Pros:
Landscape, setting, varied challenges per hole. Excellent signage and nice tees. A good number of truly distinctive holes, including one of the best in the state.
Cons:
Thickets and underbrush, especially on the back, could lead to a fair amount of time searching for discs.
Other Thoughts:
Located a few miles south of Charlottesville in rural Albemarle County, Walnut Creek is among the most scenic disc golf courses I've played. The course is wonderfully laid out and takes full advantage of its natural setting, and requires the full range of disc golf skills. The course is also rough around the edges and unforgiving, with thick, punishing rough on many holes. So bring your camera, some spare discs, and bug spray, and enjoy this beautiful course.
Walnut Creek is a mostly woods course set among the beautiful Central Virginia foothills and overlooking a picturesque resevoir. The layout of the course is well considered, with a good variety of longer holes interspersed with holes requiring left or right hook, or up or downhill shots, or a combination of all. Extensive work has obviously gone into clearing the fairways, which are challenging without being unreasonable. Watch out if you veer off the fairways, though; the woods are thick and unforgiving, and nasty thorns add an extra penalty on some holes Even when you don't have a view of the lake, which is most of the time, the woods are exceptionally beautiful and serene, however, with lots of established hardwoods. This is also one of the hilliest courses I've played, with lots of steep up and down. The finish of the course is the best, with an interesting hole 16 requiring a shot down into a gully along the side of a steep incline followed by the steep hike up to the tee for 17, one of the best holes I've ever seen, with perfect view of the lake, beach, and foothills, and a long, significantly downhill shot to a basket nestled against a mountain stream and the treeline. This hole is actually comparable to the famous Top of the World shot at DeLaveaga - the hill is just as steep, nearly as high, the hole is almost as long, just the view isn't as expansive, but I think it's just about as beautiful. #18 comes back across the edge of the lake and requires precision and features a great view too.
Finally, Walnut Creek is long on playability. Two tees and two baskets and two perfect signs for every hole. Many interesting and challenging pin placements. Two water holes, including a potentially unique #18 that long-to-long requires two separate water carries. Long, stable tee pads. Along with the excellent variety of holes, wonderful landscape, and great views, Walnut Creek has to be one of the better courses in the region, if not the country. Overall I rate this course as Excellent, and well worth a road trip to play.
Favorite Hole - #17 - Tee on top of a steep, steep hill with a beautiful view of lake and surrounding foothills. Wide open shot across field to basket protected nestled against a mountain stream and the treeline.