McLean, VA

McLean Central Park

1.345(based on 28 reviews)
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2 3
globetrotter
Experience: 11.6 years 110 played 3 reviews
1.50 star(s)

pretty much unplayable 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2017 Played the course:once

Other Thoughts:

McLean is unfortunately barely playable. When I was there, there were trees down in the fairways, which were badly overgrown in places, one basket was down, and there was a steady stream of pedestrians on the walkways along the holes.

It seemed like there were some nice holes, if it had been playable, but unless someone restores this course to its former -- well not glory, but whatever it had -- it isn't worth visiting.
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4 0
Wood Chuk
Experience: 43.9 years 372 played 34 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Celebrate the adversity 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 21, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

* The course has fun throws
* The park is rarely crowded and is a nice break after work
* I (only once) had a fox pick up my drive on hole 8 and move it closer to the basket
* The course is open to the public and close to where I work
* Very nice baskets
* There is signage
* Trash cans on holes 1 and 5
* Access and parking are reasonable

Cons:

* Even good drives can require a long search or be lost
* Even good drives (and approaches) may not have a clear path to the basket
* Most baskets do not have an unobstructed 'putting circle'
* As a botanist I divide the understory vegetation into two groups: that which makes you itch and that which makes you bleed - the roses are wicked year around! All vegetation is thick enough to hide discs - long searches can be needed even for good shots.
* In the 9 months I have been playing this course, I have never seen a mower or evidence of mowing
* Drainage is really poor and the course stays wet longer than most
* Bad drainage seems to support a noticeable biting insect population
* The tee pads are short, uneven, hold water, and are worse than natural tee areas - the two natural tees will be a welcome relief
* Throwing across pedestrian paths is a regular occurrence, so be courteous
* Signage is minimal
* Perhaps you can use the bathroom at the library, I do not know if one exists at the park.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great little course for hucking mids, putters, and the occasional fairway driver. As the previous 2017 review says, with a little love this could be something special. However, as Leslie Howard says in the 1934 version of the Scarlet Pimpernel: "Nothing in the world is so bad as something that is not so bad." This course will test your ability to maintain a positive attitude and have fun, and certainly that is something worth doing.
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6 0
Sully68783
Experience: 19.9 years 52 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

I Wish They'd Let Us Help (EDIT: PROGRESS!) 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 18, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course has the potential to be a nice little pitch and putt/family course. The baskets are great, and there are some nice shots (3, 4, 5, 7, 9 come to mind).

Cons:

Unfortunately, it's a neglected mess. I've been begging the Park Authority to let the NOVA Disc Golf Association get in here and clean out thorns and invasives to make the fairways reasonable again. SOMEONE must care about golf here, because they put in new DISCatchers just a few years ago.

UPDATE: The County has come in and gotten rid of ALL the overgrowth! Still a pitch and putt, deuce or die course, but now with decent lines, almost no lost disc risk, and much more fun factor. Hopefully, this is the start of something.

Other Thoughts:

With even rudimentary modern teepads and some serious vegetation control and maintenance, this would be the perfect place for new and younger players to learn. RHBH turnover/RHFH hyzer on 1. RHBH spike hyzer on 3. Long drive and putt (or roller!) on 4. RHBH flex shot on 7. This course encourages a lot of classic shots. It's just a shame no one is taking - or, maybe CAN take - care of it.
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5 0
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.7 years 297 played 197 reviews
1.50 star(s)

McLean Dies Hard like John McClane 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 3, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

9 holes with sweet brand new bright yellow DisCatcher Pro 28 baskets and one practice basket. Signage is ok and fairly easy to navigate. Provides some technical variety of shots carving through the wooded fairways and along and over the Dead Run creek, and also has a couple fun ace runs.

I'm not sure if maintenance has improved, or the vegetation just hasn't started growing but the course was very playable although muddy. The brand new baskets are a positive sign that disc golf life still exists here.

Small municipal park provides some other activities including a basketball court and several tennis courts and playground.

Cons:

Small 4'x'4' boxed natural tees, muddy on tees and the course in general as it's low lying and flat terrain. Rough off the fairway consists of lots of thorns and poison ivy. Tee sign for hole 4 was mangled and tee sign for hole 6 was laying on ground.

Safety issues, hole 1 plays blind over the walking path and bridge. Hole 2 plays over tee 9 and the walking path. Hole 3 and 4 also play over the walking path.

Other Thoughts:

McLean Central Park is one of the oldest disc golf courses in the area and the old school design still provides some decent challenge and fun. Some upgraded tee pads and a little more fairway trimming would go a long way to reviving this into a great beginner course again. As it stands now the course is passable, but hopefully trending upward. I'd only recommend playing here if you happen to be in the neighborhood and itching to play.
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1 1
jsemales
Experience: 19.8 years 91 played 39 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Very familiar but still passionately hate 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 12, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I worked at J. Gilbert's across the street and the course was easy and quick enough to play between shifts. Every hole is an ace run and I have about 3 aces here.

That's about it.

Cons:

Poorly maintained. Thorn bushes everywhere. Short holes. Not a lot of thought put into hole placement. Natural tee pads are for sh*t. Baskets are old 14 chain baskets that don't hold anything. It's all around a terrible course, but if you work within 5 minutes, it's fine to blow off steam and take a walk in the park.

Other Thoughts:

The course could be so much better with a little maintenance and some real baskets and tee pads. It could actually be a decent little 9 hole course and would really drive the interest of beginners that need confidence in throwing.
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3 0
nivek1385
Experience: 34.1 years 38 played 9 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Wasted Potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 9, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The course has potential to be a great beginner course. It also has a nostalgic feel to it because it feels as if it's unchanged since the late 70searly 80s.

Cons:

It seems like it was last maintained in the early 80s. There are thorns everywhere, including on the fairways. I'd understand if they were contained to the rough, but the fairways should be clear of thorn vines and bushes (bush is a very loose term). Quite a bit of poison ivy and poison oak as well, but I don't remember seeing any on the fairways. Almost every hole requires either a very precise shot andor a blind shot, which wouldn't be bad, except that there may not be any way to retrieve your disc. Granted, I played the day after some hard rainthunderstorms, but about a third of the course wasn't just muddy, but had standing water. Considering the mosquito problems, I'm thinking that this wasn't exclusively due to the recent rain. The tee sign for 4 is damaged.

Other Thoughts:

If this course were properly maintained, it could be a great beginner course. Unfortunately, with all of the various issues, I couldn't recommend it to beginners or seasoned vets.
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5 0
Treplexity
Experience: 10.1 years 40 played 3 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Still a little muddy 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great course for beginners if they can put up with the overgrown conditions. This was my 5th game of disc golf, I got an Eagle on tee 9 and scored 4 under par total.

Seems as if only a few locals like myself play the course, so it's never crowded with players.

More advanced players are better off traveling to Burke Lake, but I live in the neighborhood of this course so it's something fun to do after work while the weather is nice and I don't have to worry about traffic.

Cons:

Muddy, and very overgrown-not kept up. People walking their dogs or strolling their babies may cause a minute or two wait between putts.

The post for tee 3 is damaged

Tee 9 is heavily damaged, the tray of the basket sits on the ground.

Other Thoughts:

This is the first time I've been able to get to tee 2, there's flooding all around the tee but it's gotten better. Course is still really muddy, but seems to be getting better every day.
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5 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
1.00 star(s)

It was Not Pleasant The Morning I Played! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

McLean DGC is one of the old school courses. Everything from the old fiberglass signs to the natural tee pads to the elementary Pars (325 foot/ Par 5) to the overall shortness of it, shout 1980's vintage. It's like when visit an Open House and see shag carpeting and avacado appliances. It's a lot dated! It could be a decent little beginner/family pitch and putt with a fair amount of work put in to it. The baskets are a wide range from older rusty, single chains to a brand new Discatcher with the yellow band.

Cons:

The course is badly overgrown and desperately in need of some serious pruning. One sign is trashed and one basket has been badly beaten. The whole course is sitting in low lying wetlands type area and thus is marshy in many places.

Other Thoughts:

I happened to play early on a wet morning. Everything was wet and soggy. The ground was saturated, the overgrown plants were dripping wet. It was not a fun experience. It was so wet and miserable, I didn't even worry about the Poison Ivy. I just tried to throw very carefully, stay our of trouble and get my soaking wet body back to my car.
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2 2
Pat 'the French'
Experience: 10.8 years 2 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Bad course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 26, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Near DC
You can play alone...
A lot of parking spots.

Cons:

Muddy,.
A lot of pets on leashes.
Very old installations.
Lots of bushes.

Other Thoughts:

Don't come !
There're better courses.
It's hard to find disc in this jungle.
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6 0
heyorayo
Experience: 12.1 years 22 played 1 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Currently Unplayable 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 29, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I work in great falls so it is/was nice to play this course like everyday after work. That's really the only good part of this course.

Cons:

They have not maintained it one time since I don't even know how long, definitely 0 times this whole year. It is now practically a rainforest of tall grass and newly growing bushes and other vegetation. I called the fairfax county parks operation dept and put in a work order for Maintenance on the grounds, but it was never fulfilled, even after two months later when I went to check on it. It's frustrating to watch a course just get neglected like that. It's not a bad property but in its current state you don't want to go anywhere near this course in fear of a tick or spider bite due to the immense overgrowth.

Other Thoughts:

Even when this course was playable it is really like a beginner's course. Most of the holes are between 100 to 200 feet, with a couple that are a little bit longer. It is pretty moderately wooded making it necessary to have a pretty accurate shot around the curves. A couple holes have a creek you throw over so that is pretty interesting. There is no change in elevation at all so that's really no fun. The rough is thick as the dickens in some parts so definitely check for ticks often as i have been bitten there. This is really just a course that you would play if you happened to live close or worked nearby. Bottom line, an my suggestion... Don't waste your time, play a better course.
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6 0
sirfrolf
Experience: 28.8 years 8 played 1 reviews
0.00 star(s)

Pitiful 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 27, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Proximity, if you happen to live nearby. It was somewhat amusing to laugh at the sorry state of this place. You get to know what a zero rating course is, so you can better rate other courses in comparison.

Cons:

This course is a neglected disaster. Missing basket. Missing tee box. Missing and damaged signs. Swampy. Dense pricker thickets. Downed trees everywhere. Poorly designed course - unimaginative, unchallenging, and many shots go right over paved walking paths.

Other Thoughts:

I thought this place was bad many years ago and went back thinking there may have been improvements made. To my dismay it got worse. Keep driving to the disc golf course at Bluemont!
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4 3
NovaDiscHead
Experience: 39.9 years 9 played 8 reviews
0.00 star(s)

Worse Course in the area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 8, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

None that I can think of. OK, it's the closest DG course to the Capital Beltway (495). That's all I can think of.

Cons:

Where do I start? Mud, mosquito's, missing tee pads and basket, lousy baskets, lousy signage, it was like someone decided to plop down a bunch of baskets, then got bored and went and did something else.

Other Thoughts:

This is not worth your time, unless you are desperate to play and it hasn't rained in the last 15 months (OK, that's an exaggeration). I would highly recommend taking the trip to other near-by courses, such as Bluemont (9 holes), Burke Lake and Giles Run (pretty far, but the best course in the NOVA region).
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13 1
cefire
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 24.8 years 1123 played 136 reviews
1.00 star(s)

McLean 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 21, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Once you get past the thorns, poison ivy, terrible tee boxes and baskets, completely overgrown nature of McLean you'll find that there are actually a couple of fun holes out there or you might just turnaround after the first hole :). The disc golf course at McLean can be a bit tricky to find back behind the tennis courts. Hole 1 starts out with an interesting little sidearm shot just past a bridge and near a small stream placed near the pin.

Cons:

As mentioned above, the jungle back here is pretty intense. Poison Ivy and prickers can be found on pretty much every hole and often not far from pins or fairways. The teeboxes are absolutely terrible with nearly no runup room; additionally, they are boxed in with wood planks making runups nearly impossible. Frequent flooding helps keep McLame muddy and wet pretty much year round. Finally, the old Mach I baskets, while being a fun novelty, make putting a virtual slot machine of spit outs and blow throughs. Despite this bit of folk knowledge circulating, putting on a bad basket that randomly rejects good putts does not make you better! A simple, inexpensive mod to add an inner set of chains would greatly increase the catchability, though it may not be worth the trouble.

Other Thoughts:

From the depths of my heart, I loathe this course and the dark, stinky swamp that it resides in. Like young Luke Skywalker I had to enter the forest of evil and look into the eyes of the ancient Mach. I have learned to control my fear and have felt the hatred of the darkside flowing through my veins but I have...I have conquered the ivy...the thorns...the muck...
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9 1
paul_dgcr
Experience: 28.8 years 53 played 6 reviews
2.00 star(s)

McLean Central Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 20, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- A pitch and putt course. Midrange and putter enough.

- Although holes are short, they are technical. All holes have water, tree, or brush obstacles. Obstacles are reasonable without being ridiculous.

- Holes 1 and 9 need to throw across streams.

- Almost all holes are out of sight from the tee. This makes distance a challenge. Plenty of hyzers and S-turns.

- Course not crowded. Guaranteed to play without waiting.

- Holes easy to find and follow.

- Course was very fun to play.

Cons:

- Tees are dirt/mud

- Hole 5/Tee 6 missing.

- Walking trails cross several fairways. Need to be mindful of walkers

Other Thoughts:

- Would have given it a higher rating, but it was missing a hole and tee.

- Wear old shoes or boots. Ground can get muddy.

- Not a destination course, but was very fun to play.
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11 1
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 755 played 414 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Boggy When Wet 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 16, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Some baskets scattered about a lightly-wooded park at which to throw is better than nothing.

Cons:

Single tee/single basket. Tee locations are small, uneven mud pits - throwing from a standstill recommended. Baskets are single chain and not in good shape. Tee locations 5/6 have been dis-assembled. Basket 5 missing. Course retains water very well - was like a bog. Some holes play (blindly, at times) near/across walking paths. Some tees too close to neighbouring basket. Flat-n-short.

Other Thoughts:

Course plays in a meadow/lightly wooded area of a multi-purpose park. Some challenging basket locations near creek, and most holes require a bit of a turn or fade. All holes but the ~350' #4 are in the mid-100/low 200s. Tee #1 is down the path from basket/tennis courts, and the course flows in a counter-clockwise direction. Lots of work (preventing erosion of the creek bed? Installation of walking paths? I'm not sure) going on in the area of holes 3-6.

If it was within short walking distance of home or work, it would be worth wandering over time to time to practice/play safari, but its not worth making any special effort to visit.
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10 0
G Bud
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 41 years 90 played 15 reviews
2.50 star(s)

If you weren't looking, you might miss it. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 1, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Classic little throwback course - Great old Mach I baskets.
-Pleasant meadow-like setting - Large clearing, Majestic old trees, large forest canopy.
-Creek comes into play on many holes.
-Good use of area/terrain
-Pretty good beginners course - Couple of challenges or oddities - Overall a "pitch & putt" course. Great for approach practice.
-A great "get a round in at lunch" course.
-Ace Run Opportunities

Cons:

-Can be Wet & Sloppy - Very Wet & Sloppy - Course sits in a low spot near downtown McLean.
-Poison Ivy!!!!!! Some times LOTS of it.
-May have to play around and deal with park patrons. - Lots of dog walking & joggers.
-Tee pads are bad at best - Tough to keep maintained due to water runoff.
-Located in city park but very well hidden - Could be tough to find.

Other Thoughts:

McLean Central Park is one of the oldest courses and possibly the 1st course in the DC Metro Area. With the exception of the alternate tees, it has not changed one bit since it was first installed back in the early days of the disc golf craze. Back in the day it was my home course and I had taken it under my wing for a spell. Held a tournament there called the Swamp Thing, that should tell you something about the course. If you can catch it during a dry spell, you're in for a very pleasant round.
Most holes are short and many are a little quirky thanks to the creek and the old trees. Don't let it's little look fool you, there is still plenty to pay for if you make a mistake. The tee boxes are a mess but they are very tough to maintain because they keep getting washed out in a good downpour. Overall they do an antiquate job.
Actually, I commend the city and all those folks that have kept the course going and maintained over the years. It could have been very easy to let it get over grown, washed out and unusable. In dry conditions, when the grass is cut, the course lends itself to an array of shots including rollers and tomahawks.
Playing this course is to step back in time to a place before the 500 ft. huck, the monster hyser when "the one who has the most fun wins" was just an infant. If the opportunity arises you should play this course if for no other reason then to say you did. You might even add it to your favorites. I did.
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9 0
tmahan
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 40.9 years 86 played 31 reviews
1.00 star(s)

fun in the swamp 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 11, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Situated in a nice neighborhood park not far from the District with good tree cover. Makes good use of available obstacles (trees, creek, even a bridge). A couple nice precision shots. Near a public library so you can borrow a computer and find out where the good courses are ;-) It really is in a pretty setting.

Cons:

Course does not drain well. Seems like pin #2 is always in a pool of muck when ever I go there. Terrain is flat so no fun from elevation. Lots and lots of undergrowth, extremely easily to lose sight of your disc, especially on holes 6-8 near the creek. These same holes also have some pretty well guarded fairways so some accidental kicks into the smegma are a real possibility. Course is very short, #4 may top 300' but just barely. Possibly the worst tees I've ever played.

Other Thoughts:

A few of the holes here are fun. In particular I like #1, a 225' right bender located on the edge of a small creek, an ace run has to miss a small bridge just before the basket. #4 is a respectable huck through a few trees with some trouble off to the right. 6 through 8 are short precision shots that need to be threaded through the trees. I got my first 'ace' ever on #9 which was really just a long putt (145') across a creek.
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1 2
cbowl06
Experience: 8 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

A good afternoon. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 16, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Its a shaded course, has a nice feel to it for a afternoon out. It is a good course for beginners/intermediate players. Works on your skill set alot to get around trees and obstructions.

Cons:

A short course. Not the course for you if you like long nice fairways. This is a wooded course, so you get all of the trees, the creek, the piles of brush. If you have an off throw, there is a good possiblity of losing a disc.

Other Thoughts:

I've played part of this once, and went back to finsih it. 1st time it was sloppy, there was brush all over the place. 2nd time they had cleaned it up, and it looks a lot nicer now. easier to navigate too.
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2 1
Che Starr
Experience: 19.9 years 6 played 6 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Fairway? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Close to DC
Parking is easy

Cons:

Really don't have proper fairways
Tee pad are severely damaged
Only 9 holes
Lays in a small river valley so often is wet
Distance is too short

Other Thoughts:

Really could stand to have someone come in and cut down (gasp) some of the smaller trees to create a more even fairway. Really because of the small trees you have to get lucky to get your disc close to the hole despite the fact that they aren't long holes.
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1 2
wildcardct4th
Experience: 15.7 years 4 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

muddy, short, 9 holes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 21, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

good for beginners, par is really easy. In a local park. Can be played in about thirty minutes.

Cons:

Muddy, very easy to lose discs, i've lost two in the three times i've played. The par is way to high. Very easy to birdie about 7 of the holes and eagles aren't uncommon. Beginners should play at par or even under. Thick bushes and woods on both sides. There was also park construction going on and I couldn't even play the last hole. Watch out for the creek on the right of hole #8.

Other Thoughts:

Hopefully not going back.
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