Purcellville, VA

Franklin Park

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3.065(based on 25 reviews)
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11 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.8 years 216 played 182 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Being Frank About Franklin 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ Nearly the whole course, with one or two exceptions, plays in wide open, sunny, breezey and peaceful fields within a much larger park. Some appreciated elevation challenges keep this course from becoming a bore.
+ There are two baskets on all holes, and there are 'next tee' signs after every fairway.
+ Tee signs at every hole are illustrative and informative.
+ All tee pads are made of sufficiently long and wide contigous slabs of concrete. Three tee pads on all eighteen holes, but...

Cons:

- ...some tees are showing damage, wear, erosion or other signs of disrepair.
- The tee signs are only at the blue tees. Those players seeking a shorter layout will have to first travel to the blue pad to see the info about what's ahead.
- The whole course, with one or two exceptions, is wide open. Therefore, the challenges boil down to mostly distance.
- There is no dedicated practice pin and no lost disc box that I could find. Then again, an open course like this probably doesn't need one.

Other Thoughts:

It would be a bit too obvious to say that hole17 is my favorite to look at and play, so I won't. But still, that hole is a ridiculously perfect double tunnel of pine trees. As I looked at it I could picture a horsedrawn carriage gently transporting a 19th-Century aristocratic dignitary to some fancy banquet going down that corridor.
Instead, I'll say that my favorite to play is hole11 because of its bounding terrain and dense (for Franklin Park) tree cover. Hole13 was my favorite to look at because I could easily imagine a huge mansion in the style of Downton Abbey at the far end of that upward sloping hill with trees on three sides.
My least favorite was hole3 because it was the flattest, most direct and super wide open with a road on the right hand side.

In broad strokes, Franklin Park is a wide open course that definitely accommodates the power arms out there. There isn't much use for tactical approaches at this one. The elevation on offer isn't terribly daunting, but it can catch you off guard if you aren't adaptable. I like how approachable it is with two baskets and three tee pads on literally every hole. Mathematically, that makes for six different layouts, which not many other courses can claim. Also, there is a bit of a classy vibe to this course. With how peaceful and well-groomed it is, I almost expected to see a country club on the premises.

In finer strokes, I should mention that hole6 was unplayable during my visit due to construction within the park. Many laminated notices tacked to the fences guide players around the construction from hole5 to hole7. That's a shame, too, because it looked like hole6 would be a fun downhill hole to play. Holes8 and 9 got into my head because there are other fenced-in park features along those fairways. If my aim wasn't true or an unlucky nasty breeze came by, I might have lost a disc. Some of the holes feel copy-pasted. Holes3, 4, 13 - 15 play similarly. But there are definitely moments of satisfaction here. Hole12 puts an empty retention basin in the way. I Imagine it must feel good to skirt along the edge instead of having to climb out of it. What few fairways with trees in the way are much appreciated for how rare of a treat it is. Holes7, 11, 16 and 17 are probably the best examples of that. Also, hole18 gets a special mention for throwing a whole pond in the way when you least expect it. (Good thing I played from the white tees that day!)

Bottom line: The course at Franklin Park is not brilliant or particularly memorable, but it is still a good and quiet place to play so you can practice your longer throws and get some light exercise. Come here with a friend or two, try the different layouts and just enjoy the nice breezes and sunshine. Gently recommended.
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10 0
DumfriesLizzie
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 5.5 years 111 played 101 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Jewel in Loudoun County 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 8, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very spread-out course in a large and beautiful regional park with mostly open holes. However, for some distinct challenge, baskets are often placed in groves among guardian trees or on slopes, and the course largely skirts the perimeter of the park so that a treeline is often present.

There are 3 pads per hole and 2 baskets per hole. I believe there is plenty variety for all skill levels.

There are slopes to walk up and down throughout the layout. I think the natural elevation changes were really taken advantage of quite well.

The red tee to the near basket is distinctly get-able. If you are an advanced beginner, this layout is very encouraging. I made 10 pars on my first two rounds played.

Some of the holes are particularly creative. Though I played to the short basket, playing to the far basket on no. 5 (unbroken rise on a steep slope) would be a challenge. No. 8 is rising along a natural bridge. Need to stay out of the water park. For bombers with aim, they can get up the hill with one precise throw. Rest of us might want to think about it…I threw three careful 1-steps with stable discs. Then putted in for bogey. Bogey is better than a lost disc, in my book. No. 10 is something of a blind drive from the blue tee and has a mando to keep one out of the street. White and red continue up the steep hill on the opposite side, but you can see the short basket among a thicket of trees on a downslope (from the red tee). No. 12 has all 3 tees firing over a vegetated sink (is there a pond in summer?) to a near basket on another raised ridge/natural bridge.

There are benches to be found either on the course or just off the course. Where one can rest from walking if needed.

Cons:

Even though the long tract is spread out, there are conflicts with other activities on a regular basis. E.g., there are picnic tables along the fairways of nos. 1 and 18, the hill of no. 5 seems to be a popular sledding location (during winter, of course), nos. 7-9 are pinched by a walking/running/equestrian trail on the left and the water park, tennis courts, paved hockey rink on the right. The blue tee of no. 10 also is near picnic facilities. Nos. 16-17 have a lot of walkers and a lot of horses.

Drainage is an issue in many areas. Probably always a good idea to wear ankle-high hiking boots. Happily, there are several foot bridges over the parts of the creek(s) that are harder to jump over. Most welcome.

The roadway could come into play on nos. 3, 4, 5, (possibly 6 whenever it is restored), 10, 11, 12, and 14. Less the case for weak arms like me; more the case for those of you who are bombers.

Other Thoughts:

I suspect the park used to be a horse farm. There are equestrian facilities and trails that still exist for said, and the side-by-side fields divided by treelines would have been open meadows for the horses. Now the open meadows are largely for us disc golfers. However, the two meadows between holes 14 and the pond get a lot of walking and equestrian action still. Probably picnickers too. I cannot imagine said get left alone in the warm months.

I think the disc golf course layout is quite excellent here. It's a jewel of a course.
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8 0
listentomorejazz
Experience: 13.8 years 55 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Well Maintained, but little variety 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

- 3 sets of well marked, well built concrete tee pads
- 2 baskets for each hole
- Well maintained, which is key with the large amounts of grass this course plays over. They were mowing the day I was there and it was evident that it is mowed frequently.
- A few unique water holes, or shots where a carry over a creek is required.
- Elevation on the property was used successfully
- Signs (when present) were helpful
- A few well-executed multi-shot holes, which are always enjoyable for me
- Nice to have a course that has huuuge length, although it becomes a con (see below)

Cons:

- Largest con is that this course is almost completely open and somewhere on the back nine I found myself bored. I didn't want to throw another destroyer into an open field to throw another destroyer to see if I can get close to the basket in an open field.
- In tandem, the course definitely lacks in variety. As noted above, it uses the elevation well and there are definitely some cool holes, but it is not a course that requires every shot in the bag
- Where trees do come into play, they are either easily avoided or there were no true gaps and over them was the only way. If you don't have 450+, this course is not accessible for birdies, at least in the long to long layout.
- A few of the holes are in highly trafficked areas; there were picnic tables doting one of the greens. It didn't interfere with my round, but easily could.
- In a few places the rough was a pit of doom. As in don't even bother looking, you'll only get poison ivy (a con in and of itself).
- Lack of benches on tee pads. A course this long needs a couple more places to sit.
- There is a note somewhere on this site that the signs are no longer up to date, so while they helped somewhat with navigation, it's frustrating because at one point they were well-made signs. Now they are cracking and fading and missing in multiple locations.
- Navigation was definitely an issue long to long as well. There are a few places one must backtrack, and a hidden tee pad or two

Other Thoughts:

The elevation and multiple ways to play the course keep it from sliding too far down on the rating scale. I definitely enjoyed parts of the round, but have rarely felt as disinterested playing disc golf as I did on 13-16.17 and 18 are cool finishing holes, but the back to back open field par 5s sucked a lot of the fun out. A break in some wooded holes between 9 and 10 would be great, if the county would let them do that much work.

The remarks about the lack of shade are to be taken seriously. I played a fairly quick solo round on a very warm day and it took it out of me by the end.

I enjoy throwing frisbees a far way, but don't think there is much to bring me back to the course. That being said, I'm glad to have played it because there were fun bombs and multi-shot holes that a lot of East Coast courses don't have.
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3 3
smallshot
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Well maintained, beautify landscapes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

3 tee pads and 2 baskets on every hole. Beautiful views, very open. Well maintained.

Cons:

Many long straight holes. Few technical shots.

Other Thoughts:

It's mostly challenging due to the distance, but there are a few uniquely challenging holes. I enjoy being able to just let it rip on most holes and like the variations you can play due to the multiple tee pads and baskets. it's a solid 2 mile walk at least.
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3 1
SpykeHyzer
Experience: 12 years 115 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best course in Loudoun County 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 16, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Rolling green fairways and long bombs, exactly what I want out of an open course such as Franklin Park.
Three tee-pads and two baskets on each hole lead to an endless number of layouts to challenge every player, regardless of skill level.
Beautiful scenery and a near-pristine park is a great environment for a disc golf course, and when the wind cranks up, the fun really begins.
I love this course, totally worth checking out.

Cons:

Navigation can be tricky for first-timers. To get to the first hole: drive to the T intersection and take a left, the lot nearest the pond is right next to hole 1. Most locals usually play from hole 10 however, next to the pavilion, first parking lot on the right.
OB is not described well on the tee signs. For most holes, (barring 9, 11, 13, 16, 17), long grass (unmowed) is considered OB. Also the flat section of the basin on hole 12 is OB. 15 has OB left: beyond the pine trees, and right: beyond the metal stakes. Other than that, pretty much just water and roads are OB, which are marked for the most part.
Playing with full OB makes the course significantly harder, requiring actual accuracy as opposed to pure distance shots.
Be prepared when playing this course! It is more demanding than the usual "park golf" course. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen.

Other Thoughts:

Look, this isn't a life changing course, it's just really fun. Isn't that why we play disc golf anyways?
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2 0
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.7 years 297 played 197 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Bring your own horse cart? 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 21, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Multiple concrete tees with two permanent Discatcher baskets per hole. Good use of the available elevation, few trees, and the pond on 18. You get to watch some discs seriously fly and be exposed to the wind. You could probably bring your own horse and cart and play and ride around if you wanted.

Cons:

Bring sunblock! This course seriously lacks in the tree and shade and diversity department. Only one big loop of 18 holes back to main parking lot. Frost and thaw conditions appear to be slanting some of the baskets. Holes 8 and 9 play a little close to the pool and courts. Police station in the middle of the course - beware of speed traps on highway coming in or going out. Horses and horse people.

Other Thoughts:

I try to be somewhat object in my reviews however all course reviews are by nature subjective and this course is certainly no exception, especially given it's raw lack of diversity. I'm not a huge fan of open courses and this one may take the cake of the most wide open and long course I've played. I'm not sure if the whole course gets mowed in the summer- which would be a massive undertaking, or if there are tall grass hazards which I so loath, however I'm unlikely to ever find out in person because you would have to pay me to play here in the summer. Likewise on the flip-side of the coin, if you really love wide open courses, then Franklin Park is for you my friend. Thus my rating reflects the love/hate average value people will likely have with this course.
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2 2
cecilthelionfan
Experience: 11.8 years 28 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Solid Course in Loudoun County 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 11, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- A great tester for big arms!
- Good change-ups for elevation.
- Excellent tee pads (3 skill levels).
- Two baskets on each hole!
- Very easy to navigate the course.
** Favorite Hole - #12 - Cool tee shot over the big water retention area.

Cons:

- Several holes were very swampy (and it hadn't rained in days).
- Very crowded for a Friday.
- A little more variety would be nice.

Other Thoughts:

I've seen several negative reviews about all the open holes on this course, but that really didn't bother me. I enjoyed being able to air out some distance drivers! Anytime I am near Purcellville, I really enjoy getting to play this course.
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2 2
iri01001
Experience: 22 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Open, Open ,Open 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 28, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Open spaces, good for first timers

As others have said, 3 tee boxes and 2 baskets on each hole gives lots of playing options.

Beautiful setting and an enjoyable park

Cons:

Start of course not clearly marked. We ended up starting on 10 and working our way around

Other Thoughts:

If you are looking for a technical course, this is not it.

If you want a nice open course in a great setting, this course is for you.
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1 1
BAH618
Experience: 18 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Bring Sunscreen 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good use of elevation changes to very the feel of holes and to help shape fairways, the course is also very well maintained. Being that the course is largely in fields you shouldn't have to worry about fighting through weeds and underbrush to find a lost disc. Signage is good and navigation is easy.

Cons:

The course is almost exclusively wide open holes with very few trees or underbrush to punish bad shots.

Other Thoughts:

While the course is largely wide open, the placement of the course was designed well in order to very the feel of each hole. The distance also provides for a descent challenge. I think this is a great "change-up" course, for this course you can worry less about accuracy and more about distance.
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4 2
djros
Experience: 13.9 years 37 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Open course in beautiful park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 13, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Three concrete tees and two permanent basket positions on every hole, means there is a layout here for pretty much any skill level. The course is nicely maintained, with mowed grass fairways, and in a park with nice amenities, including a swimming pool and baseball diamonds. The longer tees/baskets have water on the 18th hole. There are a couple of fairly large hills on this course with a couple nice downhill tee shots to let it rip, and a couple of tough uphill holes that challenge your distance. The 17th is a fun, but frustrating tunnel shot through a tight fairway with a low canopy. It's fun to try to get to the end of the tunnel, but I only got to an open shot a couple times.

Cons:

Most of the holes are pretty open, at least to the short baskets. Only a couple holes that really force you to shape your shot. Most holes, you just throw your tee shot as far as you can, throw your approach, and then putt.

Other Thoughts:

The 18th is a water hole from the long tees/baskets, but there are often people having picnics or fishing near the lake, so there could be a risk of these people being in the way of flying discs. I only played to the long basket once, but often saw people that would be in the flight path for that basket. Trees and long grass do come in to play on several holes, but it is mainly an open course, and is a nice course to practice driving. The longer baskets/tees do have more trees that come in to play, but I never played these layouts, so I can't offer much input on those other than that a couple of the long baskets looked significantly more difficult than the short baskets. This course is similar to Giles Run in terms of length, and relatively open shots on most holes, but without the thorns.
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2 1
davedove
Experience: 10.7 years 10 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great for beginners 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 28, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wonderful course for those of us who are just starting out. Three tees and two baskets on each hole make for some variety, but none of it is difficult. Signs on all the holes and mostly on two of the tees at each, along with concret tee pads for almost all the tees.

Cons:

Because the course is so well marked, it makes you notice when it's not.

The red tees don't have signs. Not a big deal except signs on the other two tee pads spoils you.

No tee pads on hole twelve. Again, normally not a big deal except all the other holes have them.

One biggie: since there are no tee pads on 12, the red tee doesn't seem to be marked. The other two tees have the signs, but nothing for red. You have to estimate where the tee should be.

Other Thoughts:

Experienced players will likely find this course boring and unchallenging, but not everyone is experienced. Sometimes it's nice to have a simple course like this one when you're a beginner.
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4 5
KimBrennan
Experience: 43.5 years 161 played 12 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 11, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hole 17 is beautiful. Paved tees on most holes. Nice park.

Cons:

Boring. I mean seriously, this course needs trees. Except for 11 and 17, there are no trees that are factor on any hole. And they're barely a factor on 11. Tee pads are concrete (except on 12, which has grass tees), but are too short. Distance on Hole 9 (by the sign on the course) is simply wrong (a claim of 312 feet for the White Tee to Red Basket is ludicrously off (closer to 156 feet). Other park users are a big factor on holes 2 and 3 (field hockey playing). Shipping pallets are used for the bridge across the stream on 18.

Other Thoughts:

It is possible that 10 years from now this will be something other than a wide open course (I note tree seedlings planted on 15.) Outside of a little elevation changes, the only challenge to this course is the length of some of the holes.
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1 5
cjrogus
Experience: 12 years 13 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Warm Up 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 28, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

3 tee's per hole, 2 baskets per hole, plenty of choices, no lost discs, decent flow

Cons:

Wide open every single hole, not much of a change got lost once or twice

Other Thoughts:

Great course for an ace race, red tees to yellow baskets usually under 300ft
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4 2
Airubus
Experience: 20.9 years 43 played 19 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Meh... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 18, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Long Bomb Shots. 3 concrete tees per hole (except #12) and a long and short pin. beautiful park. Hole 17 is a beautiful tunnel shot. this hole is very ace-able. Hole 18 is a great long shot over the pond.

Cons:

He who has the biggest arm, wins. There is nothing technical about this course, for the exception of hole 17. I found myself bored after 5 holes. "oh...another wide open shot." I would have rather them save the money from the added concrete pads an actually put in tee-signs, as there were only paper printouts in sleeve protectors. Sometimes the sign was gone altogether, and left you just throwing blind. Wonderful idea, but the wide open design left me yawning.

Other Thoughts:

I played on a hot summer day. Bring sunscreen if the sun is out on a cloudless day. water too. there is NO SHADE because the trees are few, and far between. Hole #1 is all the way back the road, to the left parking lot. look for the pond, and a concrete slab. again...no teesigns...no maps. good luck navigating. it's frustrating as hell after the 3rd hole.
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3 4
PanamaJacks
Experience: 12.2 years 17 played 5 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Will ruin your woods game 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 12, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

As many have said, this course is located in a beautiful part of the country. The course is well maintained and has two tees/baskets on all holes except for 12. It's free.

Cons:

Almost no signage at holes. Navigation from hole to hole is dicey if you don't have a map or a local. I've never met a local out there though. Only lost first timers. The course is WIDE OPEN. Very little in the way of obstacles. The one 'alley' hole is WAY too narrow, straight and long, especially after playing 16 wide open holes. I don't think it was a DG pro who designed this course.

Other Thoughts:

Warning: if you play in the woods a lot, this course will ruin your accuracy. I played here twice last week and now at my home course, I'm hitting trees left and right. There's just nothing to make you keep it tight. I don't think I'll play here again for a long time.
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2 1
discgolf123
Experience: 12.2 years 3 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 21, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Great course all the holes make you throw different kind of shots. No briar patches so it is harder to lose your disc. Different tee off spots and baskets to accomodate your skill level. Not very busy when I went.

Cons:

Some of the holes are a bit boring. Hole 18 has a green house or something that you have to watch out for, if you mess up your shot it might break the glass. Kind of hard to locate the other holes. I suggest you print out a map and if you don't find a local who knows the course.

Other Thoughts:

This course is the best I have played so far. My favorite hole is number six you get to throw off a massive decline. One of the holes has trees on either side ten feet apart for 100 feet and can make for a nice tunnel shot.
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5 1
ibekent
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.8 years 25 played 25 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Wiiiiide Open 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 20, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course was recently upgraded. The upgrades are a massive improvement. The course now has three tees and two pins per hole and some excellent tee signs. Played from the long tees to the dark pins, it has decent flow and offers significant challenges both in distance and angles. If you want a lark in the park, the short tees to the yellow pins are about as easy as a course gets (though you'll have long walks between holes).

The tees are concrete, the baskets are new, and the park is well maintained. The course worms through a large number of other fields and facilities which have plenty of water, benches, restrooms, and trashcans.

Played on a day when the park is not heavily used (or during a work day), it is a very enjoyable course with a variable level of challenge in a beautifully maintained park.

Cons:

Played on the weekend, the park can get so crowded that the course will be frustrating; there are just too many people.

The course backtracks a little and crosses paved roads, but you can find your way around if you pay attention to the tee signs.

Though many of the individual fairways are quality (and fun) shots, they are not often demanding (unless you are playing the purple baskets from the long tees), but they do often border other facilities where the people (and children and horses and cars and picnics) don't like getting hity by flying discs. Also, a few fairways are gimmicky; #15 particularly has a tight, artificial OB designed to protect the horses.

Risk-reward decisions are sparse (though the last, long shot is a 400ft. shot across water) and the course is so well manicured that recovery shots are typically easy tosses from open, well-mowed fields. You aren't going to get into any major trouble or lose discs on this course (except for, perhaps, in the lake at the end).

Other Thoughts:

The course is a single loop which starts and ends in the back-left of the park by the lake.

Walls of trees that act as wind screens are all around the course. As a result, the shifts in wind strength and direction on a single fairway can surprise you.

I can't emphasize enough how much the recent upgrades have improved this course. If you haven't played it since late in 2011, you should give it another try.
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4 0
tmahan
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 40.9 years 86 played 31 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Scenic challenge 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 14, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful pastoral setting, I think Dave242 would give this one an A for Appalachian beauty.

Three concrete tees per hole (except #12 where I could find none). I only found 2 tees on 18 but I easily could have missed one.

Two baskets per hole, normal yellow Discatchers in the short positions and purple Discatchers in the long (or nasty) position.

Nice elevation put to good use, including a couple big downhillers that everybody loves.

Mostly open but all except a few holes have some tree(s) that you have to consider. Decent distance allows you to air it out on a bunch of holes (from the white or blue tees).

My favorites were #6 (big downhill air), #10, #12 (air across a big bowl to a pin perched delicately atop a ridge) and #17 (cool tunnel shot lines with pines on either side)

Cons:

Tough to follow, especially most of the front nine. Don't even consider playing it with printing out the map in the links section on this site. They have some maps up in the park office but they're not near as current as the linked map according to a local I ran into.

Even with the map, the tees and some of the baskets can be hard to find. No signs or directions anywhere on the course. Marking the hole number and color on the tees and adding some next tee signs near the pins would be worth at least a .5 bump.

Hole #11 doesn't have much of a fairway from the white or blue tees due to a wall of fairly tall white pines that leaves little to no gap. Big arms will go up and over, otherwise it's roll and pray for luck. It does make for a satisfying par if you're good/fortunate enough.

There are a number of picnic tables either in fairways or close enough to be in play, so portions of the course may not be playable on weekends or unseasonably nice weather days when pinic'ers and other park patrons are present.

Other Thoughts:

I played white tees (at least what I thought were the white tees) to the yellow pins, so that was my perspective for this review. The purple baskets are significantly longer most of the time, but when they're not they're usually in a particularly diabolical location.

I tend to favor woodsey technical course but I really enjoyed this layout, so the designers really did a nice job with this property.

The previous reviewers have really been spot-on, especially HawaiiJack. I didn't find the finish on the tees to be as much of a problem, but then I don't have a very good pivot. I did catch my foot on #17 white.

Because the course is so open wind can be a significant factor on most holes.

Even though the tees seem to be missing on #12 it's really easy to imagine where they should be.

After the #17 purple pin you'll see what I'm guessing is the #18 blue tee. This is the one that requires a big carry over part of the lake (that I don't have). Whether you decide to play this or not, you have to take a non-intuitive long walk along the tree line to your left down to a bridge to clear a big bog between you and the hole/other tee. If it's been dry and/or you have good Goretex footwear you might be able to cut across sooner.

Add good signs, mark the tees and and add next tee signs and this course becomes a 4 easy.

The directions from the east on the main page are a little misleading as they suggest the exit is about 20 miles from Leesburg. I measured it at 14 miles from the beginning of the Leesburg bypass on Route 7, 12 miles from the intersection with Route 15, and 10 miles from the Roue 7 business exit just west of Leesburg. It's really not that big a deal as long as you look for the Route 7 Business exit marked for Round Hill/Purcellville, the rest is all perfect. I'll see if I can get this fixed on the main page.

This course should be on your itinerary if you're planning a trip anywhere nearby, it looks like it will only get better.
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4 0
HawaiiJack
Experience: 19 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Pending exceptional? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nicely maintained, wide open course. There seems to be a lot of effort being put in here and this moderate course could be on it's way to greatness. The finishing holes are superb and the scenery along the course is splendid. The multiple tees allow a lot of different experiences.

Cons:

The rough cement tee pads in place now are HORRIBLE. They are an invitation to a knee or ankle injury if you attempt to drive off hard and pivot. Are there plans to place a better surface on these once they are all poured? When I played only hole #12 was still lacking tees and driving from grass was more enjoyable than from these rough tees. Course navigation is difficult particularly finding the start, some of the multiple tee placements, and working your way through #9 - #10 - #11 and the multiple road crossings. The course can be very wet and swampy but also blazingly hot with no shade or relief. The current #18 has wildly separated tees with a basket hidden behind a tree which was hard to locate even with a course map. I had no issues with sports teams or a ball golf driving range as some reviewers mentioned. In fact there is no driving range here now.

Other Thoughts:

This course can be very punishing even though it is so wide open. By wide open I mean there is generally a clear flight line from the tee to the pin, hole #1 being a dramatic exception. I had no business being in the rough but kept finding myself there all day long as many fairways and basket placements are close to it. #12 requires a very precise and accurate drive to clear a large swampy drainage area and land on a narrow ridge before sailing out of bounds into disc devouring hip high weeds. #9 has potential trouble left and right and plasnetic (like magnetic only they attract plastic) fields all along this course seem to suck your disc to places you had no intention to be. I lost one disc, found three, and was inspired to bring coveralls in the future after tangllng with the briars, cutting grass, and sticker bushes. Hole #18 looks like it could become magnificent. It appears there is going to be an option to throw over a lake on the last drive and you will definitely risk losing your disc. There were picnickers present but no alternate basket visible when I played. You will get cheers or boos from the crowd if you decide to try to be a hero here. I hope they put in some of those disc retreivers tethered to a pole or train some dogs to go get your disc as wading in the lake is currently verbotten. Combined with #16 and #17 this will make for an awesome string of holes at the finis. I agree with the reviewer who says he is always inspired to empty the bag while teeing off on #6. It would be fine to bring friends and spend a day at ths park having a picnic, playing a round, then rewarding yourself with time in the pool/water park near the entrance.
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brian j
Experience: 15.7 years 121 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Change From Most VA Courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a great course to air it out and watch your disc fly which is a nice change from most courses in the area. Each hole has three concrete tee pads (some still need to be poured but the frames are in place) and will eventually have two baskets per hole.

Pin placements make excellent use of the elevation change in the park and wind is often in play as this park sits close to Snickers Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The senery is beautiful at Franklin Park and hole 6 to me is the signature hole of the park (some will argue it's 17) and I have emptied my bag many times standing at the top of the hill.

Cons:

Download the course map before you start. There are no signs yet and the course crosses over the park roads a bunch of times.

Football and lacrosse practices will take holes 2, 3, 4, and maybe 6 out of play when they're in season.

Holes 13, 14, and 15 are redundant and could use some trees to make them more interesting.

Other Thoughts:

Franklin Park is the only disc golf course in Loudoun County and the park manager is really trying to create a great course. He's close and once signs are in place and completes the concrete tees this course will deserve four discs.
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