Lorton, VA

Giles Run

3.665(based on 56 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Giles Run reviews

Filter
12 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.8 years 216 played 182 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Giles Run's Style 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ Practice area by hole1. Lost disc boxes by holes 12 and after 18.
+ The whole course plays in a sprawling park with healthy hills, flourishing fields and tricky tree traps.
+ Two tee areas per hole have solid and sturdy concrete slabs, and each pad has its own tee sign with an abundance of information.
+ Wooden signs below the baskets point the way next, and additional signage along the way guides players to the longer walks, but...

Cons:

- ...The reason why those extra signs are necessary in the first place is to help navigate the somewhat confusing layout.
- Safety hazards present in the form of exposed roots, narrow trails and steep paths.
- During my visit, there was broken glass and trash strewn about the course.
- That nasty rough on some holes will gobble up your disc, never to be seen again.

Other Thoughts:

I liked playing hole3 the most because of that deep valley. I had to make sure I threw far and high enough or risk a nasty rollaway. (I had a nasty rollaway!) I liked hole14 the least because it was the flattest, straightest and most wide open to my mind. Hole16 was nice to look at because at a certain point there is a bendy woodsy part of the fairway with a view of hills in the distance, which caused me to relentingly say aloud, "Okay, this is... kinda cool."

Is it called Laurel Hill or Giles Run? I saw signs for both as I was driving. I'll call it Giles Run. I don't think I've ever played a course quite like Giles Run with the layout so broken up into segments. An above average amount of intermediary walking happens here. Players will take lengthy strolls from hole2 to 3, then from hole5 to 6, then from 7 to 8, then 16 to 17. That can get kind of confusing, can't it? Even with all of the aiding signage you can't help but wonder why it's like this. Plus, if you're unsteady on your feet or accident prone, there are some steep inclines and narrow rocky passages that require your full attention.

Giles makes up for that by treating the player to a nice blend of scenery and challenge. It doesn't excel in one or the other, but the good combination of both makes them seem better for it. An example of that is hole5. It's a mostly wide open grassy field but the downhill throw is lovely, and it's got a nice pond at the bottom. They would be okay on their own, but in tandem they make the other better. That's smart fairway design/land usage.

About the fairways, though. Some of them feel a copy-pasted. Few courses can avoid this, and Giles in not immune to it, either. Holes10 and 11 played like the same hole twice in a row. Holes12 through 15 felt pretty similar to one other as well. And the course as a whole relies a bit too much on 'wide tunnels' or 'open tunnels.' Holes2, 3, 4 and 7 are as tight as it gets here. So it you're looking for precision challenges, this course won't scratch the itch. No, overall, I think this course would appeal more to the big arm players. But the wide tunnels might feel a bit constrictive to them, ironically.

Still, the challenges on offer at Giles Run rely on keeping out of the nasty rough and consistently delivering your throws. That's disc golf in a nutshell, isn't it? As for Giles Run in a nutshell: it's fun. The infrastructure is solid. The fairways are clear, if repetitive. The navigation is a little exasperating, but it's not so bad. Give it a try sometime and enjoy the views.

Sidenote: if the aggressively tiny parking lot by hole1 is full, there is a much larger parking lot by hole12. (Make sure your car's parking brake works!)
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 1
fdog19
Experience: 3.5 years 15 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Amazing Improvements 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 10, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

The work being done on the course to clear out the overgrowth is unbelievable. It is night and day from just six weeks ago. I can't say enough for all that has been accomplished. Great course with a lot of variety in terms of elevations and the types of shots required.

Cons:

Would have been the overgrowth and the ease with which you could lose a disc. That is changing now.

Other Thoughts:

If you haven't played this course in the past two months, I highly recommend going out for a round. You won't recognize many of the holes.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
14 0
gtg888h
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.8 years 40 played 27 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful and Thorny Challenge 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 2, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+Phenomenal variety of challenges here. S/S is good for reasonably-experienced players (note: *NOT FOR BEGINNERS*) or as a warm-up/getting accustomed to the layout of the course; S/L will challenge almost anyone - these are the two layouts I played back-to-back. From what I've heard, L/S and L/L will challenge up to the pros, and I can believe it.

+Tee signs, tee pads, and baskets are all terrific and in great shape. A local from the NOVA DGC recently updated all the tee signs and they are likely the best I've ever seen (with regards to information and detail). Two tee pads and two baskets permanently per hole.

+Holes present a variety of challenges - big uphills and downhills, tunnel shots, OB, etc. Mostly plays through a meadow, with - uh - death on either side of it. Definitely not repetitive. A few (at least on S/S and S/L) will give you a bit of a breather before the next monster.

+Beautiful setting with some nice panorama views, especially on 15 long pin and 16 short tee.

Cons:

-Well it's been documented before, and I'll document it here: I have never seen thorns so bad in my life. The OB is there for a reason. This course will eat your lunch and your discs. Despite playing solo, I managed to only lose one disc in two rounds...but I got lucky. At least 3-4 other times I got off the fairway by 2 feet and was **lucky** to find my disc. This is part-and-parcel with Giles (know what you're getting into), and the OB is there for a reason, but still it's a little TOO unfair.

(Note: NOT FOR BEGINNERS. They will become utterly discouraged and/or lose all their discs before the end of hole 7.)

-A few pretty long hikes between holes, particularly 2->3, 7->8, 14->15, 15->16S tee, and 16->17. Don't start a round with less than 90 minutes to go before sundown - you might finish a perfect round without hunting for a disc, but c'mon, it's Giles...you're hunting for a disc.

Other Thoughts:

Park in the gravel parking lot in the middle of hole 2, just downhill from the guard tower and traffic circle.

WEAR LONG PANTS AND BOOTS. Twelve months of the year. Or else make peace with losing discs that you can see in the rough but will never be able to retrieve (with all your skin on). I've realized that this will only be a September thru April course for me...too hot in May-August for the apparel required.

I struggled a bit with 3.5 vs 4.0 overall. As long as you know what you're getting into - and can make peace with the thorns - this course is pretty fair. With the exception of 16 L/L, if you get lost in the rough, it's because of a bad shot and not because the course is too tough. And it really is a fun, challenging course to play with differing layouts that present differing challenges.

Again - DON'T. BRING. BEGINNERS. Or else, skip the holes with death thorns surrounding them (well over 50% of the course).

Play solo at your own risk. You will almost certainly lose a disc (or else play some supremely boring golf).
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 1
samxyx
Experience: 5.8 years 31 played 30 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Attack of the THORNS! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 19, 2020 Played the course:once

Other Thoughts:

Very challenging course and by far the hardest in the NOVA area. Lots of long shots that test how far you can throw the disc with out of bounds on either side. The out of bounds consists of very dense thorn bushes and high grass which can make getting your disc out of it extremely difficult. Also the course involves a lot of walking. One hole was a 1/4 mile from the one before it. You'll want to pay attention to the tee signs indicating the location of the next hole. I found several ticks crawling on us throughout the course so you'll also want to check for that before you head home. The fairway grass is not well mowed.

Overall this was a beast of a course. Can be fun but be prepared to walk, bring water, and wear long pants for when your disc goes OB. Don't miss!

Specifics:
Holes: 18
2 Tee Pads for each hole
2 Baskets for most holes (Both are set up at once)
Terrain: Mostly open
Out of bounds: EXTREMELY TREACHEROUS
Tee Signs: Excellent
Navigation: Moderately hard
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 0
DumfriesLizzie
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 5.5 years 110 played 101 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Challenging for a beginner 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 30, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Beautiful, real hike in the woods, lovely stream, challenging in length and layout, constantly sloping fairways, solid pads, two pads and two baskets per hole for variety, solid baskets. And I believe some patio chairs on the back 9 still remain (thank you!!).

Cons:

Thorns, thorns, thorns!! Always wear (even August) long sleeves, long pants (denim!), hiking boots. Bring a stick or cane. Bring garden gloves. Poor directional signage. Print course map here; take it with you if this is your first outing. Hole layout signage is good, however. Hole 3 (old no. 4) is a conundrum for me; hardest to even approach par. A careful but strong hyzer flip, I think.

Other Thoughts:

Steep terrain in both groups of holes: 1-7 with 17 and 18; 8-16. Expect to climb up and down continuously. Old big parking lot now converted into condos. Smaller lot near hole 2 green still available. Can come into the course from Lorton Rd. If preferable, one can still enter from Silverbrook, driving through Liberty Village (previously, the DC Reformatory). Or can park in the area further north off Lorton Rd (more below). Open meadows don't necessarily mean a wide, strong shot will be safe. Constantly sloping fairways! (smile) Lock-grip is deadly. Slopes mean discs can easily roll into the thorns. Be aware of other trail users: Walkers, runners, mountain bikers.

I consider myself a beginner still; shall for at least a couple more years. This course is not for the faint of heart, and you have to take some risky shots often to make par or bogey. Consider the lesser evil and aim there!

There isn't much conservative play to be had and make a decent score, particularly on holes 6-16. Once I have better skill, I suspect I have a different opinion. However, I found that I sometimes just needed to throw that bomb to the lesser evil side of the fairway,

Long sleeves, long pants, garden gloves, some sort of stick. You can get your disc back.

UPDATE: Old nos. 1-2, 4-7 are now 1-6. New no. 7 is left of old 7. It has a sloping, partly open fairway; trees to contend with mid-flight. If the fairway here is regularly mowed, this will be a sweet drive. The new park area near nos. 12 & 14 offers better, more parking, picknicking, and a small, paved circuit trail to walk or run. If parking here, play nos. 12-18, then 1-11. Starting with 12, 14, 15 (have been good to me) is just fine. And if I can regularly dare to hyzer wide down the 16 fairway, I can make a good score there as well. While 10 is a bear, ending a round on no. 11 also would be optimistic (another hole that has been good to me).
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 5
scurry
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Too many thorns!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 10, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fairways clearly visible.
Multiple tee pads and baskets to change things up.

Cons:

Too many thorns. If you miss the fairway and want your disc back, you will get absolutely shredded by thorns. I've played coursed with thorns before but this was the worst. I am a fairly decent player, but this was my first and last time playing and my towel was spotted with blood from my hands retrieving some shots that barely missed narrow fairways. I would imagine it's much worse in the summer.

Also, we got lost around the 16th hole or so and did not have a lot of time before we had to be at my son's soccer game so we had to head back to the car but got lost and wandered in the woods forever.

I guess if we played a few more times and got a feel for the layout and wore kevlar it would be a fun place to play. But, it wasn't and we won't be back.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 1
nickhead
Experience: 29.2 years 48 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

You know nothing disc golfer. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 16, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Multiple layouts for in treating play.
1. Play short to short the first time through.
2. Second time through either short to long or long to long.

These are the layouts to play if you have the time. Distance comes it play but skill is much more nesessary

Cons:

Don't play late late I the day. Back 9 can get difficult to find a disc if you land off fair way.

The rough is like 1970 porn brush, it's thick, and messy. Bring a good stick to wack the brush to find your disc If you go off course. Next tee signage at pins is misleading

Other Thoughts:

Keep your throw in your line of sight. It's really important here to land on the fair way. Ease up and throw your mids, or fairway drivers, it's mostly a short course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 0
Sully68783
Experience: 19.9 years 52 played 10 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Best course in NOVA. 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 3, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Gorgeous land. Two tees and two baskets allow every difficulty level from very simple (red to red) to incredibly challenging (white to silver).

Creative and varied hole design. Switching tees/baskets makes many holes completely different.

Has beat in well regarding ticks and mosquitoes, which are still present in summer, but less oppressive than a few years back.

The only course in NOVA where you can really air out your shots (but still requires you to play placement golf).

The best lost and found box/system of any course I've ever been to.

[UPDATE]: The Giles Run Meadow Park Volunteer Team, the legitimate successor group to the guerilla-style (but beloved!) Thorn Divers, has made huge strides in making OB reasonable, reclaiming fairways, and battling invasives. In addition, the park is adding more currently-rough areas to the mowing schedule for 2021. Tree planting gets the course closer to the original vision.

Cons:

The rough, in spring and summer, is very rough. This course was carved out of 10' tall blackberry bushes. The park has kept the invasive thorns in place to serve as bird habitat [although this is changing; see update in Pros, above].

Wear long pants and bring a grabber.

Can be very discouraging to beginners.

Other Thoughts:

Most locals play red to silver or white to silver. Locals also play tournament OB, where the rough is out-of-bounds (general rule is if it's in thorns, it's OB).

Spray DEET on your bag as well as yourself to keep ticks from hitching a ride.

Please place any found discs in the Lost And Found mailbox near hole 3's red basket.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
13 0
GreenFieldsDC
Experience: 23.8 years 149 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Embrace the Thorns! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 12, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I thoroughly enjoyed playing this course; it may be the best in NOVA or the DC area as a whole for a number of reasons.

I played 36 holes from 9a-2p on a Saturday in March, it was cloudy and cool. II played Rec Tees-Silver baskets on the first round, Pro Tees-Red Baskets on second. Crowds (including one group of 7!) didn't emerge until afternoon. I would classify this course as a moderately strenuous hike, by east coast standards, and players should definitely wear decent shoes or boots and long pants.

*In my opinion, one big difference setting Giles Run apart from nearly every other course in northern or central Virginia (and many in nearby MD) is that this course does not have many ticky-tack or unfair tee shots. The course is expansive and is more like a hike than a walk in a muni park. This course is fair and sensibly scored, as well.

Cons:

Not for the faint of the hear with the thorny thickets throughout the meadow.

Wayfinding between a few holes can be tricky at first, but folks are very friendly and glad to point the way. Or, retrieve a disc twenty feet from a tree like a dude did for me when I played (!)

#15 and #16 are very, very long (like +600 feet) from the pro tees to the silver baskets.

I lost two drivers off the tee to the thorns. I expected this to be an issue before I played here.

I could see ticks/mosquitoes being an issue with warm weather here.

Encroaching development is an issue here, including a mixed-use commercial and retail center-is currently taking the place of historic buildings across the street from the parking lot. How did the Fairfax County Park Authority allow this massive residential community to be sited so close to this incredible green space??

There are several points on the course where one can witness the encroaching residential development that does take away some peace and quiet but a beautiful course overall.

Other Thoughts:

(The) George Washington surveyed and likely hunted these woods as a young man, so enjoy! And yes, that beige tower you see in the distance is part of a prison (Lorton Federal Supermax). In fact, the course is built around what remains of part of the Lorton Workhouse prison for women that operated through the 1970s.

I really enjoyed playing here. It is the one course in the DMV I would suggest to out-of-town DG friends.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 3
James McGirr
Experience: 11 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

a coarse well worth playing ALLTOUGH 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 26, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A great track of land. rolling hills a lot of open spaces Coarse is designed to accomidate the long thrower as well as an average player. there are two sets of tees as well astwo baskets per hole.

Cons:

On a windy day I would not play here.If your disc goes into the ruff you may not be able to get it the thorn bushes are herrendise through out the coarse. to play a round you will walk about 3 miles+. It is possible to get lost. If you could get a map or talk to a local. to find trouble spots there is between I think it is 6 and7 or 7and8 it is along walk and you have to cross acreek

Other Thoughts:

I though a lot of the coarse.It was fun to play.Control is a must.Fairways were more than fair.If your disc goes into the brush. You will find that you unable to go into brush to get it thorn bushes are really that bad.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
Mohawk Mack
Experience: 14 years 20 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

NICE COURSE 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 17, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice course, but thorny as hell! Fairways are wide open but keep it straight or you will end up in the throny bushes that remind me of the movie SAW. Good mix of holes, up hill, down hill, lefties, righties, lunch eaters, aceables.Playing with a pair of grabbers is advised.

Cons:

Um, the thorny bushes that will eat your discs. It's a long course to walk, no the distance of the holes but more so some of the walks between holes. Be mindful of throwing your favorite discs out here. Your sign that this course will wreck your day and game is the lost & found box, it's an old postal mail box. And it's jammed full. The only thing that I didn't care for was the Out of Bounds lines, they're painted with white paint, at least when I played, and seemed to change depending on who paints them. I would like to see a more permanent OB line with stakes and rope, so there's no guessing and wasting time.

Other Thoughts:

I liked the course when I played in an Ice Bowl tournament there. I will definitely try it again when it warms up.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 0
bradharris
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.9 years 90 played 46 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 25, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

I really like courses that use two pins and two tees well. Giles Run does just that. Each of the four layouts provides a new way to play the hole rather than just adding distance. Unfortunately, I only had time to play one layout, so I chose to really test myself on the longest layout. The long layout features a number of well laid out multi-shot holes that can challenge even the best while the shorter layouts provide some relief for less skilled (or less masochistic) players.

Although the course is mostly open, it uses the available features (rolling hills, tress, and yes, thorns and thick brush) to set up some interesting shots. The course really never feels especially repetitive.

Cons:

There is one consistent feature that seems to steal the headlines at Giles Run: impenetrable, thorny rough. It's not just the thorns that cause problems, it's also the sheer density. This is some of the thickest rough I have ever encountered. It's not enough to know where your disc landed, if you want any hope of retreiving it, you have to figure out how to get to it. We even sent spotters ahead on especially risky shots. I had one land no more than 10 feet from where the spotter was standing. He was able to point out exactly where it landed, and where it will likely rest for a very long time. There was absolutely no way to get to it.

Playing from the rough is an important aspect of disc golf, but Giles Run takes that element of the game largely out of play.

The fairways are certainly fair, without the rough encroaching too much. But none of us are immune to bad shots, and the risk of losing a disc is present on nearly every shot at Giles Run. This can change the mentality of the round, where the thought process is more about keeping discs in your bag, rather than trying to hit a nice line. This takes a lot of the fun out of a round. With the distance, fun elevation change, and relative openness, this would be a really fun course to play super-aggressively, particularly in casual rounds where score isn't as important. But if you're playing with discs you're at all attached to, conservative is the way to play.

Navigation can be tricky for first timers. Hole 7 is tucked away behind the pond by itself, and then the long walk to 8 has no markings to assure you you're heading in the right direction.

The signage also leaves a lot to be desired. A few holes had map and distance info, but most have only the hole number marked. Especially on the longer layouts, where the basket is often not visible from the tee, more info at the tee would be really helpful.

Other Thoughts:

I really want to be able to rate this course better, but I have to settle for a "good" rating. The layout is really done well, but when the signature element is the rough, it's hard to give the course more credit.

Be prepared, bring a map, wear long clothing that you don't mind getting a few tears in, and use discs that you're not especially attached to.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
neanderthal85
Experience: 9.6 years 6 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

She's a disc eater! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 31, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a beautiful course! One of the reasons I started playing was to get out in nature, but not just hiking. This course is perfect! You will walk a bit, but the scenery and layout is beautiful!

I really liked holes 4 and 13/14. Hole 4 is elevated tee across a narrow ravine to a basket off to the right. You have to have a straight shot to get there. Reminds me of ball golf tees. 13/14 is really open, but the baskets are guarded by the woods - 13 the woods are on the right hiding the baskets and ditto for 14. But there is also an old abandoned barn and silo which are beautiful and very scenic!

This is a technical course, especially for beginners. It requires a lot of different shots and approaches, which helps me as I'm learning.

Cons:

So the other reviews say it, and I'll repeat it: thorns and ticks. The front 7 holes are easy to access lost discs. Once you cross to 8-16, if a disc rolls into the woods, it isn't pick it up, it's chop it out. I wish I would have taken a picture. It isn't little thorns plants that you can brush aside. It's thick, woody, tangled masses of thorns. One guy who was playing saw his disc and said, "Nope." I looked and it would have literally taken a chainsaw not to rip your skin off.

Also, when you get to the 4th hole baskets, you will see about 5 sets of baskets. 4/5/6/17/18 all share a field. Make sure you use a map (TAKE A MAP!) to figure out which baskets you are shooting at.

In addition, I only saw 2-3 signs. The boxes are nice concrete and all of them have posts with white boards, most have numbers, only a few had laminated course maps. I would pitch in to help buy nice map signs even, as it would really make things easier with some blind baskets.

Other Thoughts:

This is a beautiful course in a nice park. The prison is literally next to it - you shoot towards the prison on #2.

Don't be a hero on this course - don't make this the course you swear you're hitting 400 foot drives on, because you will be like me and make a trip to the store to replace the 4 discs you lost afterwards.

The pro tees to silver baskets are serious stuff. Especially 16 - anyone who says they even pared that hole is a pro or a liar. It's 910 feet with two blind throws in narrow (see: 15 foot) gaps.

I would recommend tall socks, bug spray, lots and lots of water, extra discs, and something to poke through rough with - I took a 4 foot piece of 3/4" PVC pipe and that helped a lot. I met 3 other groups and all of them were searching for/had lost discs. The rough is rough - no forgiving.

As others said, there is a near 1/4 mile walk (1300 feet) from #7 to #8 and then from #16 to #17. But it goes down in a ravine with a little creek and is quite nice actually. There are some jaunts from various tees to tees (#14 to #15 to #16 come to mind) with some doubling back. But take a map and you should be good.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 4
mintbucket
Experience: 31.1 years 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Wait till winter or pack in a machete 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

It is a beautiful course with a great mix of up and downs, long tight fairways and short open holes. Very challenging for the beginner.
Lost and Found dropbox
Lots of walking

Cons:

Thorns
Ticks
Most holes missing yardage and hole diagrams.
No water fountain
Lots of walking

Other Thoughts:

The worst of the thorns are on holes 8-16. You can play an short 9 holes hitting 1-7 and then go to 17 & 18.
Lost 3 disc playing #9&10. Found four ticks when I got home, picked three of my clothes while playing. I was wearing long pants, long shirt and hat.
I'd go back on a nice winter day probably take a machete as well.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 0
djros
Experience: 13.9 years 37 played 14 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun beauriful course, but the rough is bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 11, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Two large concrete tees and two permanent basket positions on every hole with widely varying distance between the four setups. Course is in a scenic park and has nicely mowed fairways that are mowed fairly regularly (the grass is occasionally shaggy, but never too long). The course is set among some nice rolling hills, with a large variety of distances and shot shapes. There are some holes that you always try to ace/birdie, while there also a handful of legitimate two-shot holes to reach the basket (hole 16 from the long tee is probably a good three-shot hole to reach the basket). Most of the holes are fairly open, with just enough obstacles to provide some challenge or force you to work the disc one way or the other. Course makes pretty good use of the elevation in this park. Hole 4 is a fun shot over a valley with a tight gap in the trees to reach the other side of the valley. Hole 12 is the only other really tight hole on the course and is a fun tunnel hole through a bunch of trees.

Cons:

The thorns. The thorns. And, oh yeah, the thorns. They are on almost every hole. On some holes, they are pretty thin, but on others they are really thick. I used to always wear jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, and carry an old 3-iron I don't use anymore to help extract discs from the thorn bushes. The thorns are especially ferocious on 15 ad 16 for the long tees/baskets.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I really thought the course design here was fun. If it weren't for the thorns, this course would probably be a 4.5, but going in to the thorn bushes even 2 or 3 times a round sucks the fun right out of it. After playing this course regularly for a couple seasons, I got tired of it, and started playing the other area courses to avoid the thorns. Print off the map for your first trip or two around this course. There are a couple of tricky navigation spots, particularly between 7 and 8 and then again between 16 and 17, as there is a decent length walk through a small valley and across a river to get between these holes. As a hiker, I never minded the walk, and even enjoyed it, but it is something that you should know about before playing your first round here.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 0
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 297 played 197 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Run Giles Run 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 24, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 beautiful mostly open but challenging holes with nice dual concrete tees and baskets and tee signs. Excellent use of the terrain, rolling elevation and unique features of the property to create a variety of looks. Well defined fairways and rough creating great risk vs reward choices. Course was manicured like a ball golf course.

Cons:

The rough is quite rough with lots of thorns, some poison ivy, and a prison fence. High probability of losing a disc or more, not a good course for beginners to cut their teeth on, or literally cut their body up from the thorns. Hole 3 plays a bit close to the parking lot. Navigation is little tricky in places. No bathrooms or water.

Other Thoughts:

I played long to long in some 30+mph winds which made this course play very tough as it's mostly open with lots of rolling elevation, fast greens, and punishing rough. Despite the old prison which is now a bible camp, the property is quite scenic and has a bit of a menacing character to the course. It's quite deceiving looking at many of the holes from the tee because of the straight forwardness of the mostly open and defined fairways, but you really don't want your disc to land in any of the roughs that tend to sneak up on you in places. One of my fav's was hole 2 where I lost my firebird over the prison fence on a 50' putt that boomeranged back over my head from the wind howling up off the lake up a huge fast green to the basket. Luckily there is a guard at the bible prison who was nice enough to retrieve my disc and give it back to me. He said that happens quite often. Hole 4 was a tight valley shot I liked, deuce-able and quite bogey-able. Hole 6 is one of those beautiful deceiving holes throwing from an elevated tee 426' to the basket on top a peninsula with rolling elevation away to the rough and pond. I was fairly confident with my drive as it left my hand, however my adrenaline was pumping as I couldn't stop watching the disc to make sure it didn't veer off into the abyss and it ended up parked. After finding hole 8 it's a monster uphill par 4. The rest of holes take you through a mix of elevation and fairway directional changes and some scattering of trees with the always present rough on the sides that take a mental toll on your game with a variety of hole lengths from a long tough ace run to monster downhill par 5 loaded with risk vs reward.

I generally prefer some more wooded courses, but I'd recommend Giles Run to any competitive player that can keep a disc in the fairway and wants a challenge in the Nova area. The long to long layout however should have a warning like Beth Page's Black course "The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers." Beginners should play any of the other courses in the area unless they are masochistic.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 0
Ogroat
Experience: 11.9 years 6 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I love this course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 31, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Two pins and two tees on each hole give you several different ways to play and cater to different skill levels. The baskets are sturdy Mach 3 types and the tee boxes are concrete. There are a wide variety of hole types here, from short ace runs to 1000 foot grip and rip holes. There is a good amount of elevation change on this course for the area. The course is almost always empty and I've never had to wait more than a minute or two here. The area is quite beautiful as well.

Cons:

Thorns and lots of them. If your disc is more than ten feet off the fairway, prepare to venture into them. I have a specific pair of jeans and a ratty shirt I always wear to this course, as the thorns will snag even denim. The course layout is confusing for first-timers. The signage is only so-so, with some holes missing a good deal of info. Ticks are everywhere in the summer.

Other Thoughts:

Most holes are fairly wide open, but there are a few that have either tight fairways or some trees to make it interesting. I'd recommend printing out the map if this is your first time playing the course, but you can also find your way by paying careful attention to the arrows on the baskets and some on the ground. There is a long (but enjoyable) walk after hole 7 and again after 16. There are trails in the park that mountain bikers use; you won't really have to look out for them while playing but be aware of them when you're walking from hole to hole. I see people with their dogs here all the time, so it must be a good place to bring them. Please pack out what you bring in, as I've been noticing an increasing amount of bottles next to tees recently.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 2
dwbaker
Experience: 28.8 years 50 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Adventure at Giles Run 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 31, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Giles Run has professional tees/baskets as well as Recreational tees/baskets. It has something for players of all skill levels. There are good signs at each hole indicating distance and basket location. The course is near highway I95 making it convenient if you are traveling nearby, less than half and hour from Washington D.C. Plenty of friendly disc golfers on the course helped me find my way around and even letting us play through! Lovely use of elevation and terrain. I love this course!

Cons:

Needs a course map for first time players. Thick thorny growth around several holes making it difficulty to recover discs without getting stuck/slashed. I saw other disc golfers bloodied by these thorns, myself and my friend were bloodied by thorns, in Winter.

Other Thoughts:

Park has a small playground for kids. The park also has running and mountain biking trails. A beautiful park! I will definitely play again if I am in the area.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 2
Dgolfer
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

ADRENALINE RUSH 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 10, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Giles Run defines " risk reward" this is an adrenaline filled experience where you will pay! For your bad decisions.
-This course has a combination of long power holes and short technical ones, the one constant is that you have to stay fair if you want to avoid cuts and bruises.
-The open fields and beautiful views give you a sense of ball golf in a high end club.

Cons:

- If this is your first time playing, the flow of the holes is not easy to follow so have somebody that has played before show you the way.
- If you are new to the game stay in the front of the course since you may run out of discs by hole number 13
- The signs have been disappearing lately

Other Thoughts:

Again this course is the most exiting course I have ever played. Every time I go to Giles I know that I will get cut, I will probably lose a disc, find some kind of snake and it never gets old; every time is an adventure
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 6
KimBrennan
Experience: 43.5 years 161 played 12 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 30, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Mixture of short and long holes. Holes 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 14 and 18 are very nice.

Cons:

Thorns, thorns, thorns. Lost discs. Ticks. Make sure ALL your discs are labeled. You'll lose one in the thorns and you won't want to go in looking for it. Transitions from 4->5, 6->7, 7->8, 11->12 are not easy to find. Hike from 7->8/16->17 is significantly long.

Holes 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16 have the worst rough you'll ever encounter (if it has thorns, it grows in that rough.)

Another minor sore point is that the tee signs only list the distance to one basket (and which basket that is is not known). Well, that is, when they list a distance at all. Several signs do not seem to have maps or distance on them any longer.

No restrooms. No water.

Other Thoughts:

Use Deet as tick repellant (it should be mandatory). I've been bitten thrice. I've lost three discs in the thorns, but found many others while hunting for mine. Water fountain would be nice. So would a restroom.

Seriously folk LABEL YOUR DISCS! We'll get them back to you if they are labeled. (yes I found 6 more discs over the weekend, and only 2 were labeled.) [7 more found in Dec, only 2 of those were labeled] Another 8 found since Jan, 4 of those with known owners.
Was this review helpful? Yes No

Latest posts

Top