The OG DG in KC
10 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Prairie Center is one of the oldest courses in Kansas City, home of the first Kansas City Wide Open, and has happily stood the test of time by remaining a quality course despite so much else changing. The tee pads, baskets, parking, and signs are all in at least decent shape, and there's potential for a fun round for nearly all players. Maintenance is pristine. There's also bathrooms and plenty of parking.
The best part of this course is the variance: no two holes are the same. Some of the unique ones are throwing over or through a line of trees on 10, the water on 15, over the tree farm on 9, and more. The island shot on 2 or 4 (usually 2) is also fantastic; it's difficult to go for it off the tee, but it's fun landing near the road and putting over OB to a basket that really isn't far away. I also enjoy the tunnel shots on 3 and 6.
The newer holes, 11-14, are absolutely fantastic. Other than 11 being between two sports fields, it's a really difficult hole that takes some playing to get used to. Holes 12 and 13 (in longer pins) are epic par 4's that involve weaving through lots of trees, and placement of your first shot is crucial. They're all possible to birdie, but very difficult. After those, it's hole 14, which is still in the woods but has room to air it out.
The rest of the course plays like a casual park-style course, except there is some challenge at every turn, whether it be a tree to hit early (6-10, 18), some wind (17 is windy for some reason), or an OB path or road (2, 3, 16, 17).
Even if some holes are a bit tweener, there's still incentive to throw your drive as far as possible, but there will almost always be trees ready to knock you down. There's are individual trees in the middle of the fairways of 6 and 11, that really should be easy to avoid, but certainly gets in your head and have probably caused many shots to go awry. On holes like 7 and 18, most players will have no hope of a birdie, but the farther the drive goes, the easier the upshot will be. In addition, a long tee shot that ends up left or right is still okay. This isn't always good (and certainly isn't the case on 13 and 14), but for a few holes it's good.
Cons: Not much elevation change. There's enough for some decent variety on several holes, but it isn't enough to give the course enough variety to complement the variety in wooded-ness and shot shapes. Most holes have a little elevation change, but there are no steep slopes to be seen. It makes certain sets of holes quite similar - not the same, but rather similar.
Several holes don't feel very normal. There's not really a good line on 6, 7, or 18, and as like many traditional holes, everything is just blindly labeled as par 3, despite several being rather tweener holes. I also don't like hole 15, the water shot, mostly because the bailout option to the right leaves you in a pretty terrible spot to try to get a par. A few holes have lines over the top of all the trees, on some of the holes that have a slightly elevated tee pad.
There are several holes with two tee pads, but they don't add much to the course. I usually play the longs, but I'm pretty sure the short tee is intended to be used on 8, and the tee pad you use on 15 is dictated by which pin is in use. On the others, holes 2, 6, and 18, both tee pads are close enough together that they don't change the hole much.
The park is often quite busy. There aren't usually non-discers on the fairways, but the sports fields nearby can be issues. Holes 11 and 17 play beside a baseball field, and 11 and 14 are also near a soccer field. In addition to a lot of noise, you'd better be confident you won't be disturbing some soccer moms on the edge of the field.
Other Thoughts: I wish this course could utilize some more of the woods around hole 13. It would add a few more wooded holes, and they wouldn't have to be long. It would also allow some of the holes in the 5-8 area to be a bit more spread out. Other than that, this course really doesn't have any true weak points that would be easy to fix. It's possible that the tee pads or signs will soon become worn out and be in need of replacement, but they're in good shape right now. There are also a couple of holes that would lose their charm if one tree fell down.
There's some housing being build behind the baskets of 11 and adjacent to the fairway of 12. It shouldn't disturb the course at all, but all it would take is one or two backyards to become a little bigger than they ought and those holes would be toast.
Overall, this is a pretty fun course that has quite a bit to be excited about, but it's issues still prevent it from getting a higher rating from me, and it has been upstaged by lots of other courses in the area. But if you want to see where a big part of Disc Golf in Kansas City started, then this is the place to go. Nearly all skill levels can have fun here (though some may need to skip 15) and experience the history of this park and how it has remained a quality course.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Disjointed and squished, but still decent
10 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Practice Basket
Lots of parking.
The grass is kept up extremely well. I played in "long" grass, and didn't have any trouble finding a disc.
There are some highlight holes on this course:
- Hole 2 was the first island green in Kansas City, and it's a tough one to hit. With the entire surface being dirt it's also tough to lay up on.
- Hole 3 is a thin, straight hole that will test your distance control.
- Hole 12 is a 475' bomber into the woods. On your second shot you'll be competing with trees for the last 150-200.
- Hole 13 is the type of par 4 I'd expect to see on a championship level course. Threading the needle off the tee is the only way you'll get birdie, but even then you have to compete with a low ceiling on the long pin, and a jungle of trees with the basket guarded by an evergreen on the short pin.
There are restrooms on site if you go looking for them.
All the tee signs are very informative about the shape of the hole, and the few holes that have two pads have distances marked for both.
Cons: Many holes are blind, and since there's no marking at the tee for which pin it's in, you'll need to walk the hole to find where you're shooting.
The baskets are very aged. Not majorly, but a few of the bands aren't level anymore.
Navigation is rough. Many of the next tees are out of sight and could really use some sort of directional sign. 8 to 9, 10 to 11, and 16 to 17 are the worst offenders. The only tee you can see from the basket of 8 is 18.
11-16 are a three minute walk from the rest of the course. I know there's a whole sports complex in the way, but a major fix would be to shift the numbering so those are either the first six or last six holes on the course.
When the trees on hole 9 grow up, the hole will have to be removed.
The pin positions for hole 2 and 4 are the same. This makes for several options, but also means that it could get a little dangerous during a busy day or a tournament.
The holes outside of 9-16 only come in two flavors. 1-5 and 17 are fairly open 300-400ft shots. 6-8 and 18 are wooded and 350-450ft with only one lane for your drive.
The sports complex gets in the way of a few holes. Soccer fans could be sitting very close to some pins on 1 and 11 (one of the pins on 1 is literally 15 feet from being on the pitch), and you risk tossing into baseball fields on 11 and 16. There is also a walking trail that you throw right alongside on several holes.
Other Thoughts: It's obvious that this course was stuffed into an already busy park, which makes some of the issues excusable. If some "next tee" signage were added and a few holes tweaked this could be a great course.
Even with my complaints this is still a good course for beginners who want to test their distance without being punished too harshly, and more experienced players who want some challenge (on the good holes).
Overall, with some improvements I could see this course getting pushed up to a 3.5, but without a redesign it won't go above that. Several holes are class and 13 is in my top 5 for KC, but some of the others are very monotonous. This course is worth a visit or two, but more experienced players are likely to visit other Olathe courses.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Good for families
2 Helpful / 5 Not
Pros: Good mix of hole types. Nice course for beginners and for night golf.
Cons: Park sidewalk goes right through the front 9.
Other Thoughts: Stroller-friendly.
2 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Fun Play in Olathe Area
5 Helpful / 2 Not
Pros: ~Concrete Tee Pads
~Diverse drive selection
~Clean park, with benches and trash cans
~Multiple pin/pads
~Decent signage
Cons: ~Poor layout, where to go after certain holes can be difficult.. IE: After hole 8 one of the only teepad in sight is 18...
Other Thoughts: ~This is just my personal opinion but courses that have very multiple basket locations if they are difficult to see from the teepad there should be a way to mark on the sign the current location. (I understand this is a common theme for courses)
~The course is very well kept, is nestled in a family friendly park. Great for all ages and skill levels will have fun at this course.
~If you are local in the area or visiting people in the area it is worth a visit. Not the first one I would go to play but it is a fun round every time.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Journey to the Center of the Prairie
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Prairie Center Park works in 18 holes on the disc golf course. There are concrete tees, with signs. Innova Discatchers were pretty good, and multiple pins on each hole. Benches are here and there around the park if you need a place to sit for a moment.
The trees are numerous and make for good variation from hole to hole. Nominal elevation changes in places, and there is a bit of water around 14 and 15.
On the front 9 there are some birdie chances, and on the back things are taken up a notch. I liked the island hole, but being in the center of a turnaround at the end of the parking lot isn't ideal. Two par fours on 12 and 13 pump up the distance. Hole 15 takes a good drive to carry across the pond and be in position for a putt or approach.
Cons: The layout is pretty choppy, and there are lengthy walks after some holes. I would have liked a more guidance to find the next tee on the holes that are followed by long transitions.
Many other park facilities and roads are nearby on several holes, so cars or pedestrians can be in range.
Other Thoughts: While the quality of the course is very good, it can be tough to navigate for a first time visitor. The available space is used well, but on a busy day it may take a while to complete a round as try to avoid throwing too near to other people in the park.
I played this one late in the day and had to hurry to beat nightfall. I lost a disc on hole 14, it went left into the trees, maybe as far down as the creek. Champion Orc, pink, may still be hanging around.
A 58 was not a bad score for the first time playing at Prairie Center Park, but I would have liked to do better. If I return it will be earlier in the day, and probably not during the weekend, to ensure that I am not rushed and can see where I am trying to put the discs more clearly.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
fun course
4 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: well maintained
nice tee pads
nice baskets
nice signage and map
well defined lines
variety of shots
clean well maintained park
Cons: the course got somewhat confusing for a newbie.
hole #11 is behind the baseball diamonds. some signage pointing the way would have been VERY helpful
basket for hole #9 was hard to find
Other Thoughts: As a newer player I like playing on this course. Hole 2 or 4 has the basket on the island in the cul de sac which is neat and a challenge.
I usually play holes 11-16 to start. I park by the baseball diamonds, throw those 6 holes then park near hole #1 and finish my round. I am too old to be hiking that far between holes.
As a new player I found most of the holes a challenge but with proper technique and some luck par is definitely possible. Overall I found the course fun and challenging, I seem to love throwing discs into trees !!
Definitely recommend this course if you haven't tried it.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Decent at best
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Every tee had an okay tee pad a few had multiple pads, seemed like the majority or all had seating around and a trash can.
Great parking and bathrooms close by, along with a shelter not far from the first hole, which is awesome if you are meeting up with a group.
Nice signage showing the multiple pin locations, normally 4 different placements, didn't have the ability to show current placement.
The majority of shots are going to be a technical shot, where you are breaking up the hole into two different parts.
Cons: Course is at a public park that has MANY other users which makes it very challenging to disc golf. A lot of the holes run next to walking paths or right up to a baseball or soccer field.
The back nine is challenging to navigate and it would be nice to have an arrow towards the next hole for first timers.
Hole 10 and 11 had a mini tree farm between the pad and pin, so there is no real fairway you can see. If the trees grow up at all these two holes would need to be changed.
Other Thoughts: Decent course, knowing the Olathe area and the local disc golf club is very good at keep the course up to date.
If I'm in the area, I'm not sure I would choose this course above birdland or even heritage, but it is worth the play if you can get out early on a weekend or during a week day.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
happening place
9 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: + Ample concrete tees, Discatchers, and informative signs.
+ Multiple pin locations.
+ manicured turf
+ abundant trees including thick pines make for a controlled round.
+ though course does not play back to parking lot during round - tee pad 8 comes close.
+ pack water disc for one challenging water hole.
+ hole 2 very challenging island green.
+ not much elevation change but a long enough walk to get a workout.
+ KCFDC league on Monday nights including glow league during winter months.
+ Established course with many admirers.
Cons: - multi use park results in large numbers of people.
- asphalt walking path borders many fairways.
- navigation becomes tricky after hole 10 so be prepared to walk aimlessly to find the next tee pad.
- had to skip hole 11 because of soccer fans.
- No bomber holes!
Other Thoughts: If you are into the technical game you may love this course. But if your in the mood to grip and rip theres a course 2mi south called birdland. Either way they are both quality DG courses.
Prairie Center disc golf course has been around for many years. The course is established and has a great tradition. The club members always make sure it is ready to play and should be commended for their efforts.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
A good course
3 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: - Well maintained
- Good signage
- Front nine almost impossible to lose a disc
- Restrooms conveniently located
Cons: - Navigating the course gets a little tricky the farther you get into it
- The course plays primarily through the mixed use park areas
- Back nine relatively easy to lose a disc
- Not much in the way of elevation change
Other Thoughts: This course can get crowded quickly. A few holes have more than two placements for the pins. The front nine is in a park setting while the back nine gets into a more wild and wooly setting. I would say the course plays more to the strengths of the technical player and not the distance player.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
1 Helpful / 3 Not
Pros: - Some good technical shots
Cons: - A lot of park traffic. One time there was a soccer game going on and there were people sitting 3' from one of the baskets.
- A lot of walking between some of the holes
Other Thoughts: - The holes in the woods are the best part of the course, very technical and fun
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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3 / 319ft. 
1 
3/5/2021 
10/16/2020
Review By: Surge5 
This review was updated on 3/8/2021
Hole #17 (Taken 9/2009) 
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