Elkridge, MD

Rockburn Branch - Old Layout

3.525(based on 66 reviews)
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1 0
samxyx
Experience: 5.8 years 31 played 30 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2020 Played the course:once

Other Thoughts:

Fun and challenging course which has a good mixture of open and wooded holes. Most baskets range 330-400 feet from the tee with a few over 400 feet. Course demands both power and precision with the typical shot requiring you to clear 200 feet of open space and then 200 more feet with tight tree coverage. Holes are designed fairly and force you to throw certain shots. There is a 3-hole stretch on the back 9 with shorter, unobstructed baskets which don't match the feel of the rest of the course. The first 3 holes play as open.

Overall this is a very good course with the potential of being great. The main problem is that the course is still a work in progress. Navigation is very hard and you'll get lost if you don't take a picture of the map by hole 1. There is some cleaning up to do around some of the fairways (mainly 17 & 18). A few of the baskets on the back 9 could be reworked to add challenge. Finally, a dangerous, blind shot on hole 10 which crosses a bike path needs to be changed. These, however, are all fixable.

The main thing the course has going for it is the space itself is wonderful. The trees are the perfect density apart for good disc golf. There is ample space to let the disc rip when you have to. The fairways use a great combination of open grass and trees to create challenge. I would not be surprised to come back in a few years and have this be an elite course. If you want to be challenged by far and precise shots with some (but not a lot) of wiggle room for error, this is the course for you.
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7 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.8 years 216 played 182 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Rock Solid Rockburn Branch 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 29, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ About equal presence of open, wooded, and hybrid holes means good variety.
+ Some very wide open holes to allow for max power throws.
+ Clever wooden arrows at the bottom of all baskets point the player towards the next tee.
+ Only one pin in play on most holes, but all holes have multiple possible pin possibilities.
+ Fun elevation challenges at multiple holes throughout the course.
+ The wooded holes are mostly fair and encourage forethought.
+ A few water hazards add to the fun.

Cons:

- The 'current tee' signs ought to be replaced. Most are too badly damaged to be of any use to the player, and some are missing altogether.
- One tee area per hole, and the tee pads are hit or miss among rubber, natural and concrete.
- Some 'next tee' signs at the bottom of the baskets were pointed in the wrong direction. Luckily, they can be moved with some effort.
- The eyehook and padlock system used here for telling players were the pin is located needs to be updated or replaced because multiple 'current tee' signposts were missing them.
- Some of the flight paths share space with walking trails and roads. Please watch for pedestrians and cars.
- No running water anywhere here that I could find. Make it a point to bring your own fluids!

Other Thoughts:

My favorite hole, as I am sure is the favorite of many others, is hole 15. It is a striking downhill tee off that starts among some trees and opens to a wide field below and drops into a creek. My least favorite hole is the one right after it. 16 felt way too narrow, and I didn't like how the player is expected to throw such a blind left turn.

As for the course as a whole, Rockburn Branch is very much worth your time. It is a varied course that takes a player through open, hybrid and wooded holes both with and without elevation. During my session in late August 2018, most of the holes' distances were longer than 350 feet, which makes for a fulfilling session of disc golf. Keep in mind that the pin positions can change- though I do not know how often.
The course itself is implanted within a decent sized community park, but it is clear that the disc golf course was a later development within the park planning because some holes have you throwing over roadways or popular foot traffic areas. During hole 3, for example, it's hard to not feel like a sideshow as you're teeing off so close to a basketball court and a playground right alongside a maintenance roadway.

Thankfully, most of the course plays away from the general public. There are some dense tunnel shots within the woods like hole 7, several lovely downhill open glides like hole 13, two or three water hazard holes and some tree-dodging hybrid holes like hole 6, just to name a few examples. I do think that every disc golfer will find something to enjoy at this course because Rockburn Branch does not overly emphasize any one kind of hole; it is a very good well-rounded course.

The overgrowth needs to be better addressed, though- especially in the back nine's wooded holes. During my most recent session, there was a crew mowing lawns and weed-whacking, but there are undeniably some hard-to-reach spots where ride mowers simply cannot travel. This makes those claustrophobic woods more difficult to manage. Just throw with intent and keep both eyes on the disc, and you should be fine.
So, in closing, make it a point to come this way if you find yourself in the Baltimore/Ellicott City area. I recommend Rockburn to anybody who enjoys getting a wide sampling of everything a disc golf course can offer.
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1 3
Repsaj
Experience: 10 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice course - wide range of terrain 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice course.
Plenty of challenges.
Had to throw all types of throws depending on hole.

Cons:

Tee location and organization was tough. I got lucky and joined up with some locals that were able to show me tee and basket locations.
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3 0
dandther
Experience: 48.8 years 47 played 18 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Good parts are good; Bad parts are bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 5, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Some really creatively designed holes
-Good use of hills, I enjoyed the blind shots
-Multiple basket locations. This is a huge plus if you play the course regularly (which I don't since I don't live anywhere near here).
-Text file in the files section of this site helped tremendously with finding our way around the course. This leads me to the bads...

Cons:

-Navigation is terrible. Many of the tee signs are broken, and they don't give you enough reference to figure out where the basket is, or where the next hole will be.
-Fairways for 3 and 5 are so close together that you could hit someone on the other fairway.
-Baskets should have numbers on them so you know where you are. There should be signs telling you where the next tee is. The navigation is bad for a first-time visitor.
-The rubber tee pads are very slippery. The astroturf pads are even worse. I fell down once teeing off.
-We played in early spring, before there were any leaves on the trees. The narrow fairways on many of the wooded holes were challenging in the conditions. In the summer, they'd be almost unplayable by recreational players.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, a good layout and a good course. My rating would be 3 if there were cement tee pads, and if the broken signs were fixed. Some navigation signs would also help. It would take just a small investment to fix the signs.

Even though this is the closest course to my son's house, I'm not sure I'd come back, especially in the summer when the leaves are full. I liked the holes that were more open, but I'm not a fan of disc golf in the deep woods.
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3 1
Strax Sontaran
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice course, but not worth the drive 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 15, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful setting, mostly manicured, and a nice mix of open and wooded holes. Great up- and downhill holes, and even some historic buildings along the course.

Cons:

The layout is not intuitive! We finished hole #3, went to the next logical tee pad, but it was hole #5. It took us a few minutes to find the basket for #4, then found the tee pad. This was not the last time. We even had a guy with us who had played before. I'm sure it would have taken longer if we had been without him.

Other Thoughts:

If I lived in the Baltimore area, this would definitely be a go-to course! It has some "grip it and rip it" holes, as well as some that challenge accuracy.

I'd go back if I was passing through the area, but not just to play here. That being said, if you are going through, and have time for only one round, this course will not disappoint you.
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7 0
nygfaninva
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.1 years 38 played 36 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I really dug this course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 13, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-18 holes with multiple basket positions
-Tee pads: some rubber, some fake turf
-Maps on most tee pads
-Beautiful park
-Some great up/down elevation shots
-Great mix of open/ wooded
-Creek for OB on some and tight corridor fairways on some as well

Cons:

-Very tough /Near impossible navigation! I can not stress that enough not FTF (First Time Friendly) at all! Even with the print out on this page still hard to nav without a guide.

-Confusing layout (sort of combined with last statement) You actually pass a hole to get to another hole only to return later to passed hole!?

-Old baskets

Other Thoughts:

Other than the confusing layout, this is a very fun course! I was lucky enough to meet up with a group of locals (Thanks Joe and friends!) to play a round with. Without them I can safely say I would never have finished the entire course and that would have been a shame because, spoiler alert, It's a great course!!

-The holes are not impossibly long (even in the long position) nor too short. Not too wooded or too open (a great mix actually). This course is just balanced and right! Great mix of BH Vs. FH drives, great mix of wooded and open, there is even a tight corridor or two (if played as concrete being OB) that can prove very challenging. I hope it shows in the review, because I really dig this course!

-There is even a multi-use playground/recreation area near hole 3 or 4 that is a great addition if you want to bring a family out to use as you throw a round alone!

-The creek adds a hazard to a couple of holes and the elevation shots are a blast!

-Just an overall fun and almost perfect 18 holes of disc golf. I have played far worse, some better, but not too many. If the navigation issues could be fixed this would have rated even higher!

Favorite holes: There were a lot of nominees at this course and I couldn't choose one, but I have to say the holes around the barn and right after the barn (where the elevation comes in) are very fun and memorable! I believe these holes start at 13 or 14 and continue through 15 or 16.
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0 0
Mohawk Mack
Experience: 14 years 20 played 9 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fun Course!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 11, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nice course that starts wide open through the first six holes and then you enter the woods, where as expected, holes get tighter. After holes 7-9 it opens back up again, but holes 10 & 11 you do not want to go right. It's jail and not even a thumber or tomahawk will save you. After that you play around an old farm house which is pretty cool. You'll have two downhill holes and one up hill hole. And then you finish up in the woods but relatively open. Some hole have two pins placements so you get to choose.

Cons:

After hole #2, you have to walk up and around by the basketball courts for the #3 tee. #4's tee box is kinda of hidden behind some bushes, but open your eyes and you'll find it. I always seem to get turned around between #8 and #9 but both paths will get you there.

Other Thoughts:

I like this course. You get a good mix of shots in wide open and tight fairways, good mix for both lefties and righties.
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2 0
bnbanbury
Experience: 80 played 17 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Pretty Park, Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 17, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-As the title suggests this is a beautiful course. Rolling hills, mature trees, several places where you cross a small winding creek or the creek frames the green.
-Good signage. it would seem some of the locals have taken past reviews to heart because every tee post has a new sign attached to the post near the pad.
-long teepads are mostly a pro. A few are made of that green carpeting material which i really dislike personally because they get really slick but most are the rubber flypads which work well
-nice mix of shots off the tee. Threw backhand, forehand, and overhand and discs from putters to high speed drivers. good mix of wooded and open shots as well.
-challenging enough to be fun but not so difficult or unfair as to be a chore. i would think a few stokes under par would be a good round in its current configuration.

Cons:

-the long pin placements are awkward in several places and a few are impossible to access short of a miraculous shot because discs don't fly the way they are laid out. This would be fine if the longs were true par 4s designed to be two shot holes, but what often happens is you are left with a 80-130 foot pitch to the basket whether the drive is great or just average.
-while the fairways are well defined and well maintained, the rough boarding the course is brutally thick. to the point that if you are playing to a pin position tucked into a narrow alley of rough you really have to play it like an island hole surrounded by water. if a disc goes deep off the fairway the chances of retrieving it are slim.

Other Thoughts:

Rockburn provides a really pleasant and enjoyable round of disc golf. the first 5 holes give a chance to air things out on an open track and the wooded holes that follow demand accuracy (along with being a beautiful walk). Hole 9 is one of my favorites, playing either to an island in front of the creek or over depending on pin position. 12 is fun shot framed by a wooden cattle fence on the right and an old barn on the left. 15 is probably the signature hole, teeing from elevation, over the creek and into the wood line.

All in all, Rockburn is a lot of fun and worth a stop if you're in the area. Just pay attention to the holes that have heavy rough near the pins and know which side you can miss on.
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1 1
MarkNizzle
Experience: 14 years 16 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Variety in scenery and shots and challenging. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 1, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

the course starts in a public park, plays through the woods and out onto a farm. along the way you get a lot of variety where all shots and skills are needed. the baskets change here every few weeks giving good replay value to the course.

Cons:

In the summer this course gets wild with overgrowth of poision ivy and sticker bushes. if you play then go for accuracy over distance and wear some good knee high sports socks. holes in the woods 7-9 and 16-18 get very wet after a good rain. i normally wait for 2 days of sun to follow a good storm so your not playing in slushy/swampy conditions.

Other Thoughts:

#15 is the signature hole here. you shoot down from a hill and a old rustic staircase, hoping to cross a shallow stream and make it into the edge of the woods by the basket. always fun to watch a disc fly from the tee and get a good 30-45 seconds of airtime! closest to my new job, starting to become a regular, play about once a week here.
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0 2
xbombtrackx
Experience: 11 years 13 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I'm fairly new so it's a bit challenging in a good way.
Lay out isn't confusing
Good use of the land

Cons:

Swampy in areas after a good rain
Brush is thick in the spring and summer

Other Thoughts:

I'm Staying at a hotel in the area for a couple months and this course is the closest. We play it 3 times a week on average and it's still pretty enjoyable.
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0 2
cmoney49
Experience: 10 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 26, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Course is maintained very nice. It hasn't had all of the brush grow back yet. A wide variety of difficulty of holes.

Cons:

Hole 16's tee box is flooded out and it appears that a new stream will be flowing through there anytime there is rain.

Other Thoughts:

Stop throwing you beer cans/bottles all over the place. There are recycle bins all over the course.
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4 0
Montanaman
Experience: 22.8 years 12 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun, diverse course with long lines 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 5, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Roughly a 40 to 50 minute drive from downtown DC, Rockburn Branch is a fantastic, well developed course in Maryland. The 18 holes have multiple pin locations while most holes have a raised rubber tee. (3 pins, 1 tee). While navigation can be a chore here and there, it's really not too difficult with a map loaded up.

There is a strong mix of technical holes with good old bombers to grip and rip. There is a decent amount of elevation change too for a east coast course. Seems like a lot of the lines are mowed.

Roughly 14 out of 18 holes have mowed grass lays with a good mix of pins in woods. Traffic in early April was light, but with the significant trail development, there may be a mix of users of the park. Holes 11 through 15 are worth playing just for the beauty of the barn and views. We threw every driver we had on hole 13, just an amazing line and view.

Cons:

If you've never played the course, loading a map is a must. It is not intuitive at points to the next hole.

There is only one tee location. The tees are mostly a raised rubber pad. Hole 4 did not seem to have a pad and hole 16 was swamped when we played it.

While many of lines are mowed if you stray it can be pretty hairy out there. With full foliage I could see losing a disc pretty easily.

You cross a significant number of "trails". If there was a busy weekend I could see some park user conflict.

Other Thoughts:

Played while foliage was down, definitely made disc and pin finding a lot easier. Could see full summer leaves take the course up a notch or two in difficulty.

Also hole one has warnings of ticks, snakes and poison ivy. Worth considering.
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3 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.8 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Solid Intermediate Course Everyone Can Enjoy! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Rockburn Branch Park is a large sprawling park with plenty of room for the disc golf course. The course features a wide variety of terrain, from wide open fairways with elevation change, to tight tunnel shots with nasty thick rough to some more wooded holes with a creek that comes into play.

The course starts with a nice information sign and arrows pointing you to the # 1 tee. It has extra long, rubber tee pads. The signs are nice and informative but badly faded in places making them hard to decipher. This course uses a unique system for showing players which placement, A-B-C-D, the basket is currently in. There is a small padlock locked to a hook showing the placement.

The terrain starts with some lovely rolling, grassy hills which then transform into some tighter tunnel holes.

There are benches on many holes.

# 15, as previously mentioned, stands out as the signature hole. Everything about it is pretty special and unique from it's clever tee pad placement to the long downhill throw and then on to the basket across the creek which is tucked into the woods.

Cons:

Navigation is a little difficult at times. Signs were missing or unreadable for 3-4-5. I missed playing # 4, I think. I ran into some locals and followed them which helped out quite a bit.

And navigating around the barn area, # 12-13-14-15 is kind of confusing. The locals explained it to me and I'm still not sure if I played those four holes correctly.

There are some definite "Kiss Your Discs Good Bye" holes here. # 9 &10 are tight and then # 11 is one where an errant anhyser toss might be gone forever.

Other Thoughts:

This is just a good, solid course that most players can play and enjoy. I wouldn't exactly call it newbie friendly but you could bring that newbie here. Maybe have them skip a couple of holes. Advanced players could player here and find challenge.
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2 3
HawaiiJack
Experience: 19 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Map and Navigation file need updating 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 5, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice variety of holes with a mix of open, wooded, elevation changes, and some minor water hazards.

Cons:

Difficult course to navigate.There are changes not reflected on the map nor the "Navigating Rockburn" file on this site. Specifically the tee for #4 has been removed and relocated forward and right into the woods. There is no tee for #15 and the "house" no longer exists, just a foundation. A spotter is useful on many of the holes.

Other Thoughts:

My buddy clanged his tee shot off the porta-potty on #3 (a really bad throw) and a "helpful" foreign lady picked it up and threw it back. We laughed so hard we made him
play his second shot from where the potty lady's throw landed. Too bad she didn't open the door a couple seconds earlier, we'd have made him play his shot from inside the loo.
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0 3
BogeyMurder
Experience: 16.5 years 6 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun course with plenty of variety 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 6, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of variety in holes. Plenty of elevation changes. Park is well maintained and baskets are moved periodically.

Cons:

Not many trash cans. Signs in need of upgrade. Easy to lose discs on certain holes, especially during summer months.

Other Thoughts:

My favorite course in the Maryland area.
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1 2
templink
Experience: 20.6 years 124 played 27 reviews
3.00 star(s)

first impressions 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 7, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice mix of open, tight, uphill and downhill fairways. Water near a couple of baskets adds a nice obstacle. Hole #15 was most memorable. Lots of birdie holes! Very long tee pads allow for a good run up.

Cons:

Many signs missing from tees and most of the baskets were not numbered. Somewhat difficult to navigate, but not impossible. I found all the holes eventually. The rough on some holes is nasty - sticker bushes and such - like hole #11. I would expect to lose a disc or two if I played here often.

Other Thoughts:

Walking though the back nine was quite scenic, especially around the barn and orchard. Definitely would play again next time I fly into BWI.
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0 5
KimBrennan
Experience: 43.5 years 161 played 12 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 23, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Variety of holes. Nice on an autumn day. Rough was relatively easy to deal with. Fairways are clear of trees.

Cons:

Worthless tee signs. Difficult to find the next holes. Be sure to have the map of the course with you the first time.

Other Thoughts:

Tees are acceptable (first time I've played on rubber/astroturf tees). Alternate permanent tees/pins would be nice.
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4 0
JSlavy
Experience: 14.1 years 7 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice Balanced Course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

- Good mix of wooded tunnels, wide open, hyzer and anhyzer holes.

- Many of the C position tees are a beast no matter how hard you can throw. I went today and most of the pins were in C. Very humbling but, in a good way.

- Good variation between pin positions and they are changed often.

- Local group keeps adding rubber and turf tee boxes. good upkeep and improvements all the time.

- Three nice "air it out" shots

- Great use of hills and elevation changes.

- Nice use of the Rockburn Creek on 2 to 4 of the holes (depending on basket position). Creek is very shallow. Discs can easily be fished out with a downed stick. You are better off NOT using a floating disc on hole 9 and 15 as they will sometimes float downstream as opposed to rest in one spot. Holes 9 and 15 always have the creek come into play to some degree. Holes 7 and 8 border the gcreek only when in the C position.

Cons:

- VERY easy to lose a disc. Lots of undergrowth and viney trees to devour discs. I have lost more discs here than any where else. Holes 6, 10, 11 and 15 are the worst offenders and a few bad throws on these holes can lead to almost as much time easter egg hunting as playing the actual course. Unless your game is flawless expect some time bushwhacking.

- Some trees and limbs could be trimmed. Certain branches are in just the right spot to deflect a disc. While this is a nice challenge at times, it can also be annoying. For example, hole 15 could be trimmed to make the opening a little wider. This could relieve some of the problems with lost discs and allow for more of a comfort zone to air out the throw from the hill. One mistake on this hole and you lose a disc. Hole six is also a pinball machine/lumberjack hole and near impossible to not hit a tree. Take a few trees out (and plant some elsewhere) and this would be a more of a skill tee drive and less of a cross your fingers shot. However the big tree on hole 10 is an excellent obstacle that makes you have to execute a hyzer or anhyzer to avoid it.

Other Thoughts:

Overall this course is very good and I'm lucky to have it as my second closest local course. Some minor improvements with the excessive brush on some holes and fairway tree limbs could put it into the upper echelon and with all of the nice work that is constantly being done it may just happen...
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0 4
cschu8
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Worth a visit 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great variety of holes. Uphill, downhill, wooded, open, tight fairways, etc... You have to use all of your shots in your bag.

Cons:

Easy to get lost, some of the signs are no longer effective. Some of the rough is really rough. A little more maintenance is required.

Other Thoughts:

Definitely check it out if you are driving on 95 and looking for a break. It is close to the freeway and the design is really interesting. My favorite part is the section of the course that incorporates some old buildings and downhill holes. Grab a map out of the sign-box before you go. I missed about 4 holes during my round of 18.
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1 2
Chauncher
Experience: 11.9 years 2 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Many Tees Improved - Rubberized 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 30, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Rubber mats on most tee boxes now. Very scenic with good mix of holes. Technical holes with lots of glades and elevation changes. Good blend of shaded vs. open holes.

Cons:

Lots of Poison Ivy in the summer months.
Some tee boxes are just dirt/gravel (not many)
About half the holes require a spotter for novice tee shots to avoid lost discs.

Hole 16 has a huge Environmental Area along the left of the fairway. Send a spotter down for players that throw left fading shots. The EA devours discs.

Other Thoughts:

All in all a fantastically designed course that is well maintained and good for parties. There is a volley ball court here and plenty of parking so you can bring your non-DG playing friends for a day of fun.

Search for Rockburn Elementary on GPS/Google for directions.
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