Pros:
Kess Creek has a few things going for it. The baskets are in excellent shape, simply because they are almost brand new. Tee pads are in excellent shape for the same reasons. The course is set in an area that is rather small so you are never far away from your vehicle. It was relatively quiet when I played this weekend, but I fear that could change based on the other activities of the park. An effort has been made to plant some trees along the open fairways. Once these trees mature, there will be more evidence of design. There are signs at each hole which do cover all the information that you typically look for; par, distance, etc.
Cons:
Many courses loop around a pond, or some other natural facade. This course loops around a party pavilion and a playground. Holes 8 and 9 could potentiall be a problem if the park was crowded. In its current state, Kess Creek lacks design in any form past hole #3.
Other Thoughts:
If the trees mature well, and the parks department keeps the course manicured, this course could grow into something nice. When I left the course, I was concerned about how to grade it. In the future, it will probably be much better than it is now. As of this point, it is a nice stop if you are in Mayfield and you want to play. I played a round by myself in 24 minutes. It doesn't take long. I do have concerns about how the parks department will handle the safety concerns that will undoubtedly arise. It only takes a parent or two who use the park to complain of the safety issues...and this course does leave this window open.
Some have said that there are par 5s or 4s here. I totally disagree. While hole 7 is long, there are absolutely no obstacles and if you can throw 300 feet, you should be "parked" for an easy 3. I am still recovering from knee surgery, played the course with only 2 discs, and had no trouble staying under 27. I also consider myself a perfectly average player. An advanced player could expect to shoot in the low 20s here without any problem.
Kess Creek will probably become a very nice course. However, I feel that it's reviews to this point have been somewhat inflated. It is by no means an above average course. Like I have said...and repeated...it may become something special one day. As it stands today, it has 3 wooded holes with some basic design elements, and 6 WIDE open holes.
If you're in Mayfield and want to play, by all means give it a shot. If you are passing through Paducah and wondering if it's worth driving 40 minutes to play...it's not.