Kansas City, MO

Swope Park - Old Layout

3.545(based on 38 reviews)
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4 1
RedRocket
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

All-Around Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 29, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

1 - Big variation in hole layouts bring new challenges to each tee
2 - Great elevation changes seen on some holes
3 - Generally well maintained
4 - Lots of possible hole positions can add length for tournaments
5 - Concrete tee pads
6 - Few places to lose discs
7 - Course is well marked, with good signage
8 - Remodeled club house is convenient
9 - WIND - Much of the course is located on a hill top. Strong and inconsistent gusts of wind add challenge

Cons:

1 - Parks dept can go too long between mowing the course - but it's generally well mown before tournaments
2 - Course can get crowded, especially on weekends
3 - The neighborhood isn't a war zone, but it's not the best. I've seen some illegal drug use at the course (such is disc golf). There was one time I saw a guy do a line of something on a picnic table by the 10th tee pad.

Other Thoughts:

Whether you're brand new to the game or experienced, Swope presents a bunch of different challenges to players.

The course layout is likely going to change soon. A vote just passed to build a new animal shelter that is supposed to be built on part of the back 9.
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4 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Swope's Slopes 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 8, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Swope Park is a good landscape for disc golfing, and the layout is pretty easy to follow. It has versatility, with multiple pin locations on all holes. There are also multiple tees on a few of the holes. The tees are all concrete, and very roomy. They each have good signs that are very clearly numbered, and give pin locations and distances. The baskets are in good condition, and they have numbered flags atop most of them. Flags are red on the front 9, and yellow on the back. There are plenty of benches and trash cans along the way.

I really enjoy this type of terrain. Elevation changes are in play almost constantly, and are usually very considerable. The trees are mature, and the layout does a nice job weaving through them to give different looks. Not dense woods by any means, but enough branches to take you out if you fly to high, or miss the line. There are patches of OB on a few holes, marked by circles of rocks around low spots that can hold water. A couple of the holes are near enough to roads that you may wind up OB if you overshoot.

I thought hole one is a nice lead off hole. The tee is elevated, and the fairway is lined on both sides by large trees. The middle of the course is loaded with similar holes with big elevation changes working around the mature trees. Holes five through fifteen are really fun, and plenty of opportunities for birdies, depending on the pin positions.

Cons:

Some of the holes are a bit close together, and on a crowded day other groups could cause delays during a round. Not the most challenging course technically.

Other Thoughts:

Swope is a nice park, and the redesign was done really well. Confines are a little tight, but very much worth a visit. More fun than difficult, similar to Water Works but not quite as extreme.

I like this course pretty well. A lot of birdies out there, if you make good drives on a consistent basis. I shot even par on my first round. 6 birdies, 2 bogies and 2 double bogies. Went OB twice and the penalties led to the double bogies. The wind was not blowing really hard, but it was moderate, and it takes some line drives with the right disc to get where you want to go.

I almost had the skip ace on hole 12. My drive barely cleared the brush directly in front of the pin, bounced and hit the top of the basket and chains on the left side. It didn't stick for me, but I did get the easy birdie putt. The drought continues.
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1 0
BigRedRocker
Experience: 8.7 years 14 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Maybe next season... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 14, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Full 18 hole course!
concrete tee pads
nice signs
well designed
good use of elevation changes
and a decent change of long/short holes.

Cons:

The day we went it was absurdly windy, so your discs would act rather unexpectedly.
It was rather easy to lose your footing and take a tumble down the hills or step in a mud hole with all the leaves that had fallen off the trees.

Other Thoughts:

This was one of the best courses I've played. Hopefully, I'll get to play it again next season, on a calmer day. Totally worth the drive!
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2 2
SirDreward
Experience: 14.6 years 38 played 22 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The Granddaddy of the KC Metro 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 26, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1 - Elevation changes galore!
2 - Good signage
3 - Lost disc return and "clubhouse"
4 - Not a lot of opportunities to lose a disc.
5 - Area of park the course is in is dedicated to the course.
6 - Park overall is pretty nice.

Cons:

1 - Can get really crowded.
2 - Kinda' repetitive.
3 - Course layout can be a little confusing.

Other Thoughts:

The course seems geared towards the "average" player: not too long, not too short, and little more technical on some holes, but not so much on others.
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1 4
CGChase
Experience: 11.8 years 23 played 11 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Sorry, I was disappointed. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Groomed
in decent shape

Cons:

I thought the course lacked imagination.
First half was back and forth across the same ravine, the steepness changed and the trees were in different places but essentially it was the same shot over and over.

Other Thoughts:

Sorry, I was disappointed.
I played a course at a college in rural Tenn. that was rated a 2 and found it far more creative and enjoyable.
This course isn't bad, it's just not a 3.5.
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2 1
teddyjames
Experience: 10.7 years 37 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

What a course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 4, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is very well maintained. It has many great basket positions and t pads. You can tell that this community has worked really hard to keep this course going and growing as the years past. The course director takes the time to make this course really enjoyable to play and keeps it looking great. Can't wait to play here more!

Cons:

It is a little packed in. But due to the lack of land expandability they have done great with the space allotted.

Other Thoughts:

One of courses that you'll go back time and time again.

Oh and as of 2-7-15 the baskets will all be in long champion position for the remainder of the month. Happy golfing!
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2 0
jasonrigler
Experience: 11.4 years 120 played 15 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Go and Throw Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 15, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fast to play, great for new players, outstanding signs and pads, fun ace runs.

Cons:

fairways are side by side. Not a course you drive a long way to go play more than once.

Other Thoughts:

I think I would enjoy the course more if the baskets were in the championship position but even still i did enjoy playing here. The fairways were a little close so people were always wandering into throwing lines. And sometimes you look out from the tee and see 4 baskets and 2 other tee pads in your view. The signs and baskets were marked so well it really was never an issue. You always knew where you were walking and throwing. I think this is a great course to take casual players. And I do appreciate courses where you would be hard pressed to lose a disc.
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6 0
constantlyej
Experience: 10.7 years 13 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful Design, Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 7, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

The layout of the course was extremely intuitive. The course has a lot of variation in elevations with a handful of ACE opportunities, and almost every hole has a line for solid Birdie chances if played correctly.

I think that playing this course for the first time in late fall was actually the best time to get on it because I could imagine that there would be a lot of weedy overgrowth and mosquitos near some of the creeks during July/August. But today, it was great- other than just a little bit muddy in a few areas- but we just had two solid days of rain, so that was expected.

Cons:

#13 was kind of swampy, and the walk up the hill to #16 was really muddy due to someone allowing the water run from the park faucet... but that has nothing to do with the course, just a mistake made by someone playing.

Other Thoughts:

This course was pretty, I had a great time playing it today- even though we barely had light by the time we hit #17. People at this course were great!
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7 0
jjw4ucm
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.7 years 37 played 30 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Shootin good in the hood! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Pretty views! Swope Park is really gorgeous and I loved playing in the fall colors here.

There's a lot of elevation here, and it's generally used very well on most of the holes.

As KC's oldest course, I think it's neat to see where the game has come from as opposed to what newer courses play like today.

The OB areas, trees, and fairways are all used well and create a clear sense of direction with the course. I was never left wandering around looking for the next tee and the signs with the numbers on top are a nice touch.

Speaking of signs, they're in good condition generally. A few holes have multiple tee pads and they really help make the course suitable for all skill levels.

This is a DG exclusive area; I didn't see any dog walkers, picnics, or the like wandering around.

The holes from 12-16 are the best on the course, in my opinion. There is a good amount of risk and reward involved with the trees, maintenance fence, and other various OB areas.

Baskets and tee pads are in good shape. The course was mowed well and I didn't see any broken limbs or other maintenance-related issues.

There's a pro shop here, although it was closed when I got there. Also features a lost disc return, which I thought was a nice touch.

Plenty of parking, bathrooms nearby as well.

Cons:

Packed in waaay too tight! Super easy to throw into the other fairways. Swope Park is gigantic so I'm not sure why they decided to shoehorn the course into such a small area. 12-16 are much better in this regard but I could see this getting really irritating when the park is busy.

The first several holes are basically you throwing over a small valley, back and forth and back and forth. The different OB areas help keep it somewhat interesting, but it felt a bit repetitive and left something to be desired.

There isn't a big variety of shots to take at this course overall. There really isn't a hole that stood out to me as being really cool or interesting; they kind of blend together and that's just not good.

The excessive switchbacking keeps you from really enjoying the nature/scenery part of playing. Again, this is just one guy's opinion so you might not care at all, but I didn't care for this.

If you are new to KC or passing through -- this park is unfortunately in a very BAD part of town. The park itself is generally okay during the day; it's the surrounding neighborhood that's truly horrendous, so I'd highly suggest you not venture out looking for a convenience store or anything nearby just to be safe.

Other Thoughts:

This course is pretty easy to get to from any part of the metro. It's a few miles south of the stadiums. Take 435 to Gregory Blvd and head west. Keep following Gregory and there's a sign for it on the right after about a mile or so.

The packed-in nature of this course really limited its potential and the enjoyment factor for me. I much prefer the courses that play with a natural progression between them, almost like a trail, rather than switchbacking on themselves. The scenery here is pretty but it's basically the same the whole time -- if you don't care about this and can avoid ending up in the other fairways, you'll probably like this course better than I did.

I didn't ding the rating because of the neighborhood, but I did list it in the cons to make you aware just in case that sort of thing makes you squeamish. I grew up in KC, know the area's reputation, and decided it was a worthwhile play anyway and you probably will too.
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6 0
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.6 years 178 played 144 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Clean, Solid Course with a lot of Elevation 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 27, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Swope Park is a very large park located near the KC zoo and has a golf course, fishing lakes, and seemingly other activities on site. The nice thing is that the section of the park the disc golf course is on is dedicated just to the course itself. There is plenty of parking and a porta-john located near the first tee. There is also a nice-looking pro shop, but it wasn't open open the Friday afternoon I played there. The park setting is very nice, and it does have a country club atmosphere to it. The grass is mowed very low and there was limited trash with trash cans for every hole, as well as benches for every hole. Navigation is very easy, as big numbers sit on top of the tee signs, numbered flags sit on top of the baskets, and the courses flows well from one hole to the next. You won't do any extra walking from one hole to the next here.

Nice, accurate tee signs showing you O.B., pars, pin positions, and lengths to the different baskets. The concrete tees are in great shape and are a very comfortable length and width. There are multiple tees on maybe 2/3 of the holes, but some just have one tee. Three pin positions give very different looks and give a nice variety. Baskets are Mach 3's that are in great shape.

Elevation is the main test of skills here, although it's not as extreme as Water Works. Most holes offer across-the-valley type shots from one hilltop to another, with many trees to contend with. The multiple trees give you many different lines to choose from, and there is a great mix of hyzer, anhyzer, and straight shots. Most shots are in this form, but there are a few (12, 13, 16, and 17) that are pretty flat shots. O.B. is present on many of the holes in the form of the road and a little marsh area that is utilized on a bunch of holes. I liked that a lot as it added to the technical aspect, and bridges are placed if you need to walk through the marsh area. Pin positions are well thought out as well, often on a steep slope or placed behind trees. Hole lengths are pretty steady, but there are longer distances on some of the later holes.

Cons:

-Said to be in a pretty rough neighborhood, and it appeared that way. However, I parked on the main street with a car-load of stuff and had no problems. Playing in daylight is probably safe with how many people come here.
-Which brings me to my second con, this course was pretty crowded when I played. Since the course plays a lot of back and forth across the park, there is a good chance of someone's disc winding up in your fairway. The holes play way too close together.
-The general type of hole presented here is indeed my favorite. That said, at least 2/3 of the holes are this way, not offering much variety. I probably enjoyed this more than most since I love these type of holes, but I can see many being bored with this repetition.

Other Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed my round at Swope Park, and I really liked the elevation challenge and the many different line options on every hole. It took me slightly less than an hour to play by myself, so it isn't a long, grueling course. Very fun with minimal chance to lose discs because of the maintenance. Located only minutes away from the Dynamic Discs store, Water Works, Rosedale Park, and a handful of KS courses puts this course in a great location. I recommend hitting this course up if you are looking to play a few courses in KC for the first time. I was happy I did.
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4 0
bluedvl228
Experience: 13.6 years 36 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 1, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very well manicured when we played - the grass had just been mowed and from what I could tell this is well maintained due to the size of the park.

Nice elevation changes between holes, nothing too hilly, but enough to make it interesting.

Holes are very well marked and very easy to get from one pin to the next tee pad. I know that is very annoying especially when playing 18 holes or more.

We played in the morning on a week day so wasn't too crowded, but I imagine there is quite a bit of people out here during the week.

Cons:

Although it's located in the heart of the park, the surrounding neighborhoods are a little sketchy, but felt very safe during the day time.

With the close proximity of the holes, there are definitely times where if it were busier you may have to watch for an errant throw.

Other Thoughts:

Not really a lot to complain about, this park may not have the difficulty of Water Works, but still a great course to play on a semi-regular basis. The front 9 is definitely easier, but the back 9 can give a few challenges with the tight pin locations. Definitely a must play for any regular disc golfer.
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2 1
Hockeydoc2112
Experience: 18 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great, fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Well maintained course with sweet, challenging elevation changes everywhere.
Benches and markers everywhere give a nice flow to the course and places to relax if there's a wait.

Cons:

Maybe a few longer holes would have been nice but course is excellent as it is.

Other Thoughts:

Played here in the 2009 World's. Kansas City probably has the best collection of DG courses in the world and this is one of the main reasons why.
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1 8
powerplantthom
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Powerplantthom 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 28, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice open course with some fun shots. Nice set up with fun long shots across small valleys. Some friendly people around

Cons:

A little confusing where the next tee box is on a couple holes

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed this course and would play it again next time i am in kcmo
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7 0
bigreddog
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.1 years 195 played 62 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good, but a bit repetitive 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 25, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is one of the if not the best groomed courses I have ever played. Probably second best behind Water Works, but still amazing. All five times I've been there the grass has been very well manicured (except the O.B. areas which aren't supposed to be) and make the course very scenic. Benches and signs on every hole, and a pro shop with lost disc return. Phenomenal course maintenance. 10/10

Baskets are in great condition, tees are concrete. 10/10

Many of the holes come back to the same area since they run alongside each other. For example, The tees for 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 are all pretty close together, and signs with large numbers on top make it easy to tell from a distance what holes it is. Down and back may not be as interesting of a layout, but it makes navigation between holes very intuitive and simple even without a map. The only tricky spot is finding the 14th tee from the 13th basket, but you should see be able to see where the 14th tee is from the 12th tee. 10/10

Navigation on the holes themselves is pretty easy too since you can figure out pretty soon the holes run back and forth so you know right away about where they go. All of the baskets have flags on them with large numbers that can be seen from a distance, and every tee has a sign that shows all of the possible basket positions. The only problem is that sometimes the holes are tucked right behind trees, making them difficult to find in some cases depending on where the basket is (hole 6, 7, 15, 17), but still 9/10

This course has multiple tees on several holes, which really helps it with giving all levels of players a fun and challenging experience. I still wish more courses would do this, we don't all throw the same distance. 8/10

Most holes holes have three or four possible hole positions, and every hole has at least two. Most holes have either a big difference in length (especially hole 1, 4, 13, and 15 are extreme) or in angle (especially hole 5, 7 and 12), which helps make the course fun to play frequently. 8/10

Running water is present, but not until the 15th hole, so stock up before. No bathrooms I've found, and it's very hilly, but there are benches on every hole and lots of shade which still makes it a pretty comfortable round overall. 7/10

There are quite a few obstacles and they are used pretty well, they help keep the holes fresh despite most having the same elevation patterns. Hole 12 has a fence on the left that is definitely in play and presents a unique obstacle I've never seen anywhere else. 7/10

There's a pretty good variety of openness on shots, holes like 1, 5, and 11 are pretty tight, while 3, 4, 13, and 16 are pretty wide open. Most other holes are moderately open, and have a good mix of some tighter on the drives and others on the approaches. 7/10

There are several holes where there is more than one way to play the hole, which helps force the player to make decisions instead of just having simple straightforward shots. 7/10

At the same time some holes require certain shot paths (depending on basket position) to do well, which helps bring in some risk reward and also helps challenge players to throw every shot in the bag. 6/10

This course has a ton of elevation present (10/10) but...

Cons:

The elevation is not used very well, a vast majority of the holes follow the same pattern, downhill off the tee, and back uphill to the basket. I personally really like this pattern so it doesn't bother me too much, but it would be nice to have some variety. The first 11 holes literally all do this same thing, and most have about the same severity of slopes as well. 2/10

There isn't a very big variety in distances. The alternate holes help some, but it seems like most holes are in the same spots (usually shorter ones) most of the time based on five plays. This gives many holes the same look and feel even though the obstacles are really pretty different. 3/10

Most holes are down and back, running right along each other which makes the holes kind of run together even more, only a few really stand out when you look back at a round. The views are scenic, it would be cool if the holes were more spread out and we could see more, there just isn't enough room in the park.

Discs aren't hard to find as long as you don't throw it in the O.B., but it's very in play a lot and on a couple holes it's hard to see exactly where in it a disc lands. When you do throw it in the OB it can be very difficult and uncomfortable to find it. Also, the fence on the left of hole 12 is fine since there's a hole to crawl under, but the fence behind (only in play in the longest hole position) doesn't have an easy (or legal) way to get to discs that ride an updraft into the wind and sail over. 4/10

Other Thoughts:

Overall Difficulty: Front tees - 5, Back tees - 7

I really like the use of the rocks as borders to the O.B. to help prevent at least some discs from bouncing or rolling into the hazard, especially since most are at the bottom of a hill it seems like a lot of decent shots could hit out of the O.B and get a bad bounce or unluckily start rolling into it.

Pretty short but hilly overall with lots of chances for birdies and a few for aces (especially from the shorter tees), adds some excitement.

Love the alternate tees, wish more holes had them and more courses would build them.
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8 2
cydisc
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.9 years 257 played 84 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A little cramped and monotonous 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course flows fairly well
- Clubhouse
- A practice basket
- Lots of trees and elevation
- Multiple pin placements
- Cool tee signs

Cons:

- Holes are pretty close together
- A lot of the same type of shot

Other Thoughts:

The course is located in a large regional park in sort of a leftover patch of land near the maintenance garage. You can see a large portion of the course from the road, as the course is packed in pretty tight. The surprising thing about the course is that you have to walk past quite a few holes to get to the first tee, which is right next to a small shack containing the course's clubhouse. The clubhouse has a nice little gathering area with a deck, from which you can view much of the course.

The course has several pin placements on each hole using an ingenious system of color-coded anchors. Each placement is indicated with its respective distance on the tee sign. Unfortunately, if the pin is not visible from the tee, it's difficult to tell which placement it's in as there is nothing on the sign to tell you where it is currently. While I appreciate having a variety of pin locations, it would better serve a wider set of skill levels to have multiple *tees* instead.

The tees are concrete, which are starting to show wear, but still quite functional (hey, they're concrete tees). A bit of erosion around each tee, as you would expect from a popular course.

The front 9 of the course features a lot of "back and forth" holes (Hole 1 goes out, Hole 2 comes back parallel, Hole 3 goes back again parallel to 2, etc...). There are quite a few holes that throw across a small valley to the other side, through some trees; so many that it starts to get monotonous. The only variation is the length of each and maybe the shape, depending on the placement, but they pretty much all look the same. There are a few holes that stand out, such as the two-shot #13, but the bulk of the holes are forgettable.

One safety issue is #4, which runs along the street and parking lot for the course. Would be very easy to shank one over into the cars parked along the side.

Check out the custom tee signs in the media section. They are the high point of the course.
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5 0
bazillion
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.5 years 55 played 37 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Pretty Good Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 16, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Pretty clean course, mowed grass, good signage (including a directional sign on the main access street), "rough" is pretty insignificant (unless you shank one completely off the course).

You have your basic annie shot, your basic hyzer shot, your basic uphill shot, your basic downhill shot, your basic cross-canyon (well, gully) shot, and so forth. Good place to practice your line-shaping.

Cons:

The main "con" I have with this course is that despite the cleanliness of the course, most of the holes pretty much follow the same formula. They're all about the same length, they all offer about the same amount of elevation change one way or another, they all have about the same amount of trees and/or rough to deal with.

No holes on this course could be called signature - none, imo, are sufficiently distinctive to be called unique. If you can drive 350 accurately and can avoid trees as a matter of course, scoring in the -12 range should be easy for you. For the rest of us, Swope is an absolutely superb practice course.

Other Thoughts:

Cool silhouettes of the hole numbers sitting on top of the tee signs - makes them easy to spot when you're looking around after holing out, makes it hard to wander off onto the wrong tee.

Some reviewers have commented on the quality of the neighborhood - both times I was there there were enough people playing to make what's outside the course irrelevant.

Is this a destination course? No, probably not. What it is is a solid mid-level course where you and your buddies can go and shoot a good round of disc golf. Nothing special, nothing bad, just a good solid course.
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0 3
tmattoon
Experience: 12.4 years 29 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 15, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very nice course overall. It's landscaped around the course nicely and all the tee maps are good. Nice mix of open and slightly wooded holes.

Cons:

Not much for distance on this course. Parked cars come into play if you aren't the most accurate on two or three holes.
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1 1
Clumsy Fumbles
Experience: 18.8 years 8 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fun in the Sun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 16, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Multiple Tee boxes and chain positions. Always kept clean and mowed. Great signs at Tee Boxes. There's nice hills and trees with great technical shots. Some nice big rocks placed in nice spots. A beautiful park with plenty of parking

Cons:

The park isn't very big so there's a lot of back and forth but I don't think it's that big of a deal. Just don't throw too far to the left or right or you might cross into someone elses game.

Other Thoughts:

This is one of my favorite parks even though you go back and forth a lot.
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2 12
Rivn88
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Swope Park, WTF 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The park is full of mature trees. Nice long concrete tee pads.
Many of the holes have medium elevation change. The park is mowed and groomed.

Cons:

Myself and three close friends played this course. We have played most courses in the KC area. This was our first time playing this course. Thumbs Down!
We played at 8am on Memorial Day and the course was missing two baskets. (not sure if they were stolen)
Finding a few of tee pads was challenging. The course is not marked very well or laid out with good flow.
That is why I will only give this course a 2 rating.

Other Thoughts:

We all agreed, We would not return to this course.
KC has too many great courses to choose from!
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4 0
Hector Chain
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 222 played 189 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Much better than expected 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 24, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays in, around, and mostly over a valley that winds its way through the corner of this massive park. Tee pads are concrete, the signs are descriptive, and navigation is not difficult. There are three or four positions on nearly every hole. The longer positions look like they would make this course a real beast. The course was mostly set up in short and medium positions when I played, generally in the 250-400 foot range.

This course is very scenic. The trees are tall and older, so you'll typically be throwing around trunks rather than through the branches. The many hills are surprisingly landscaped with some nice stone retaining walls and rocks lining the wetland areas that serve as OB sections of the course (they weren't all that wet when I played).

Most of the holes have you throw from one hill to a basket on another hill. I can't say I got tired of this formula. The course more than maintained my interest.

Cons:

In the positions I played, very good players might not be challenged like they will at other courses in the area. Birdie opportunities are plentiful. If you can throw 250 feet straight, you won't have too much trouble shooting around 54. If you have a controllable forehand or consistent turnover shot, you could probably shred the course.

The biggest con is probably the neighborhood. I didn't feel unsafe at all while playing, but I did stop at a nearby gas station before the round, and I probably would not do that again! Still, for being in a rough part of town, the course was surprisingly clean and un-vandalized.

Other Thoughts:

There aren't many places where you could end up with a really rough second shot. Your bad drives probably won't be punished too harshly, and that could be a pro or con depending on your viewpoint.

Given the things I'd heard about Swope, I expected something far worse than what I got. There are some parks you come upon and think, "This course was made for disc golf." I felt that way about Water Works, and I felt that way about Swope. Add some more elevation and make the valleys a bit deeper, and I don't think Swope is that far off from its more storied counterpart. I'm looking forward to my next visit.
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