Pros:
-Great OLD but updated course!!
-Good use of available terrain - Mostly flat & wooded.
-solid concrete tee pads / most holes have 2 tees
-New DisCather Pros / multiple pin placements.
-Great new tee signs.
-Easy to navigate.
-Great opportunity to practice a variety of shots & accuracy.
-little opportunity for lost discs or super frustration.
-Restrooms (Not near course - you will have to travel to another area of the park)
-Many trash cans / Pretty clean course
-Course plays quick - great for a round at lunch or the quick DG fix.
-Park has camping, water park & boat launch
-Opportunity for wildlife spotting - Park is on Pohick Bay & Mason Neck is just down the road.
-Dedicated locals / Course is being well maintained (Donations accepted)
Cons:
-No big boomer holes / Leave your cannon at home.
-Some OB (an errant drive may put park road & putt putt course into play)
-Park is not near much civilization such as shops or restaurants. (Perhaps not a con?)
-Restrooms are not near the course and are sometimes locked depending on time of year.
-May have to pay to enter park depending on the time of the year.
Other Thoughts:
If Virginia had a museum for old DG courses, Pohick Bay would be a prime exhibit. To the Newbie, it may seem to be a rinky dink little course but to the old time local, we have fond memories from times when this was one of the few courses around. If you take a moment, you will notice the tress have Gak Scars from decades of misguided drives. The course has introduced thousands of new players to the game during that time as well.
The new baskets have given the place a much needed face lift and instantly bumped my rating for this course up a point. The park manager is putting in the time and money to give the place a fresh look. and the locals have responded as well. The new tee signs plus the renovated and new teepads gave it another .5. The majority of play is in the woods and the fairways are well defined. It is still the tricky, little course in the trees that it has been for 30+ years, but an errant drive isn't going to kill your scorecard too often. Most holes are deuceable and many make for great ace runs. In contrast, the alternate tees make you play a few hole for a 3.
It's nostalgic, a novelty and one of the great old ladies of Northern VA. Sometimes it's nice to hang out in a museum.