Old? Not really. Pike? Good fish.
14 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Old Pike is a fun, woodsy track with some frustratingly - but not unfair - dense trees and oddly shaped fairways to set up a unique experience. The care taken for this course is noticeable and the enjoyment factor should be high for this one.
Amenities are far upgraded from the pictures. Concrete tees on every hole, tee signs with each pin spot's distance marked out, and six holes have multiple baskets (1, 3, 10, 11, 14 and 18 can play to either of 14's pins). Several different basket types (MachIIIs are the main, but there were also a few DisCatchers, a Prodigy, a Mach7, and a Chainstar or two) making for another quirky element to this course. Pins are moved about regularly by the caretakers (who I was fortunate enough to play a round with).
Woods, woods, woods. Into the woods. Out of the woods. Through the woods. Woods. Holes 1, 3, 8, and 16 all have gaps to hit as you go into the woods. 2, 6, 7, and 18 have gaps to manage before getting out of the woods. And 4, 9-11, and 17 play right through the thick of the trees. The variety of woods shots is handled incredibly well.
Elevation isn't ever-present, but when it is, it's usually the defining part of the hole. 2 and 3 play up and back down a large hill, 7 cuts to the right up the same hill, 11 slowly all the way up, and the same on 12, then a big downhill on 14 (these last two are more open holes).
Several greens are unique and challenging. The long pin of 3 hangs from the trees and is deep around the corner to the left. 5 long is back into the trees sloping away from the direction of your putt (assuming you come up short). 2 and 7 are on a fairly steep hill which is easy to crash into but can make the putt itself tricky. 9 long is over a rise in the fairway making a parkjob tough to pull off. 16 has a green long left of the main area which goes sharply uphill about 8 feet to a small green.
Even with the denseness of the woods, it always feels like there is a fair line to the pin. And I was assured it gets much easier to carve lines once the leaves fall.
In the difficult sections to navigate between holes 1 through 4 there have been gravel stairs and solid bridges installed to keep you from sliding down a hill or over a creekbed. 17 also has a bridge across the creek. More care has been put in by the members to this course than a lot of parks departments ever give to their land.
Cons: Tossing across the entry road on 15 and 18 (long pins) and the road on the left of the fairway of 15 are elements that have to be present just because of how the land sits, but also have to be mentioned.
Several tunnels (2, 10, 11, and 18) were extremely thin for their purpose. I don't think it would be as bad in the winter or early spring with the branches trimmed back, but in August/September they start to encroach on the fairways in a major way. They aren't unfair, and one or two very thin gaps is fine, but four is a little excessive.
Having to find a member to play with is a bit inconvenient. Makes hitting this course on a trip almost impossible.
7 goes to the right at about a 120-degree angle, but the hole is so short that getting the 2 is almost impossible in the longer pins. The angle of that one is a little too sharp. However, 3 and 17 are quite good doglegs.
Other Thoughts: The care given to this course pushes my rating a half-disc higher on its own. The upkeep, the easing of hole-to-hole transitions, and the changing of pin spots all serve to make Old Pike a great experience for anyone lucky enough to play here. It would be a no-brainer to pay up for the annual pass if I lived closer, it's great golf on a fun piece of land. If you can make it work, make time to play this wooded gem. You won't be blasting down any fairways; you'll be showing finesse through the tree gaps. Good luck hitting them all.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Very tight and technical
1 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: - uses terrain and trees a lot
- despite being physically constrained, it largely arranges to keep the holes from being on top of each other
Cons: - course needs maintenance pretty badly
- one tee pad is too damaged to use safely and is trying to fall into the pond
- Some holes really need to have some more limbs cut back just to open a line, even a hard line
- tee pad signage is adequate, but some direction from one hole to the next would be useful.
Other Thoughts: There are really only a couple shots on this course that might reward a big arm. Accuracy and placement are much more important here. It was hard enough playing in the fall with the leaves off the trees, it must be much more difficult during the summer. Because of the creek and pond, water (or mud) is potentially in play on at least 5 holes.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Playing Well-Improving
Pros: Everything has been mowed recently and they are even chomping up the leaves weekly. Lots of small sapplings and bushes that were just a nuisance are being cut down daily and making it look great.
Cons: Missing a lot of signs for tee boxes and a lack of directions on navigating to the next hole.
Other Thoughts: This course is technical in every aspect. Very few wide open hole, but the couple that are play pretty long.
Pros: +holes 1,6,7, 9, 10,13
+only a couple of shots are open straight shots
+course makes good use of the land
Cons: -tee pads are a bit small
-signs are all broke
-pond on 13 is a disceater
Other Thoughts: worth playing a few times at least
Pay to play DG?
3 Helpful / 8 Not
Pros: It's close to home.
Cons: They expect you to PAY, to play disc golf. There are at least 10 other courses in Kansas City within 25 miles of my house, most of which are much better taken care of, have better baskets, and are much more fun to play and they are FREE. I refuse to pay to play at any DG course, especially when not even two years ago this course was a free course. Some jokers took it over and now they think they can charge 50 a year. Get real!
Other Thoughts: I will pay 50 dollars to play this course as soon as you make it worthy of that amount of money. I spoke with one of the "guys" and he said I couldn't even bring a guest. Lame.
3 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Economically Challenged
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Character is the word that describes this course the best; it has more than its share. There is something for everyone, open holes, wooded, water, elevation and technical shots. Each hole seems to have a personality of its own and some even have names to describe them. This course was obviously built on a budget but you can tell it was done with the kind of insanity that could only be described as genius.
Cons: I'm not sure that's completely fair to judge this course for it is as opposed to for what it could be but there are a lot of cons currently. Eighteen almost goes over one's tee except for the mandos which are just out in the middle marked by stakes. Some holes are so tight I couldn't find a clear shot or path to the hole. There are no tee signs; the tee pads aren't great or temporary and finding your way around is difficult. There are hay bails for benches, rubber trash cans at most tees, some tees have plant stands, and a couple of the bridges have strange white plastic chains as railings, which gives it a sort of white trashy feel to it.
Other Thoughts: This course is a diamond in the rough. All that is needs is some clean up, new pads and signs, and maybe get rid of some of the decor. I think that it's coming, let's hope so.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
updated review, course has improved
2 Helpful / 5 Not
Pros: #1 is a solid starting hole. Some reasonable tunnel shots. Update: lines opening up on a some of the holes which, on my initial round, were undefineable. #3 in particular has improved. Added length to a few holes as well. Course is well kept.
Cons: Very challenging flow. Update: course flow, ie navigation, has improved. I would love to see a longer tee on the lake hole.
Other Thoughts: I'd not go out of my way to play this course. If you've time to play head down the road to one of the best in the country, Water Works. Update: if I'm in this area of town WW is still the choice.
2 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Getting Very Nice!!
2 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: Challenging little course set on the grounds of Old Pike Country Club. It has a nice mixture of tight, wooded holes, water hazard shots, a few ace run holes, and a couple of nice open shots with road OB looming nearby.
Cons: I don't have too many bad things to say about this course because it is still in the development stages. They are currently raising funds to replace the loose gravel teepads with concrete pads, as well as adding tee sings for easier course navigation. Once these tasks are completed, it will go from being a decent course to an excellent course.
Other Thoughts: The 4 newly added baskets makes it a full 18 hole course, but you will probably need a local to show you the layout. Play does flow a little better now with the added holes.
The fundraising tournament is being held on September 18th. Here is a link for more information:
http://www.discgolfdicks.com/Events.html
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Better than I first thought...
3 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: The first 9 of this course is very picturesque. Lots of mix in elevation. Hole 6 has you throw from a valley up toward the parking lot with a steep hill going up to it. Course was well thought out, utilizing trees and water very well. One of the posts to mark the tee has bag holders on it. Located in a very nice area.
Cons: Some major navigation issues, partially caused by a lack of tee signs. It's almost impossible to find your way around without a map. A very long walk between 6 and 7. 7 Can easily be played to 9s basket and 9 to 7s. 8 plays right next to fenced in yards. Hole one gets flooded after a rain. Gravel tee pads are ok, but you can easily lose your footing. They recently added, but not complete, holds 10-14 are short and technical, but don't have very defined fairways...yet. hole 13 has a home-made basket and hole 14's sign fell down in some wind.
Other Thoughts: I didn't play hole 10 which plays right over the pond because I had already lost a disc that week and I didn't want to lose another one. There are some weird, what look like giant depressions in some of the greens. I don't know if they used to be sand traps or what, but after it rains, they do make good small water hazard. If you land in the rough, you might encounter some poison ivy problems.
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3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Hidden Northland gem
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Good intermediate level course on the grounds of a private club which hosts tennis courts and a pool along with the DG course. (Only the DG course is free for the public to use). Holes have decent and varied distances and woodsiness, and some elevation change. A couple of holes with water threat. Good lefty-righty balance. Baskets have flags for easy sighting.
Cons: Gravel tee boxes are uneven and you can mess up your footing really easy. Holes 3-5, while technically challenging feel a tad redundant. Hole 8 cuts too close to neighboring property to the north. Basket 9 is too close to hole 7 and you can easily mistake it for 7's basket which sits to the left along the woods.
Other Thoughts: Kind of a strange, yet welcome addition to KC disc golf, and definitely the best nine holer in the area. Coming off I-29 and Vivion, you can miss this place very easily traveling north. Its a lot easier to see going south on Old Pike Rd. League on Wednesday nights. The club appears to have some more property, and I have heard there are plans for additional holes. while I don't think you could squeeze 18 into this place, a nice 12 hole course might be possible, perhaps incorporating the pond a bit more. Not a must play, but a good warm up for Water Works just a couple miles away.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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1 
10/6/2010 
10/6/2010
Review By: Magnatizer 
This review was updated on 3/29/2014
Hole #11 (Taken 3/2010) 
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