Reviews: 107
Avg. Rating:
14 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Water Works Park is one of the better public park courses I've played to date. It's a well loved and much played course in the KC area, as evidenced by the well worn dirt paths down many of the fairways.
There are single tees here. These are about your standard sized concrete pads. All were level, with many having been built and beefed up to combat the erosion issues here. No compaints with these.
The baskets are DGA Mach X's. These things are nice. They don't like to catch off center putts real well, but nothing too terrible. It's honestly better than dead center spit outs on single chain baskets. There's up to 4 pin positions on every hole which is awesome to see, and again, will help with erosion issues.
The elevation is ever present here. There's a couple flatter holes but the rest are uphill, downhill, basket on a slope, etc. Rollaway potential is a major consideration here. Landing shots with the grade of the land will save you strokes here. Not having a servicable forehand almost bit me numerous times today. There's trees in play on every hole as well. Not poke and hope style, but just the right amount to force certain lines, and punishing off line shots.
The tee signs are really well done. They feature the hole #, par, distances to all the possible pin locations and a generic, but serviceable, hole map. There's also a next tee arrow on each sign which is really helpful, as long as you remember to look at it.
I personally dug the Terrepin Station painting on the shelter by hole 4 (?) and the peace sign formed by the rocks around the green. The arrowhead made of rocks around 17's pin was a nice touch too.
The course is free to play and permanent. There's water spigots by hole 1 to refill on water if playing multiple rounds and restrooms by the parking area.
Cons: The flow is a bit wonky in a few spots. Numerous unintuitive transitions between holes. I'd advise using Udisc or printing out a course map if it's your first time through. I mean, you'll figure it out, but the less wandering up and down these hills the better.
I'm a big fan of multiple pin placements. Especially up to 4 per hole. It helps keep a course fresh for local players, I wish more courses around me did this. What I'm not a big fan of is not having any indicator as to what pin is currently in play. Is it in the B position which is a RHBH hyzer or am I throwing a turnover to the c position? Or is it in the dead straight A position just over the hill? Very annoying for traveling players.
The erosion issues mentioned above, numerous times, are probably getting worse and worse all the time. Impossible for me to say, having played it for the first time today.
The course supposedly gets packed during peak hours. We got up early specifically to beat the traffic. Turns out early Monday morning isn't too bad. This clearly isn't always the case though.
Lots of trash laying around and garbages overflowing. Takes some of the luster off an otherwise pretty course.
The park road does come into play in a few places. It seemed more prevelant near the end of the round. Not a major con, but worth noting.
Other Thoughts: This one's been on my bucket list for years now. Not that I thought it'd be like any of the top 10 courses I've played or anything. But it's just a classic midwest course. I'm glad to finally check it off my list.
I'd recommend this course to anybody travelling through the area. The rating is laughably high but it's still a really good course. I think it has stacked up very favorably to the other courses I've played in the area. Very good, not great. But it's just plain fun to toss a round out here. If I'm ever back in the area I'll be back here for sure.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.
The Nicest Course Ever (thanks to hills)
15 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: A fun, hilly course full of par-3s that is a favorite but perhaps not the epitome of disc golf courses.
-Amenities: Mach X baskets (occasionally two per hole), concrete tees, signs with maps including pin positions (but no indicator method). Plenty of benches, which help with all the hill climbing.
-Pleasantness: I think this is the first time I've used this precise pro, but it fits. Water Works is simply a pleasant place to play. Green grass, sparse trees, a skyline view, and rolling hills, all immaculately kept, were the perfect place to spend a summer evening. Imagine ideal picnicking environment, and this is it.
-Elevation: If you read any reviews, you'll notice they all mention the hills. There aren't any drop-offs here, but there are consistently large hills that make it oh so fun to watch a drive go sailing. This would be a fun course to bring a Radio Flyer to and cruise down hills after your drives.
-Vibe: One of those classic courses with a great local environment. Think Mt. Airy, Sedgley Woods, Wells Branch, Oregon Park, Brahan Springs, Earlewood (if you're from any of the cities those courses are in). It's just wholesome and a bit busy.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Lots of great par-3 shots thanks to the elevation. The two aspects of challenge will be managing slopes on some holes, and navigating around particularly placed trees on others. Mixed in are about three tightly wooded holes with low ceilings and/or tunnels, but generally holes are mostly open. Get ready to bomb out several times, and also be ready to come up short when you go back up the hills. Sometimes, clever curves or the park roads force big swoopy shapes, and those are tons of fun. Thanks to the generally open environment, scrambling is a possibility throughout the course, so you shouldn't feel too beat down. On the whole, this is a fun factor kind of course that just provides pleasant tee offs from 1 to 18.
Cons: A few ticky-tacky things. Water Works is not a case of being held back by its cons, more just not having all the possible pros.
-Navigation: The routes between some holes are definitely not clear. I went from (1) to (7) instead of (2), and got turned around a few other places as well. This is perhaps fixable with some discreet signs nailed to trees.
-Pin Indicators: To help with distances and the occasional hole where the basket isn't visible, Water Works could really use a simple pin position indicator for each tee sign.
-Par Variety: With the exception of some short par-4 alternate pin placements, Water Works is all par-3s. Drive-putt-repeat. Little in the way of placement shots, strategic hole planning, or shapes that aren't throwable in one motion.
-Road Risk: Depending on your definition, somewhere between two to five holes bring the park road into play. I could definitely see a car being pegged, whether stationary or driving past.
-Slopey Things: The ankle-rolling risk and exhaustion from trudging up steep hills are both to be considered. I suffered mildly from both during my round.
Other Thoughts: I found Water Works to be Very Good. It's an exceedingly pleasant atmosphere, it has big hills, and there are some neat shapes as well. However, the monotone par-3 nature of the course, the lack of defining fairways on many holes, and the navigational confusion are key parts of the picture. I have it rated #45 of 265, which means I'd come back any time, but I don't think it's a model for those trying to create a destination course. Kansas City is lucky to have it, and anyone who comes here should have a great time!
~Similar Courses: principally White Oak (Dallas, GA); somewhat Dickson DGC (Dickson, TN); midwestern city park version of Mountain Cove Farms (Chickmauga, GA).
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.
Birthday Round
1 Helpful / 6 Not
Pros: Excellent layout. Steep hills mixed with technical lines. It's an old course, and the wear and tear shows.
Cons: A few holes require finesse to avoid hitting a parked car or driveway. Erosion around tee pads and some fairways is pretty bad. Tee pads are pretty small and because of the erosion can have a sharp drop off.
Other Thoughts: Beautiful layout and a lot of fun. Stretch beforehand to avoid pulling a hamstring.
1 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Hill Yeah!
15 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: This is an absolutely beautiful course. A huge variation of hills and distances. A few hard doglegs and tunnels throughout, but there's a lot more wide open play.
Brand new tee signs are nice, but not hugely necessary as the pin is almost always easy to see from the tee.
Finding the next tee is a cakewalk due to the amount of people who've worn a path from one pin to. A great feature of a well-planned course.
Two practice baskets! One is a Mach3 and one is a MachX like the rest of the course.
Only one hole is disturbed by a walking path, and that should be cleared easily on your drive.
No hill is misused. No hill is ignored. Every single hill is used, and in the best possible way. You'll be using a lot of control on one downhill, then putting all the power you've got behind the huge uphill on the next hole.
12 has a long basket in play at all times which is much more challenging, and can also be used for hole 17.
You'll be tested if you're going for par, but just coming out and playing is an absolute delight.
Cons: Drainage is an issue. You'll still run into some puddles for two or three days after a rain.
Incredibly busy course. Saturday mornings you just won't want to go.
No bathrooms, just a portapotty.
A few holes have high potential for your drive to dive down a cliff, or down onto the next fairway. Searching on the sides of those fairways can take a while, but you'll usually find it.
There's many who will say this is the best course in Kansas City. It's in the top three for sure, but it has a few missing parts.
Pretty much every pin could be called a par 3. I can think of one par 4 off the top of my head.
Other Thoughts: This is one of the best courses to play in Kansas City. There's a few drawbacks, but overall it's a phenomenal course. The hills will make your shins scream in pain around hole 13. Avoid going on Thursdays as the league varies what time it starts. Holes 1 and 14 are especially memorable (though my favorite is hole 9). With a few par 4 pins added in and a good set of bathrooms this would easily be a 5-disc review.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.
New signs, same amazing design
12 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Fantastic in every regard. Every hole provides a different challenge, with drop-offs in various directions, various lines, and every elevation change imaginable. The trees are old, mature, and impossible to throw over, which forces even the most powerful arms to take the traditional routes.
This course has received some love recently - there are pretty new Mach X baskets and, finally, new tee signs. There are 2-4 pins on every hole, and also two extra-long baskets that you can play to for a longer hole (holes 1 and 12). Those pins give the course a ton of variety and make there virtually no need for alternate tees. Most of the time, some pins open up lines that would be otherwise impractical.
Most holes offer multiple lines, especially depending on pin placements. Hole 12 is a good RHBH roller hole, hole 9 has numerous possibilities, and even on a lot of upshots, there's danger because of rollaway potential or tricky stances. Some lines are shots that are difficult to find on other courses; on hole 7, you're squeezing your disc between the hill and a low ceiling, and a few pin placements force you to manage speed to not blow by the basket going downhill.
There's out of bounds in play on several holes and adds to difficulty and risk-reward potential. For beginner players, just play everything in bounds - this course is difficult enough already. For everyone else, the roads add death putts and potential for aggressive shots that will punish you if you miss your line.
Rollaways are common if the angle of your disc doesn't match the hillside, which can be punishing. This can be a con for new players, but it really keeps you honest on ~70-foot upshots, which would be routine on flat ground. Drives that would be commonplace for advanced players will be tricky due to discs speeding past baskets and tough putts that will be produced by hills or OB.
Cons: There's a bike trail that winds its way through some of the course. In my experience, there are not many people on it, but it does come into play on around four holes, depending on pin placements.
The only thing missing to make this a truly world-class course is more par 4's and 5's. A couple of long pins can be par 4, but in reality, it's a par 3 course.
Can get muddy after rain. There are also a few steep hills off the fairways (mainly, holes 3-5) where lost discs are possibilities. Watch any discs going that way. Fortunately, the first row of trees usually stops anything coming in.
Other Thoughts: This course is not for the faint of heart at all. The hills will get to you instantly, so bring plenty of water.
It's amazing this course has survived for so long and is still so amazing, despite trees and limbs that have fallen down in the last 10 years. The original designers did a fantastic job.
League night is Thursday evenings in the summer and is one of the most popular leagues in Kansas City. If you want a quick round, come sometime else.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.
Iconic designation well deserved
12 Helpful / 2 Not
Pros: Course has been reviewed so many times it shows how well loved and venerated it is. It deserves every kudo for grandiose shots (9/10), condition of grasslands (8/10), mix of risk and reward (7/10), and multitude of shot shapes (9/10).
Coming from Colorado this has as much elevation change as our big mountain courses (a LOT more oxygen available tho).
Good map at the start - take a picture of it for navigation (see Cons)
Excellent newish baskets.
Rewards the longer arms (350+) but us ordinary mortals can find a few birdies too.
Really requires delicate landings on side/up hills on half the holes.
I played on July 4th mid-afternoon and had the whole course to myself due to earlier rain shower. Was still very playable after rain due to good grass. Only four holes had dicey mud footing near the basket.
Cons: I don't remember a single tee box sign that was readable. They have nice big metal numbers, but the images and details were all roached out so yardage etc. unavailable.
Other Thoughts: Really worth the effort to get here. It was surreal to play on a stellar empty course on a summer holiday. Not a breath of wind and the sun was hidden behind clouds - sort of like the DG rapture happened. Guess that's a round to cherish.
12 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Impressed this out-of-towner
13 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: I had the great luck of being in town the day after Water Works hosted the 2018 Master's Worlds. As one would expect based on that, the course was in absolutely amazing shape. But even if the fairways hadn't all been perfectly manicured, and even if the basket placements hadn't been in their most challenging placements, this still would be a 5* course in my book.
Water Works has great use of elevation changes, which require you to execute a wide variety of shots. The scenery is awesome, giving a unique mix of views of forestry, the Missouri River, and downtown KC. The holes are very memorable and no two are alike. There are some absolute bomber holes, some long and technical holes, and even a couple ace runs. Added bonus: the hilliness really makes a round here a decent cardio workout. It felt a lot like going on a hike, which is awesome. This is absolutely a destination course.
Cons: I honestly don't have any real negatives. We had no difficulty finding teepads, but due to some temporary baskets for Masters Worlds we did have a hard time identifying the correct basket a couple times. The locals were happy to help out though, and that was clearly just a temporary issue since the signage is great for identifying all the permanent basket locations. Pace of play is typically a big factor in my enjoyment level, but we were the first to tee off at around 6:45am so I really can't speak to how backed up the course may or may not get. Yeah, no real gripes. If you're reading this, just play it!
Other Thoughts: I can't imagine how a park style course could be better than Water Works. It's perfect. If you are in KC for a day or two this is a must-play.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Everything you'd expect and more
19 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: The famous Water Works is a well laid out course that uses the never ending elevation and abundance of mature trees to challenge every level of player. The course in the short position is only 5,175 ft and in the long position is 6,630. That distance seems very pedestrian compared to the nearby Blue Valley Park, which is 9,297 ft and 11,220 ft respectively. Yet due to the elevation at Water Works you will get more work than a typical course of its distance. It'd be nice if there were an elevation factor to measure a course by. Or maybe there is and I just don't know about it. All that to say, the elevation is a big part of what makes Water Works special. Included in the benefit of the elevation are the views of the Missouri River, the city, the skyline, and the park, which is very nice.
The first hole is special, since you are throwing down into a dell with the basket placed that day on the right slope. This day, however, was exceptionally special. I walked up to the tee, which had 6 people on it (welcome to Water Works, a local favorite!) and the first thing I hear is chains and a 14 year old raising both of his hands over his head. He just aced the 508 ft hole down the hill. Then I threw down the hill and parked my shot. So that was a nice introduction to Water Works for me. The next day a guy aced the first hole at Rosedale Down Under in front of me and I'm thinking, what's with these Kansas City players!
The tee pads, signs, and baskets were all nice, as to be expected at such a highly rated course.
Cons: Navigation was not that clear since there are not signs for the next tee and it was not intuitive to me. I was fortunate that I was able to join two locals and they led me through the course with ease. But I wondered if I would have gotten lost without their help in many places. I even asked them several times how someone new to the course was supposed to figure out the paths they were taking and they concurred that it's hard the first time if you don't have help.
Because it's a nice park there are pedestrians we share the park with. In such a nice course we disc golfers sometimes think we have it all to ourselves but this is not a dedicated course. So be careful and watch out for people. Also watch out for cars that enter areas where plastic flies.
Other Thoughts: Water Works was my first of four courses in Kansas City. With its reputation and rating you would be remiss to miss this place.
In my Rosedale Park Down Under review I listed a quote from Ace Mason I saw on a Kansas City website, "I love people who love this game." I had never heard of Ace, but I discovered that he designed this legendary Water Works course in 1997 and is a 2016 inductee into the PDGA hall of fame. How's that for a piece of disc golf history in the Kansas City area!
This is the 100th review of Water Works on dgcr. I hope there is something here you found helpful, but it's hard when everything has been so thoroughly and well reviewed by so many reviewers and Trusted Reviewers who did a good job. It makes me wonder whether i should even write a review for such a historical course if it's in the triple digits. Well, if I get some thumbs up that's the answer.
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.
12 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: This was everything I hoped it would be. Hole 1 was an excellent start to a very fun round. I was concerned I would need some help navigating but it was very straight forward on finding the next hole throughout the park.
The length of the course was a bit challenging to me but not insurmountable. The elevation also made this fun on a number of holes and really getting to air it out a bit. Teepads, signage, baskets, etc were all in good shape as was the park itself.
Locals were very helpful, allowing me to play through and were nice enough to answer a few questions about navigation, although that largely was unnecessary.
The fairways and greens were challenging. You really had to think about how your disc was going to land to avoid roll aways down the hills. This forces you to think through your backhand/forehand options if you are playing fairly conservative.
I really didn't find many birdie opportunities. If I had another 50 feet on my drive several more of these would have opened up.
The ambience of the park is nice as well. It isn't really busy, at least when I played it, and it has an incredible view out beyond the park.
Cons: It is hard to call this a con but it is about all I can come up with...get ready to do some walking. The length of the course paired with the elevation changes make for quite a bit of walking. It was all very enjoyable and the park was maintained well enough for this to seem more like an adventure than drudgery.
It seems like it can get pretty windy, even on a day that wouldn't seem that way in general. I imagine this could get tricky but also provides you one more thing to practice that many courses cannot provide - driving and putting with high winds.
Other Thoughts: If you are new to this park hole 1 is by the circle drive in the park. You will see the course map located near 1's tee. Once you get hole 1 the rest is pretty intuitive.
If you are in the area definitely play this course. I only had time to play a handful of courses and was very glad I got to finally play this challenging, beautiful and fun course!
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.
variety coarse
1 Helpful / 14 Not
Pros: variety of shots both long and far. the photos don't do this coarse justice great elevation change.
tee pads with good grip
Cons: long long grass I think some one forgot to pay the bill.
yardage seems off on quiet a few holes
1 of 15 people found this review helpful.
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5+ 
4/2/2021 
9/6/2020
Review By: Surge5 
This review was updated on 9/20/2022
Hole #10 (Taken 4/2010) 
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