[No Title Provided]
11 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Shawnee Mission is a standard park-style course with good maintenance, decent elevation change, and challenge for all skill levels. Parking is fantastic, tees are good, and the course got new Veteran baskets last year but also retains alternate baskets on several holes.
The start of this course is really good. Holes 1-5 are pretty heavily wooded, but also mix in some elevation as well. There are several excellent par 4 pins on those holes that allow for some really aggressive shots, but a lot of opportunity for danger. I especially like the new par 4 pin on hole 3, which encourages a tighter line by the woods than an open line to the left by the road. Overall, I really like the par 4 pins that have come in; a long setting could be par 59 for the course (and maybe one or two higher if you call pins like 1 long and 12 long par 4), which isn't super high, but would have a lot of excellent challenge.
Some of the later holes allow you to air it out a lot more, but there's always something you have to avoid. The rough on the right side on 17 and the left side on 18 are super nasty, and encourage some players to play a safer shot. Some of the downhill holes (12, 14, 16) have a low ceiling off the tee or some annoying trees that you might get stuck behind. Some of these are rather open, but have longer pins for balanced challenge.
This course excels in variety in shot shapes. No two holes are the same, and many encourage different lines, both backhand and forehand. Every hole can be attacked with either, but some will be easier than others. There are probably a few (16 and 17) that could be decent for an overhand as well. On some, the backhand is the safe shot while forehand is the aggressive shot, and on others, it's the other way around (of course, this will depend on your skill level).
Cons: While a lot of the course has its merits, holes 8-15 are rather open and bland at times. Some of these have a good pin or two, but also have way too much room on the fairways to be truly challenging holes. There's some elevation on these, but there's no excuse for holes 8 and 11, which just encourage you to throw it super hard and hope you don't end up in the tall grass.
Some new pins have been added in the last two years that aren't reflected on the signs. There are at least seven of these that I know of. They do add more par 4 holes and mitigate some of the openness by adding more distance, but it's clearly a patch solution on the real problem, not a long-term fix.
Some of the holes feel a little odd to me. Hole 7 seems like little thought went into it, especially for the long pin, where you're either throwing over pine trees (never a good idea), or you're going through a crazy-tight gap. Hole 10 has an odd shape, which again can be avoided by throwing over some shorter trees on the left side. Either of these require a very powerful arm, which this course probably wasn't designed for, which means these two holes don't make much sense for everyone else.
A few minor gripes that really aren't that big of a deal: The course doesn't loop by the parking lot until hole 18, a walking path is near several holes (but can be avoided easily), and a few pins can't be seen from the tees (holes 3, 10, 17, 18).
Other Thoughts: I think some of the openness of this course was caused by some important trees falling down in the last two decades or so. Judging by the pictures, hole 12 used to be much more interesting, and I know hole 13 is more open than it used to be. Tournaments sometimes call some of the tall grass OB, which is a little too oppressive for my tastes but does add more challenge. Anyway, removing or combining a few of the open holes and adding a few holes in the woods behind hole 18, or past hole 12, is the best way to fix this course.
The tall grass that's in play on holes 4 and 8-18 isn't too bad most of the time, except holes 8 and 9 (though this could depend on the day). In my experience, while there isn't a whole lot of woods here, it's harder to find discs there than in the tall grass.
There's a weird strip of mowed grass that runs through the tall grass from hole 9's tee to hole 18's tee. I have no idea why it's there; hopefully there isn't a road going in.
It's great a course like this exists in such a large, multi-use park while avoiding the rest of the park features pretty well. As far as park-style courses go, this is certainly one of the better ones, but it's missing the consistent excellence that would be required for an even better course. If you're travelling through, there may be better courses you can stop at, but you won't leave this place unhappy.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Starts well, falls off.
13 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Two practice baskets. One DD Veteran and one Mach3.
A few holes (2, 4, 17) have two baskets with the Mach3 in the long pin.
Tee pads and baskets are in really good shape. Baskets are bright white and are easily visible.
Always well maintained and mowed. Parks dept. really has their stuff together.
Cons: A few holes play near/cross a walking path, and with the park being as busy as it is, it's always something to watch out for.
Holes 1-6 are a great start in the woods... but then 7-9 are just park golf... and then the back nine are below average park golf (18 is decent). The main show is at the beginning and the rest just feels like a chore.
It's always busy. Tons of beginners at this course. Not necessarily a bad thing, but when they don't know how to let other groups play through it can get annoying. Also, look forward lots of big groups.
There's a few left to right or the opposite holes, but most are fairly straight and have easy lines around the trees.
I've played here twice. Once where almost everything was long, and once where almost everything was short. It would be good to see some variety in setup lengths since the pin spots are there,
Other Thoughts: I want to like this course, but the monotony of playing 8-16 doesn't make it worth choosing when there are much more enjoyable options closer by. The good holes are very, very good, and it's worth coming here a few times just because it's maintained so well. Eventually, though, you'll want to go somewhere else to avoid the crowds.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.
Splendid Course For Tournament Play!
8 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Shawnee Mission Park is a large multi-use Park but the disc golf course seems isolated. There is an ample sized parking lot with the practice basket nearby. The large kiosk contains a course map as well as league and tourney information. The tee pads are large concrete and nicely tapered. The baskets are DGA models with the always hard to read red numbers. The tee signs give you the information you need, par, distance and a map.
Navigation here is very intuitive, you always walk to the longest basket placement and there you'll find a route to the next tee. There are 2-3 basket placements for each hole. This morning, all were in the short position. The first three holes play through the woods with the rest being more open. There is some rolling elevation but nothing too severe. The rough is thick but not terribly difficult to avoid. I found Shawnee Mission to be a very comfortable round. The course loops back close to the beginning.
Although I didn't really recognize any one hole as being that signature hole, I did think that # 2 was just a pretty little throw. # 9 is the longest here here at just over 500 feet. 12-14 and 16 all play in the mid-400 range.
Cons: As with every other KC area course, I would like to see yards and yards of wood chips brought in to spread over every inch of exposed and very slippery dirt.
Course is open enough so as not to frustrate. I can see better players, advanced and up, being a little bored here.
This course could benefit from a bolt and washer set up on the tee signs where a hole is drilled next to each basket placement distance. Then a small bolt is inserted through the hole with a colored washer. This is a simple way to indicate which basket position you're playing that round. Whoever changes the baskets can easily change the washers.
Other Thoughts: Although I played Shawnee Mission in terrible conditions, it's easy to see what all the fuss is about. This is just a very solid intermediate level course with lots of fun throws. Rec players can play it without a lot of frustrating moments. It's not terribly long. The rough is quite forgiving and not hard to avoid.
Kansas City golfers have a nice stable of enjoyable courses at their reach. Enjoy them.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Mission: Disc Golfable
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: The Shawnee Mission Park DGC has it's virtues. The tees are paved, and the signs are good. The baskets are fine as well. Benches and trash cans are not hard to find. It is a straight up par 54 on 18 holes. Navigation is not hard. Though there are other uses within the park, you will seldom come into range of other traffic.
The terrain has good elevation changes for Kansas that plays on several holes. There are a few holes that are moderately wooded as well. I liked the first 6 holes and number 18 a lot. 1 is across an open area slightly downhill until you approach the pin. It is place in a gap between clusters of trees and brush. 2 has a fairway that is not too narrow and is lined with trees on either side. 3 comes out of the trees, and crosses an open run towards a pin that sits on a slope with another cluster of trees on the right. 4 is very uphill, and has a hard dogleg right, with heavy woods once you make the turn. 5 and 6 are shorter holes with good birdie chances. 18 is kind of the opposite of 4 but without as many trees, a long downhill, and turning left.
Cons: The entrance to the park was under construction, and I didn't go far enough to make it to the proper parking lot for disc golf. I parked at one of the first lots, and started the course at hole 7. Starting at 1 gives you better quality right off the bat, and a better finishing hole.
Not a super challenging course, but it was no push over and was still fun for me. Some of the holes are pretty wide open, and winds can have strong effects
Other Thoughts: I liked Shawnee Mission, but wasn't blown away. It is set in a very nice park. The middle portion is less wooded, and makes the best of the landscape, but is a little bland.
Made a 56 (+2) because of a double bogey on the tricky hole 4. Only birdie was on hole 6, on a nice drive with the putter. Could've had 2 or 3 more, but wasn't able to make the putts.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Great disc golf course for all skill levels
2 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: Concrete pads
Benches at most holes
Hooks to hold your disc golf bag on some of the signs
Good signage for most holes
Multiple basket placements
Fairway grass mowed shorter than rough grass
Fun for all skill level players
Good mixture of wooded/open holes
Cons: No trash cans
No facilities/water stations near course
Some baskets are very close to the ground
Slightly rough terrain since my friend Joe fell twice
Other Thoughts: Overall this is a great course to play, I think that most if not all players will enjoy this mixture of open fairways and tight wooded shots. Glad to see that this park has great upkeep with its landscaping.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Another great kc course
5 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: + Ample concrete tees and mach 3s.
+ Practice basket by parking lot.
+ Beautifully manicured fairways give the disc golf experience a ball golf course feel.
+ Enough technical shots to entertain that crowd and long and open enough on long pins to keep the big arms happy
+ Course is easy to navigate and flows well enough to finish under 2 hours.
+ KCFDC summer league on Tuesday evenings.
Cons: Course can become very busy on weekends and after 3pm on weekdays.
During growing season rough can become very thick so all eyes on deck.
Course does not swing by parking lot during round so pack for 18 holes.
We call hole 9 the kite hole. May have to skip during kite flying season.
Other Thoughts: I have followed this course from inception and have watched it evolve into one of kc's most beautiful disc golf destinations. You can really feel the love the parks department puts into this course. They should be commended.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Great beginner/intermediate course!
10 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: Really well kept course with nice signage, benches, garbage cans, bag hangers, etc. Can't really complain about the amenities!
Good shot selection requiring both hyzer and anhyzer shots, and some good use of terrain taking you up and down some hills. I'm a fan of just getting to toss a disc down a hill and watching it fly, so I enjoy courses that allow me that satisfaction once or twice!
If you like chances at a hole in one, many of the short pin locations are doable for intermediate players, but are still some challenge to approach due to trees or terrain.
Speaking of pin locations, every hole has 3 pin locations, and the alternate locations really change things up in a meaningful way.
Cons: May not be super exciting for advanced players, as it's a fairly short course, and the terrain isn't super challenging. There are some trees and hills in play, but they aren't all that challenging to navigate.
I also felt like the more "interesting" parts of the course (I tend to enjoy wooded holes to the wide open ones; for a frame of reference, I LOVE Rosedale Down Under) were clustered together too much. There's a stretch of a couple more interesting stuff, but then you're back out of it and into the open. I would have preferred some time in the thicker stuff, then back out, then back in, etc.
On that note, there's a looong stretch of holes that are just wide open with the pin dead ahead of the pad. That section of the course is really why I'm dinging the rating so much, as it's a good half the course that gets pretty boring and monotonous.
Other Thoughts: If you see other groups at Hole 1, consider starting at Hole 13, which is just across the street from the parking. The course flows just fine from there, so it makes a good alternate starting point if it helps get you staggered from another group.
I actually like that starting point better anyways, as it puts the more wooded stuff in the middle of the round, so you get to play some open stuff, some wooded stuff, and then back open, rather than all the more wooded stuff at the end. It also ends you on 12, which is a longer, satisfying, downhill shot. I enjoy ending a round that way!
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Good Course
1 Helpful / 6 Not
Pros: - Good balance of technical/distance
Cons: - Back 9 has some repetitive holes back and forth.
- More than optimal walking between some holes.
Other Thoughts: - One of the better courses in the area if you live on the south side of KC.
1 of 7 people found this review helpful.
A walk in the park!
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Wow, this is a very visually pleasing and beautiful course! Shawnee Mission Park is huge and very pretty, and this course gives you a gorgeous tour of the park.
This course had a great variety of wooded, open, downhill, uphill, and right/left or left/right shots.
Baskets, tee pads, and signs are all in good condition. I noticed there was minimal trash on the course and it appeared to be in good condition. The bag hangers on each sign were also a nice touch.
Not overly crowded on the Sunday afternoon that we played! It didn't look very heavily used; I know it's a bit out of the way of most of the metro, so maybe that's why.
Course navigation is super easy. Just look for the pea gravel surrounding every tee pad and you'll be golden.
And, obviously, there IS pea gravel around every tee, which I love because it really helps with erosion. You won't get your shoes so muddy this way.
The course is designed really nicely and makes full use of the land that is available.
Alternate pin positions aren't marked, but they frequently change how you'll play the hole. Not sure how often they change them out, but they're generally pretty well thought out.
This course just played super easily, no stress, no worries, and gave a great scenic view of the park. Well designed and very fun to play!
Although some of the holes switchbacked on each other (see more on that in the cons), they didn't play excessively close (like Swope) and you'd really have to have a bad shot to end up in someone else's fairway. We played in a very stiff Kansas wind and didn't have issues. I like the length and spread out feel the course has.
No burrs and the course maintenance was well done. No branches or anything that needed attention.
Cons: From 12-16, you're shooting up and down the same basic hill. They do a good job of giving some different shots and I get that they're just using the elevation, but I'm not generally a fan of switchbacking like this.
No benches and I didn't see any restrooms super close by, but that's not a big deal to me.
Shawnee Mission Park is a many, many, many multi-use park. We had some issues with other park goers wandering directly in front of us while we were throwing; we also ran into some folks just messing around on the holes while we were waiting to tee off. They did finally let us play through -- I think they just didn't know that's the courteous thing to do, so no biggie, but it doesn't look like this course has staked itself out as a DG-exclusive area.
Other Thoughts:
This course is in a very safe, clean park in northwest Johnson County. Take I-435 to the Midland Road exit and go east, then south on Renner and you're there.
Seeing as it's very close to Wyandotte County Park, it seems fitting it reminded me of it a bit, albeit much shorter. If you like WyCo but it's just too long for you, you'll probably like it here better (I personally love both).
Gorgeous vistas, nice maintenance, and good variety get this one a 4.0. Happy discing!
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
This is a fantastic course!
8 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: - This course is beginer friendly and can also be a challenge for more expirienced players
- Course has good flow to it and no hole really felt misplaced
- Mach 3 baskets in great condition
- Love the tee areas! Dirt around the great concrete teepads and there were trash cans and benches
- Course will make you pull out almost every shot you have (It did on my round at least.) You will have dogleg lefts, dogleft rights, straight up the middle, hyzers, anhyzers, uphill, downhill, and much more!
- More than one pin position on each hole makes this a totally different course on each round
- Disc golf secluded was a big plus in my opinion because you could just play your game and not worry about hitting someone
- Extremely well taken care of park! We saw a staff member picking up trash which shows me that they really do care
- Fairways were never too tight and were very distinct towards the basket
- Navigation was easy for the most part
- Senic views
- Tee signs were very descriptive
Cons: - Some holes were repetitive. I wish there had been more of a variety
- As mentioned before, there was some unused wooded areas at the beggining of the course which would have been nice to have holes through
- The rough made it sometimes hard to find a disc
- The lengths were in the same range most of the time. Would have liked some varied distances from hole to hole
- There were some holes that had a long walk to next tee which isnt terrible but could have been avoided
- Depending on time you have to play, once you start playing, no holes come to the parking lot until 18 so you will need to have some time
- I wish there had been more tight holes as most were wide open
Other Thoughts: Overall, this course was a very fun play. I enjoyed this course so much. It is worth the time to play and I will come back to play this one again.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
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4 / 441ft.
Par / Distance:
2-4 
7/16/2021 
9/30/2020
Review By: Surge5 
This review was updated on 7/19/2021
Hole #4 (Taken 9/2009) 
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