Quail Run is a small elementary school course with a lot of creativity to go along with it. It's not a grand course, but it is certainly a fun one.

Despite being only six holes, there's a lot of fun to be had since there are technically three sets of tees. I'll focus mostly on the original/primary set, but there's a longer and a shorter layout as well. They use the same basket configuration, and only change tee locations.

Several basket placements are cool. There are the hills on holes 2 and 3, the tunnel on 1, and several tunnels on 6. Hole 5 isn't all that exciting, but at least it has a downslope behind the basket.

Those basket placements are complimented by good hole design. The hills on 2 and 3 are only challenging because of cleverly-placed trees blocking some shots. The longer tees makes those much more interesting as well.

The good design is outweighed by bad... most everything else. A couple of holes go dangerously near roads or parking lots or backyards, the signs are just wooden (and good luck if you're playing the longer or shorter layouts), and the baskets might fall apart in the next 24 hours. Any one of those isn't a problem, but that's a lot of issues that kind of stack on top of each other.

Hole 4 is... real bad, no matter what tee you're playing from. Basket around a tree, awkward shot shape, but also not very much skill required. According to the pictures, there's a mando on the longer tee, which really makes no sense. Hole 5 is also rather boring, and its long tee barely changes the hole at all.

Most every hole could be figured out pretty easily if you have a fair amount of skill and patience. They're not that long, and while they're pretty good, they're not hard. Even on the longer layout, there are some fairly basic shot shapes.

This place could stand to get some new signs or baskets, but I really like the design overall. And I appreciate how the additional tees produce a significantly different course without ever adding more baskets (at least, significantly different on the better holes). Some of the holes from the longer layout will play like par 4's for beginner players, but are still really fun par 3's for advanced players.

I wasn't expecting much from a six holer at an elementary school, but this one really delivered. If you are bagging courses in the area, there are some courses you might want to skip. This is not one of those.

Six short shots surround the school's sides. A second set of starting points sets this as a sufficient stop for any sorry soul stuck in the same sector as Kansas University's stench.

As I alluded to above, there are multiple tees. Supposedly there are three sets, but we could only find three of the shortest set. The main tees (except hole 4) are marked with 4ft tall 4x4 posts, as are the three shorts we could find (4, 5, and 6). The longest tees add plenty of difficulty and are usually done well. 1, 2, 3 and 6 extend the hole with longer tees (3 plays from the tee of 2). These are marked with small blue signs (see Media, thanks for the pics Brian).

Trees are used to great effect. Hole 1 is a forgiving tunnel from the main tee and a challenge to access that tunnel from the long, 2 has a low ceiling that you have to keep power under because the land rises 6ft up to the pin. 3 has gaps off the tee to hit, but an open fairway after that. The pin of 4 is tucked behind a large tree with low branches so you can't go under it. 6 is probably the toughest hole on the course: a hard right finishing shot or a flexing backhand from the main, or a shot with the left line closed off from the long.

The baskets, while not "old," aren't in the best shape. 1 has quite the lean to it, and 2's is also a bit loose. Only dirt scuffs for the tees.

You'll notice I never complimented hole 5, and barely mentioned 4. They are the weak point of the course. 4 doesn't have a tee marker, so we weren't sure which dirt patch was the tee (it's the one in the middle of the trees), and the long is just the same hole, except a ridiculously tight mando around the soccer goal... which could easily be moved/removed and make the whole thing moot. Hole 5 isn't bad, there's just not much there. A straight shot to a pin set in the middle of two trees that are 50ft apart, and the "long" tee is just scooted to the left 20ft, yet I somehow griplocked a putter both times.

There is danger of drives going into the road left of hole 1 (my group of four did it once each round) and be aware of the walking path by hole 6, it sits within 40ft of the pin.

Is this course worth playing? Yes, if you're willing to go around twice (or thrice). This sits well above an average school course, even with just 6 holes the variety in the tees makes a stop well worth it if you've played the other good options in Lawrence (Centennial and Edgewood).

This is a neat little course on the grounds of Quail Run Elementary School. Unlike some school courses, this course isn't wide open and without obstacles. Design elements include: a couple defined lines through the trees, a guardian tree or two, and a basket behind an embankment. Navigation is easy throughout the course. There are dual tees, and both are marked with numbered wooden posts. The baskets only have a single row of chains, but were in good shape, nonetheless. I believe the grass is mowed regularly. The course begins near the parking lot and ends near the other end of it.

There were a couple small branches that could stand to be taken down, and some weed-whacking on hole 6 wouldn't hurt, either (granted I played last summer, so this may have happened by now). A big, loud dog in a (fenced-in) backyard which borders the course/school-property (near the transition from 3 to 4, I think) may be frightening for some younger elementary students. Hole 6 tees off right behind a sidewalk and another hole comes near an old baseball diamond (other than that, there's little in regards to safety concerns).

Obviously, this course is on school grounds, so DON'T play during school hours-only play during the evening, weekend, or summer. The short tees are all shorter than 175 ft and seem like a great fit for the younger elementary kids. The long tees (generally 150-250 ft) are more geared toward the older elementary kids. The tees are all natural. It's only 6 holes (unless you play both tees for 12 holes) and pretty short, so it can be played pretty quickly (maybe even in a recess period by a student?).