This is the best course in the area for pure playing. Some features are missing, but for the golf itself these are the best holes around. Two of them still hold spots in my top 18 and #4 in the long pin is the best disc golf hole in KC.

The course is very long (when it was built in 2005 and set long it was the longest 18 holes in the world at 11,047ft), however it's not all "grip and rip" holes. There's a ton of variety here. You'll go uphill, downhill, in the woods, in the open, long and flat or over a valley with a glob of trees in the middle.

The elevation use is superb. You'll never forget launching a bomb down hole 7, and hopefully by then you've forgotten all the uphill climbing on hole 3. Hole 18 comes off an elevated tee, through a set of trees... then up a 3-story hill with the short pin at the top and the long pin 250ft past that.

The tee pads are huge. And yes, some of them are shaped like the fairways (I know one of the guys who designed them).

The signposts have four big bag holders.

There's a long and short course within the same set of pads and baskets. The short course uses shorter baskets on 3, 9, 11, and 12, splits 9 and 11 into two holes, and uses shorter tees on 4, 10, and 13, and with that is able to cut out long course holes 17 and 18 completely (all the numbers I used correspond to the long course holes since I honestly haven't played the short course on purpose). With this in place, the large course can be made into 21 holes if you split 9, 11, and 13 into two holes with corresponding pads.

The tees and baskets are still in excellent condition. There's a few pads that have cracked a corner with age, but they're still totally playable.

Most of the time there's a good variety of short and long pins set up.

Hole 13 has a great view, but beyond that it's kind of just 800ft of grass.

I don't prefer the pins that have been made artificially harder by placing a large mound of dirt under them (6 middle and long, 12 short, 13 middle).

The course is in a bit of a shady area (cars slowly driving around, etc) but normally there's nothing all that bad going on.

No practice basket unless you want to walk down to the one by the 9-hole course. However basket 10 is near pad 1 so it can be used.

There are several holes missing their signs.

Navigation isn't the best in the world, but once you've played a round or two it's not too bad. The map in Files will get you through just fine.

If you're ready to test your arm, your endurance, and your patience, come and play here. The park is never very busy which is unfortunate as this is truly the best course for playing in the whole of the KC metro. It has it's flaws, but you'll be glad you went.

Blue Valley Park is the highest point in Kansas City. So the views of the city and skyline are nice. The park was well maintained and in good shape when I was there.

The tees are big concrete pads that are oddly shaped. I can't verify the rumor I heard that each tee pad is in the shape of that hole's green.

There is so much space here that you get a little of everything. Big fairways for long bombs. Many trees with good basket placement so that technical skills are required.There are extreme elevation shots routinely here.

This is a championship level professional course. As I was playing this 11,220 footer and getting physically beat down in the process I was trying to come up with the right description for a title and here's some words that came to mind, which will hopefully give you an indication of what you're in for if you come here: MONSTER, MAMMOTH, MOTHER OF ALL COURSES, and I finally settled on MARATHON. Not just anyone can go run a marathon, so be prepared for a round at Blue Valley Park.

Blue Valley Park is the longest dedicated 18 hole disc golf course in the world. There are three hybrid courses that are longer which share a ball golf course (Danville, VA, Hulbert, OK and Germantown, NC) but hybrids can't compare to dedicated courses since ours only have plastic flying around and not those hard little white balls. And those 3 ball golf courses rent carts, which make monster course more manageable. The course map here says that Blue Valley Park is 10,834 ft, but the long tee distance here says 11,220. Either way those numbers qualify it as the longest dedicated 18 hole disc golf course in the world.

There is a breath taking aspect of Blue Valley Park. It is nice to have SO MUCH SPACE to yourself. And for the few hours I was there alone it was mostly in solitude and serenity. That is a pro, but I also list the size as a con since once your breath is taken away you're exhausted.

The 2016 KC Wide Open pro tournament was here and it's worthwhile to watch Eagle McMahon bomb away on this mega course (https://youtu.be/Ah-gR1aZ5cc). If you can't get the link to work then go to YouTube and search for the name of the tournament. You can also see for yourself the funny shaped tees the other reviewers comment about.

Navigation is very frustrating. Many tee signs are vandalised, which is understandable when you see some of the shady characters hanging around the parking lot at the top of the hill by the first tee. But when I got away from the parking lot and into the course I didn't see people again until I got to the bottom of the hill and there were two exhausted disc golfers trying to find the next hole by looking on a course map. They told me four things: 1) the number 3 basket is supposed to by the lake, but it's gone, 2) this place is impossible to navigate, 3) it is way hotter and 4) more exhausting than expected so we are quitting. I did find a basket near the lake, yet not as close as the map shows, but their other three comments were valid, even though I did not quit!

It would have been nice if they used the lake so there would be a water challenge but it does not come into play on three unless you are way off the mark.

Long is not necessarily good. Was an objective of the designers to create the longest dedicated 18 hole disc golf course in the world?

Upshawt1979 gave this Blue Valley Park a 5.0 and said, "I loved this terrain, and shot shaping without being aggressively technical due to trees. It is like Water Works, with a lot more real estate." I agree and that's well said, but I can't give it a 5.0 due to navigation problems and more real estate is not necessarily a plus, especially without a golf cart.

The Valkyrie Kid's three Kansas City courses played are of interest when considered in light of Blue Valley Park's championship course. He came to Blue Valley Park and did not play this highly rated course. He only played the short 9 hole course, which he reviewed. I'm not as old as TVK, The DGCR Legend and stats leader in most categories, but I am 60 years old. I haven't communicated with TVK, but I can learn from the number one course bagger in the world and save my energy for other courses when I come face to face with a monster like Blue Valley Park. This time around I'm glad I took the plunge, plus I had not done enough research at that time to even know there was a short course there. I'm sorry I missed it.

By the way, if you're interested in stats check out this link on Mashnut's profile page:

TR STATS
https://docs.google.com/sprea...?usp=drivesdk

If you are up to the challenge then Blue Valley Park is a fun course!

This is a very unique course, even in the midst of everything KC has to offer. Never played anything like this and that's a good thing!

The elevation here is insane! And I thought Water Works had crazy elevation changes. You are throwing up and down a series of very steep hills everywhere and it is simply a blast.

There are lots of different shots here, in my opinion. I used a much fuller bag than I usually carry and needed it. While "long" is the dominant theme, the elevation and different left vs. right looks really help keep the course interesting until the final hole.

This park is very wooded and the trees are used very well to create lots of challenging shots everywhere. I didn't feel there were any overly boring or plain holes here and that's always nice.

Although this park is huge and has shelters and other amenities, the DG course appears to be kept away from them fairly well. You cross a small pavilion going from 3-4 and are within sight of a playground shooting on 16, but that's about it. Unless you grossly overshoot on a few holes, you're also pretty well away from the roads too. Little chance of non-DGers interfering with your drives unless people picnic in the fairways or something (more on that later!).

Tee pads are amazing and very clever. They're basically the shape of the fairway, so if you're a bit lost they might help you out.

Signage was generally good and provided not only distance and par info, but elevation change, and also pointed you in the direction of the next hole. It was mostly present and in readable condition except for on a couple holes. In addition, there are large metal numbers atop each sign to help you see where you're going. Nice touch.

Plenty of benches and trash cans around. Shame the trash cans don't get used more though (more on that later).

Baskets seemed to be in very good condition. Flags atop them are in good shape and crucial to course navigation.

The scenery here is very pretty. There's a lake in the park and the woods are very beautiful in fall as well. Even in winter when I was here, I enjoyed it. The park is huge and prior to DG, I had no idea it even existed.

There is parking right by hole 1 and easily accessible from hole 11 if you need anything from your car, which you might given the length of this course. I'm assuming there are bathrooms in one of the shelters somewhere but didn't stick around to find out.

Don't get me wrong, this course can punish bad drives with a lost disc pretty easily, but it's still open enough that I personally thought you can really crank it on multiple holes without worrying TOO much. You do have to keep your eyes on your discs though, they'll roll with the amount of elevation here. In my opinion that's way less frustrating than almost losing a disc 3 feet off the fairway in a field that just needs to be mowed. Granted, it was December when I played so maybe that's an issue here too. I'll have to come back and see.

Blue Valley would really have been even better with a couple shorter holes to break it up a bit. With so many woods around I'm not sure why there isn't a tunnel shot or something more technical mixed in for fun. It would also help to make the course more accessible for all skill levels, without taking much away from the course as-is.

I really question the purpose of the "junior" course. The teepads and random baskets that comprise it are more confusing than anything else, and easy to throw at on a few holes of the main course. If you're a beginner, there's better options all over KC to hone your skills than trying to mess with the short course here in my opinion.

Navigation isn't really that bad here with a map, but as mentioned the alternate baskets don't help anything really. The "flow" is generally decent but there are areas that might leave you wandering (3-4, 13-14).

There was trash everywhere out here. Fast food wrappers, cups, grocery bags, boxes. Most of it didn't look like DG trash either, so I'm assuming this park does get some use, just not when I was there.

I might get downvoted for listing this as a con, but let's be honest, this park is in a bad neighborhood. Not the WORST in KC and it didn't stop me from playing here alone (which maybe wasn't really smart in retrospect), but there's bars on several of the house windows here for a reason. I didn't get hassled or anything, but did see lots of shady characters around (think random men driving around and around and around the park roads, occasionally staring at you, and stopping at random places to stare into space). Definitely keep your head on a swivel out here and be alert.

This place is a challenge and is gorgeous. Very unique and I would definitely recommend if you are in the area. While the area is rough and I wouldn't hang out here anywhere close to dusk, it's not so horrible I would skip this park because of it - that would be a shame.

All in all, solid 4.0 course. I mainly docked for the lack of a couple shorter baskets, the confusing junior course, trash laying everywhere, and yes, a smidge for the neighborhood. That's just my opinion because it does influence the enjoyment of the round if you don't feel entirely safe playing somewhere, but if you don't agree, that's okay! That's why we each get an opinion and I could easily be wrong, just want people to know what they're getting into. Happy discing!

+ awesome distances, downhill, uphill, over valleys, etc
+ best tee pads in KC
+ great piece of land + views
+ good variety of shots and shapes
+ good ratio of difficulty/practicality
+ elevation is insane

- 2-3 shorter holes with tunnel shots or else would make this course even better
- navigation will be hard the first time, even with a map
- course was in the wide open configuration, but the maps haven't been updated, nor tee signs
-limited parking

*should be noted I played the Wide Open configuration with red positions, which is significantly shorter but still longer than any course in KC.

There is a lot to say about this course. For one, the neighborhoods is not that bad, it's a massive park and people aren't just walking around on it looking to rob you or bother you. Cliff Drive is the worst by comparison.

2. Distances will prevent 150 ft throwers and out-of-shape people from not coming, but that is not a con to the course. This is the only course in KC I have played where Par actually means something

3. Has most of the same features as Water Works but does them better in my opinion. I would put this course at the top of KC courses

It's all been said in other comments, except that you can play this course in a couple of ways. Go all out, bombing for distance, OR play the angles, going for specific landing zones and test your ability to throw where you want. Obviously, small arms will be better suited to the latter. It makes for a great experience on a truly unique course. Seeing #1 within putting range when lying 4 is an amazing experience. Making it sometime would be even better!

There are plenty of reasons to complain about BV. There are even more reasons to love it. Keep in mind that it's not necessarily finished, though. There are plans for great things here.
Oh, about the tee pads...if you look closely, they will pretty much represent the shape of the fairway.

- Use elevation
- Lot of long bomb shots
- Tee signs and pads
- Nicely cut fairways and actual rough

- Not for the faint at heart
- Creepy dudes hanging around in their cars.
- Parking
- Long and hard to walk for fat guys.

I've been trying to find the fairest way to review this course, I have some conflicting feelings. I did not enjoy it... exactly, but maybe I would if an evil scientist would invent a shrink ray to condense this course into something more playable for me. He could put it back after I was done or make it a little bigger for Avery Jenkins. I kept thinking on some of the holes what if it was the same layout but 450 feet instead 900 feet. How much more interesting it would be, could be the difference between an S-Curve and a big Hyzer? In defense of the course, I'm fairly new to the game, old, sort of fat, and have a weenie arm. I did throw one of my longest drives on #9 which made it worth the trip. Not every hole felt out of reach but a good portion of them did. More than a few times I threw three good shots in a row and still had another long shot and upshot left to get close enough to putt, exhausting. I also found it strange that none of the hole ever felt Lefty or Righty specific, which might be because the fairways are wide enough a small plane could use to land in pinch. It's probably more likely because of my noodle arm.
So here's where I'm at; it's a great pro-level course. I also think that's why you can have the whole course to yourself on a Saturday afternoon; very few people can throw far enough to make it fun. I didn't see anyone else, except for the creepy guys that seemed to randomly hanging around in their cars. There isn't another course in the area that will allow you to throw that many big bombs. I've played there a couple of time but I probably won't go back until I can get my technique good enough to throw close to 400 feet, which maybe a few years off if at all and even then that might not be long enough.
I wished that there were amateur or alternate tees, even thought that would be a long walk to the next tee. But really what I was wishing for is to have is some of the holes cut into half making the course into 27 baskets for casual and week armed players. I really feel that you could cut a hole like #1, #3, and #9 in half and get more out of course. And for the freaks of nature that can throw it that long, they could still play the 18 basket layout. Just my opinion though, hopefully I get strong/long enough to play there again someday because it truly is a cool course.

By far the most unique and long course I have played. Excellent actual fairways, nicely manicured and the rough is really rough. Great use of a great piece of land. Tees are unique, Signs are great.
Crazy shots and crazy placements. Factor in alot of elevation use and this is a CRAZY course. There has been alot of work put into this course and there will be more to come.

Parking is kind of janky. There are numerous individual adult men, backing into parking spots and just generally creeping. I am sure the locals know a better place to park than by the tee or 1. Other than that I can't imagine a negative at such an amazing course.

I was told that the city of KC has allocated $120K into building another course at Blue Valley Park. Gotta love the KCFDC for all their work, love and time. It shows on all the KC courses I have played on this trip

Well this course has gotten somewhat of a makeover after the 2009 Worlds. It is really over 10,000 feet. By myself it took me 2 hours to play. This course has an amazing layout. The elevation can be crazy and the length is, well, lengthy! They have really odd looking tee pad shapes that are plenty big enough cement slabs to do your thing on. (see photos) The baskets are nice and the pin locations are quite simple but the path to them can be interesting. As mentioned, some holes are just really long and wide open and yet there are some that have tons of trees to navigate around. The throwing long and hard downhill can be a real thrill. Most of the downhill tees seem to be at that nice angle that makes your disc just go forever. The signs are just beautiful with great info. There are some nice seating and trash cans on most of the holes. The tee areas are so nice, they almost seems like a nice picnic areas. I just have to mention just how funny it is when you come up to a 500+ foot hole and say to yourself, "Oh thank goodness, finally a short hole!"

You will certainly need a map to navigate this course. I would have not made it without one. By the length, you will obviously not see some of the baskets from some of the tee pads. After a while, just throwing all out for 2 shots on every hole can get a bit old. If it wasn't for the scenery I would have gotten a little bored. The only other thing I can think of is that I did not find a restroom on site.

The Fun Factor here is sad say, just above average. The redundant long drives kind of kills some of the thrills. Teeing off a high point and watching your disc soar is fun, but the long inclines and walk between shots just might kill some of that. You do sometimes feel like civilization is no where close by at times and that can be relaxing. This is the longest course I have played so far and it certainly confirms that I like the technical style more than the long bomb holes. It is still a fantastic course in that it was beautifully made and well worth doing this at least once. I'm very glad I got to come here.

This review refers to the 2009 Worlds layout. Awesome terrain with challenging par 4 and par 5 holes designed for the big arms. The first hole is a well designed par 5 that requires a long turnover or super crush righty hyzer tee shot followed by a near blind crush that must reach the crest of a hill to avoid a blind upshot. Winds make it extra tough to control the upshot to the basket that is on a slope. The 2nd hole is a long downhill crush to a tree guarded pin with OB behind that provides a deuce opportunity. Hole 3 is either a tough par 4 or easy par 5. In either case it requires two well placed drives to set up the approach shot. Hole 4 has alternate routes to a well placed pin. An errant tee shot will have you scrambling to save a three or a four. After that the course simplifies considerably except for hole 9, where a 4 feels like a birdie. Most of the back 9 is wide open, with long holes that reward raw power more than controlled placement. Try to stay high on the hillside on holes 17 and 18 if you want a chance to finish birdie birdie (3,4). Avery Jenkins shot a 53 in the rain that is almost incomprehensible. I watched Phil Arthur shoot a "quiet" 56. Both of these guys can drive 500+.

A bit too open at times, although the excessive length helps to make up for the football field wide fairways.

Excellent tee signs with raised numbers that made it much easier to follow. Has a junior course nearby for warming up. Bring plenty of water and food, as this course will wear you out.

When I got out of the car I almost crapped myself as I saw a beautiful piece of land with what looked to be a sick course ..........
~ Beautiful land with awesome views (Arrowhead Stadium can be seen from many tees and fairways)
~ Extreme elevation that is well used and a blast to play on
~ Great tee signs with their own concrete slabs, 4 bag hooks, and huge numbers that can be seen from 300 ft away
~ Very unique tees that are artistically shaped and huge
~ Lots of true par 4 and 5 holes
~ Very Challenge, as it will test your arm, endurance, and ability to handle wind.
~ Holes 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 are awesome

~ Redundancy - I really like the atypical style of course, with many par 4's and 5's as they require multiple throws and challenge your game, but on almost every hole you throw as far as you can then follow it with a rip on a driver or fairway driver. While this style of golf is great it was very redundant as virtually every hole requires the same two shots to get to the pin. In my opinion great par 4's and 5's require you to throw multiple shots on multiple lines, with multiple types of discs, not the same shot over and over and over with the same two discs.
~ Always windy - not a real con as it tests your game, but when you have to throw 500+ ft over and over the wind gets a bit tiresome. Some variety in hole length and shot selection would make the wind more manageable.
~ Tees - the tees are very cool and artistic, but on a few holes the odd shapes force you to throw from odd angles or allow you to only use a small portion of a the large pads. With the amount of concrete used oversized rectangular or trapezoid tees would have been more beneficial and preferred.
~ Not Rec or Intermediate Friendly - the addition of short pads could make this course enjoyable for all.
~ Lack of water, restrooms and trash cans - although I played the course in the winter and the water would probably be shut off, I never saw a water fountain, restroom or trash can on the course.

My initial thought was correct, the course is sick. The course is very challenging and world class, but lack of shot selection, outside of a few holes, makes this course rather redundant.

~The layout I played was 16 Red (short) and 2 Blue (long) basket positions. This mixed layout of 9297 ft. is one of the longest courses I've ever played.
~Huge elevation changes (a sampling: -66, +56, -74, -75, +49, -59, +47).
~Long holes with a great variety of lengths. (In this Mixed layout there were 3 of 300-399/ 5<499/ 5<599/ 3<699/ 1 of 746/ 1 of 816).
~Excellent tee signs with maps and elevation changes and large metal numbers for easy visibility.
~Big artistic concrete tees in curving shapes that are the shape of the fairway.

~Most of the greens were too wide open for my preferences.
~There's not very much fairway shape variety. In this mixed layout 11 were straight, 6 were right-to-left, only 1 hole was left-to-right.

Course Level for this Mixed layout = Blue

You be the judge-
~Long throwers should really love bombing drives and watching their discs soar, especially on the big downhill shots. Shorter throwers, like me, just have to throw more shots.
~The course is too open for my preferences, but if you like long open shots with few obstacles this is the place for you.
~With a total length of up to 11,000 ft. be prepared for a long hike up and down big hills. Younger and new players may find the hike to be too long and strenuous.

Look in the "Links/Files" section for more detailed rating notes.
You can also read more of my reviews at http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/DGCourseReviews/