Pros:
Sherando Park is a simple course that offers some fun plays. With layouts that reward great shot-making, players can see some low scores.
- Don't let the first two holes fool you. Two field holes quickly lead to a series of shorter, hilly layouts in the woods. Some sharp doglegs make holes #3 - 6 (the longest being 201 feet) non-guaranteed 2s. In fact, you might be searching for a disc deep in the woods if you get too aggressive and miss your line.
- For such a compact space, these holes do not feel on top of each other. I felt like I kept winding back and forth, expecting to start overlapping with other holes. Instead, these holes have the proper spacing.
- For a short course - average hole length 260 feet from the regular tees - there's a high risk/reward level here. Average players could play smart, safe, boring rounds and card 54s. Or you can try to be aggressive, even if it's only selectively so, and start seeing your fair share of 2s on the card. Just be prepared for some bogey 4s as well once you start playing that game.
- Not a single blind tee-shot that I can remember. Compared to other courses nearby - Jim Barnett, Signal View, and even, Poor Farm House - you're able to see where you're throwing from the tees. With mediocre tee signs, you need the help.
- #9, 12, and 14 all offer classic straight-line holes with fairways lined by trees on both sides. They range from a tight line on #9 to more spacious fairways on the other two holes.
- The park has some very nice-looking soccer fields. You'll get to see all of them up close and personal during your 5-minute walk from the parking lot to the first tee.
Cons:
Navigation can be greatly improved. The tee signs are useless as there's not much info on them. At least the hole numbers are correct.
- Getting to the first hole, I was thinking about playing the long tee. I couldn't tell for certain if the lone tee pad off to the side was the one for #1. There's another tee pad in the middle of the field that serves no purpose. Perhaps it's for an old layout - #9, perhaps? - or it's another random, unmarked long tee.
- The long tees were clearly put in well after this course was designed. It shows as there are a couple of awkward lines right off the tee pad making for some unnecessarily and unnatural shots. A little more work should have gone in to making a true second layout if that's the intended goal.
- Benches, trashcans, water fountains and other amenities aren't to be found within the course itself. There are picnic tables at hole #1, but that's as close as you'll find.
Other Thoughts:
Sherando Park is a good, change-of-pace course. Being more of a mid-range layout (13 holes are under 300 feet), it gives players a chance to rest their arms and instead focus on accuracy.
- I surmise the fairways are a little tighter in the summer when the trees have full coverage, and are a little more open in the winter, when leaves have fallen. That's a good thing because a couple of holes had low ceilings during my June round.
- LHBH players will enjoy the sharp dogleg rights on #6 & 7. #7 has the added challenge of trees, giving players the option of hitting the narrow route, or going wider, taking the safe route.
- What is it with courses in northern Virginia along I-81 and the inability to have a good closing hole? Probably half the holes on this course would have resulted in a better ending to the round that the wide-open, no-obstacle current #18.
- This was a good, mid-range course. Even if you can't throw a tee-shot more than 250 feet, you'll still be able to make your way around this course in good shape.
- This is an average to slightly above average mid-range course. This falls in the 2.75 range in my book. The near quarter-mile walk to and fro the parking lot is ridiculous. It's also as long as the first 4 holes combined.