Emporia, Kansas - Eagle or the Joneses?

[armiller]

I'm making a trip up to Columbia, MO and am making it a point to hit the hot new course up there. On my way back, I'll have a chance to hit just one course in KC, Emporia, or Wichita areas. While I try to decide how many "water discs" to bring, would Eagle (in Olpe) or Jones West be the best target? Any other suggestions I'm missing?

 

[roadtripstuff]

I've played both Jones East and Olpe. I guess if I had to pick, Olpe, but neither are amazing destination courses or anything like that. They are both solid but nowhere near the top of my list of the courses I have played. I thought the most fun course out there was Peter Pan in all honesty. It's not the most challenging course, but there is still good but of water in play, tons of OB, and there are a lot of fun shots out there. The best thing about Emporia is the DD Store and Warehouse, you can play about the same quality of course in just about any city.

 

[Future_Primitive]

Agree with roadtrip, found Peter Pan to be my favorite. Spent 4 days in Emporia hitting up pretty much all the courses with some buddies. Eagle (Olpe) is where I lost the most discs but that was also the worst day for wind conditions (20-40 mph gusts) while the other courses (Jones East/West, Country Club, Peter Pan and the new 9 holer) the wind hardly blew but it was near 100 degrees in June. If it is windy Eagle/Olpe can be brutal so might want to check weather and decide. If I could go back and play one course again it would Peter Pan for me.

 

[Jacobpaul81]

I lived in Emporia for several years. If Emporia, Peter Pan. But if you can play anything in route, and you've never played it, you should play Waterworks in North KC.

 

[Rockwell]

If emporia is your choice, I'd go with Olpe. Jones Park is like most park courses in any city. Olpe is an epic round in a remote location. If in KC, go with water works.

 

[Discette]

I'm making a trip up to Columbia, MO and am making it a point to hit the hot new course up there. On my way back, I'll have a chance to hit just one course in KC, Emporia, or Wichita areas. While I try to decide how many "water discs" to bring, would Eagle (in Olpe) or Jones West be the best target? Any other suggestions I'm missing?

I have not played Wichita, but I have played in Emporia and Kansas City. Waterworks in Kansas City would be the top choice. Waterworks is 6th on the list of "Most Favorite" courses on DGCR.

But, if you have your heart set on Emporia, Eagle Olpe would get my vote. Peter Pan is the funnest course and Jones has two 18 hole courses. However, these are in regular city parks. Olpe is in a large regional park with a more natural setting around the lake. Be prepared to lose discs in the water hazards at Eagle Olpe.

To be clear, Waterworks (in KC) is also in a traditional city park, but it has a ton of elevation and challenges not found on the flatter courses around Emporia. There are no water hazards at Waterworks.

 

[armiller]

Thanks everyone! Waterworks in KC is definitely on my radar, but I went with Peter Pan because I hadn't played any Kansas courses yet, and the timing worked out better.

In the end, I tried to hit up Jones (mainly for some of the signature holes I've seen on videos), but it was Saturday morning and there was a tournament in progress. In the end, I just hopped back on I-35 and found a couple small courses to bag on the way back to OKC. It was the first time I've played anything designed by E-Mac. He seems to like a layout where there's a fair amount of backtracking from one basket to the next tee. It took a little getting used to.

 

[roadtripstuff]

I have not played Wichita, but I have played in Emporia and Kansas City. Waterworks in Kansas City would be the top choice. Waterworks is 6th on the list of "Most Favorite" courses on DGCR.

But, if you have your heart set on Emporia, Eagle Olpe would get my vote. Peter Pan is the funnest course and Jones has two 18 hole courses. However, these are in regular city parks. Olpe is in a large regional park with a more natural setting around the lake. Be prepared to lose discs in the water hazards at Eagle Olpe.

To be clear, Waterworks (in KC) is also in a traditional city park, but it has a ton of elevation and challenges not found on the flatter courses around Emporia. There are no water hazards at Waterworks.

My largest issue with Olpe is its pretty much all shots with the lake on your left hand side. Yeah there are a couple of holes where you throw over water but for the most part I just didn't find it all that interesting. For me there is about half a course of good holes, the rest are meh. I guess I also got lucky the days we played it with very little wind but for me all of the shots around the lake were long, straight, with water on the left. IMO the first three holes are the best and then after that its kind of a let down. I think I put two discs in the water in the three rounds we played there that week. Did't find the water to be all that scary and without that, its fairly mundane.

 

[pauldst]

For future reference, you will want to connect with a local if you play Waterworks. I've played it a couple of times, and navigation was an issue, making the course frustrating for me. Plus, having someone else to spot can be important. There used to be league rounds on either Wed. or Thurs. evenings, IIRC, and that would probably be a good time for a first-timer to play Waterworks.

Note, there is a map, but the terrain makes it difficult to math the map to the tee positions.

 

[ithrowhizars]

IMO eagle is the better course. The easier birdies like 1,2,5, and 18 are midrange/putter shots with OB and fun pin placements. 12 is a sick par 4 which takes a full driver and a solid fairway over water to make the 3.
Jones is full of 350ish flick par 3s and layup par 4s. Lots of awkard angles and tight OB. Not a bad course for a city park just not up there with eagle.