The Eagle's Claw reviews
12
0
No destination course but not bad at all 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jan 18, 2021
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
I've been playing disc golf for a little over 2 years and still trying to develop a winning game. For disc golfers of my skill level and less, this is an agreeable course for you to play if it is convenient to you.
The first thing I thought was what a better course it is (so much better) than the Potomac Middle School course in Woodbridge, VA. I have played the latter alot because it is convenient to me, but it drives me nuts with its awful thorny vegetation and lack of maintenance.
This little course (Eagle's Claw) is very well-maintained and offers the learning dolfer a course that helps develop skills you will need for the more-challenging courses: Throwing turnovers or forehands over little and not-so-little rises (nos. 2, 4, 7, 8), throwing straighter through a tunnel (nos. 5, 6, 8); finding which discs work best with pronounced doglegs (no. 8).
School is still closed due to our global COVID19 crisis, so perhaps the usual volume of people is much more than I encountered at 6pm on a Friday night (the first time I played the course). There were several walkers and a few tennis players. We managed to successfully stay out of each other's way. On other occasions, I had to concede a stroke at no. 1 to not hit the basketball players (intentionally threw wide).
There is a path from the nearby residential neighborhood that borders the school along the nos. 1-5 edge. I like that the school is welcoming the neighborhood to come walk, run, and play the sports we are allowed (disc golf, basketball, tennis).
Holes 10-18 are indeed creative. They are not always just longer. For example, no. 12 is a different angle than 3, ditto 14 to 5. 8/17 are one. No. 18 is actually shorter than 9. I think the designer, working with a relatively small and congested property, has done a good job.
I like that the pavement (there is lots of it) is OB. Adds a little more challenge. Although there is too much pavement at the start and middle of nos. 8/17. Perhaps all that should not be OB, but only for this hole.
I'm attempting here to raise the Eagle's Claw rating because it is not a bad little course at all!
In addition to middle schoolers, developing dolfers, and neighborhood people, this little course is not far off the I-66 and would make a nice traffic break for drivers who just want to get off the road for 30-60 minutes. There are two marketplaces on the way to the course (Heathcote Blvd; Marshall Hwy/Linton Hall Rd), so you can get some food and gas too.
The first thing I thought was what a better course it is (so much better) than the Potomac Middle School course in Woodbridge, VA. I have played the latter alot because it is convenient to me, but it drives me nuts with its awful thorny vegetation and lack of maintenance.
This little course (Eagle's Claw) is very well-maintained and offers the learning dolfer a course that helps develop skills you will need for the more-challenging courses: Throwing turnovers or forehands over little and not-so-little rises (nos. 2, 4, 7, 8), throwing straighter through a tunnel (nos. 5, 6, 8); finding which discs work best with pronounced doglegs (no. 8).
School is still closed due to our global COVID19 crisis, so perhaps the usual volume of people is much more than I encountered at 6pm on a Friday night (the first time I played the course). There were several walkers and a few tennis players. We managed to successfully stay out of each other's way. On other occasions, I had to concede a stroke at no. 1 to not hit the basketball players (intentionally threw wide).
There is a path from the nearby residential neighborhood that borders the school along the nos. 1-5 edge. I like that the school is welcoming the neighborhood to come walk, run, and play the sports we are allowed (disc golf, basketball, tennis).
Holes 10-18 are indeed creative. They are not always just longer. For example, no. 12 is a different angle than 3, ditto 14 to 5. 8/17 are one. No. 18 is actually shorter than 9. I think the designer, working with a relatively small and congested property, has done a good job.
I like that the pavement (there is lots of it) is OB. Adds a little more challenge. Although there is too much pavement at the start and middle of nos. 8/17. Perhaps all that should not be OB, but only for this hole.
I'm attempting here to raise the Eagle's Claw rating because it is not a bad little course at all!
In addition to middle schoolers, developing dolfers, and neighborhood people, this little course is not far off the I-66 and would make a nice traffic break for drivers who just want to get off the road for 30-60 minutes. There are two marketplaces on the way to the course (Heathcote Blvd; Marshall Hwy/Linton Hall Rd), so you can get some food and gas too.
Cons:
For those of you with a solid game, the little course will be boring to you. So unless you are already in the area and just looking for a quick diversion or rehabbing from an injury, don't bother.
Yes, the flight lines require you to play this course off-hours from its busier times because you are playing over a basketball court, walking paths and the track multiple times. You need to stay off the grandstands and out of the ball fields. I suspect neighborhood people will find it most peaceful on ends of the day, weekends included.
Finding the quiet time will be the major issue when the kiddos are back in session onsite and resume their full athletic regimen.
With a tall-fence ball field right in your face at the tee of nos. 8/17 and a dogleg required to play its 450 feet, this hole should be par 4 IMHO. Even for those of you with a solid game.
I'd previously said, "Perhaps no. 10 should be par 4 as well for amateurs and 3 for pro-level folks. I don't know how far that post is away from the basket, but I suspect 350-400 feet." After a second round, no. Leave it par 3. I was mistaken; it's not that long. And for us short throwers, clearing the initial OB pavement is a good challenge.
BTW the post for 10 is the only concrete one; the rest are short wooden posts painted white. The 10 tee is along the edge of the track, so exit right from the no. 9 basket, walking left of the grandstand and towards the track to find it.
And, yes, beware the many storm drains. If there is a depression in the fairway and you cannot see its bottom from the tee, assume there is a storm drain there.
No tee pads at all. Well, it is a middle school course.
Also, the course can be quite windy. That seems to happen in good and bad weather. Makes putting difficult when gusting, with one laying up to the base of the basket more often than not and taking alot of extra strokes. But why have your disc flying all over the place and taking even more strokes?
Yes, the flight lines require you to play this course off-hours from its busier times because you are playing over a basketball court, walking paths and the track multiple times. You need to stay off the grandstands and out of the ball fields. I suspect neighborhood people will find it most peaceful on ends of the day, weekends included.
Finding the quiet time will be the major issue when the kiddos are back in session onsite and resume their full athletic regimen.
With a tall-fence ball field right in your face at the tee of nos. 8/17 and a dogleg required to play its 450 feet, this hole should be par 4 IMHO. Even for those of you with a solid game.
I'd previously said, "Perhaps no. 10 should be par 4 as well for amateurs and 3 for pro-level folks. I don't know how far that post is away from the basket, but I suspect 350-400 feet." After a second round, no. Leave it par 3. I was mistaken; it's not that long. And for us short throwers, clearing the initial OB pavement is a good challenge.
BTW the post for 10 is the only concrete one; the rest are short wooden posts painted white. The 10 tee is along the edge of the track, so exit right from the no. 9 basket, walking left of the grandstand and towards the track to find it.
And, yes, beware the many storm drains. If there is a depression in the fairway and you cannot see its bottom from the tee, assume there is a storm drain there.
No tee pads at all. Well, it is a middle school course.
Also, the course can be quite windy. That seems to happen in good and bad weather. Makes putting difficult when gusting, with one laying up to the base of the basket more often than not and taking alot of extra strokes. But why have your disc flying all over the place and taking even more strokes?
Other Thoughts:
In addition to Potomac Middle School, I have played a portion of the CSU San Marcos course, played the Peake course at Chesapeake College, and have Goucher College on my to-do list. I realize that school courses are going to have this terrible multi-sport interference and that we patrons have to play off-hours to be safe. This little course, so far, is the best school course I have encountered.
You can play the paired holes simultaneously and walk around once, but that is a little jumbling in the mind. Walking around twice is perhaps better. Certainly not a hardship for most.
These little 9-holers serve good purposes, and I welcome them. I am looking forward to what Unity Braxton MS (previously Stonewall MS; in Manassas) ultimately does to reconstruct their disc golf course.
You can play the paired holes simultaneously and walk around once, but that is a little jumbling in the mind. Walking around twice is perhaps better. Certainly not a hardship for most.
These little 9-holers serve good purposes, and I welcome them. I am looking forward to what Unity Braxton MS (previously Stonewall MS; in Manassas) ultimately does to reconstruct their disc golf course.
