Dude, Where's My Line?
13 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Peter Pan Park packs a plethora of perks. Plenty of parking, prime play, and pristine preservation. A playthrough should be present in your plans when you prepare for an Emporia pilgrimage.
All the amenities are in great condition being in Dynamic Discs' backyard. Tee signs are as descriptive as any, concrete tees are in great condition (5, 11, 13, and 16 all have two tees and hole 8 has three), and all the baskets are in top shape. Multiple pin spots on most every hole will keep every playthrough fresh. Along with this, the park upkeep was absolutely top-notch.
As for the holes, there are some very challenging looks. Hole 2 has inconveniently placed trees no matter which line you take, 7 is a nice long toss that has to stop quickly before it finds the pond behind the basket, and getting a putt made can be highly difficult due to the basket being in a tiny space between three big trees, 8 is a fun shot into Monkey Island, 9 thru 12 are all nice tight lines and besides 9 they're all made tougher by the looming pond, 14 is a hallway with big trees on the right and evergreens on the left that is just thin enough to make a flex line very difficult, and hole 16 is a long drive off the tee with a smattering of small trees to fight through to get to the green.
The best hole on the course is hole 4. Pinching off the big s-curve forehand with a big shrub about 100ft off the tee on the right, it's another 50-75ft to the mouth of the tunnel. Pushing down the middle of the tunnel is the key to a birdie as both sides are full of shrubs/trees to grab your disc and leave you with almost no recovery chance. The long pin is down about 350ft of tunnel, and is on a tough green as going too long or too far to either side will likely end with you in the brush again. Overall this is a tough, but fair hole.
The first tee and 18th basket are right next to the parking lot. The course also does a good job of staying put of the way of any other park activity besides maybe one walking path on hole 8.
The pond is used to perfection. Having to stop short on holes 7 and 11, going directly over it if you're on the short tee of 13, and the iconic peninsula green on hole 12 which is probably the toughest hole to gain strokes on.
Cons: The biggest flaw I notice with Pan is that it is full of righty forehand friendly holes. The holes that finish to the right are 1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 15, 16, and 17, while the backhand line is nearly non-existent due to the trees on 9, 12, and 13. So there are only 7 holes that will welcome a righty backhand player. It makes this course a great challenge for those players, but gives a major advantage to anyone with a strong forehand.
Multiple rough navigation spots. Having to go all the way back down the fairway of 5 to get to the tee of 6, the long walk from 7 to 8, and the path from 17 to 18 crossing the fairway of 4. It's not that there's a lot of issues, it's that the issues present so much potential danger.
The course neither starts nor ends well. Hole 1 is a standard "wrap around the back of the baseball field" hole, and 17 is easy to skip an otherwise perfect forehand into the brush due to that green not having grass, while 18 is a short, straight, easy birdie. There are great holes on this course, but they can be lost in the middle of the humdrum that comes with them.
The only other "bad" hole out here is 15. It's a wide open downhill with the pin right behind an evergreen. Bland.
Other Thoughts: There isn't a lot of elevation here, so the trees are the main challenge. And a tough challenge at that.
Overall, Peter Pan is definitely worth playing. It's not the best course in town, but it certainly isn't the worst. The lack of distance is made up for by some very difficult lines to hit, and some holes that require some great control. Your game will be challenged by a round here. Learn from it.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.
7 Helpful / 2 Not
Pros: Peter Pan is one of the best maintained courses I've played. You can tell the upkeep and work being down is great. Plenty of play structures for the little ones with a great course as well. Tee signs are very well done with great tee pads. There's a creek that runs through the first few holes. However what makes me love this course is holes 7-12 the monkey island hole 8 is amazing and so is the water shots that follow. Great rock structures, and that island 8 is one of the coolest holes I've yet to play. There's some Very picture worthy shots including hole 7s pin placement. Good mix of lefty/righty holes as well as distances.
Cons: Not much elevation change as most the park is fairly flat. Hole 5 and 6 pretty much share a fairway and on a busy day would have to wait for the completion of the holes before throwing. You walk back down 5s fairway to get to 6.
Other Thoughts: I don't recommend going in the pond to get your disc back as it's pretty gross but there our safe landings. Easy to score well or bad here depending on your accuracy for the day. Good shots rewarded and bad shots our punished. This course is closer to a 4.25 to me but I'll go on the lower end because the problem with 5/6 playing together. Defiantly don't miss it if you're in emporia area
7 of 9 people found this review helpful.
5 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: I really enjoyed this course. A lot of variety ranging from short, long, open, wooded, water, O.B., low ceiling, etc.
The unique stone features throughout the park are really interesting, I especially enjoyed hole 8 playing inside of the rock wall.
The tee pads are plenty long (i didn't not feel that they were too narrow).
Tee signs are fantastic and explain everything clearly.
Cons: Course does have some overlapping (not crossing but parallel) fairways that I'm not a fan of from a safety and convenience point of view. When I played, there were very few players on the course but on a busy day or at a tournament this could be a pain.
This course floods and stays wet after rain. The course does not drain well which is unfortunate but not really a design flaw. Its the way it is but still kind of a bummer.
Other Thoughts: This is a really fun course and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and challenging round. Bring a few extra discs for the water holes if you plan on being aggressive.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Hate to see the Pessimist DGC
9 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Peter Pan Park is kind of cool, with some unusual features. The Optimist DGC is no disappointment, if you may be skeptical because of the whimsical name.
All 18 holes are decked out with nice signs and good baskets from Dynamic Discs. The tees are concrete, very long but sort of narrow. There are multiple pin locations on most holes, and long tees on a few.
There is not much elevation change, but there is water in play on a few holes, and plenty of trees in this nice city park. The balance of shots is good, and there is usually a clear optimal line defined by trees, with few wide open bombers. Several long holes that will require being consistent with distance and accuracy just to make par.
I guess my favorite hole was 4, a longer one playing along the right side of a bend in the creek, with water behind the long pin. There are trees on both sides, and some limbs above to knock down high throws. Hole 9 is a good mid range line drive and a good birdie opportunity. 10 is short but takes a sort of tricky flexing shot to reach with a RHBH. The direct line on hole 11 cuts across a corner of the pond, but you can play it safe and layup to the right. Wish I would have.
There are not a lot of highs and lows through the course of a round. Very consistent quality and mix of shapes, with water in play every few holes. Not a signature hole that I would pick out and say it rises above the rest, but there are not any I would say are bad holes either.
Cons: Hole one had a large part of a tree fallen in front of the basket that needs to be cut and cleared. Of course it knocked down my approach shot.
Some holes are near other features in the park that draw non disc golfers. I had high schoolers taking portraits near the pond on hole nine when I played. There other unique Peter Pan forts and castles, as well as sidewalks that are semi close to some holes.
Water may take a disc from you here. I lost one on hole 11, and nearly threw another one in on the same hole. What may be NeverNeverLand river is to the right of 15, and 18 in the long is backed by water as well.
Layout requires players to walk across the fairway on hole 4 on the transition between holes 16 and 17. Caught a group playing through and paused on the bridge to stay out of their way.
Other Thoughts: Optimist DGC in Emporia was the second out of three courses I played New Year's Eve 2016. I liked it best of the five courses in the area I played that weekend.
I finished with a 65, taking one penalty stroke for the throw into the pond on 11. My only birdies were on 9 and 10, two of the three shortest holes on the course. While the score was not good, the course is definitely one I would like to play again. I think being familiar with the layout would help me do better next time.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Lose your discs here, get tick bites.
0 Helpful / 25 Not
Pros: Good tee signs.
Cons: Flat terrain, trees close to the baskets (too close), course favors 350' low very accurate drives. Tees are too narrow (only 3 feet wide). Just not much fun.
Other Thoughts: Play Jones East or the Emporia Country Club course, much better.
0 of 25 people found this review helpful.
Peter Pan and the Monkey Island
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: -Well maintained
-Plenty of parking
-Restrooms
-Excellent baskets
-Great teepads
-Signage is terrific
-Lots of variation on the holes
-It will make you use most, if not all of your shots
Cons: -Water will eat your discs
-Can get rather muddy after a rain
Other Thoughts: This was my second course at GBO this year. It was also my best rated round of the tournament. So, I might be slightly biased about Pan.
I was really looking forward to playing this course from all the review videos and past tournament footage. I was not disappointed! Peter Pan starts off fairly easy looking. That being said, if you are not accurate, you can easily start tacking on bogies instead of birdies or par.
I really liked the variation of the course. You've got your long holes that still make you be accurate. And you have your short putter/mid shots that are dripping in OB. Hole 11 is a tough hole with a narrow strip of land having the basket on it. You can be brave or smart. I love it when a course really tugs at you to go for it.
All in all, Peter Pan was definitely my favorite in Emporia so far. I still have not played all the courses, but I don't think it will fall from the top spot.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
What a great balanced course
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Multiple pin placements.
Several birdieable holes and a Ace Run or two as well.
Many lines to be shaped.
Great shot variety.
Great signage.
Well maintained course, always making improvements.
Tee pads are plenty long and wide allowing for a proper run up.
Great Kiosk with a course map.
Good mix of short, moderate, and longer holes.
Both dog leg L/R holes here.
Tunnel shots, low ceiling shots, and water threat present here.
The flow is logical.
Other amenities in the park like playgrounds, tennis courts, horseshoe pits, etc.
Guarded or protected pins on several holes.
Hole 10 with the basket on the island is definitely a fun risk/reward hole.
There are places to air out drives like on holes 13-15.
The planting of a row of trees mid fairway on hole 15 will make this hole very difficult as the trees mature in the future.
Cons: The walk from 2's basket to 3's tee, 7's basket to 8's tee, 16's basket to 17's basket and 18's basket to the parking lot slows the flow of the round down a bit.
If the course had heavy traffic getting to 6's tee might be and issue as you have to walk down 5's fairway to get to 6's tee.
Hole 10 might see an errant throw hit a parked car along the street on the right hand side. Please pay extra close attention on this hole.
Other Thoughts: There's just something about this course that keeps drawing me back to play it each time I'm in Emporia. I really love the balance on this course. Its more than a grip and rip course and there are just enough technical holes to challenge you but not to frustrate you. Its hard to find many cons about this course, one could list the lack of elevation as a con but that's not really fair because the terrain of the land just doesn't allow for up and down holes.
This course will challenge your overall game from your distance driving skills, to your shot shaping abilities, and being accurate will greatly improve your odds here.
I play this course every time I'm in Emporia because I enjoy the great golf it has to offer. If you are in Emporia or are passing through do yourself a favor and play this outstanding course. Make a day of it and play the Jones E and W course while you're at it. I think you will be pleasantly pleased with what Peter Pan has to offer.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
The disc eater
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Well kept.
Very good information sign on every tee and even though there only was one basket per tee (the tee signs pointed at two) it was fine.
The signs next to each tee made them visible from far away.
Good flow for most of the holes - I only needed to check the picture I took of the course overview at tee #1 a few times to find out where to go next.
Not too long holes either for a weak arm like mine.
Very long teepads - I still don't do runups, but I can imagine that some like to complete half a marathon before each throw.
Great layout that in some places forces you to take different shots.
Cons: Hole #11 is a disc eater. I still haven't conquered the forehand, but I do (or rather: did) have a midrange that I can make go right.. which it did.. right into an overhanging tree that sent it straight into the lake. Two kids behind me lost one disc too, and the party behind them lost one as well.. all within 5 minutes. There's probably hundreds of discs in the water right there.
Other disc golfers : apparently there's not much DG-etiquette going on here.. both the kids behind me and the party of 4 behind them just tossed their discs as soon as they could get to it, regardless of other people being in front or not.
Other Thoughts: I managed to loose a newly bought valkyrie in the river at hole 15 too.. I wasn't aware that the river was right there on the right hand side, and my disc flipped on me.. but most players playing stable discs shouldn't have a problem. The ground turns into a very sticky sludge after rain, but not much to do about that.
Please bear i mind that I am complete noob at this game, but I would still recommend this course - new players should just skip hole #11 though as it's simply too scary (really deep and really murky water that you're not allowed to go into anyway).
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Great course hidden in small-town Kansas!
8 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Beautiful park with lots of shade.
New tee signs and tee pads installed for worlds 2013.
Lots of parking near hole 1.
Park has some interesting architecture (like "monkey island") that is very unique. This park looks like no other disc golf course you have played in some ways. Doubt it feels redundant even if you are a regular.
I like this course a lot. This is a great beginner course because of the length, but also can challenge a better player to play a solid round and shoot for a great score in the mid-40s (par is 55). Trees, water, and OB lines make this course less simple than it may look when you see the the course on a map or read the hole lengths.
Despite the many short holes, there are some unique challenges like hole 4, which is an interesting par 4 that favors accuracy over the long drive. I think hole 4 might be my favorite hole even though I did not score well on it either time that I played it.
This is not the most challenging course in Emporia, but if you have time to only play one round when you are in town, I would tell you to play here.
Cons: A few holes play very near a lake in the center of the park where locals often hang out on weekends fishing or relaxing. The lake makes an excellent hazard for the holes, but having to worry about pedestrians in your way for the drive is no good.
A bit too short. As others have said, the middle of the course features a lot of short holes back to back. I think holes 5-12 are all clear birdie opportunities. It would be nice if the layout mixed up the hole lengths more. This is a minor issue, as these "easy" holes are still fun to play and have some interesting obstacles in play and angles to shoot. I just like my birdie chances to be throughout a round, not all together.
My least favorite part about this course is the layout of holes 17 and 18. The course flows very well until you finish hole 16, at which point you have to cross the fairway of the only par 4 on the course in order to get to the tee of hole 17. Then hole 17 is a short hole that finishes just in front of the middle of the fairway to hole 18, which means long drives on 17 can interact with players walking hole 18. Then to get from 18s basket back to hold 1, you have to walk across hole 17. I think holes 17 and 18 could be reversed (ie, play the other direction) to improve this flow. They are still fun holes to play.
Other Thoughts: I played Peter Pan twice during my trip to Emporia for the PDGA Amateur World Disc Golf Championships in July 2013. Once as a practice round and then a week later on my final round of the tournament. I shot a 53 in that competitive round and felt like it should have been more like 49. Good players should definitely be shooting in the 40s here, but the course has enough OB to challenge the accuracy of your shots. A good player who isn't focused can easily shoot a bad round and lose a few discs to water and OB.
Because of the frequent use of the park and lake by non-golfer locals, I have been told there is a lot of debris in the water (like old fish hooks or even broken bottles) which means it is probably not safe to go in the water looking for a lost disc, at least not without shoes in (keep in mind there is a "no swimming" sign also).
Great course to play in the summer when it is hot because of all the shade!
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
So much fun!
10 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: -Baskets: Chainstars are in great condition
-Teepads: Adequately sized, good concrete
-Signs: Excellent signs in place from 2013 Am Worlds
-Design: Great mix of short/long, right/left holes
-Flow: Flows very well for the most part, makes sense
-Accessibility: Easy to get to from anywhere in Emporia
-Enjoyment: Very fun course to play, challenging, yet not too difficult to score
-Maintenance: Park is kept up very well
Cons: -Some long walks: Some holes have long walks between, but are marked for the most part
-Repetitive: The middle of the course is lots of short holes that seem the same, with long holes bracketing them.
Other Thoughts: In my opinion, the funnest course in Emporia to play! While it is the easiest to score on, it is certainly not a cakewalk. It rewards accurate drives, and still offers chances to bomb a drive. It does not take a long time to play, and I was left wanting more after it was all said and done. A course you'll want to play over and over again!
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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1 
12/3/2021 
1/8/2022
Review By: Surge5 
This review was updated on 1/13/2022
Hole #6 (Taken 3/2019) 
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