Elevation in the midwest!!!!!
Scenic
good for ams or pros
makes you throw every shot, anny, hyzer, straight, ect.
kansas city's best most beautiful course... one of the best in America!
don't have to be 500 off the tee to enjoy this course.

only 18 holes

in better neighborhood than blue valley or cliff drive....

this course provides a great variety of shots. i've played it with baskets in several different locations and its always a challenge, no matter what. there are only a couple of long holes for higher level players, so you'll need to use more mids and control drivers than anything else. i throw a buzzz on about 7 of the holes, just to give you an idea, but they are VERY technical holes. errant throws are usually punished and good throws rewarded. there are some very scenic looks throughout the course, so its visually appealing too. benches on every hole. water fountain and spigot on hole #1. porta-potty near hole #1 too. plenty of parking. park is for disc golf only, so very few pedestrians to watch for.

i will occasionally have a roll-away with a missed putt, because of the hills. really, i should just learn to make putts. sometimes the course gets muddy, but not often.

restating.... bring good shoes and plenty of water. the hills can be daunting and if the course is very wet there are some risks of slipping. still, this course is epic. take note, course designers.

This course is located in an extremely hilly park in the northern part of Kansas City. The park is the most beautiful park I've ever seen. The course utilizes the hills like no other course I've been to. There's every kind of shot here. Downhill, Uphill, even over a valley to another hill. Somehow they even got a couple flat holes here! There's straight shots, dogleg left, dogleg right, everything you can imagine and more! Most of the holes were very wooded, but there were still a few open holes (14, 11). Most of the holes are between 200 and 400 ft., but all the elevation changes make up for that. Concrete Tee pads were big and perfectly flat. Signs were very detailed and accurate, clearly showing all O.B. and where the pin is. Trash Cans are at most tees, and benches are at every tee. Most tees even had two benches. (hole 7 had a bench on top of a bench!) The posts the tee signs were on had bag holders, which I've only seen at one other course. The grass was cut the trees weren't overgrown and the course was maintained well in every way! Hole 10's basket was near the parking lot, so you can stop if you're to tired. 18 also ended near the parking lot. There was plenty of parking, and there was a practice basket in the island where the parking was. (there was also a putting game printed on the basket sign) Hole 14 had a nice view of the Kansas City downtown area. Everyone in the course was nice. So even if you have to wait, you're talking with really nice people. I've been here twice, and the pin positions were changed around. It looks like they change them regularly.

Cons? No water hazards, but the hills make up for that. No bathrooms. Ummm...that's it.

I was able to play 2 and 3 while I was there, but the fairways were covered in hay. You might have to wait to throw, but the people around you make it an enjoyable experience. It would be nice if you could somehow see which pin position was in play, but usually they're visible from the hole.

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I can't believe I'm one of a few people to give this course a 5-star rating recently. I have played many beautiful mountain courses in Colorado (Including Beaver Ranch), and Water Works Park blew them all away.

The best thing about this course is the hilly terrain. Hole number 1 is an immaculate downhill shot that sets the tone for the rest of the round. The hills and varying distances create a nice mixture of required shots for the round. I'm pretty sure that in the whole round, I did not have the same shot twice. If someone wants to shoot well here, they must have a mastery of nearly every shot in the game; no specific type of throwing is favored here. Finally, the course is really well maintained. Every hole has a nice yardage sign with bag hooks and a bench.

The current construction has put a damper on the course. I did not lower my rating for this because the course has no control over this. Even with the construction, it is still the best course I've played.

The hilly terrain could also mean a tough hike for some folks. Bring good shoes and plenty of water. The shade is nice to keep away the heat, but it was still real hot when I played.

I would recommend this course to anyone and everyone. Many of the shots are tough, but there is enough scenery and enough easier holes to keep everyone happy.

Great use of fariways, trees, obstacles, and elevation on most holes. Really makes you appreciate the good shots and kick yourself about the bad ones. Good workout.

Sometimes the elevation is too much if you do not have a backsaver strap for the bag. Just when you think there couldn't be another hill, theres an even bigger one.

only one flat hole. Threw a putter which i normally only throw under 125 on a 250 foot hole and almost aced it it was so far downhill. Another hole location is down that hill and up 150 feet the other side. Crazy varyation. Holes 2 and 3 are blocked off for the summer. Take the orange cones after hole 12 on the hill peninsula shot and re-tee on hole 8 after the short tee for the long one (down that hill and up the next, you'll see it).

This is one of the best courses I have played. This place has tunnel shots, risk/ reward, elevation, wide-open, moderate woods, OB, great pin placements, and beautiful scenery. Actually this place has just about everything except water. It is called Water Works, because of the water treatment plant just down the slope from the park. The view of the city from this park is very nice. The old trees immediately give you the feel that you are playing some place special. The big rolling hills are a real elevation enjoyment.

There are no filler holes here; I enjoyed every hole. The multiple pin placements are great. I had a great local guide, Fred Smith, play with me and show me all the pin placements that we did not get to play. They were just as good as the ones we did play. I just want to mention a few of the highlights that stuck in my mind. Starting the course off with a long down hill shot is a great way to open the first hole. The risk/reward of having a disc go left on #4 and possible going off the edge down the slope to the Water Treatment Plant was a real thrill. It looked really steep and scary; I just loved it! The tunnel #6 was a great run to the basket with sloping danger on the right. The old tree woods feel of #7 was so cool. I actually took a little bit of time to really take in the many different routes that could be taken from there. OK, now that I started, this course obviously has a ton of great holes. I won't bore you with too much of a hole by hole reviews. I will say I also loved the little bit of everything that #18 had. I really hope they never remove the old fallen down tree that is near one of the pins here, because it really added to the hole.

This park looked well maintained and was in beautiful shape considering it has rained here the 2 days prior. The message board was great with maps and scorecards available. The tee signs were a real treat. They had everything you really needed on them. The cement tee pads were fantastic and that entire area had lots of attention paid to it on each hole. I found there to be adequate parking and good use of trashcans as the park was very clean.

There were no bathrooms. Umm, I'm done.

The Fun Factor was as good as it gets. As soon as we finished, all I wanted to do was to play it again. I wanted to throw multiple drives on every hole. The greens were fun to putt at considering the surroundings. I can honestly say, this is a must play course that you should find time to get to in your lifetime.

Water Works is absolutely awesome. If I could pick 1 course to play every day this is the one. This is a must play. This course gets a top score for fun factor.

There is plenty of parking near the tee to #1. There is a huge course map and score cards near the tee to #1. There is a practice basket as well.

This course has a wide variety of shot selection, distance, and terrain. Every hole has a minimum of 2 pin positions and many with 3 to 4. Elevation comes into play for the majority of holes. There are nice large trees with a few tighter wooded holes. They add challenge but you won't spend all day looking for discs.

The tee signs are great. There is a picture of the hole with distances for all the pin postions. The pin positions not in use have large PVC pipes so you can tell what position the basket is in.

The tee pads are nice and long. All have benches and nice landscaping around them. There is a bag holder at each tee. There were garbage cans all over and the course was very clean.

The course flow is superb. I did not get lost one time. There were no real long walks but the holes had plenty of room between them to avoid conflicts. Holes # 7, 8, 10, 11, & 12 give you an opportunity to stop by the parking lot.

This is not the most difficult course in the world but it is fun for all skill level players. The road comes into play on several holes adding a challenge of out of bounds.

There are several putting greens that are very challenging. If you run a putt and miss you have a chance at blowing by or rolling down a steep hill. This course will test your shot selection and nerves.

I have no cons for this course. It is a blast to play and I feel the designers utilized the land to it's fullest. Although this course lacks true par 4's the fun factor still warrants a 5 rating IMO.

Check out the links to the course walk through. The pictures on playdg.com are awesome.

Some video of parts of the course.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDLnlN26IzE

Hole #8 green.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTQEeCmMvOY

My Illinois Top 10.
http://discontinuum.org/index...1486.msg68704#msg68704

This is my favorite course in the Kansas City area!
*Layout variety- Multiple basket placements on every hole. 3 or 4 on every hole provide tremendous variety.
*Terrain- the rolling hills with scattered old growth trees are magnificent. The holes have a varying mixture of nice grass and scattered trees, but there's only one true woods holes. There are many side sloping shots with some toward OB and danger for added risk.
*Elevation variety- there are tons of up, down, cross valley, and side hill shots. Be prepared for some hiking.
*Beauty- some nice views of the Kansas City skyline in the background
*Hole 1 is a classic starting holes.

Basics-
*Tee signs are amazing with photo maps and hole layouts marked.
*Tees- very good, long and concrete

Amenities abound-
*There's a large course map at the course, a map online, score cards online, a warm up basket, a message board, as well as tons of benches and trash cans.
* Extra touches include:
-Large numbered flags on top of every basket for extra visibility
-Bag holders at every tee
-PVC pipes in the unused basket placements to make it easier to tell which layout you're playing to

-With so many basket placements it would really help to have a system on each hole to designate which layout is being used. You can tell by the tee sign, but it can take some work.
-It's hard to be really sure of the hole lengths for each basket position. Since they just had the '09 Worlds there I used the tee signs, but online sources had other information that didn't match this.
-Navigation- tee 17 could be hard find and it's a bit of a walk. Tee 18 is also a little hard to spot.
-The DGA baskets are getting a little old and worn.

Course Level = Blue (most suited for Advanced players rated 925-975)

*I may be in a minority, but I'd like to see the course occasionally set up with all the baskets in the same color layout, like all Orange or all Blue. I would enjoy the purity of playing all the same layout. It seems that the baskets are always mixed between the various layouts.
*This was one of the courses used for the 2009 PDGA Pro/Am Worlds.

Water Works is widely regarded as the crown jewel of the excellent KC disc golf scene, and that reputation is well deserved. This course is a classic that sets a standard to measure other courses by. A ton of work has been done here, and it has all of the amenities plus some special touches. Water Works is one of my Top 10 Favorites (currently #7) and a "must play" course!

NOTE: Look in the "Links/Files" section for my files with Hole-by-hole evaluations, and a more detailed Overall review. You can also read more of my reviews and rating notes at the Yahoo Group, DG Course Reviews

This course has it all. Excellent changes in elevation, a mix of wide open fairways that beg you to rip a huge drive, balanced by some nicely canopied fairways that run right next to some severe drop offs, that may cause you to second guess how you play the hole. A very challenging, but not overly-frustrating course. Nicely maintained.

This course is usually a top choice of disc golfers from all over the area, so chances are you will find yourself waiting to tee off on a few holes. Also, this is not the course for you if you're easily winded, or struggling with a bad knee or ankle. There are some severe uphill, and downhill climbs that will take their toll.

Although I am relatively new to disc golf, and I've only played this course once, I can't wait to go back. Of all the courses I've played in Kansas City, this one is by far my favorite. If you have the chance to play it, do so. You will definately find it challenging, and fun.

Challenging course with mostly par 3 golf. A favorite among the elite Pros on the PDGA tour. This course winds up and down steep hills which forces every player to focus on the angle their disc lands. Alot of demanding shots that are fun to throw over and over again. Some tight deuce holes with alot of trouble and some bigger holes up and down hills. Every hole makes you think. A very nice city park and a great course to play casually and competitively.

Front 9 there are 4 or 5 holes that are pretty tight and heavily wooded. All fairways here are fair though. Holes 5 and 6 are perhaps the most challenging with steep dropoffs to one side of the fairway and some heavy trees off the fairway. Hole 1 is the most aesthetically pleasing with the city in the background as you bomb down a steep hill toward a bucket 400'+. I find Hole 14 to be my favorite to throw. Its well over 400', but you'll be surprised how quickly your disc gets down there. The fairway steadily slopes downward the entire way towards the road which curves around the 'green'. Very easy to end up OB here, but hard to let up on your drive.

Again, an extremely fun course with more elevation change than you'll find just about anywhere.

I can't think of anything negative to say about this course. It didn't get the full 5 star rating for me because its just not quite as pleasing as a Ewing Park in Des Moines, but believe me this course is right there with any course you can think of. Top notch.

Who doesn't love to rip drives up and down hills?

Amazing variation of scenery, level of difficulty, and interesting terrain. There are port-a-pottys now, and two signs at every tee. One photograph sign displaying basket location, and one arial view of the hole displaying distances. Benches and bag hangers at every tee. Water fountains and a nice staging area by tee #1. The course has trails that easily lead you from basket to tee pad. Also, there are 2 separated baskets for putt practice and several out-of-the-way open flats to practice drives. Simply the best KC has to offer.

This course will not be easy on that bum leg or knee that you may have. Almost every hole has large hills to accend/decend. Most of the trails are dirt, so after a rain, it will be sloppy, but not too bad even after huge rains.

Don't throw your green or camo discs at this park. The never-ending forests will claim them.

This course is absolutely stunning. You can tell when you pull into the park going straight up a huge winding hill you are in for a treat. Hole 1 starts the course off with a spectacular view and serious downhill.

The course layout if varied nicely with no 2 holes the same. Some wide open shots on serious uphill/downhill elevations, some nice doglegs, big mature trees couldn't have been planted in better spots to make for varied obstacles, several challenging corridor shots. The layout is very well done, with a clear path from each disc-catcher to the next tee pad. This course is very easy to navigate.

The park is very well maintained with nice benches, trash recepticles, disc bag holders, and multiple signs at each tee box. The landscaping is superb, with nice use of bushes, flower beds, and well-groomed grass. The sound of trains and planes make for an interesting industrial sounding environment out in a pristine forest. It's really something just to take in.

If you don't like hills you're going to have a rough time on this course. It can also be pretty unforgiving to beginners (though not terrible as the "roughs" really aren't rough enough to lose discs easily).

Of all the courses I've played so far, this one is by far the best. If you find yourself within 100 miles of KC , do yourself a favor and visit Water Works park.

This is the best course I have played.
I seen that there was some elevation on the course but I under estimted the degree of change before I played the course. I like the elevation, very easy for your disc to roll away, a long ways away.
Easy to find and get to. Well mowed and kept park. A large map of the course at the first hole. a practice basket just east of tee #1. Every hole had a sign with all four (on most holes) pin placements located on them. The tees are concrete and long/wide. Every tee area had a bag pole and a bench. The bag poles are nice but much easier to just set your bag on the bench.

The course layout is great nothing to short and nothing real long, No 800 to 1000ft holes. The pin placements are on slopes, over hills, across a valley or through trees. It is also easy to follow and find your way to the next tee. When we played all the pins were placed in a different mix of placement (not all in the short but not all in the long either). There is a playground near the parking area but it looks like the park is for disc golf mostly.

Nothing big, but the color of the pins on the signs did not match up all the time. On one hole the blue one would be the long one, but on the next hole the blue may be the short one. The slopse were slick from being muddy.

Great course, with cool views of downtown KC and the area south of the course.

- Everything is well-marked. Signs are detailed, no graffiti, signs point the way to the next hole in a couple of places
- Each teebox consists of the following: At least one bench, a bag hanger with 4 hooks, trashcan, sign, and a larger than average teepad
- The elevation changes will challenge your stamina
- You're really punished for bad shots off the fairway. Steep dropoffs to the right and left of the hole are common.
- The most scenic course I've ever seen. The view of Kansas City from the first hole is breath taking.
- Multiple tee positions, as many as four in some cases, means that this course will always be challenging.
- A previous reviewer mentioned that there was no restroom... that situation has been rectified thanks to a port-a-potty near the first hole.

- There's a map at the beginning of the course with holders for maps/scorecards, but it was empty when I played.
- Course seems to be a little neglected. Grass wasn't mowed, there were dead tree limbs on the 5th fairway that looked like they'd been there all summer, and the staircase that takes you from the 6th to the 7th hole is falling apart. Someone needs to step in and give this course a little more of the TLC it deserves.

Just a great course overall with it's current state of disrepair being the only reason that it doesn't garner a 5 rating. The first hole not only offers a great view but it also makes you want to unload your bag several times. This is a must play if you're driving through the KC area.

Updated 7/2009: After playing a 100 courses, (I now have a better idea of what a world class course looks like) and watching the reviews to make sure no one else has brought up maintenance issues, I've deemed it necessary to bump this course up to a 5. I still lay awake at night thinking about hole #1 a year after I played it.

elevation changes are amazing, tee boxes and their surrounding area are spectacular-I was a first time player on this course and I never struggled to find the pins thanks to their visuals, great variety of left-handed and right-handed holes, nice variety of long distance holes and shorter technical holes. I feel that I can get a three on any hole and at the same time I also feel that if I make a small mistake on half the holes I could easily get a five or six. Plenty of people on the course in the middle of the afternoon, but I also never felt crowded and never needed to wait on others.

I am sure that there are cons to this course, but I was not able to find them, unless you are a beginner or not in good shape at all.

I planned to never give any course a 5.0, but after playing this course I don't feel that I have any choice. This is a very challenging course, well maintained, intense elevation change, great tee boxes, and the cherry to give it the extra half disc is an amazing view. This is a must play. All previous rankings of mine must now drop a half disc due to this course!!

This course is hilly in a great way and has just the perfect mixture of lefty and righty holes. Tee #1 is an awesome view of North Kansas City and gives the big arms a great chance to really air a shot out. I am not one of those and I still threw a drive of almost 380 on this hole. This course is easily one of most beautiful I've ever played. You feel as though you are hundreds of miles away from the city, yet get incredible views of it.

Walking up and down the hills can be quite a workout.

This course is well worth a visit if you are ever in the KC area.