WHAT TO EXPECT: A nice, well maintained city park course playable by all skill levels. Course is showing its signs of age, is definitely mature and broken in, but it is well taken of by the local club and you can definitely see their efforts if you make return visits. 18 hole course with a blend of short wooded holes and wide open bombers, with two sets of basket locations on most holes to provide an even more challenging trip around if you so desire.

AMENITIES: Large pavilion shelter and ample parking, walking trails, nice bridges over the creek that splits the course into two halves, a permanent miniature golf course, modern bathrooms, and volleyball courts.

TEES/SIGNAGE/BASKETS: Narrow but adequate textured concrete tee pads that are flat to the ground so you can run up from behind or the side without much issue. Tee signs are definitely showing their age but contain all relevant information and a hole map showing intended line. Baskets are Discatchers (Some holes have both a yellow short and a red long location with both baskets installed at the same time). I have visited when only one color was out, or the colors were swapped, but just be sure to double check which layout you are playing and which basket is currently in.

DESIGN: Course designer opted to squeeze a bunch of fun, short, technical but fair, holes into the small wooded footprints on the course, instead of just creating a bunch of long open hyzer holes in the larger center of the park. There are still a few open holes, but these use elevation, mandos, and existing paths/roads to increase difficulty and add flavor. The wooded holes are extremely cramped together and shorter than normal. This does both positive and negative things for the course, but the biggest positive is that it makes the course easily playable by all skill levels, families, and beginners. Ultimately the designer chose fun, slightly technical, ace run holes over super challenging ones, which is honestly great for a small park course. There is always a fun shot shape to the basket and a fair path to the basket, which I thoroughly enjoy.

FLOW: Course flows and navigates extremely easily. The first three holes play through a moderately wooded but small section of the park before opening up for Hole #4, then you dive into the woods on the other side of the creek for probably the best holes on the course (#5-#8) and then back out for some open holes (#9-#11) and then back into the woods again (#12-#16) before ultimately exiting the woods for your final 2 holes. You do bob and weave at times but the next tee is almost always right next to the basket you just finished and when it isn't the tee signs are visible. You start and end next to the parking lot for #1 and #18, #9 is close to the parking lot so you could just knock out 9 holes if you wanted to.

EXTRAS: Course has been nicely mowed every time I have visited (Open part of the park). And the local club keeps the wooded section across the creek in excellent shape and clear of debris as well. You won't find much thick or super punishing rough in that section unless you throw into the creek or near the property line.

SAFETY: This course rarely sees a ton of traffic, but the holes are crammed together and errant shots or speedy tree kicks can certainly be an issue. The open holes do run a risk of interfering with park goers as I could see the mini golf golf, volleyball court, and pavilion areas being potential hazards if in use.

OPEN HOLES: The open holes are outshined by the wooded holes, but have been redesigned several times in the few years that I have played here. The local club is continually putting in work to make the course better so I applaud them for that. Some people will love the wooded section and dislike the open section, which is understandable.

DRAINAGE: The wooded section can be extremely swampy and stay muddy for long periods after significant rain.

DIFFICULTY: The course just isn't that difficult for Intermediate and up players despite the alt pins and design changes. If you want a real challenge, you may have to skip this one. If you want a fun and peaceful round though, this might be exactly what you need.

This course is way more fun and enjoyable than it has any business being. Probably a course I would give a 2.0 rating to normally based on just aesthetics, hole distances, challenge, etc but is much closer to a 3.0 in playability and experience. Since I can't give the course a 2.75, I'll round it up to a 3.0 and suggest that anyone traveling through the area stop and give this relaxing course a shot. Though not a destination course on its own, Kess definitely is one of the most enjoyable stress free park course rounds I've played.

Glad I waited to review this course until it had all 18 holes in and cleaned up. The first three holes are in among a few trees that make for a fun start. Short holes with well placed OB. Then it out into the open for one hole and this long three par will let you crank the drive. Be aware though of the OB just behind the basket. Back into the woods for some tough little placement shots and threading the needle shots. Back out into the open and three more open holes including a long downhill that says a par four but it can be threed by most intermediate players. Back into the woods for some tight lines and dangerous OB then out into the open for the last two holes. They keep this course clean and playable throughout the summer and is challenging enough for most levels of players. There are food places galore within 5 minutes with bathrooms available and playgrounds for the kiddies.

The park is too busy during the daylight hours on the weekends and you have to watch your throws and wait for parkgoers to get out of your line before tossing the plastic. A few of the holes are in dangerous territory and picnic tables have been drug into the fairway of holes #1 and #3. Hole #18 is a downhill big hyzer shot with a playground just to the left. Just too close for my comfort when the kiddies are playing in their designated area unaware of incoming bombs.

I wanted to give this course a 3.25 but it's either 3 or 3.5. This course is a great addition to Mayfield and western Kentucky.