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Charlottesville, VA

Miller School of Albemarle - Creekside

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55(based on 2 reviews)
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Miller School of Albemarle - Creekside reviews

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6 0
tlandseadel
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Creekside Course at the Miller School

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 1, 2024 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Absolutely beautiful course offering 2 layouts (1 tee pad 2 baskets). The course is mostly wooded with a couple open holes. The lines are highly technical, but fair. The newly installed turf tee pads are among the best in the state. There is a lot of elevation change throughout the course. 4 of the holes play around a scenic lake and 5 other holes play either next to or over a meandering creek.

The Red Devil layout is short but challenging par 61 design. Advanced players will be looking to stack birdies, and maybe even a couple eagles, but every hole provides opportunity for scoring separation as bad shots can get punished.

Maverick layout is a par 62 requiring many different shot shapes that will test players of all ability levels.

Cons:

This is a private course. Miller club members have access year round, non members need to make an appointment through Devin Crosby and need to play with a member.

The biggest con currently is lack of signage. Signage will come in time, but it has not been a priority as of yet since the course is not open to the public. Everyone playing the course for the first time should be there with an experienced guide.

Other Thoughts:

Hole write up for Maverick Layout

Note: Hole # 1 for casual play is closest to the soccer field and that is where the largest parking areas are located. For a tee time tournament round, we would use hole 11 as hole 1, and the course would start and finish by the lake.

Hole 1: 409' par 4- Players tee off over the creek and throw up a steep hill through a decent sized gap. A perfect tee shot will shape right to left and progress to flatter ground near the top. Be careful though, because a lazy hyzer or a tree kick left could take you OB. From there, players will have an approach to a sloped green with a few trees to miss along the way. This is one of the more difficult holes with lots of scoring separation.

Hole 2: 321' par 3- This hole also plays uphill and requires a shot moving from right to left. There are a couple prominent trees to miss early and a few guardians near the basket, but the fairway is on the generous side.

Hole 3: 219' par 3- Don't let the distance fool you, this is one of the more difficult holes on the course. While the basket sits at a lower elevation than the tee, the fairway actually requires a shot that starts off going uphill through a gap and under some overhanging branches. The fairway doglegs hard to the right and down a very steep hill near where the short basket is located. Be careful to control your angle on the approach! The hill behind the basket can cause rollaways all the way to the creek below.

Hole 4: 444' par 4- One of my favorites, the tee shot moves from right to left and plays downhill into a valley. The approach then goes back up the hill on the other side. There is one prominent tree about 100' off the tee in the fairway that players will need to avoid, along with a few others near the landing zone, and guarding the green area. 2 good placement shots should yield a bridie chance, but get out of position and a big number can happen quickly.

Hole 5: 287' par 3- This hole plays up a gradual hill and shapes left to right with the ground sloping back to the left. There are a couple early trees that could ruin a tee shot, but the gap is generous. The green is also pretty well protected with trees to miss near the edge of C1.

Hole 6: 495' par 4- The first of 2 open holes playing out into a picturesque meadow. The tee is back in the woods and players have to beat about a 15' early gap to get out into the meadow. Any shot that fails to get out results in a re-tee. The fairway is wide in some parts, but pinches down in others that will make you think. With heavy rough to the right side and long grass hazard area on the left, players must stay in the short grass here to score well.

Hole 7: 361' par 3- Another absolutely beautiful hole. The tee is atop a large hill in the meadow, with the basket down at the bottom about 40' in front of the lake. While it is listed at 361', it plays way less than that with the elevation loss. Even a noodle arm like me can get there with a stable fairway. You really do not want to be hitting this sloping green with a fast disc. If you flip your throw to the right side, your disc will land in heavy rough and you might not find it.

Hole 8: 229' par 3- This hole goes slightly uphill and the fairway presents a pretty straight line to the basket. The green is well guarded, so precision is needed with this shot. Also, the left slide of the fairway slopes left toward the lake. While there is a decent amount of land between the fairway and the water's edge, a tree kick with clockwise spin can easily make it to the water.

Hole 9: 411' par 4- Most would call this the signature hole. This one plays downhill through a pretty tight gap to reach the fairway. There is an OB creek running down the left side of the landing area that actually crosses about 15' in front of the basket which rests on a large rock. I have seen advanced level players lace the tee shot and get eagles here, and I have seen those same players hit early, then throw OB a couple times and take some pretty large numbers. This is a great hole.

Hole 10: 468' par 4- This is meant to be the finishing hole for the tournament design and plays as the most difficult hole on the course. Players have a dual fairway off the tee. The low left route is the easier line, but the OB creek runs along the left side of the entire hole. To be in position for birdie, players will need to throw a precise 300' shot on the low side that moves from left to right. In addition to the OB creek on the left, there is another 100' OB spillway area that plays as a forced carry for the approach. Players who are even slightly out of position off the tee will be forced to try to lay up in front of the spillway. From there, it is about 190' to the basket with OB all the way down the left side and multiple trees that can knock your disc into the OB.

Hole 11: 214' par 3- This one might be the easiest hole on the course, but it still has teeth. It plays downhill with the lake on left and a hillside sloping toward the water. If you miss on the right, you will have a difficult time scrambling for par. Preferred play for the righties is a flex forehand, but a straight putter shot can easily park the hole also.

Hole 12: 267' par 3- This one is a pretty straight line to the basket. The tee shot plays slightly uphill and the lake is off to the left side, but a fairly safe distance away from the fairway. A couple big guardian trees in mid C2 make it difficult to get all the way to the basket.

Hole 13: 463' par 4- Another great par 4. The tee shot plays slightly downhill, then back up into the landing zone. The fairway is pretty wide, but beware the bike trail on the right side plays as OB. An early tree kick can find that area. What makes this hole special is the approach. The last 120' of the hole plays down a narrow tunnel to the basket. Any disc that misses the tunnel will need to navigate dozens of small trees to get back in position.

Hole 14: 248' par 3- This is a very unique hole. The first 200' or so is a low ceiling tunnel shot. Then the hole takes a 90 degree dog leg to the left. The intended shot requires either a hard skip left or a roller to get a birdie look. And if you hit early and fail to get to the end of the tunnel, it might not be possible to save par.

Hole 15: 689' par 5- Distance is not the challenge here. Placement and keeping the disc in the fairway is far more important than gaining big distance. The fairway goes pretty straight for the first 250' or so, before bending to the right, snaking back slightly left and then finishing with a final bend to the right. The line is fair and eagle is possible for the aggressive big arms. Beware, however, shots that end up in the rough get punished. Sometimes severely.

Hole 16: 208' par 3: This is a tight gap, but there is a straight line from the tee to the basket. The hole plays across a valley that goes steeply down and then back up. Overall the basket is probably slightly above the tee. Hit the line with a straight flying disc and you should have a birdie look. Beware of roll away potential at the green!

Hole 17: 201' par 3: The tee shot first crosses the road, then must navigate a tight gap and cross the creek while landing softly to hold the green. While the green area is actually a big peninsula, it plays with island rules. Any shot that fails to cross the creek and stay in bounds must proceed to the drop zone, which is currently a 40' death putt back at the creek.

Hole 18: 279' par 3: Another dual fairway hole. Players can take the pure line on the lower left side that runs alongside the creek, or can take the high right side. The right gap is narrower off the tee, but is a bit more generous the rest of the way. The green slopes from right to left and there is a large rock directly in front of the basket.
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5 1
volkl21
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Excellent wooded golf

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 19, 2022 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Highly technical wooded course. Demanding, great use of elevation, and par 4s where careful placement from shot to shot are crucial for birdies. Great mix of lines asking for a variety of shots and to show off different skill sets from a player.

Gorgeous setting with multiple holes played along or over lovely sounding creek. Great rock formations and beautiful Poplar, Oak and Pine tree sections.

Cons:

Teepads are dirt/natural, but plans are to enhance the tee pads and add proper signage once course is done expanding to 18 holes.
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