1) Initial impressions check all the right boxes for a park course setting. Ample parking, Hole #1 starts and Hole #18 ends directly beside parking lot, Practice basket clearly marked and easily findable right near Hole #1, brick and mortar bathrooms and port-o-johns throughout the park, trash cans at or near most holes, beautifully maintained.

2) Right in Dynamic Discs backyard so no surprise that course amenities were top tier. Large textured concrete tee pads (most holes had multiple, sometimes up to 3 separate tees), Full color tee signs with hole map, pin locations, distances for each alternate tee, and suggested flight lines. Recruit baskets in great condition throughout.

3) Multiple pin locations available on every hole which allows a large amount of different setups and difficulty levels to be created.

4) Park maintained flawlessly, grass cut low, no visible trash, limbs and debris were cleared, no eye sores to speak of. All non-disc golf related amenities were top notch as well and looked in new/renovated condition from the playgrounds to the sports fields. Despite the typical Kansas lack of elevation, this park does an incredible job of making itself beautiful, especially for being a multi-use park.

5) Surprisingly difficult in areas (depending on pin location and tee used). For a park course there are some hefty distance throws required on a few holes that ask you to hit a very specific window. Hole 1 and 2 definitely require some power right off the bat and then I love how the course immediately shifts gears down and Hole 3 requires a controlled fines shot, the Hole 4 ramps up to a tight gap control shot, and then Hole 5 ramps up to a tight gap control shot that requires distance to reach. Each hole kind of builds on the previous starting out and I love that in course design.

6) Water features shine on this course, Several creeks snake throughout the course and help provide natural OB and shape to some unique holes whilst the pond at the center is well utilized and played around. There are probably 2 signature holes in this course, Monkey Island, and the Peninsula hole and water is present on both, though much more daunting on the Peninsula hole.

7) There is tons of video footage of the course and it's many layouts on YouTube for those interested in making their first trip here. I put this in the Pros because a lot of courses don't benefit from having quality footage out there, especially when this course used to be utilized by the Pros for the GBO back in the day. The footage allows you to see what you are up against before deciding to come play, and can give you that "ah I remember this hole" feeling when you step up to the tee.

8) Lightly wooded with a solid mix of distances, several tunnel shots, several wide open bombers shots, several short very technical green landing zone shots. This course delivers in so many areas and excels at them while managing to not be oppressively difficult. It provides a challenge and asks you to meet it.

9) While the Monkey Island hole I mentioned before is iconic, it isn't extremely difficult. But Hole #12 the Peninsula Hole is both as iconic as it is difficult. The hole is basically shaped like the number 7, with the top half of the 7 jutting out into the pond and is probably only 20 feet wide the entire way with water on both sides. The main fairway is riddled with trees and there is no good landing zone. Your knees knock knowing if you glance off a tree you're going left into the water OB. And the drop zone shot from 50 feet straight out onto that sloped and curved peninsula is scary. Worse yet is trying to go out over the lake and land the Peninsula from the tee. Really gets your heart pumping.

10) As a predominantly LHBH player I absolutely loved to see a course that was fair and had a solid mix of left to right holes for once. RHFH players will love this course. Though most of the shorter technical holes are left to right, most of the long distance power holes are right to left, so it is pretty fair.

1) Park golf in a well loved and utilized park. There will be lots of people spread throughout that you may have to politely let know you are about to throw. Luckily this is Emporia, and practically everyone knows what Disc Golf is and understands that they might be in your way temporarily and are happy to move.

2) While well laid out and very little long walks between holes, navigation can be a bit tricky unless you know where you are going or are using something like U-Disc to assist. It's not always intuitive where you should go next. Hole 5 to 6 you are required to walk partially back up hole 5's fairway to get to 6 tee pad. And hole 17 to 18 tee pad walks across hole 4's fairway on the walking trail (only an issue is hole 4 is in the long pin position)

3) I'm big on Hole #1 and Hole #18 should be great holes that introduce and conclude the feel and theme of a course and at Pan they do not do that. Hole #1 is a pretty basic wrap around a baseball field fence, though the fence height, trees and distance required do make for a difficult rather than bland hole, it's not unique. Hole #18 is a very weak short sloped hill Par 3 with nothing iconic or memorable about it. This trip however, they did make 18 iconic. Normal Hole #18 pin was removed and placed in the the long position (which appears to be Hole #19 when all baskets are in place as I saw new tee pads and signs for that). This created a daunting long dogleg right par 4 that finishes down a tight tunnel into an open grove of trees. A much more iconic and powerful finishing hole, BUT one that requires you to walk all the way back up the fairway to get off the course and back to the parking lot.

4) While there aren't many what I would call bad holes out here, the more iconic and memorable holes come in the middle of the course and it doesn't have a strong finishing stretch 15-18 are all pretty simplistic without much room for scoring separation down the stretch.

This is a must play when in Emporia. Probably not a stand alone destination course from far away, but I could certainly see people from KC or similar making the trip down.

Subtle Kansas elevation put to as much use as they could, but trees are your main concern, followed closely by water. Course is probably closer to a 4.25 rating because of all the things it gets right, but will settle in at a 4.0 because of the Cons listed above. Challenging course overall, but not extremely difficult. It has a lot to live up to with the bevy of outstanding courses in Emporia. In my opinion the perfect challenging Recreational/Intermediate course layout for what they had to work with when designing it.

Peter Pan is one of the best maintained courses I've played. You can tell the upkeep and work being down is great. Plenty of play structures for the little ones with a great course as well. Tee signs are very well done with great tee pads. There's a creek that runs through the first few holes. However what makes me love this course is holes 7-12 the monkey island hole 8 is amazing and so is the water shots that follow. Great rock structures, and that island 8 is one of the coolest holes I've yet to play. There's some Very picture worthy shots including hole 7s pin placement. Good mix of lefty/righty holes as well as distances.

Not much elevation change as most the park is fairly flat. Hole 5 and 6 pretty much share a fairway and on a busy day would have to wait for the completion of the holes before throwing. You walk back down 5s fairway to get to 6.

I don't recommend going in the pond to get your disc back as it's pretty gross but there our safe landings. Easy to score well or bad here depending on your accuracy for the day. Good shots rewarded and bad shots our punished. This course is closer to a 4.25 to me but I'll go on the lower end because the problem with 5/6 playing together. Defiantly don't miss it if you're in emporia area

I really enjoyed this course. A lot of variety ranging from short, long, open, wooded, water, O.B., low ceiling, etc.

The unique stone features throughout the park are really interesting, I especially enjoyed hole 8 playing inside of the rock wall.

The tee pads are plenty long (i didn't not feel that they were too narrow).

Tee signs are fantastic and explain everything clearly.

Course does have some overlapping (not crossing but parallel) fairways that I'm not a fan of from a safety and convenience point of view. When I played, there were very few players on the course but on a busy day or at a tournament this could be a pain.

This course floods and stays wet after rain. The course does not drain well which is unfortunate but not really a design flaw. Its the way it is but still kind of a bummer.

This is a really fun course and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and challenging round. Bring a few extra discs for the water holes if you plan on being aggressive.

Peter Pan Park is kind of cool, with some unusual features. The Optimist DGC is no disappointment, if you may be skeptical because of the whimsical name.

All 18 holes are decked out with nice signs and good baskets from Dynamic Discs. The tees are concrete, very long but sort of narrow. There are multiple pin locations on most holes, and long tees on a few.

There is not much elevation change, but there is water in play on a few holes, and plenty of trees in this nice city park. The balance of shots is good, and there is usually a clear optimal line defined by trees, with few wide open bombers. Several long holes that will require being consistent with distance and accuracy just to make par.

I guess my favorite hole was 4, a longer one playing along the right side of a bend in the creek, with water behind the long pin. There are trees on both sides, and some limbs above to knock down high throws. Hole 9 is a good mid range line drive and a good birdie opportunity. 10 is short but takes a sort of tricky flexing shot to reach with a RHBH. The direct line on hole 11 cuts across a corner of the pond, but you can play it safe and layup to the right. Wish I would have.

There are not a lot of highs and lows through the course of a round. Very consistent quality and mix of shapes, with water in play every few holes. Not a signature hole that I would pick out and say it rises above the rest, but there are not any I would say are bad holes either.

Hole one had a large part of a tree fallen in front of the basket that needs to be cut and cleared. Of course it knocked down my approach shot.

Some holes are near other features in the park that draw non disc golfers. I had high schoolers taking portraits near the pond on hole nine when I played. There other unique Peter Pan forts and castles, as well as sidewalks that are semi close to some holes.

Water may take a disc from you here. I lost one on hole 11, and nearly threw another one in on the same hole. What may be NeverNeverLand river is to the right of 15, and 18 in the long is backed by water as well.

Layout requires players to walk across the fairway on hole 4 on the transition between holes 16 and 17. Caught a group playing through and paused on the bridge to stay out of their way.

Optimist DGC in Emporia was the second out of three courses I played New Year's Eve 2016. I liked it best of the five courses in the area I played that weekend.

I finished with a 65, taking one penalty stroke for the throw into the pond on 11. My only birdies were on 9 and 10, two of the three shortest holes on the course. While the score was not good, the course is definitely one I would like to play again. I think being familiar with the layout would help me do better next time.

-Well maintained
-Plenty of parking
-Restrooms
-Excellent baskets
-Great teepads
-Signage is terrific
-Lots of variation on the holes
-It will make you use most, if not all of your shots

-Water will eat your discs
-Can get rather muddy after a rain

This was my second course at GBO this year. It was also my best rated round of the tournament. So, I might be slightly biased about Pan.

I was really looking forward to playing this course from all the review videos and past tournament footage. I was not disappointed! Peter Pan starts off fairly easy looking. That being said, if you are not accurate, you can easily start tacking on bogies instead of birdies or par.

I really liked the variation of the course. You've got your long holes that still make you be accurate. And you have your short putter/mid shots that are dripping in OB. Hole 11 is a tough hole with a narrow strip of land having the basket on it. You can be brave or smart. I love it when a course really tugs at you to go for it.

All in all, Peter Pan was definitely my favorite in Emporia so far. I still have not played all the courses, but I don't think it will fall from the top spot.

Multiple pin placements.
Several birdieable holes and a Ace Run or two as well.
Many lines to be shaped.
Great shot variety.
Great signage.
Well maintained course, always making improvements.
Tee pads are plenty long and wide allowing for a proper run up.
Great Kiosk with a course map.
Good mix of short, moderate, and longer holes.
Both dog leg L/R holes here.
Tunnel shots, low ceiling shots, and water threat present here.
The flow is logical.
Other amenities in the park like playgrounds, tennis courts, horseshoe pits, etc.
Guarded or protected pins on several holes.
Hole 10 with the basket on the island is definitely a fun risk/reward hole.
There are places to air out drives like on holes 13-15.
The planting of a row of trees mid fairway on hole 15 will make this hole very difficult as the trees mature in the future.

The walk from 2's basket to 3's tee, 7's basket to 8's tee, 16's basket to 17's basket and 18's basket to the parking lot slows the flow of the round down a bit.
If the course had heavy traffic getting to 6's tee might be and issue as you have to walk down 5's fairway to get to 6's tee.
Hole 10 might see an errant throw hit a parked car along the street on the right hand side. Please pay extra close attention on this hole.

There's just something about this course that keeps drawing me back to play it each time I'm in Emporia. I really love the balance on this course. Its more than a grip and rip course and there are just enough technical holes to challenge you but not to frustrate you. Its hard to find many cons about this course, one could list the lack of elevation as a con but that's not really fair because the terrain of the land just doesn't allow for up and down holes.
This course will challenge your overall game from your distance driving skills, to your shot shaping abilities, and being accurate will greatly improve your odds here.
I play this course every time I'm in Emporia because I enjoy the great golf it has to offer. If you are in Emporia or are passing through do yourself a favor and play this outstanding course. Make a day of it and play the Jones E and W course while you're at it. I think you will be pleasantly pleased with what Peter Pan has to offer.

Well kept.
Very good information sign on every tee and even though there only was one basket per tee (the tee signs pointed at two) it was fine.
The signs next to each tee made them visible from far away.
Good flow for most of the holes - I only needed to check the picture I took of the course overview at tee #1 a few times to find out where to go next.
Not too long holes either for a weak arm like mine.
Very long teepads - I still don't do runups, but I can imagine that some like to complete half a marathon before each throw.
Great layout that in some places forces you to take different shots.

Hole #11 is a disc eater. I still haven't conquered the forehand, but I do (or rather: did) have a midrange that I can make go right.. which it did.. right into an overhanging tree that sent it straight into the lake. Two kids behind me lost one disc too, and the party behind them lost one as well.. all within 5 minutes. There's probably hundreds of discs in the water right there.
Other disc golfers : apparently there's not much DG-etiquette going on here.. both the kids behind me and the party of 4 behind them just tossed their discs as soon as they could get to it, regardless of other people being in front or not.

I managed to loose a newly bought valkyrie in the river at hole 15 too.. I wasn't aware that the river was right there on the right hand side, and my disc flipped on me.. but most players playing stable discs shouldn't have a problem. The ground turns into a very sticky sludge after rain, but not much to do about that.
Please bear i mind that I am complete noob at this game, but I would still recommend this course - new players should just skip hole #11 though as it's simply too scary (really deep and really murky water that you're not allowed to go into anyway).

Beautiful park with lots of shade.

New tee signs and tee pads installed for worlds 2013.

Lots of parking near hole 1.

Park has some interesting architecture (like "monkey island") that is very unique. This park looks like no other disc golf course you have played in some ways. Doubt it feels redundant even if you are a regular.

I like this course a lot. This is a great beginner course because of the length, but also can challenge a better player to play a solid round and shoot for a great score in the mid-40s (par is 55). Trees, water, and OB lines make this course less simple than it may look when you see the the course on a map or read the hole lengths.

Despite the many short holes, there are some unique challenges like hole 4, which is an interesting par 4 that favors accuracy over the long drive. I think hole 4 might be my favorite hole even though I did not score well on it either time that I played it.

This is not the most challenging course in Emporia, but if you have time to only play one round when you are in town, I would tell you to play here.

A few holes play very near a lake in the center of the park where locals often hang out on weekends fishing or relaxing. The lake makes an excellent hazard for the holes, but having to worry about pedestrians in your way for the drive is no good.

A bit too short. As others have said, the middle of the course features a lot of short holes back to back. I think holes 5-12 are all clear birdie opportunities. It would be nice if the layout mixed up the hole lengths more. This is a minor issue, as these "easy" holes are still fun to play and have some interesting obstacles in play and angles to shoot. I just like my birdie chances to be throughout a round, not all together.

My least favorite part about this course is the layout of holes 17 and 18. The course flows very well until you finish hole 16, at which point you have to cross the fairway of the only par 4 on the course in order to get to the tee of hole 17. Then hole 17 is a short hole that finishes just in front of the middle of the fairway to hole 18, which means long drives on 17 can interact with players walking hole 18. Then to get from 18s basket back to hold 1, you have to walk across hole 17. I think holes 17 and 18 could be reversed (ie, play the other direction) to improve this flow. They are still fun holes to play.

I played Peter Pan twice during my trip to Emporia for the PDGA Amateur World Disc Golf Championships in July 2013. Once as a practice round and then a week later on my final round of the tournament. I shot a 53 in that competitive round and felt like it should have been more like 49. Good players should definitely be shooting in the 40s here, but the course has enough OB to challenge the accuracy of your shots. A good player who isn't focused can easily shoot a bad round and lose a few discs to water and OB.

Because of the frequent use of the park and lake by non-golfer locals, I have been told there is a lot of debris in the water (like old fish hooks or even broken bottles) which means it is probably not safe to go in the water looking for a lost disc, at least not without shoes in (keep in mind there is a "no swimming" sign also).

Great course to play in the summer when it is hot because of all the shade!

This is a really fun course that has a great mix of short and long, tight and open, and just about every other kind of mix you can think of. Set in a nice park with other things to do. There are things for just about everyone to do with bathrooms near the baseball fields. The tee pads are consistent. The baskets are consistent. There are many memorable holes as the course makes great use of the trees and water features in the park. There are very few holes that feel exactly the same. There is plenty of challenge even on the shorter holes.

The pond gets deep very quickly and makes it incredibly difficult to find discs that skip into the water. When the ground is wet it is incredibly muddy, as in you will be looking for places to wipe the mud off your feet. There are a couple of tee pads that are a bit of a walk from the previous basket and would be tough to find unless you know where you are going. There are no tee signs. The walk from 16 to 17 crosses 4's fairway so be sure to look out as you are making this walk.

This course was really fun to play and set in a very nice park. There are some dangerous areas near water features that could be potential places for injury. Be careful. Hole one is at the far end of the parking lot near the baseball fields. Hole 17 appears to be the basket that most people use to practice their putting before a round, just be sure to watch out for other players playing the hole. I highly recommend finding a map to bring with you on this one to be sure that you know where you are going next. I was not prepared for the challenge that this course would be, particularly in the wind, be prepared and your experience will be that much better.

What a great park! The park felt very old and was very beautiful. It might have been my favorite park to play disc golf in.
There are great variety in shots. There are shorter, more technical holes, and there are long, more open yet still technical, holes. Every hole was something new and kept me incredibly interested throughout the round. This very course is what made the trip from KC to Emporia worth it for me.
The teepads, while skinny, were plenty long.
The "island shot" on 11 is great. Take a disc you dont care much for, and go for it! I did and got a tap in birdie!
The river provides nice scenery.
The layout flows very well and the course is beautiful!

I really wish I could give this course a 4.5. However, there are no tee signs, but I do see the ground marked up for tee signs. Each pad has the hole number and distance.
There were only 2 instances in which I was confused on the layout. Between hole 16 and the pad for 17, and from hole 5 to hole 6.

This is such a great course, that is on the high end of a 4.0. It is a great course for all levels, and seems to be a course to really develop an all-around player.

Once the layout is understood, the course flows very naturally through the park. If you're by yourself, it's very easy to finish a round quickly. In fact, when I'm solo, I'll drive 5 & 6 before taking an upshot on either hole because these holes are side by side. I'll park by hole 8 and leisurely play 5-13 and be finished with those 9 holes in less than 45 minutes.

Several of the holes have more than one line that will work well, the course plays well to creativity. 10 & 11 are both short, but they make good use of water and can be nerve wracking.

Overall, the course has a good variety of length and obstacles. Great opportunity to practice shaping various lines. There is plenty of shade here and the course is protected from the KS wind because it is in a low river bottom with plenty of trees. It's a busy park, but I've never had issues with waiting on the teepad.

The park has some excellent historical value as well, there are plenty of interesting things to see. Locals can be found on the baseball fields, fishing in the pond and barbecuing in the shelter houses.

If you're looking for an abundance of long holes, this is not the park for you. The difficulty is not too extreme in this park.

Locals play soccer a few times a week in the evenings which can cause issues for hole 7, though I have seen large groups of league players throw right over them.

This is a neighborhood park which borders an elementary school and a river. Despite living a block from Jones Park, I find myself playing the Pan more frequently.

This course is a thinking man's course. You are rewarded for smart and safe play but can also be rewarded when you gamble and it pays off. The course plays like two courses to me. The front nine has more trees and narrow fairways and the back nine opens up more and has a few longer and open holes. Plenty of water for those who like that element. Less wind than any other Emporia courses so that is a Pro....even if you like wind.

Not the best tee boxes but they aren't bad. Same with the baskets. The park is a more active family park than Jones park in Emporia. This means you have to be careful of families and dog walkers while you throw. Not a big deal but just remember it's a family park first and disc golf park second. Played this course over the weekend and had a group of travelers ask me about where the course begins. I gave them the basics but then it dawned on me that the signage of this course is really bad. No directional arrows, no marked teepad signs, etc. So basically I'm saying print out a map from this site if you know you'll be playing this course.

I really enjoy this course. Not as much as Jones Park West but it can be fun on windy days when you want those trees. Plenty of places to lose discs so be prepared for that.

Well maintained neighborhood park with bathrooms available just off Hole 3. Challenging without being overwhelming for rec players. Has a nice variety of holes, many of which have pins cleverly tucked within tree groves on near OB. Rewards accuracy on most holes more than just raw distance. Probably the best hole on the course is #4, which is a long hole which starts open, and then enters a tunnel like stretch going downhill. Miss the "mouth" of the tunnel part and you may be in for extra strokes. Another cool hole is the signature "peninsula" shot on #11 where the pin sits out on a narrow strip of land between two sections of the pond. Too short or too far and you're in the drink, so easy does it. Big gunners will like the open bombs on #7 and #15.

Park does have issues with flooding as the creek comes up occasionally and some of the holes may not be playable. Sometimes crowded with non-DGers as there is a children's playground and a ballfield which the course winds around as well as some picnic tables in the line of fire. Some flow issues in the layout: Teeboxes for holes 5 and 6 are next to one another, so you pretty much have to backtrack after 5 to play 6, meaning anyone behind you has to wait. After 16, you cross the fairway of Hole 4 to get to 17, and its often hard to tell you're crossing the fairway, or hard to tell on Hole 4 that someone is about to cross. Long walk between 7 and 8.

Probably my favorite of the Emporia courses as I don't have the longest arm in the world. They do tweak PPP up for tournaments often adding a couple of unique temporary shots including an island shot where you have to aim for the stage of the parks amphetheatre, and another where you have to negotiate a narrow path along the pond with dense woods on the other side. If you're passing through on I-35 definitely check it out along with the two courses at Jones.