-Nice tees
-Decent Baskets
-Good signage / map
-Stays away from most other park activities
-Practice Basket in the lot

-#12 to #16 gets a little repetitive
-Walking path in play on #4 and #6

Shawnee Mission Park hosts a very good DGC in the SW part of Shawnee, KS. The park is a very large park with playgrounds, walking and equestrian trails, and a good size lake on the west. The course stays mostly to itself on the east side of the park. A good start from the parking lot along a stream for the first couple of holes. #4 starts your ascent to the top through #11. #12 - #16 are mostly just back and forth up and down a hill with a few trees, became a little repetitive in the back part of the round. The finish is a little more technical for #17 and #18. This is a long course, especially for a rec player like me. I enjoyed it though. Playing in late October meant less bugs and long grass to work around for rough, although most holes are pretty wide and the rough is not too bad. I can see it being a little sweltering in the Kansas summer heat and humidity. Mechanics are good here, baskets/tees/signage. Be aware of the elevation and length of the course but take the time and enjoy. I have many other KC area courses to explore, but I would play this one again.

Shawnee Mission is a standard park-style course with good maintenance, decent elevation change, and challenge for all skill levels. Parking is fantastic, tees are good, and the course got new Veteran baskets and signs recently.

The start of this course is really good. Holes 1-5 are pretty heavily wooded, but also mix in some elevation as well. There are several excellent par 4 pins on those holes that allow for some really aggressive shots, but a lot of opportunity for danger. I especially like the new par 4 pin on hole 3, which encourages a tighter line by the woods than an open line to the left by the road. Overall, I really like the par 4 pins that have come in; a long setting could be par 59 for the course (and maybe one or two higher if you call pins like 1 long and 12 long par 4), which isn't super high, but would have a lot of excellent challenge.

Some of the later holes allow you to air it out a lot more, but there's always something you have to avoid. The rough on the right side on 17 and the left side on 18 are super nasty, and encourage some players to play a safer shot. Some of the downhill holes (12, 14, 16) have a low ceiling off the tee or some annoying trees that you might get stuck behind. Some of these are rather open, but have longer pins for balanced challenge.

This course excels in variety in shot shapes. No two holes are the same, and many encourage different lines, both backhand and forehand. Every hole can be attacked with either, but some will be easier than others. There are probably a few (16 and 17) that could be decent for an overhand as well. On some, the backhand is the safe shot while forehand is the aggressive shot, and on others, it's the other way around (of course, this will depend on your skill level).

While a lot of the course has its merits, holes 8-15 are rather open and bland at times. Some of these have a good pin or two, but also have way too much room on the fairways to be truly challenging holes. There's some elevation on these, but there's no excuse for holes 8 and 11, which just encourage you to throw it super hard and hope you don't end up in the tall grass.

Some new pins have been added in the last two years that aren't reflected on the signs. There are at least seven of these that I know of. They do add more par 4 holes and mitigate some of the openness by adding more distance, but it's clearly a patch solution on the real problem, not a long-term fix.

Some of the holes feel a little odd to me. Hole 7 seems like little thought went into it, especially for the long pin, where you're either throwing over pine trees (never a good idea), or you're going through a crazy-tight gap. Hole 10 has an odd shape, which again can be avoided by throwing over some shorter trees on the left side. Either of these require a very powerful arm, which this course probably wasn't designed for, which means these two holes don't make much sense for everyone else.

A few minor gripes that really aren't that big of a deal: The course doesn't loop by the parking lot until hole 18, a walking path is near several holes (but can be avoided easily), and a few pins can't be seen from the tees (holes 3, 10, 17, 18).

I think some of the openness of this course was caused by some important trees falling down in the last two decades or so. Judging by the pictures, hole 12 used to be much more interesting, and I know hole 13 is more open than it used to be. Tournaments sometimes call some of the tall grass OB, which is a little too oppressive for my tastes but does add more challenge. Anyway, removing or combining a few of the open holes and adding a few holes in the woods behind hole 18, or past hole 12, is the best way to fix this course.

The tall grass that's in play on holes 4 and 8-18 isn't too bad most of the time, except holes 8 and 9 (though this could depend on the day). In my experience, while there isn't a whole lot of woods here, it's harder to find discs there than in the tall grass.

There's a weird strip of mowed grass that runs through the tall grass from hole 9's tee to hole 18's tee. I have no idea why it's there; hopefully there isn't a road going in.

It's great a course like this exists in such a large, multi-use park while avoiding the rest of the park features pretty well. As far as park-style courses go, this is certainly one of the better ones, but it's missing the consistent excellence that would be required for an even better course. If you're travelling through, there may be better courses you can stop at, but you won't leave this place unhappy.

Shawnee Mission Park is a large multi-use Park but the disc golf course seems isolated. There is an ample sized parking lot with the practice basket nearby. The large kiosk contains a course map as well as league and tourney information. The tee pads are large concrete and nicely tapered. The baskets are DGA models with the always hard to read red numbers. The tee signs give you the information you need, par, distance and a map.

Navigation here is very intuitive, you always walk to the longest basket placement and there you'll find a route to the next tee. There are 2-3 basket placements for each hole. This morning, all were in the short position. The first three holes play through the woods with the rest being more open. There is some rolling elevation but nothing too severe. The rough is thick but not terribly difficult to avoid. I found Shawnee Mission to be a very comfortable round. The course loops back close to the beginning.

Although I didn't really recognize any one hole as being that signature hole, I did think that # 2 was just a pretty little throw. # 9 is the longest here here at just over 500 feet. 12-14 and 16 all play in the mid-400 range.

As with every other KC area course, I would like to see yards and yards of wood chips brought in to spread over every inch of exposed and very slippery dirt.

Course is open enough so as not to frustrate. I can see better players, advanced and up, being a little bored here.

This course could benefit from a bolt and washer set up on the tee signs where a hole is drilled next to each basket placement distance. Then a small bolt is inserted through the hole with a colored washer. This is a simple way to indicate which basket position you're playing that round. Whoever changes the baskets can easily change the washers.

Although I played Shawnee Mission in terrible conditions, it's easy to see what all the fuss is about. This is just a very solid intermediate level course with lots of fun throws. Rec players can play it without a lot of frustrating moments. It's not terribly long. The rough is quite forgiving and not hard to avoid.

Kansas City golfers have a nice stable of enjoyable courses at their reach. Enjoy them.

The Shawnee Mission Park DGC has it's virtues. The tees are paved, and the signs are good. The baskets are fine as well. Benches and trash cans are not hard to find. It is a straight up par 54 on 18 holes. Navigation is not hard. Though there are other uses within the park, you will seldom come into range of other traffic.

The terrain has good elevation changes for Kansas that plays on several holes. There are a few holes that are moderately wooded as well. I liked the first 6 holes and number 18 a lot. 1 is across an open area slightly downhill until you approach the pin. It is place in a gap between clusters of trees and brush. 2 has a fairway that is not too narrow and is lined with trees on either side. 3 comes out of the trees, and crosses an open run towards a pin that sits on a slope with another cluster of trees on the right. 4 is very uphill, and has a hard dogleg right, with heavy woods once you make the turn. 5 and 6 are shorter holes with good birdie chances. 18 is kind of the opposite of 4 but without as many trees, a long downhill, and turning left.

The entrance to the park was under construction, and I didn't go far enough to make it to the proper parking lot for disc golf. I parked at one of the first lots, and started the course at hole 7. Starting at 1 gives you better quality right off the bat, and a better finishing hole.

Not a super challenging course, but it was no push over and was still fun for me. Some of the holes are pretty wide open, and winds can have strong effects

I liked Shawnee Mission, but wasn't blown away. It is set in a very nice park. The middle portion is less wooded, and makes the best of the landscape, but is a little bland.

Made a 56 (+2) because of a double bogey on the tricky hole 4. Only birdie was on hole 6, on a nice drive with the putter. Could've had 2 or 3 more, but wasn't able to make the putts.

- Good balance of technical/distance

- Back 9 has some repetitive holes back and forth.
- More than optimal walking between some holes.

- One of the better courses in the area if you live on the south side of KC.

Front nine has some good technical shots, especially teeing off from #3 and #6. Keep it low and avoid the trees on both sides. My favorite is #5, which even in it's second basket pin is still fairly easy to birdie. Depending upon what time you tee off (I usually head out around 6pm), by the time you get to #18 (Course usually takes about an hour to two hours to play), you can spot deer grazing in the evening.

The thick rough! The grass outside of the fairways is usually above knee height. Often, you need to be right on top of your disc to see it. I recommend brightly colored discs where the fairways have more foilage and chances of losing a disc.

I've played this course six times now and I'm still challenged each time. Depending on the multiple basket locations on each hole, some holes can be a close par 4 versus a long par 3. The course is fun. The players out here are friendly and helpful. I'm amazed out how many times I've been offered help in locating a lost disc or been given advice on throwing. Definitely worth the trip!

Very nice course! Signs and each hole and benches and trash cans throughout. Poured concrete tee boxes and multiple pin locations to keep things interesting. Variety of hole types and shot selections. Kept up very well especially since it's in a nicer part of the KC area. Elevation and trees put to good use.

The last part of the course gets a little repetitive by going up and down the same hill, but the holes still present their own challenges. Tall grass near the fairways could cost you a disc if you're not careful, so watch closely where it lands and use brightly colored discs if you have them. Some pedestrian traffic, but it is minimal.

Made for intermediate/casual players. I always enjoy playing this course. It presents good challenges and a good opportunity to practice multiple types of throws. Stop by if you're in the area.

+ well groomed course, upkeep is good
+ nice park

- par 3 birdie fest. Plenty of room to stretch out the distance; course does not fully use land available.
-Most shots are the same, esp on 12-16
-only about half the wholes had tee signs as of review time

Not a course you hear a lot about in KC, which is odd because it's one of the better ones. Maybe better than Swope and Rosedale depending on configuration and opinion. There is also room for expansion/improvement which the Holy Trinity of KC courses don't have going for them.

The par 3 holes are appropriate distances.
Very easy to follow.

Hole 1: Most memorable on the course. Its a great distance and its a great tunnel shot to start off the round.

Hole 2: If the hole is on the short position, its very possible to birdie this hole.

Hole 4: Perfect variation for left handed players.

Hole 5: Very easy to par. This hole is almost a confidence booster.

Hole 6: Perfect for right handed hyzer throws. Good practice for fairway drivers.

Hole 7: Great Distance. I always get good practice with my drivers here.

Hole 8: Another memorable hole. It's fun to have room to throw initially and then have to make it into a bit of a wooded area.

Hole 9: Good elevation change toward the end of the whole. (Downhill)

Hole 16: This is a fun hole as long as you can keep your drive low. Great elevation change. One of my favorite holes on the course, even if I do throw it into the woods half the time.

Hole 17: Fun hole to practice right hand forehand throws and right hand back hand anhyzers.

Hole 18: Great way to end the round. Great elevation change. Memorable hook around the trees if you get your throw right.

Back 9: 4 of the holes are on the same hill. It gets very boring.
Few Benches.
Almost no trash cans.

Hole 3: Very difficult to par this hole without a great drive and a great up shot.

Hole 4: Great for left handed players.

Hole 10: Basically the same as hole 11.

Hole 11: Basically the same as hole 10.

Hole 12-15: Up and down the same hill. The view gets a bit boring.

Great course for beginners and pros alike. I have fun playing there every time I go.

- Tees and baskets are in good condition
- Benches and trash cans at most holes
- A good challenge for all skill levels
- A good variety of holes - a few wooded, a few wide open fairways, decent elevation changes on the back 9
- A fun course that is challenging, but not frustrating for new players

For some reason, I am not a huge fan of holes 2 and 3. Other than those holes, I really enjoy this course.

A good course. Good for beginners, intermediates, and upper-echelon players. I enjoy the challenge of this course. The hole distances are long enough, but not too long.

Though open, the pins are far enough away to make each hole a bit of a challenge.
Wind can effect the course, providing another good obstacle.
Not a busy course, but well maintained.
Good to learn on, and advanced players can work at getting under par.
The new hole locations/benches/and all other new things make this course very fresh and exciting.

I would prefer to have a few holes that are pretty short and very techincal and then also have a couple holes that are much longer and much more open.
A water hazard would be nice too.

This is a wonderful course in Kansas City. Beginners would love playing here because its not too long and its fairly wide open.
More advanced players would love playing here because of the great mix of longer holes with technique involved.

This course is located in a slightly hills, prairie-like park. There are lots of slight uphill/downhill holes. The first few holes are moderate distance and moderately technical. Then It becomes mostly open with maybe 5-10 trees on each hole. Concrete Tees on every hole. Tee signs are great and very easy to read with all the necessary information. Baskets are in good condition and there are multiple pin placements on almost every hole. 17 and 18 are good finishing holes. 17 is a blind anhyzer shot and 18 is a blind hyzer shot.

No trash cans or benches in the park. After hole 6, there aren't any fun holes. It's almost like it was supposed to be a 6 hole course and the rest of the holes are just to get back to the parking lot. Anyway, after 6, all of the holes are straight and open, up and down a field.

This course has all the basics, just none of the, "wow factor". Good tees, good tee signs, good baskets, just not a good course design. I still rated this course a 3.5 (very good). I really enjoyed this playing this course, but it just wasn't good enough for a 4.

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Very easy to find, and the course is very well maintained. There are a few restrooms, and trashcans available throughout the course.

The course is very well maintained, and plays excellently with the change of elevation, and natural surroundings. The course is in a very nice area of the city, with plenty of parking. It is not usually too crowded, and you won't find yourself waiting to play many holes, or feeling pressed to hurry up and finish.

Holes 3, 6, 12, and 16 are some of my favorites and all play on some of the different strengths of this course.

There isn't alot of variance in alot of the way these holes play. Holes 7-10 are all relatively straight, on flat land, with a few trees that come into play.

Holes 12-16 all play up and down the same elevations, but are of varying lengths, and some with more trees coming into play than others.

I've played this course a number of times, and I have yet to see any alternate pin placements.

This course remains one of my favorites, as it is really where I "learned" to play. It's a great challenging course, although it can get a bit repetitive, especially through 7-10 and 12-15. It still ranks as a "must play" course, and will have you coming back to play again, and again.

This is a great intermediate-advanced course, that will offer even more experienced players enough challenges to keep this course in their regular rotation.

The course now has multiple pins, making some of the holes quite a bit more challenging of a par for advanced am players. Before these pins went in, the hole were almost all or played between 300'and 400'. Now there are options for holes as short as 200' and as long as 500+'. None of the shots on this course are extremely technical unless you get off the fairway and into the woods on holes 1-7 and 16-18, but even then the trees have a strange tendency to kick you back into a relatively safe spot. There are many different lines you can take on most holes, which can be seen as either a good thing or bad. I personally like that I can work on different shots on the same course and same hole. This is a great course to come to alone and try some line shaping practice, and it usually is not so crowded that this cannot be done, however it is beginning to draw bigger and bigger crowds. The facilities on the course are good enough with a bathroom and water fountain to the right of hole 8 across the street. The course flows decently well, ending where it begins, and it also provides an opportunity to cut it short due to time, weather, etc. if you must and play 1-9 then hop over to 16 and finish from there. The fairways are usually well mowed and the rough provides enough of an inconvenience to give an incentive to stay in the fairway.

I really wish there were more scenic holes. The Shawnee Mission park property has ample opportunity for beautiful shots, and it seems to me the parks and rec department set aside the worst bit of land in the park for disc golf. Its still a fine bit of land, but there is so much potential on the property that its a bit of shame disc golf got stuck on land that could be used for ball golf. The elevation is usually a bit underwhelming at this course, and the trees do not provide enough of a challenge in the short pins for the experienced player. Holes 8-12 can be disproportionally more windy than the rest of the course due to their location on the top of a hill.

The front 9 are definitely the best 9 on this course, so if you are running low on time, be sure to play those. Holes 10-15 have long been complained about because they zig zag up and down a hill and a lot of people, however I still maintain that each hole on this course is fairly unique. I did acknowledge there are multiple lines for many holes, but each hole also has a very established preferred line. The preferred lines are really split down the middle-50% LHBH 50% RHBH, giving the better played the advantage instead of the played who happens to be right or left handed. As my home course for 3 years, I played it almost twice a week and it really never got tiring. If you're in the area, go ahead and hit up this course. Its not the ver best or very hardest in KC, but you will like this course all the same.