-baskets are bright, easy to see and in better shape the the up top baskets
-amazingly, benches and trash cans on every tee
-super well maintained for a woods course, lots of man made bridges and stairs
-about as good as a woods course is gonna get

-worn as hell, the tees are dirt and so are the fairways
-navigation is confusing in some places, moreso than whats normal
-the intersection of 9,12,17,18 is mildly dangerous
-signage is terrible
-crowded

Down Under is as advertised; short, technical and woods. I was more than satisfied. motto should be "down under and higher than up top" :/

- Course is set in the woods that belong inside a multi-use park, but well away from anything else going on. Definitely no interference here from anything non-DG related.
- Every hole here is set in the woods, start to finish. A good variety of different lines of varying difficulty. Some are ridiculously tight, like #1, #5, and #16. Pinpoint precision is needed to get to the basket, or just stay out of the jail. All of the others just need very good accuracy, there are very few chances to relax.
- A lot of dead-nuts straight shots are needed here, but there are also some BH and FH hyzers to be found, or maybe some annys/thumbers/whatever gets the disc down there. The funky lines here include a sharp hyzer on #8 (if mando), a little hook on #12, and a long RHFH flex shot on #17.
- Lots of hilliness here, both in the holes and next to them. Multiple valley shots, like #11, a nice downhill on #10 and #13, a blind uphill on #16, pretty good variety on the back nine. A constant feature are some very nasty rollaways/jail next to fairways, a bad kick here or there could be disastrous to scoring and inventory. The woods and hills provide some tricky basket placements as well.
- Nice new baskets... signs are pretty suspect, and the teepads are a little rough. Checking out the map beforehand is highly recommended. Navigation can be tricky.

- Some very short hole lengths, with the average around 230'. The tight lines still keep things nice and interesting, but there are few chances to rip a drive. It is definitely fun, but a little repetitive/similar.
- Layout is pretty jacked up, a lot of missing signs and rough teepads, and backtracking. Getting to #12 involves walking past another hole's basket, for instance.

- A very fun course that challenges players to tone it down and focus almost entirely on accuracy over distance. Even the smallest arms will be able to reach most of the pins here, it all comes down to line shaping and hitting small windows. Throw in some decent elevation changes, and things get very interesting and fun. A little one-dimensional, but it's a good dimension.
- Probably fun for everyone at least once, though beginners might be frustrated to no end. Also, a perfect complement to the Top course.

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> Cool location for a course.
> Challenging/punishing in a fun way.
> Creative layout.
> A few really neat views/vistas and other features that you don't see often enough.
> As a previous reviews title says, this course is a mental workout.
> This course would be ideal on a hot day, because it's all in the shady woods.
> Excellent baskets that are both bright/easy to see and catch very well.
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UPDATED. Course has been rearranged and very little concern has been taken to mark the changes. A real mess of confusion has been left in the wake.
> Very poorly marked tees are now mostly unmarked tees. I have no idea whether I just played the right tee-to-basket or where to go next.
> Terrible navigation issues, so bring a map, ask a local and pay attention.
> Tees are barely adequate and even dangerous in a couple of spots (especially the 30' drop off the end of the bare rock face tee at 11... jeesh.)
> Cross-traffic safety was an issue at two different holes where players must walk in the path of discs to get to the next tee.
> Getting back to the parking lot from 18 was just silly as it ends right in the middle of the course layout and you still have to walk across a few of the holes you've already played and then right across the middle of the Rosedale Upper course... just dumb.
> The trash was pretty bad and the cans, which were plentiful, needed changing badly.
> Graffiti was out of control here. It was on everything, everywhere and I've never seen so many badly drawn penis's before in my life. What gives people?
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UPDATED.
I had a good time playing this course... the first time I went, especially since it reminds me of several woodsy, nine hole courses that I love to play, but is a full 18. Now, it was simply a nightmare.

Playing in the woods can really beat you up mentally (perhaps even physically if you have to scramble down a steep ravine to recover from a tree hit or a roll). If you want to know how psychological of a game disc golf is, play this course, then go play a wide open course right afterwards to see the effects. Very interesting.

I sure hope to see some improvements made here in the way of new tees, better marking, landscape repair to prevent more runoff and maybe even some improved navigation by reorganizing a couple of holes... and get this place cleaned up. I can only imagine the impression all the trash and graffiti leaves on new DG players and the public.

This course has been neglected and the laziness of the reorganization has left it practically unplayable. I'm sorry to offend, but I'm lost how such potential is being wasted by a lack of concern and the "little things". Put up some darn tee signs, put up some arrows and get a new map made.

Course winds through a beautiful forest. Short, technical drives.

Very steep, lost discs very possible without a spotter

Fun course for KC. Reminded me of a few courses I played in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Steep inclines. I only played with my mid and putter.

Choice! Downstairs is shade and windless.

Be ready to meet some trees. When get to the teens it can be hard to find next hole but help is always around.

Have some putters and middies. I use a whole different set of discs than i play with up top.

While not very long at all by the standards of any of the neighboring courses, Down Under makes up for its lack of length with an extreme test of your accuracy, patience, and emotion-control. You will hit some trees and you will likely get frustrated at some points with no open hole outlets for venting. This course asks if you can keep it cool, under-control and throw with patience and touch even after that nasty kick or roll-away from the green. This is also a course you really have to get to 'know' - with all of the little dropoffs, sideslopes, and multiple route fairways, you have to learn what shots produce the best outcomes over the long-run. As other reviewers have stated, the tricky pins and severe elevation changes force players to learn the consequences of improper landing angles and speeds.

The tee pads are probably the biggest bummer out here. With quite a bit of play, they are rutted in some places and after it rains they are very muddy. Even just a small strip of concrete for the final plant foot would probably go a long ways - the holes are so short that long run-ups are often unneccessary.

With so many great courses in KC, it is hard to recommend this one as a first pick but it certainly is worth a trip for a vastly different experience from that you get from the traditional KC courses like Waterworks and Swope - So don't overlook 'Down Under'!

Probably the most accuracy course i've ever played. You can get to each basket but you have to know the trees. Each hole is relatively short but you have about 40 trees to deal with each hole. The baskets are bright orange and yellow so you can see them through the thickness. Some holes have an alternative tee box. Each hole has trash cans and most with wooded benches. Each hole has multiple pin selections. Most days it is wind free due to the immense tree canopy. Usually not too busy

Some of the holes have drop offs that can leave you throwing from the bottom of a hill. They do need some better tee pads. Most are tiny gravel or packed dirt. Bring a towel if it rains it will get your disc will get muddy. The signage is not the greatest and they have no real indication of where the pins are, both placement and distance. Do not wear flip flops!. you will regret this choice immediately. Not for the out of shape. Lost of hills and rocky terrain along the back 9 . Not getting any tree love.

My favorite course in Kansas CIty. Really lets you know where your game is as far as accuracy. Play it weekly

This thing was wicked, it tested every bit of my game and every shot had to be very very very accurate, there were no repeat shots, every hole was unique, especially 13 or 14 i don't really remember which one exactly because it went straight up hill, terrain changes, elevation changes, mixed with some short and long holes, great course i would like to play again.

Dirt tee pads, and the course was very hard to navigate, we ended up playing to basket 18 from the 11 tee and hole 18 finishes inside the woods which is like ok... how do we get out of here. when we found a path we ended up in the fairway for hole 5 on the top course and had discs flying at us, not cool

no other thoughts good park, like having 2 courses to play there, and it is a must play park both top and bottom

A great testing grounds for your accuracy game.
Though there are many trees, if you are truly accurate, you will be able to avoid a lot of trouble that comes in the form of trees and cliffs.
Another pro is how the course changes as the seasons change.
Once you get the hang of the course, shooting a low round is a great possibility. This was my first under par round!
Its a good place to get away from the hot sun too!

If you are not accurate, you will run into some bad luck with hitting trees, because they are there on purpose.
Be careful about your disc choice if you want to lay up, make sure its gonna land flat, or your disc might roll down a hill. Though on a positive note, you could find some other discs too.

This is my favorite course out of all the courses in Kansas City.
Its a combination of a technical and mental game.
Its also a cool, quite literally, course in that you are in the shade a good amount.
No matter your skill level, come out and play! Just watch your disc until it stops moving for good.

This course is a blast to play. It has a great combination of wooded plus elevation changes. There are a number of very memorable and unique holes. Most tee shots require serious accuracy, but very few require distance. I don't know that I threw much more than a buzz but maybe a handful of times throughout the round. It is a nice change of pace from the many courses in KC the require a big arm for low scores. It is a super unique setup here. I love that someone used "unusable" land around the park to make something great out of it.

To get there, just head to the woods line to right of 1's fairway and there is a drop off into the woods very near 1's basket. It would have taken me a while to find it if a local hadn't pointed me in the right direction.

The orange baskets are awesome! They make it so easy to locate your target off the tee. They also grap discs really well. Better than most I have played on. They are very similar to the Titans. The course appears to be very well maintained. I didn't notice any trash out there to speak of.

I didn't get the same impression that others noted about most of the holes being anhyzer shots off the tee. Maybe it was just where the baskets were situated when I played, but I thought there was quite a bit of variety, knowing that the whole course plays in the woods. The elevation changes were enough to give plenty of variety.

There are definitely a few places on the course that are confusing if you haven't played out there before. I had a local that was out playing that I jumped in with, which saved my bacon but I would have been in trouble otherwise. Please note that this is only in a couple of places. For the most part it flows seamlessly....but where it is confusing, it is quite confusing. The tee signs could be better, but I didn't feel like I needed them because you can spot the basket easily from 90% of the holes.

This was a ton of fun and I look forward to revisiting next time I am in KC. The reason I gave it a 4 instead of higher is simply because for me, to go beyond a 4 the course needs more variety beyond just wooded holes. While I feel like there was plenty of variety for a wooded course, to take a course to the next level (in my mind) it needs a greater variety of shots. That is not a diss at all. The course does what it does very well and I loved it.

This course is located in the valleys of the other course in Rosedale Park. There are amazing elevation changes. Lots of natural beauty in there. Baskets are very visible and are in great condition. Lots of fun holes. Very technical...lots of shade a virtually no wind. Navigation is ok. There are next tee signs, but sometimes it leads you to a steep, unsafe slope which makes you wonder if you are going the right way. Tee pads are gravel, but you wont need more than 2 steps of run-up. Benches at most holes.

Tee signs are pretty bad. Just a laminated piece of paper stapled onto a tree. Course gets very muddy and doesn't drain well. You have to cross the number one fairway of the top course to get to the down under. 17 basket to 18 tee crosses right through 10's fairway making it unsafe. missing a put might mean your putter rolling down to the deep, dark pits of the places even lower than the down under. Holes got a little repetitive. Almost all of them were 200-250 with a slight dogleg right.

There was a memorial for someone on one of the holes with some discs which I guess were his. I was surprised it wasn't disturbed at all. My favorite hole was number 11. You tee off from an elevated tee over a valley to another hill about 250ft. away. I left my disc on a bench that had my number on it. Someone called me and told me they would take it to disc golf world. I went there about a week later and they said no one had come by with my disc. I'm not sure if all locals are like that, but that experience left me a little irritated with KC locals.

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This is the kind of course that tells you how accurate you are. If you can throw a straight 200-foot shot, there is no hole that is tough to par. But if you come in and try to fire your Boss down the fairway, you might be in for a rude awakening. This course is a blast. The elevation can be dramatic for as short as the holes are, so you may have a hole 200 feet long and 30 feet up or down. The fairways are all reasonable and get you to focus on controlled shots. The trees can be thick off of the fairways and will punish errant shots. The bright orange baskets are the most visible baskets I've ever seen. There are 3-4 basket positions on each hole from what I can tell. Downhill shots on courses like these are some of the most fun shots in disc golf. Although most of the tees were natural, they were in good shape, and you won't be needing much of a run-up on these tees anyway.

There are three main cons:
1. Tee shot repetition. Most of the holes were dogleg right, heavily favoring forehand players or lefties. I liked having to work my turnover shot, but it got a little boring hole after hole. Only two holes called for hyzer shots.

2. Signage. There are laminated signs nailed to trees, but not on every hole. And they only show one hole position, although there are at least three positions on each hole (the signs showed wrong positions on numerous holes). That didn't help on the holes where you couldn't see the basket from the tee. And it's a little annoying to read that the hole is 225 feet long and then see that the position being used is actually 275 feet from the tee.

3. Course design: One one hole (#16?) I was about to tee off when two players walked across the fairway. You have to cross that fairway to get from 17 to 18. Not safe. A couple other holes required you to pass very close to the basket from another hole to get to the next tee. Also, despite some "Next Tee" signs with arrows, navigation wasn't always easy here. At one point we started down a fairly unsafe slope before realizing we'd gone too far and hadn't turned left to get to the #17 tee. Need some stairs or tiers there and much better signs.

The fun factor here is high. You'll never throw the same second shot here, and the big uphill and downhill shots are great. It's great to have a course like this as a counterpoint to wide open grip-and-rip courses. I didn't get to play the up top course, but the Kansas City disc golf community should be proud of creating this course in the woods.

This is hands down the most fun I have ever had playing Disc Golf to date (120 courses played at the time of this review). There are so many exciting to throw holes on this course I don't even know where to start. The title of this course is perfect. This course is literally down the outer rim of the giant hill below the trees that surround the other Rosedale course. There is risk/reward, huge elevation, water, LOTS of old trees, great layout, and you are as secluded from the world above as well as non-disc golfers.

There are some beautiful holes over valleys and creeks. If you love technical holes, this is the place for you. I don't think there was a single hole that didn't require accuracy of some sort from the tee box. Some of the tee areas not only have nice concrete pads, but they have some natural seating as well. I love that many of these holes have a drop off right next to the hole. They are dramatic enough to test your guts, but seem to get hung up on vegetation eventually. The baskets are a great hunter orange color and in great shape. You can see these things a long way off. There's not much variety in hole length here, but with all the obstacles and routes, it is not really a noticeable flaw. One last thing is the temperature here. It is a couple degrees cooler down here with all the shade and vegetation.

There are only a few tee signs up and they are not permanent signs. They are great signs, but laminated card stock signs won't last too long. The tee pads were of a dirt/gravel mix and although they were not bad, they certainly were not giving you the best stable footing. Navigation was really tough. I brought the map, but ended up lucky enough to join a group of guides. I would certainly need help a couple more times to get the hang of this place. You will want bright colored disc and will want to play here when it is fairly light out. It can get dark down here. You cannot play down here when it is muddy as it would be miserable under wet and sloppy conditions. Those are the only negatives I can think of.

It was hard not to give this course a 5, because the Fun Factor was the best yet for me. I rate more for the fun factor than anything else. However, the few negatives that I listed do affect everyone who comes and plays here except the locals. I really think that this is the place I would stop by and play each time I visit the area. Come to think of it, it would actually be tough not to play here a couple of times upon each visit.

Design and Terrain:
*This course perfectly fills the niche for a technical woods course in the overall KC disc golf scene. It's a fantastic change of pace from the other long, relatively open courses in the area; it's the antipodes of Blue Valley. I really like the terrain! You feel like you're secluded, in the woods, away in nature. (But I'm from wooded NC.) There are also rugged rocks and some peaceful paths.
The course plays along the side of a big steep hill, so on some holes if you go off the fairway you're down a very steep slope in thick woods. Good luck getting back in play! That strongly heightens my "Apprehension of Danger" while standing on the tee pad. I often threw softer shots just to do my best to stay in play. Even when my disc took a sickening kick off a tree and went down the hill I enjoyed the challenge of trying to salvage the hole.
*There's very good elevation variety, including several Down-Up ravines and Up-Down holes. (6 Flat/ 5 Up/ 7 Down). There are more elevation changes on the back 9, including hole 16 that is a classic +38 ft uphill on a short 160 ft hole! The front 9 has 5 flat holes while the back 9 only has one.

Basics:
*Baskets- The fluorescent Disc King baskets are the bomb! They're neon orange with fluorescent green poles, so they're much easier to spot in the woods than any other plain baskets I've ever seen. For me, these baskets significantly upgraded the course.
*Navigation- layout maps on the tee signs and small orange "Next tee" arrows make it pretty easy to find your way around.

Amenities:
*A clear and useful map is available online.

Basics
-Tee signs: They got much better after the PDGA Worlds in 2009, but they're still just laminated 8 ½ x 11 paper stapled to trees. They're adequate, but they could be even better.
-Tees: It would be really hard, maybe impossible, but it would be great to have concrete tees. The dirt tees were fine, but I think they'll get muddy when it's wet. Even rubber mats would be an improvement.

Design
-There's not enough fairway shape variety; straight and dog leg rights predominate. (9 St/ 1 Lt/ 8 Rt)

Course Level = White (most suited for Intermediate players rated 875-925)

You be the judge-
My favorite hole: 8. You shoot to a peninsula with a big drop on the right side.

Length:
The holes are rather short with the majority being 200-280 (5 of 160-199/ 12 of 200-280/ 1 of 300), but the heavy woods make it play longer. Shorter throwers (like me) will probably like this more than the big arms, plus there are no open holes to just let it fly anyway. Birdies, and even aces, are a tantalizing possibility if you can avoid hitting a tree!

It may just be me, but I've been to Rosedale 3 times now and I always feel like the course is in a kind of shady area that doesn't feel completely safe. I'm wary of being there when it's dark. I got there right before sunrise, and because of the isolation on the Down Under course I felt extra cautious playing by myself. I've never had any problems, so there may not be any basis in reality, but that's how I feel there.

I enjoyed Down Under more than the regular course, so if I had limited time and could only play one I'd definitely play Down Under. I've played almost all of the KC area courses and Down Under is currently my 2nd favorite in this area. The course is such a great change of pace from all the others in KC. If you live nearby you need to play this course to work on your accuracy, and if you're from out of town it's well worth a visit.

NOTE: Look in the "Links/Files" section for my files with Hole-by-hole evaluations, and a more detailed Overall review. You can also read more of my reviews and rating notes at the Yahoo Group, DG Course Reviews

Amazing course that forces extremely accurate throws and perfect lies. Terrain changes and TONS OF TREES makes course a lot of fun.

Not quite sure how to leave after the 18th hole. Some tee pads can be muddy.

Don't play this course if you don't like the sound of a disc hitting a tree.

A wonderfully fun and challenging course tucked into the wooded outcroppings of Rosedale Park. Offers an entirely different experience from the blustery winds, open shots, and afternoon crowds on the extremely popular Top course. Technical from beginning to end and despite that there is some considerable variation in holes, hyzers, anhyzers, elevation changes, cross ravine shots. A great test of accuracy. Plenty of chances for an unfortunate rollaway or a plunk off a tree into the deep abyss. Cool new bright orange and yellow baskets which were installed this year make seeing your target and picking your desired route that much easier than the old baskets.

Lack of some sort of smooth surface teepads. Getting cement pads down here would be a challenge, but flypads would be better than the dirt pads that are there now. They are marked by timbers and are very choppy. There is also plenty of stuff (stumps, dead wood) in the fairways, and certainly off the fairways to trip over. The bottoms can get muddy is your disc gets down there. Better signage is also needed. There are some signs up in the trees to point you around, but you kind of have to look for it. Some signs with hole distances were put up for Worlds, but they're nothing more than laminated paper, and many of them are already deteriorating. Getting hole numbers on the baskets would be nice as there are a few spots where you can be led off course. Not good for people with bad legs on them as there is a lot of hill climbing involved, both up and down.

For some reason, I've If you ever arrive at Rosedale hoping to play the Top course and get irritated by the crowds, I'd advice heading downstairs, litterally (they are located in the woods by the Top course's first basket). You can probably leave the bag in the car and traverse this one just with a midrange and putter. I would advise getting a look at the hole before you throw. Some of the trouble spots off the fairway are more forgiving than others. Definitely worth a play, along with its mother course upstairs.

great course, not much hole length variety, but the holes are interesting and great for a quick round if you have the accuracy to avoid some trees. great exercize, but discs find a way over the edges all the time.

easy to lose discs, the teepads are BAD.

Putters and a buzzz is all you need. Hills are a heck of a workout, especially when you play 3 times in one day. Will get very humid in the summer, and there is not much wind every, which is very nice for the fall and winter.

Tight, technical, wooded course. KC is a very windy city and it can be howling at 30+ mph up top and this course is quiet and still down below. Very creative course. All holes are short, but that is perfect for this course

None to speak of

You better love tight and technical courses that reward pinpoint accuracy. Not a course for the big armed howitzer arms. This is all about a masterful short game. Begs you to come back for more and try to go lower.

This is a very technical course that has been laid out very nicely.
Entire 18 holes are in a wooded setting that are sheltered from the wind. You are actually playing on a bluff that surrounds the park, so when the foliage is off the trees, the views were pretty nice.
Each hole felt uniquely different due to terrain changes and layout around obstacles (trees). There were some really nice holes that crossed valleys of varied depth.
What an incredible course in Kansas City that is NOT an open fairway type course!
Even though the course was crowded, it played fairly quickly, and slower groups were all willing to allow us to play through.
Has natural tees which for this course is a definate PRO - I can't see ruining the wooded type feel with concrete tees.

Tee signage leaves a little to be desired. Hook up with a local if you can - there should be plenty willing to let you join them.
In talking with some of the regulars it can be fairly crowded at times, but typically no longer than a 10 minute wait to start.
Some may consider the "wooded" nature of the course a negative since there is NO relief, but hey - this is a technical course!
A map would be invaluable for this course.

Thanks to Jason and Eric for a great round! They allowed me to join them and provided a little guidance on how each hole played - which unfortunately for them worked too well to my advantage.
Restrooms were located at the tennis courts.
Hole #1 starts by decending the metal stairs which are located at the basket area of Hole #1 on the upper course. After completing Hole #18 you transcend the rocky steps to the open field which you need to cross to get back to the parking lot.
I am sure this course is even more challenging when the foliage is in - it will require most dominantly a low ceiling shot on every hole.
Luck will certainly factor in if you are not able to throw off the tee fairly straight. I doubt you'll lose a disc though - but you might have to climb up or down an eroding slope to retrieve it.
A must play if in the Kansas City Area!

Plenty of shade, lots of interesting terrain, good holes to fit the terrain

No tee signs. You'll get lost the first time out

I'm a fan of shorter, technical courses and this is one of the best there is. That is, once you get past the absence of any kind of signage, either for tees or directional.

Located in the wooded margin of Rosedale Park, this course leads you on a tour of finesse holes a plenty. As you descend the metal staircase from the upper course, you are transported to a completely different golf experience from the course up above. This place is just loaded with trees and rugged terrain.

The things keeping this course from being one of the finest in the area is the complete lack of signage, the ease in which the first-time visitor will get lost and the fact that the exit of the course is so far away from the parking lot (you have to walk through a good chunk of the other course to get back).