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Baldwin City, KS

Baldwin City Lake

2.935(based on 7 reviews)
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Surge5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9.8 years 167 played 167 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Prairie Grass Pit 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 9, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 holes with some OB danger all around. The satellite image tee signs are surprisingly helpful in navigating the course as they have the other tee locations marked if they are in the image (e.g. 5's tee by 4's basket).

A lot of really good holes on the back half of this course. 14 is a nice uphill challenge with trees within 15' of the pin that will punish you for going long. 15 is a true 2-shot hole with a looming tree on the right side of the fairway about halfway down. 16 is a huge hyzer (which should be a par 3) , and then 17 is a short blind hole with a thin gap off the tee and finishing a bit right. I wish there were more inspired holes like this around the lake, but the only other one with decent challenge was hole 7. A 250' downhill with the pin tucked behind a tree with a real large crown.

Several shorter layouts can be made since 1-3, 4-10, and 11-18 all loop back to the start. This also means that the baskets of 3 and 18 can be used for putting practice before your round.

A very quiet area. There may be a few fishermen, but it's unlikely you'll bother them.

Cons:

The rough is horrible. It's probably not as big an issue for the beginning of the year, but in September a lot of it was chest-high and thick. It borders both sides of ten holes, while on one side of a further four. Searching is bad enough, but along with it is the thorns all over and the reed canary grass near the water that will rip you to shreds if you get your leg against it. If you go in the reeds... you're going to have a bad time.

So many uninspired holes. 1-3 are all just mowed strips of land, 4-6 have a little water danger but aren't too much to worry about (except for the murder reeds on 4), and the rest are just filler to move you to the next area of the course (8, 10, 18).

There are no tee pads, which leads to the tee area getting a little marshy. The baskets aren't that great, but are still better than a Veteran. Hole 11's basket has been badly vandalized.

Navigation is a lot easier due to the signs, but some of those signs have alternate tees which are nowhere to be found on the course.

Hole 13. The undefined tee areas make this hole either a ridiculously sharp dogleg, or a straightforward ace run based on where you choose to tee from.

Other Thoughts:

There's a lot of land that isn't used, and that's a shame. There's some elevation, some really great two-shot shapes that could be made... and it's all just... prairie grass. A redesign to remove holes 4-8 and make some real tough holes around the 1-2-3 loop and in the woods south of 13 would improve this place a lot.

Is this worth driving out to from KC or Topeka? Unless you just want to check it off your list, then no. Running the pin risks having to search for your disc for 20 minutes, but laying up just isn't as fun, now is it?
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7 0
Rob Martin
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 14 years 328 played 41 reviews
2.00 star(s)

HAD potential. 2+ years

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

Pros:

Good signage has been installed.
Score card/maps near Hole 1.
Actually very interesting shot selection.
Has a Portapoty.
If they took care of the cons, this could be a 3.5 easily.

Cons:

When this was first installed over a year ago, the installation was kind of a slow progression. However, it seemed like the upkeep has stalled out. Hole 3's basket could be ripped out of the ground as it is very loose. The baskets themselves are not the greatest - an off brand made in southern Kansas. Due to poor installation, the height of the baskets, from top of the basket to the chain apparatus, varies from hole to hole.

The biggest disappointment is the tall grass fairways of Holes 1-3, 11, 13-16, Not only are the fairways too narrow, but they are getting even narrower. Particularly holes 14-16, they are not mowing them as wide as they were when the course was first installed, and even then they needed to be wider yet. Hole 12 originally had a tunnel shot through the woods to an open green. The tunnel has grown shut.

No running water.

Other Thoughts:

I'm hoping the city steps up the upkeep of this course. If they don't, I probably won't be back.
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