Olathe, KS

Lakeside Hills DGC (Birdland)

3.955(based on 21 reviews)
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14 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.5 years 1165 played 745 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 14, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lakeside Hills DGC is built on a beautiful piece of property overlooking a lake on numerous holes of the front nine. The course features some pretty extreme elevation changes throughout. Not mountain golf but some nice undulating terrain featuring a good mix of up and downhill shots with enough level shots to even out.

The tee pads are concrete. All are plenty big enough, level and have good grip. Many of the holes have large stones bordering the back and/or sides of the pads. These serve as decent benches and great spots to set your bag. The also make it pretty easy to spot where the pad is. Nice touch. The whole area surrounding the tee pads is crushed gravel. Just visually appealing tee areas. Nicely done.

The baskets are Innova Discatchers with the yellow top bands. These are all in good shape and catch great. Two possible tee positions on every hole. Some are offset to one side or another, but most just seemed to add distance. Either way, better than a single placement. The baskets where pretty evenly mixed between short and long placements during our visit.

The main challenges here are going to be the elevation and the wind. The wind can wreak havoc if it's really blowing, and it's KS, so that's probably pretty often. There are enough trees to keep it interesting though. Just enough on the more open holes. There's a few "wooded" holes scattered throughout which breaks up the monotony a bit too.

The design is really well done with the space available to work with. Solid mix of distances and really good flow from hole to hole. Where there's longer walks there was generally a next tee sign pointing you in the right direction. The front and back 9's each end near the parking lot which is nice as it's quite a hike.

The tee signs are solid. They feature a basic course map, hole #, par(s), distances to each pin and a next tee arrow on the map. More than serviceable signage. And as mentioned above, there's plenty of next tee signs where needed throughout the course.

The course is permanent and free to play. Not sure how busy it gets, but I'd imagine not as much as the other shorter park courses in the area.


Cons:

The course starts to feel a bit repetitive by the end. They did what they could with the land, but it all starts to blur together by the end.

A few long transitions from one hole to the next. I get that it was done to create better holes, but it's already a hike just playing the course. Not so much a con as a forwarning.

The sun is relentless out here. They do a good job of putting quite a few tees in the shade but you'll still be standing out in the sun for the vast majority of your round. It really saps your energy, at least it did for this WI guy.

The tee sign maps seemed off on a few holes. Nothing egregious, but they certainly didn't seem "to scale" necessarily on all the holes. You can see most of the short pins from the tee, the long positions is where this is most apparent.


Other Thoughts:

This was a fun course. I don't generally like open, ball golf types of courses but this one was pretty good. The elevation is the saving grace or this would just be an average course in my book.

I'd recommend giving this one a shot if passing through. It's a fun course, but it will take you awhile to play it, so keep that in mind. I haven't played anything else in this area, but this was a good one.
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10 0
Pevio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.5 years 194 played 122 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Challenging, Hilly, and Fun 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 3, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lakeside Hills, recently redesigned, has a great mix of short and long holes, par 3 and 4, and great hill usage. The uphill holes (1, 4, 8, and 10) are some of my favorite uphill holes I've ever played, since those are usually filler holes on other courses.

Tee pads, signs, and baskets are good quality. There's good signage to help you find the next tee. Rocks serve as benches on roughly half the holes, and there's a new wooden staircase to help you get to hole 4's tee, an area that is often muddy.

The only holes that are heavily wooded, holes 4, 5, and somewhat 18 and 10, are really challenging and provide a nice variety away from the openness of everything else. But maybe 4 is a little too tight, though two great shots will certainly get you to the long pin.

Most holes have some kind of opportunity to air it out, while still having some danger. Holes 3, 13, and 16 have a low ceiling off the tee, 1, 16, and 17 have OB, and the hills provide danger of sailing long or having awkward putts. Hole 9 is a far downhill shot like none other due to trees forcing a higher line than would be optimal. Hole 18 has a weird line into the long position, but a good drive will have a somewhat open approach.

On the longer holes, there's still some variation and obstacles to avoid. Unless you're able to place your disc in the same spot off the tee, approaches will vary wildly from round to round. A small difference in drives can result in different angles to the basket for your second shot. So even if you won't be hitting any trees off the tee, there is still reason to put the disc on a certain side of the fairway.

Cons:

Most holes, including pretty much every hole on the back 9, play directly either north or south. It gets repetitive, especially when there is little variance with wind direction. Speaking of wind, parts of this course are pretty elevated, so there's a lot of wind sometimes.

A few of the par 4's don't quite stand up to standard. They're still fun and challenging, but a long shot can get pretty far down there. At the same time, there are a couple of par 3's that play as two-shot holes, despite being labeled otherwise. As a result, several holes will have pins whose pars don't make sense for several skill levels.

There's some opportunity for mud after rains, but grass has grown on the new hills in the last year, which should keep everything mostly dry.

A handful of holes seem like filler to me. Hole 2 is just straight uphill and pretty boring, holes 6 and 7 are flat and a little boring, and hole 15 is unexciting as well. I don't think any of those add anything to the course. A few of the open holes on the back nine can start to get repetitive, although they do all have a different fairway shape to them. I'm also personally not a fan of hole 16, due to the low ceiling, then odd upslope. It's unique, but in a bad way in my opinion.

Other Thoughts:

This course has finally recovered from the redesign when the rest of the park was improved and a new road ruined a couple of the former holes. Only holes 1, 9, and 10 are the same as the original layout. With signs and grass, it is in good condition. However, I think there was some missed opportunity to have some really awesome holes, even a par 5 or two. There's certainly the land for it, especially if the pond near hole 3 was available.

There's a path running through parts of the course, mainly coming into play on holes 1, 3, and 17. Make sure to avoid other park users, but the path does make a challenging OB element on those holes, especially since 1 and 3 have woods on the opposite side of the fairway as the path. Fortunately, it's easy to see if there's anyone coming on all those holes.

I really like this course. I think it's one of the more challenging and accessible long, open courses out there while still managing to give a different experience every time. This is certainly a round down to get to a 4.0 review for me.
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14 0
Surge5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.3 years 175 played 174 reviews
4.50 star(s)

No Hill Left Behind 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 22, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

DisCatchers

Practice basket.

Elevation is used incredibly well, and several holes use it in ways I've never seen done before (plateau green on 11, 12 plays down the top of a 350' hill with a fairway about 12' wide).

The course is out of the way of the rest of the park, but if you need a restroom they are nearby (near 3/4).

Easy to play just 1-9 or 10-18 if you want. Neither is better than the other.

Very few holes feel like "park golf." 6, 7, and 15 were the only ones that felt that way.

Elevated tees help out a lot on a 550' par 3... oh and the other holes, too.

Navigation is some of the best around. Either signs near the end of every hole point you to the next one, or it's painfully obvious where the next tee is.

Weirdly, it's a very open course while still feeling technical. On par 4s, your drive can land kinda anywhere, it's your second shot that counts.

Cons:

Some of the baskets are damaged.

A few of the holes on the back nine get a little repetitive. Long flat drive, second shot, hopefully have a putt. 13, 14, 17, and 18 are the worst offenders.

Some of the new signs are a little misleading. Hole 10 shows the long pin being straight out when it is actually about 50' off to the right.

Other Thoughts:

This is one of the best courses I've played just golf-wise. It's on the very low side of moderately wooded, with only 3 holes having major woods to deal with, but the use of elevation and hills is so unique and challenging that you'll enjoy many, many trips here. Even on the "boring" holes the trees are placed to be in the way, but a good shot will keep you safe. Could use a little more grass in areas to keep from getting muddy, but outside of that this is a near perfect course
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9 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 21.4 years 562 played 429 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Lakeside Landing 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 22, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

What I like about Lakeside Hills DGC is the elevation changes. My favorite element in course setting. There is at least a little on most holes here, and a whole lot on a couple of them.

Other positives are the great concrete tees and signs, good baskets with dual pin positions on many holes, converging nines layout, and a little water and woods here and there. There are some very long holes, as well as a few birdie opportunities. Par varies depending on pin position, and some of the par 3's are quite lengthy.

Hole 1 is a good start, a long uphill drive with a pond near the short pin. Hole two was a nice one also, teeing over a ground swell to a blind pin that is down the other side of the hill a fair distance. Hole 4 is a fun drive out of the trees, and a good birdie chance if pin is in the short. Number 9 is long and downhill, and takes a good snap to keep from fading out against the lakeside breeze. The back nine starts uphill again on 10, this time through a corridor of trees until it flattens out. 17 is a massive downhill drive has a couple of mature trees to get around. The finish is strong, maybe my favorite hole here and one of the most wooded. It is moderately downhill and there are gaps that constrict the line.

Cons:

There are holes that are long and mostly open, that can be a bit dull. Long distance may frustrate newbies and those with limited distance.

I did turn one over and lose sight of a disc on hole 15, and it sailed away down the hill to the right side, never to be found. It was a nice red and yellow tie dye Tee Bird I have had for a while.

The great weather brought out lots of disc golfers, and a large group caused some delay.

Other Thoughts:

DGCR app listed par at 56, but I'm not sure if every hole was accurate to the par for pin locations that day. I was way over what ever actual par was, at 67. Even the three birdies couldn't help me from being double digits over par.

Birdland kind of reminds me of a more tame version of Blue Valley in KCMO. Fun and well designed, but not as much elevation change or trees. It is one I will give my seal of approval. One of many great courses in the area, and worth checking out.
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9 1
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.4 years 512 played 183 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Lakeside Hills: quite appropriately named 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 28, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nicely balanced course that sprawls around a somewhat self-contained section of a large, multi-use park.

• Variety: Very good. About 2/3rds of the fairways are relatively open, allowing for multiple lines off the tee; about 1/3rd are well-wooded, limiting you pretty much one line; provides decent balance overall.

• Challenge: Good. Better suited to advanced players. Rec and Intermediate players probably won't even sniff course par because of the length on some of these holes, but nothing's intimidating. Many holes are pretty open off the tee, but make you work around some well-placed trees on approach shots, so precision with putters/mids will be rewarded. I don't recall any truly weak holes... all of them made you earn a par.

• Elevation: Very good. Plenty of it, used in a variety of ways to keep things interesting.

• Aesthetics: Very nice. Wonderful views of the lake on several holes. Pleasant rolling hills and nice woods make for a great setting.

• Equipment: Good. Decent tees. Yellow Innova are easy to spot in the distance. Good signage to help you around.

• Navigation and Flow: Good. Loops back to parking after #9 (particularly convenient to refill with fresh water if you stashed a cooler in your car). Only a few spots where we used the map (from 9 to 10, and 10 to 11), but it's not really a necessity. Transitions nicely from woods to open holes back to wooded a couple of times.

• Cart Friendly: Yes.

Cons:

• Several holes where walking path can come into play and one hole where a road with cars could.
• Limited parking.
• No bathroom (porta john before 1st hole).
• Despite 6 or so holes being well-wooded, the course plays excessively long and straight off the tee. Several holes "allow" for various lines off the tee, but few actually "require" something other than long and straight ahead... needs a few holes that actually require you to shape a shot.

Other Thoughts:

Wind is likely to be a factor, especially on holes 5- 9, and 13-17. Misreading the wind or poor decision making can add a lot of extra strokes on the long, open holes.

Strings together several open holes in a row, so there are stretches with little to no shade on hot days.

Makes an excellent complement to Heritage Park (about 10 miles away). Both courses are very good, with each providing what the other is missing. While neither course puts it all together (which keeps me from rating either one higher), they make an ideal pairing for a great day's discing.
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1 2
jayman
Experience: 9.4 years 9 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Love it. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 6, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Versatile course. Open and closed, short and long fairways with drastic elevation changes.
Most holes have maps

Cons:

Lots of snakes
short tee pads
Some maps scratched out

Other Thoughts:

Great course that calls for every shot in your arsenal
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3 2
BongoBird
Experience: 37.7 years 1 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Challenging and scenic Birdland 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 15, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is on land once used as a ball golf course. The City maintains the mowing extremely well. The course is challenging and flows well. The Innova Pro baskets catch great. There are many nice scenic views and a serene feel on this course.

Cons:

There are no restrooms and parking near hole 1 for only about 25 cars.

Other Thoughts:

I am somewhat biased as I am the designer and live 5 minutes away, but this is one of my favorite courses to play in the Kansas City area.
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3 7
JohnDeere
Experience: 8.4 years 11 played 8 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Amazing course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 5, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

My favorite course of all time it offers so much shot selection that it is fun for everyone and anyone can play good on it weather you have a 500' drive or a great 300' hyzer flip
Great navigation has signs telling you where to go
Multiple baskets to shoot at every hole
Great unique tee pad setup
Little chance of loosing discs
Elevation changes
Long distance holes
Finnese shots

Cons:

A couple of the tee signs were stolen
Lack of parking available

Other Thoughts:

Geat challenging course
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2 5
n.maglio
Experience: 11.4 years 36 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not a super exciting course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 25, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fun course with a fair amount of elevation change. Lots of distance. And fairly open holes.

Cons:

If you haven't played the course before or if baskets get moved around you'll have to walk the fairways to get an idea of location. Not all pads have tee signs and the ones that have them arent super accurate. Nothing super technical. But that was only my first impression after only playing once on a pretty windy day.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed this course but it is definitely a course better suited for moderate to experience players. I was playing with some beginners and if you can't crank a drive 325'+ you are going to run up a lot of strokes.
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4 1
SirDreward
Experience: 15.3 years 38 played 23 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A great reuse of an old ball golf course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 3, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Well maintained
- Great tee pad setup (concrete pads with lots of rock around them, signage, and benches and/or boulders, and pretty consistently shaded)
- Well signed
- Area the course is in is dedicated to the course
- Old golf cart paths follow some of the course
- Some pretty good elevation changes

Cons:

- Not enough trash cans
- Could lose a disc pretty easily
- No convenient restrooms

Other Thoughts:

This course plays more towards the strengths of distance players as opposed to technical players, especially when the baskets are at their long positions. Water is only really a hazard on hole one and wind can be a big issue. The course seems so big it rarely seems all that crowded to me.
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10 0
air show
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.8 years 223 played 27 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Borderline 5 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 30, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Concrete tee pads, Discatchers, and signs with footage.
- A serious disc golf course with only DG traffic.
- Long and challenging resulting in an arm and leg workout.
- Elevation changes on most holes.
- 7 or 8 bomber holes.
- Easy to navigate.
- "Tree Pads" - Most all tees have shade trees.
- Tee areas are stunningly well manicured.
- Large stones by tee pads double as benches and landscape markers.
- During growing season rough is tall but fairways are manicured giving
the course a ball golf feel.
- Holes 14 through 17 are four of the most picture perfect disc golf holes I have ever thrown.
- After hole 9 you can swing by car to grab more goodies.
- I have played this course over 10 times in the last two years and the turf has always been maintained beautifully. One of KCs best.

Cons:

- Can be somewhat busy during prime throwing hours.
- May be a little open for the technical crowd.
- Pack water, bug spray, and a sweat towel.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a serious challenge demanding concentration and stamina to score well. Though the course is only two years old, it has matured overnight into one of KCs most premier
disc golf destinations. When people mention courses such as Wyco, Water Works, Blue Valley, Swope, Cliff Drive, and Rosedale this course can be added too that list of championship level courses. The parks dept. and course designers should be commended for creating such a beautiful disc golf course. The disc golfers in KC are some of the luckiest throwers in the world.

Happy Putting

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2 1
akray21
Experience: 10.5 years 14 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Pro 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 8, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

After visiting this course today (3/8/2015) I had to update my review. It looks like the course has been worked on and updated for the 2015 season. My overall score on this course has gone way up as most of the negatives have been addressed. The improvements are listed below.

- Front 9 is the best half of a course in KC area.
- Fun challenging holes

Cons:

- Tee pads are too short

Other Thoughts:

1. I love the new hole 12. One large tree in the middle of the fairway has been cut, as well as two directly guarding the basket. Instead of having to lob a shot over the trees to the basket, you now have the option of a low line drive up the middle.

2. Hole 11 basket is on the hill right now. This placement is far superior to the previous placement

3. Underbrush has been cut down.
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2 0
Pbrice
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 27, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Variety in holes. Great Scenery. Concrete tee pads. Multiple pin placements. Disc only land, so no walkers or picnickers. Trash can and seating at every hole.

Cons:

Three holes on the back 9 are very similar, they vary in length but feel to similar. No restroom Facilities, unless you count an out of place looking porta potty near hole 15 I believe.

Other Thoughts:

This is my new favorite course.
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4 2
Jayhawker10
Experience: 10.7 years 9 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Lakeside Hills (Dirty Bird) 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 18, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Overall, it is a decent course but I must say that it is not exactly my type of course that I like to play.

- Front 9 was very fun to play with a fun mixture of hole types.
- Not too difficult to navigate although can be tricky if you have never played before. There is signage that aids and does a good job for the most part.
- Not as crowded as most courses in the area so did not have to worry about waiting or running into other people. I played on a Sunday afternoon (Prime time).
- New tee boxes with more than adequate rest areas if you need them.
- Plenty of trash cans so litter was non-existent.
- Easy to locate the baskets, which were practically in brand new condition.

Cons:

- Personally, I did not care for the back 9 much. Holes 14-17 are very repetitive and I do not have the best "bomb" shots out there so I was at a distinct disadvantage on these holes. Nonetheless, if I did have a "bomb", I probably would have enjoyed these more.
- Concrete tee boxes were too short for me personally. Felt like I was going to roll an ankle off the front them.
- Way out in southwest Olathe.
- No restrooms or water fountains. I don't find this to be an issue because I always bring water and never use the facilities at courses anyway.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, it is a good course for people who are experienced and have the ability to throw a good tee shot. You might want to consider bringing water as you will need it due to the amount of distance between holes and the distance of the course itself. It was fun to play but will be visiting other courses in the area that I have not played before going back.
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3 0
chaddyboy_2000
Experience: 23.4 years 24 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great new course in Olathe! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lakeside Hills contains a great combination of some shorter, technical holes, and some super long, let 'er rip holes, with a lot of variation in between those extremes. Many interesting holes without anything being overly frustrating if you screw it up. There aren't a ton of places where you're going to be searching and searching for a disc, but there are definitely places that will be more than just an inconvenience if you find yourself there.

The terrain is also used very very well. The course gradually leads you up the hills, many times in interesting ways, such as a few blind shots where you only see the location once you get uphill. You're also rewarded with a few big throws from the top of the hills, which is always very satisfying to watch it glide down the hill.

Navigating the course is an absolute breeze, as nearly every basket has a sign near it pointing you to the next tee. There's really only one transition from 9 to 10 that would be tough without the signage, but it's definitely appreciated.

Cons:

The main cons are mostly due to the course being so new.

The first is that there are not any signs at the tees showing the pin locations and distance. It was actually kind of fun to explore this way the first time out, but will definitely be necessary once they have multiple pins in place.

Which brings us to the second con; there is only one pin per hole currently. However, it is obvious that the holes are set up such that there will be many interesting alternate placements. I would wager they thought about multiple placements when this was planned, so I look forward to the course's continued improvement.

Other Thoughts:

An amazing course for a course that is so new, and I can see this being a real gem of a course in Olathe.
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11 0
jjw4ucm
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.3 years 42 played 36 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Worth the 30+ mile drive!

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 13, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

UPDATE: This course got a significant brain transplant with the construction of a new road and some various work by the City of Olathe. The designers did a fantastic job here and the course plays even better than it did before; a few of the holes are slightly different, but extremely well thought out, beautifully landscaped, and just as challenging as ever.

With the new updates, some of the monotony on the back 9 has been alleviated. There are some very cool throws off of platforms that really let you air out your disc while still being challenging. Original review from 2013 follows:
____________

This course used to be a ball golf course, and the way they used the lay of the land is fantastic. It plays very well and has something for every player. There's very straightforward holes with minimal elevation change, tunnel shots, technical holes, and lots of other fun with the rolling hills.

Gorgeous views of Lake Olathe from several of the holes.

Not very crowded yet. We had a few groups playing around us, but nothing major.

Tees are now concrete, with pea gravel all around them. Big flat rocks take the place of benches throughout the course.

This course is probably a bit above our skill level, but even as such, we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Even when we did horribly at a hole or two, I could see where the designer was going with the layout and appreciated it greatly.

Navigation is somewhat intuitive, and generally there are signs to guide you to the next hole. Just be aware of the longer hike to the left after you finish hole 9.

This course is out of the way somewhat. We were there on a gorgeous day and there was almost nobody there, minimal road noise, etc. On the back holes you feel like you're almost in the middle of nowhere; great for concentrating on your shot without road noise or other distractions.

Feel free to zip over the lake to the Lake Olathe beach afterwards and cool off with the beverage of your choice. Swimming isn't technically allowed, but we liked the touch of having something right next to the course to do after, since we traveled over 30 miles to get here.

Several trash cans around for all your refuse needs.

There was very little trash scattered on the course; maybe just because it's new and hasn't been played as much, but it let us enjoy the nature of the area even more than usual.

I came back in early November 2013 to play a round and was pleased to find the course still very well maintained. It has shaped up nicely and although they haven't made any upgrades, this tranquil, gorgeous course was still a ton of fun to play.

Cons:

UPDATE (6/4/2024): Note that the cart paths have been removed, negating that gripe below.

Again, since this was an old ball golf course, there are cart paths everywhere; sometimes these can come into play if your disc lands on them just right.

The last few holes (14-17) got somewhat repetitive, and were basically switchbacking over the same section of ground with minimal changes between them. The rough around those holes is also VERY tall and we almost lost two discs in it, so be accurate and careful!

Watch for poison ivy/oak! My burning, itching legs urge you not to make the mistake I made.

Try to stay out the rough -- I've never played a course with so many burrs! I had to throw out the long socks I (thankfully) wore to this course.

This is part of it being a new course, but there are no real signs, just markers indicating the hole number. Also, no bag hangers or benches.

Parking is fairly minimal, and just along the side of the road. Not a big deal when we were there, but it might be if this course gets busier.

Other Thoughts:

UPDATE (6/4/2024): With the course's recent brain transplant, new signage, new tees, and ongoing maintenance, I had to bump this to a 4.5 when viewed in context of the other courses in the area. The new positions have helped break up the monotony that was present on the back 9 pretty well, and the new holes really add to the variety on the course. You definitely won't get bored out here. This is objectively one of the best in the area now IMO.

For visitors to KC or anyone else, this is way out on the far southwest edge of the metro. You can make the judgement on whether it's worth coming to; I personally think it's very unique and a very fun play. Of the farther-out suburban courses I've played, I might actually recommend it for something different if you're from out of town.

This course is very long, and there's not a convenience store or anything too terribly close. I might bring water and a snack if you're not used to the long hike.

The first half of this course, even without the signage and benches, almost deserves a 4.5 in my book. The back half is slightly less exciting, but it has enough right-left/left-right and elevation change opportunities to keep it interesting.

Since the course is long, it does take a while to play, but I think it was definitely worth it. Gorgeous views, nicely done! Can't wait to see this course grow and mature over time.

UPDATE: Not sure if they added pin positions between when we first played in September and when I came back in November, but for holes 1 and 10, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?! 1 was already a pretty long slog up a hill, and they basically just extended it about 50-100 feet. 10, instead of being a neat uphill tunnel shot, now has a fierce left dogleg that goes about 100 feet -- then you have to double back over it to get to 11. Also, with no signs up, they should be pretty careful moving pins around as to not confuse us too terribly much. Course is most definitely still a 4!
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5 0
bball7273
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.1 years 72 played 40 reviews
4.00 star(s)

This is a fantastic course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 30, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- This course uses every element the land has to offer like woods, hills, etc. to make this the best course it could be.
- Tee stations are very nice! Concrete tee pads were very long and grippy. Gravel around the tees was good to keep it from getting really muddy. Large rocks at tees are a good natural bench and each hole has a tee number so you know what hole it is.
- Fairways are mowed very well to tell where the pin is and are just really nice looking
- Brand new Discatcher pro baskets are always a huge plus in my opinion
- Scenic views of the lake and beyond
- Tons of variety in each hole! I had to use every throw and every disc I had on this course to score well!
- Natural flow of the course was pretty good and navigation was a breeze with the next tee signs
- Excellent variety of lengths. Some holes were very very long and others were super short. This really adds to the fun factor
- Very challenging course layout!
- Good park and grass was pretty well mowed

Cons:

- I do wish they had tee signs that gave distances and told where the basket was becuase this would be useful.
- Some holes had a longer than normal walk to the next tee, especially from nine to ten
- Brush has tons and I mean TONS of burrs that get all in your leg hair and socks and tons of poison ivy so stay in the fairway!
- Would have liked some multiple pin locations to mix it up
- Rock benches were a little too close to the tee pads on some holes and sort of crowded even though there was room to put them somewhere else

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this is a pretty good course that uses the rolling hills very well and is just really well designed. I would like to come back and play this course another time and it is worth the stop.
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8 0
bigreddog
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 207 played 63 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Best course in Johnson County 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 30, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

There is a huge variety of openness on this course, ranging from almost wide open to very technical in places. More of the open holes on the front in the 5-9 range with technical shots being holes 3, 4, 10, 11, and 18. 10/10

Most of the holes can be played in different ways, with different shot paths to the hole. Decisionmaking required 10/10

This course does a fantastic job of using the obstacles they have available to them to create a variety of challenges to the holes. The course feels a lot more wooded than it actually is because of how well placed the obstacles are. Some holes only have a few trees but they really impact shot selection. 10/10

A lot of effort has been put in for this course. Concrete tee pads and benches were added awhile ago. Unfortunately the benches are just large rocks, but it's better than nothing. They have cleared out most of the thorny branches from the rough. Ticks were initially a problem, but well mowed. Tee signs have been added and branches have been trimmed when necessary. There are still no bathrooms or running water. Course maintenance 9/10

Baskets are brand new discatchers and tee pads are concrete. These could probably be a little bigger, but they do the job. There is also pea-gravel surrounding them to help prevent erosion. 9/10

There is a nice variety of shot paths required. Holes 3, 6, 9, 11, and 13 require left to right while 4, 5, 13, and 18 require right to left. 9/10

Navigation between holes is intuitive and there are signs pointing to the next hole in some of the more confusing spots. The back nine is especially easy since there are trails through the tall grass to the next tee. A couple of tricky spots are after 4 you need to go backward and after 10 there are trails leading off in two different ways, take the one on the right. 9/10

There is some good elevation present in places. A few too many flat holes in my opinion but they did the best they could with what they were working with. Many holes with elevation changes are severe. 8/10

Navigation on the actual holes has improved a lot with the addition of tee signs. There are a few blind shots, and a couple shots where you can see two baskets from the tee. 8/10

There is decent variety in distance, but most of them are somewhere between intermediate and long. There aren't many holes that are birdieable unless you have a big arm. The alternate pins have helped with this a little. 7/10

There is some shade present on this course, fairways are regularly mowed, and the ticks and thorns have been minimized/eliminated. However, the benches are stone and the tall grass rough can be a nuisance. Some poison ivy in places. 7/10 on comfort

Cons:

There are some pretty cool alternate pin positions that were added in. However, only 6 holes currently have alternate pin positions. There are several other holes where the tee signs show alternate pins but I've played this course regularly and have never seen them. Hopefully this is still coming. 4/10

There is plenty of length and enough obstacles to challenge advanced players. The front nine is not too difficult to discourage beginners (except maybe hitting the gap on hole 4). However, the length of the back nine could be pretty daunting for beginners. Alternate tees would help out a lot. 6/10 on challenging all levels

Discs can still be tough to find in the rough on the back nine, but it has been cleaned up quite a bit recently. Brush piles are no longer present in the tall grass In addition, there are some blind shots that make it so you can't see where your disc goes. 6/10

Other Thoughts:

With the addition of tee signs, pads, this course is currently on the border between 4 and 4.5. It would be a solid 4.5 if all pin positions shown on tee signs were in. I'm hoping this will happen in the future.
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5 1
Robust
Experience: 45.2 years 106 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Birdland - Tee Pads Just Installed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 15, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Beautiful and challenging course that makes excellent use of the slightly hilly topography and existing stands of mature trees on an old ball golf course. Both front and back 9's have a nice mix of technical holes and long open fairways. The course is fairly easy to navigate without a map. The land, while inside a city park, is not being used for anything but disc golf. Therefor, players will have sufficient solitude to really get focused and play without distractions. All in all, a sweet experience to play.

Cons:

The new concrete tee pads could be 4 to 6 feet longer. The park has also installed big rectangular rocks in lieu of benches at most holes. These are okay as benches, but they are often too close or directly behind the tee pads. Sitting on them tends to crowd anyone trying to drive the already tight pads.
Also, tee signs are still not installed on this new course. Signs with maps and distances would be helpful but aren't absolutely necessary to navigate the holes.

Other Thoughts:

This course will be appreciated most by experienced players. Beginners are likely to struggle a bit due to the length (over 7000 ft) and the highly technical nature of some of the holes.
The course is still a work in progress, but is in really great shape for a new course.
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4 2
coopera
Experience: 17.4 years 85 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Lakeside Hills 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 19, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

In a few short years this course has transformed from playing and appearing pedestrian to one of the premier courses to play in Kansas and the Kansas City Metropolitan area. It is among the longer courses in the area and successfully uses some of the sparse treed areas and more heavily wooded areas, as well as using the rolling hills to add challenge.

- Length is one of the predominant challenges, especially on the back nine. Not so long that newer players are too beat up

- Aesthetic is one of the best in the area. The P&R has done a wonderful job putting a continuous mow on the area to make the fairways wide and fair and to beat back the thorns present in the early incarnations of the course

- Large rock benches on most of the holes

- Signs are very new, and descriptive, making the course easy to follow

- Flow is simple with hole 9 ending near where hole 1 begins. The only real walk between holes is marked clearly

- The course drains exceptionally well, making it one of the best courses to play after heavy rain

Cons:

There aren't too many bad things, but among them are:

- Ticks. Common on most wooded courses, but they seem to be a little heavier out here. Make sure to check!

- Thorns in rough. This is much less of an issue than in the past, but there are a few spots they'll get ya.

- There are a few tweeners, depending on the skill of the player (Holes, 1, 7, 12, 14, and 16 come to mind). Bigger arms can have a field day on those holes, but others will expect a 3, nothing better or worse

Other Thoughts:

Don't lean on the signs! The backers are smaller than the size of the sign and at least one has been snapped off.
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