card playing. Disc-golf only area of park. Map in parking lot. Porta-potties. Scenic views and lots of wildlife.

Navigation can be a little tricky in a few places for first timers, but overall flows well. Tees can get slippery when wet, and some tees are bit too grippy. Holes by the river can hold water and be muddy. Not many holes to let loose a driver and can be repetitive. No trash cans.

One of my favorite courses in the long to long layout. $3 to enter park on weekends. The whole park is beautiful and the disc-golf only area makes this course feel really secluded. One of the few courses that the 2 meter rule is always in effect with disc-eating cedar trees on a number of holes. Get ready to roll around the cedars instead of trying to throw air shots. This course is highly recommended to play if you are anywhere near the DC area!

Great course with some very interesting holes. It's got some really tricky holes back in the woods, with some very technically challenging/tricky parts. Frequently I don't even bother with distance and just try to keep it in the fairway. It can get ugly if you're off the fairway. There's quite a bit of replay value, as you can alternate tees for some different looks.
It's a beautiful course that's nestled back in the woods. The underbrush walks the fine line between well-groomed (so no poison ivy), but still very natural. I've seen tons of deer, snakes, toads--you name it. It can be quite a bit of a walk, so be prepared for that. This is hands-down one of my favorite courses to play.

Some of the signage is non-existent. Hole 12 is actually Hole 7 (I think). Definitely print out a map of the course before you go, it is the only way to find some of the holes.

Be careful on weekends, it can get quite crowded, especially if you are playing with a smaller, faster moving group. Big groups show up and can slow things down, though everyone is very nice about it. It's just that when you're the 3rd of 4th group in line waiting, it is hard to play through if you're a smaller group.

Isolated in it's own corner of the park, Seneca Creek players will feel they have their own little slice of wonder. Many of the holes play along the creek while the rest are on meticulously mowed fairways spotted with conifers, hardwoods and those disc-gobbling cedars. Lots of variety with elevation, and fairway width (they can get quite narrow, and are never too open). The pin placements (at least two per hole) are very creative and rarely give you a predictable approach. I love the fact that there are just enough trees in the fairways to make you shape your shots on both drives and approaches (and often putts too!) My favorite hole is #22 which is a slight downhill dogleg right that will force you to shape a shot for the first 250 ft. for an accurate landing- because your approach to the pin is heavily blocked by thin trees to the right and left and a very narrow opening in the middle - with a few more trees there for good measure. Otherwise the green is pretty open. Another favorite comes on the next hole where you go slightly uphill and right in a reasonably open fairway. Then you enter a narrow tunnel lined with thin trees (sound familiar?) going downhill to a pin with a drop off behind it garnering great caution! Fun, fun. Dual tee pads allow for dual challenges. Navigation is excellent as there are well marked tees and arrows to point you the right direction. Tee pads are nice and grippy concrete.

The neat thing about this course is the beautiful topography and how the designers have utilized it effectively. It allows all types of throws from rollers to power to finesse. A really nice touch is that each loop of 9 (3 of them) ends up back at the parking lot so that you can mix up your round conveniently.

Although the tee signs are very nice and have little hooks with a bead indicating which pin location is current, they need to find something other than the bead as the indicator. Most of them (beads) were missing the recent time I played. They should put something that is not easily removed by vandals.

There's a few occasions where you will wander to the wrong tee pad - just use the map that's on the links/files for this course.

I seem to always see deer when I come here - what a bonus! Also the peace and quiet is wonderful - there were 15 or 20 cars in the lot but I felt like I had the course to myself.

-Strong local club & park support
-Beautiful & well maintained course - Pack it in, pack it out rule very well followed.
-Great nature & bird watching / spotting opportunities. Creek comes into play on some holes.
-Two tees & multiple pin positions - Excellent for tournament play.
-Course is challenging but great for players of all levels to work on their game.
-Variety of terrains - Be prepared for a good hike.
-Course pretty easy to follow
-Overall the potential for a relaxing round of DG.

-DC Metro Traffic!!!! - Can be a pain - Plan & Time of your trip well.
-Little Natty bugs can be a bother in warm weather.

The last time I played Seneca Creek DGC it was only an 18 hole course. That's gotta be an easy decade ago. Back in the mid 90s, this course was the best thing going in DC and deservedly so. We all had to play it and play it often. Thanks for the great times back then, Craig!
When I arrived I did find it peculiar that what I remember to be hole 1 was now hole 10. I was both surprised and excited to figure out it was now a 27 hole gem. I remember back in the day Craig saying he had the room to expand. Even with the change, playing it was like hooking up with an old friend.
It took me a while to figure the lay out. Kept an eye on a few locals to figure out where the first hole was. (It needs a marker but it is to the left as you enter the parking lot.) Once I got started, it was pretty easy to follow the course. I was sorry to see that some of the old booming hill holes were gone with the expansion but I was having so much fun I got over that pretty quick.
This course is still one of the gems in the Washington, DC area. If your game isn't treating you well, the scenery will help relax and realign your focus. I had the same little white-tail doe follow me on three holes. Truly a Kodak Golf Spot moment on the DC Beltway. A definite wish list pick. Hope to see you at the Soiree!!