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Paola, KS

Hillsdale State Park

2.55(based on 3 reviews)
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Pevio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.1 years 189 played 120 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Only Kinda Okay

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 30, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a prairie course with a lot of long bombers, some more long bombers, some long tees to make the holes longer, and did I mention the distance?

There aren't a lot of trees, but there's some subtle elevation change to keep things interesting. There are also some small bushes on a few holes that cause them to go from super boring to having a little challenge. You still just have to throw over them, but at least you have to aim accordingly.

I like the par 4's, since they have slight doglegs that make big arms have to think about how they attack. Hole 9 is extra spicy, adding in a low ceiling as well.

There are two sets of tees, and although the layouts weren't complete when I played, they do look to show some promise giving some variety.

Cons:

The good holes were mentioned above. The rest are rather lousy. The fairways of half the holes have no trees above ten feet high, and that means there's so much less going for them. You're left to think about the heat since there's no shade, and potentially looking for your disc in the grass. These holes will play differently depending on how far and accurately you throw, but they're still not interesting.

But then hole 8 is, like, too wooded, with a super tight gap that just makes the hole not fun. And while I like the design of hole 9 the most of any on the course, there's a stage thing in the way, potentially.

While the long tees are helpful, they don't add much. Sometimes, they add distance for no reason, and other times, they make the hole into a super tweener hole for all but the very best players. Given that this isn't the most exciting course in the first place, I kinda want the layout to be fairly straightforward. Relative to par, the long tees are sometimes easier than the shorts.

Other Thoughts:

I applaud the effort to get the holes that there are, but this course really doesn't have a lot to offer. And for a place that you have to pay $5 to get in, and then drive two more miles to the course, I was hoping for a lot more than I got.

There are a few other trees in the area that could have been used, such as the walk from hole 6 to 7. It also could have brought the lake into play a little.
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