Earhart DGC in Atchison is in a pretty cool park with a small lake. The International Forest of Friendship is worth taking a look at. Trees from all parts of the nation and many from other parts of the world share a home in this park. A one acre earth portrait of Amelia Earhart is on display also. I didn't notice it when I visited, but the arial course map displays it nicely. It is to the left of the white tee for hole 15.

The course itself is going to be versatile, with four sets of tees and multiple pin locations on each hole. I played the blue tees, most of which had concrete pads. Now concrete is installed on all blue and white boxes, and the red and gold tees have been marked with stakes. Every hole also has at least two pin positions, and there are a few holes that have three.

The challenges of the landscape are varied well. There is a bit light to moderate elevation change in places. A couple of holes play on the waters edge. Mature trees keep the lines interesting, especially in the center of the course, where population density makes the lines quite a bit tighter. Roads run alongside some holes, if you're strict about interpreting OB rules. There is a mando in play from the longer tees on 12. The wind is another factor that can become very difficult to play, especially on the more open and longer holes.

I tend to like the holes that have a few more trees and constricted lines. This kicks in around hole 4 and stays consistently through 10. 12, 13 and 14 are all near the water, but have some room to play it conservatively. 14 does have a dogleg that you can cut over the lake a bit if you're ok with the risk.

The tee pads hadn't all been poured at the time, and signage was incomplete, but the course install is in progress. If you aren't paying attention to the markers on the pins that point to the next tee, it is possible to skip a hole or two after you get past hole number four. Installation should be finished this summer, and I am not taking away points for this.

There are some holes that play alongside roads, but I wouldn't think the traffic is ever very heavy. You may have to look out for an occasional fisherman on the shore of the water holes when the weather warms.

The challenge of this course can be wide ranging, depending on what set of tees you choose to play. Gold tee layout will add massive distance for the pro level players, or red tees shorten things up to make it more enjoyable to a less experienced player.

It was a cold winter here, and I didn't get to play any new courses in 2019 until visiting Earhart near the end of March. The day I finally made it out the wind was blowing fiercely. I battled it all day and struggled to make pars. Final score was 76 (17 over par) and I made zero birdies.

The rainfall in the region has been heavy through the spring, and like many other courses around here, it will take some time to dry out. Water levels in the lakes are near record highs, I would guess Wornock Lake is no exception.

I am looking forward to making another trip to Atchison so I can see Earhart DGC in its finalized state. There is another good 18 hole course and a nice 9 hole course nearby at Jackson Park, so this is a good day trip if you are nearby. Once the rain slows and the grass drys out I will be making the drive again.