Olathe, KS

California Trail

1.385(based on 25 reviews)
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8 0
Pizza God
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 36.6 years 1888 played 637 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 14, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Tee's are marked
Course map at hole 1

Cons:

Baskets have seen better days
Nothing to throw around

Other Thoughts:

Not much to say that has not already been said.

This is an extremally boring course that is only a number.

The first hole is decent for a school course, however you are throwing over a volley ball court that did not look like it has been used in years.

The rest of the holes work around the fields clockwise.

Other than a lone small tree, there is nothing much to throw around.

Elevation does come into play, a little, on a couple of holes.

the last 2 holes are super long, specially for a school course.

would I play here again? No way Jose. This course is not even good for a school course. I mean the tee's were marked, however the holes are too long for grade school kids. If the holes had been shorter to be kid friendly, I would have giving it a higher rating.
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13 0
Surge5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.3 years 175 played 174 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Old School 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 16, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nine decently done holes placed around the east and south side of the school. Some decent elevation, mostly good baskets, and some long bombs to close out the round.

Some elevation around the middle makes getting in the circle all the more rewarding since rollaways are possible on 3, 4, and 5.

The tee signs that are there are decently helpful. Distance and tree markings to help decide how to shape your shot.

Big distance throws are hard to come by around a school, but California Trail does it twice! Hole 8's tee is about 12 feet above the pin elevation-wise, and hole 9 comes back the other way. There's just enough room that - even if the course was busy - it wouldn't feel dangerous to play one hole while someone else was throwing the other.

Cons:

Several iffy hole placements. Hole 1 plays directly over volleyball courts, 3-5 all play over a trail leading to the track, and 9 plays next to the access road to the back of the school.

While the holes are all fairly open, they're pretty long for beginners. Seasoned players won't have much trouble, but they also won't be the ones making the trip here too often. Hard to tell who the course is supposed to appeal to.

The baskets look like they were set up in 2002 and haven't been touched since, and many of the tee signs are gone.

Multiple flat, bland holes. 2 and 6 suffer from nothing-itis and the only thing saving 7 is the few trees on it.

Other Thoughts:

If you're looking to get in a quick 9er in Olathe, this is the one for you... maybe. It will likely be too long, or too easy. There isn't really a good in-between. Still, it's worth your time over the other 9s nearby.
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8 0
Pevio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.5 years 194 played 122 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Not great, and poor upkeep 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 26, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

A few holes are pretty long, and the basket of 3 is on a hill, making a blind drive. A few holes have some trees, and one hole has a fence.

This is a fairly accessible course for beginners, and with the two par 4's to finish, gives them an introduction to longer holes that aren't intended to be deuced.
For more advanced players, it's a good way to bomb it out and see how close you can get, and on the shorter holes, upshots from 200-350 feet.

It's easy to find the next tee, and the layout is easy to follow, so this makes a really quick round, especially if you're just ticking off another course.

Cons:

Tee signs are only sometimes present, and are sideways on the post they are mounted on. Holes 1 and 2 had no post that I was aware of. Tee pads are dirt. Every basket except the one on hole 8 was in pretty terrible condition.

Around half the holes are completely uninteresting, with no trees whatsoever that come into play. They're just long upshots, with only a little elevation change.

For VERY beginner players, this course might not even be for them, since only a few holes are under 250 feet.

Other Thoughts:

Nothing on this course is something to get excited about, but it's not completely trash. New baskets, tees, and signs would help, but trees are the main thing this course needs.

Other than that, this isn't a super interesting course with much unique here.

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10 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 46.4 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
1.50 star(s)

This Course Was Designed For Whom? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 5, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

As with most middle and high school courses, this one has witnessed it's share of physical abuse. Many of the old rusted out single chain Discatchers have been pulled and beaten on until they're leaning. The small, almost indestructible signs have also taking a licking. There's nothing like a 13 boy with hormone and anger issues!

When you do find signs, they list the distances in yards. Too many of these holes are too long, too boring and too open to hold anyone's interest, yet alone middle schoolers with the attention span of mud.

# 1 starts right in front of the school and plays over or around the sand volleyball courts. The course then plays in a clockwise direction around the football field. Most are open and straight although # 3 forces you to hyser your tee shot around the corner. # 8 seems to have a newer basket, maybe a replacement?

Cons:

First four holes are missing the signs.

Discatchers are single chained rust buckets. Some have the lean.

No tee pad.

Open with few obstacles.

School activities would make or all part of the course unplayable at certain times.

Too long for middle school kids.

Windy!

Other Thoughts:

I have to wonder about the designers of this course. Did they really believe that 12 and 13 year olds can throw 300 feet? Or did someone design a middle school course so they could throw 350 foot drives? How else can you explain the last five holes being 325', 376', 273', 489' and over 550' ? Trust me, I taught four long and miserable years in a middle school and we only had one boy who could even throw 100 feet. A course that would excite middle schoolers should be a beginner type course with holes in the 100-200 foot range. These kids would like to experience a little success and the occasional birdie or Ace Run might provide that. Long, open boring 500 foot holes will just turn them off to disc golf.

I guess if you lived very close to the course, you might want to show up for the occasional round. Other than that, only serious course baggers need to enroll at California Trails Middle School.
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6 0
mrbro855
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.1 years 391 played 106 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Why the Neglect?? 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

There's nine (albeit 1 broken) baskets on the school grounds.

Easy to follow flow.

Couple of long throws to be had...

As previously stated, good warm-up type course.

Cons:

Rusty baskets... including #7's who's basket had fallen to the ground.

Lack of tee markers on #1 and #2.

Minimal elevation and obstacles.

Other Thoughts:

Played this as #3 of 6 (day 1) on a two day Kansas City metro area road trip. Was fine as a precursor to the next courses.

Wouldn't venture here for just this one.

Wondering why the neglect, with the rusty, broken baskets, and missing tee markers?? While it is definitely better than no course, it is disappointing to see courses neglected.
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3 1
moonkrawler
Experience: 3 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Convenience is King 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Good for beginners and those looking to practice driving on some wide open shots. It's a short 9 hole course that's fairly conveniently located, and a full round or 2 is completely doable with limited time. Parking is well-placed, and the overall flow of the course is nice.

Cons:

Very few obstacles and differentiation from hole to hole. There is a missing tee marker on Hole 2, and for the most part the tee signs are worthless. While not usually an issue, the dirt tee pads can get pretty sloppy after heavy rain. Also, with the wide open design, wind becomes your worst enemy.

Other Thoughts:

I play this course very often, because it's close to home and I can bust out a couple rounds in no time at all. It's not very challenging, but it is a nice course to unload your bag and let some drives rip. Overall it's a good course for what it is, but nothing to write home about. Cheers!
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3 0
Dsjoats
Experience: 10.4 years 316 played 15 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 28, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course was a little longer than I expected and with the exception of the #2 tee box, easy to navigate. The last 2 par 4's were a pleasant surprice. Wide open throws, so its a nice place to practice any throw you want. The grass was mowed nice and short, so no time spent looking for errant throws. Had the course to myself, so no trouble playing multiple discs or feeling rushed.

Cons:

No technical throws required at all. It felt more like a practice facility than a disc golf course. Very little variety to the course.

Other Thoughts:

I stopped by on a whim when my son had soccer practice in the area. I had low expectations, but still enjoyed my round. I will probably come back when I want to try out some new discs or practice some new techniques.
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6 0
Jayhawker10
Experience: 10.7 years 9 played 6 reviews
2.00 star(s)

California Trail 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 19, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is short with little to no obstacles so it is good for people just starting.
- Holes are, for the most part, on wide open fields around the east and south side of California Trail Middle School.
- Easy to locate baskets.
- Grass was mowed and the chances of losing a disc here are slim to none.

Cons:

- Tee boxes are not maintained one bit.
- Pretty boring course to play but I wanted to give it a shot anyway.
- The tee box for hole number 2 is non-existent. I could not locate it so I picked a reasonable spot where I thought it would be.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, if you are in the area and have time to kill but not enough time to go to Blue Valley or Olathe, this is a good option. I must add that Academy Sports right across the street has a wide selection of discs at fairly reasonable prices. I picked up one before I went which is the reason why I went here. I would say this is a good course to work on your form, technique and "bomb" shots. However, I would not tell people to drive more than 10 minutes to play this course.
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6 0
phantom51
Experience: 11.6 years 34 played 8 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Only if you're in the area... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I found this course about ten minutes from my work. With an hour lunch, I can throw the nine in under 30 minutes and still make it back with time to spare. Therefore, the course is only good for beginners and for practice.
Side plus, which gave it an extra .5 on my rating, is the lack of trees and grass. No fear of losing a disc!

Cons:

No trees or grass to create fairways. Its located at a middle school, which is overrun during school season with activities. Very, very little elevation changes. The baskets are short in height compared to other courses Ive been to around town. Little to no signage and the tees are bits of dirt that you'd be lucky to find.

Other Thoughts:

I'm not sure what to feel about this one. I like it that its close to my work. I enjoy being able to practice almost daily out here, if I cant play my home course out at Shawnee Mission Park. However, the course is in need of major improvements. If only a beginner/practice course, improvements still seem neccesary.
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5 0
teddster06
Experience: 5 played 3 reviews
2.00 star(s)

plain jane course. 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Easy to find and surprisingly easy to follow the course.
Good course for quick 9.
No trees....
No chance of losing a disc

Cons:

Where to start.....
-No tee pads (ur lucky to even see a patch of dirt to throw from)
-Signage is no help and missing at some holes.
-No trees.....
-No restrooms or rest areas.
-No trash cans

Other Thoughts:

I almost didn't play this course cause of all the poor reviews but in the end I'm glad I did. It is a very very simple and easy course (about aced 3 holes and had 3 birdies) but gave me a great opportunity to practice on drives and because it's so open u can really see flight patterns without any fear of losing a disc. Overall do NOT play this course if u want any sort of challenge but if it's just u and a buddy wanting to kill some time it's a great course to just screw around on.
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5 0
austinpetz
Experience: 54.9 years 11 played 6 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Flawed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 12, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Variety of Distances

Cons:

All holes are essentially the same.
No obstacles.
There's a 300 foot par 4 on the course (which might actually be a pro for beginners).

Other Thoughts:

I like this course, but only as a place to practice. It has a variety of distances which is perfect for working with many discs. That being said, the actual holes aren't very good at all. It would almost be easier on this course to just play 8 and 9 (the long holes) to work on driving.

Overall, don't go to this course if you really want to play a serious round. However, if you'd like a place to empty your bag on a couple of holes, this would be the place.
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8 0
bigreddog
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 207 played 63 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Not bad for beginners 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 20, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Disc Finding 9/10. Only time you'd have to search is if you go left on 7 or WAY left on 8.

Navigation 5/10. The course has a decent flow, and the tee signs (that aren't missing/faded) at least show distance. No tee for hole 2 is confusing. The first time I played, I didn't even see the fifth basket, I just thought the fifth tee went to where the sixth basket is.

Variety of Distances 5/10. The course starts very short and works up to fairly long, with 8 and 9 over 400' and giving players a chance to air it out.

Wide open makes it decent for early beginners

Regularly mowed

Third hole is interesting large hill on the left forces a right to left throw

Cons:

Variety of openness 0/10. There are about 5 trees on the course, only three holes where you could possibly hit one, and the last hole is the only one that you have to change your shot to avoid.

No alternate hole positions 0/10. Though since it's only really meant to be a practice course or a course to learn the game it's okay.

Challenging all Levels 1/10. No challenge at all except for length for beginners.

Variety of shot paths 1/10. Seven of the nine holes are completely straight, hole 3 forces right to left.

Elevation 2/10. Pretty much none of the holes have any elevation change from tee to basket, 8 is slightly downhill and 9 is slightly uphill. 3 has a cool feature with the hill to the football field. It's made more frustrating since there are some hills on the grounds, they just aren't incorporated.

Use of obstacles 2/10. They tried on a couple holes.

Comfort 3/10. No benches, shade, or amenities. It's at a school so activities frequently get in the way depending on time of day and year.

Course Maintenance 3/10. Aside from being mowed, the maintenance is horrible. Tee signs are present, but most are missing the board that gives hole length and direction, and the ones that do have them don't really help with the direction. Hole 2 tee is completely missing. Baskets rusted and one is on the ground.

Other Thoughts:

Overall Challenge 1/10.
More precise rating 0.991

Not bad for beginners if you're close or if you're low on time, but if you're going to make any drive at all head down to Blue Valley of Kansas (Prairie Pass) instead, it's a much better beginner course.
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2 3
Bitter
Experience: 26.6 years 1 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

No Thanks 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

There are 9 Holes, and two are P4's

Cons:

Ugh. OK
1. No pads just dirt.
2. 3-4 holes are not marked and one is completely missing a starting point.
3. Grass is about 10-12" tall very unkept.
4. Place is "Under Construction" and on a tuesday evening 3 holes are intruded by soccer players.

Other Thoughts:

Unless you live 0-5 min. away dont even show up. Or just play "#8-#9" 9 times in a row for practice on accuracy and distance.
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3 0
jeffreyjeanshorts
Experience: 32.7 years 84 played 8 reviews
1.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Quick 9er for those who live close. Good for young peoples learning the game. No chance of losing a disc.

Cons:

No tee boxes. No trees. No chance of losing a disc. Around a school.

Other Thoughts:

Take the newbies and the kiddos.
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3 0
kcmike
Experience: 15.4 years 13 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Great beginner course and training grounds 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is one of the most forgiving courses I've played. It's perfect for beginners to develop their skills (speaking from experience in doing just that). It is easy to find the next hole, plays quick, and is rarely crowded. Long and short holes.

Cons:

As I soon found out, this course can give beginners a false sense of ability in that your disc can take just about any line and will wind up looking like a fair shot. There are no trees around to remind you that you're not throwing straight.

Other Thoughts:

I can hit this course with a friend and be back in the car in 35 minutes. It's great for getting that "quick 9" in.
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2 0
josh_carson20
Experience: 15.1 years 27 played 1 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Quick 9 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 18, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is great if you are passing by or live near by and have an itch to get out and throw the plastic. It plays really quick, so if you are in a hurry and want to get a round in this is a great course. Some looks at ace, even for inexperienced players.

Cons:

Not much difficulty here, every hole is open. most holes just straight on. No real tee boxes, once was signage, but most is ripped off now.

Other Thoughts:

Would not go out of my way to play this course. But if you are in the area and want a quick 9 holes, this is the place to go.
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3 1
buzzz killington
Experience: 36 played 3 reviews
1.50 star(s)

good practice spot 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 22, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

learned how to play the game here.
can be a nice challenge in kansas wind
4 nice ace runs
good quick 9

Cons:

no tee pads
weak signage
at a school with lots of recess activities going on after class.
not a good course to go out of your way for.

Other Thoughts:

every community needs a course like this to gain awareness of the sport and serve as a good practice spot for the serious player.
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1 0
Governor_ Stumpy
Experience: 14.4 years 13 played 1 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Good Practice 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is a Great practice course. All the holes are wide open. I'm new to this game and like to practice here. I can really throw the disc and start to learn the flight patterns without worrying about hitting a tree 10 ft in front of me.

Cons:

There are no launch/ tee pads. Basically there are some dirt patches you can kind of use but other than that nothing but grass.

Other Thoughts:

This is really only a course you'd want to practice on. Throw some discs and learn flight patterns, and work on perfecting your drives.
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2 1
Penichillin
Experience: 17.5 years 12 played 3 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Quick/Practice Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is where I went to perfect my backhand (started out flicking only); it's great place for honing your skills as it is never crowded.
It's a good course to teach someone the game; there are no obstacles so they can focus solely on their throw.
The only other use this course has is if you want to get a superquick round in and are running out of daylight.

Cons:

The other review are pretty accurate; not much to this place. Mostly open fields with some baskets.

Other Thoughts:

Not worth a trip, but if it's convenient you can't complain.
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3 1
seymourdiscgolf
Premium Member
Experience: 22.5 years 321 played 12 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Uuuuhhhhh... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well I guess there are baskets. The best thing I can think about this course is I would have loved to have had a disc golf course at my junior high, no matter the difficulty. There are posts (they used to all have signs on them) at every dirt/grass tee pad. Lot of birdie/ace holes. Holes 8 & 9 are fairly long.

Cons:

The course is only 9 holes, the "pads" are pretty dismal, the baskets are definitely in need of repair and the course is flat. Probably the worst part about the course is my +2 score.

Other Thoughts:

HAPPY DISCIN'!!!
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