Salina, KS

Thomas Park

3.685(based on 17 reviews)
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3 2
sasheise
Experience: 2.8 years 68 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

First time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 18, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Length, narrow fairways, fairways clearly marked, nice feel in April, maybe not in August.

Cons:

Tee boxes not clearly marked, no clear path to some tee boxes, lots of thorns if you get off fairway.

Other Thoughts:

Hole 17 it's treacherous if you get off there fairway. Season likely makes a huge difference because of vegetation. April had sparse bushes and hazards that could really suck in the summer. The fairways are almost drawn on the ground which is helpful to know once you have played. Hole#4 tee box and baskety can be tricky to find
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4 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Thomas Terrific 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Thomas Park is a great disc golf course. The 18 holes have a really nice mix of open and wooded holes. The open holes are generally longer, and not too open. The wooded holes have dense woods, but the fairways are clear enough to get off some good drives. The shot shaping is diverse and requires you to make a variety of throws well in order to get under or close to par.

All of the tees are concrete and oversized, long and tapered toward the front. There are tee signs at each one that have a hole map and pin distances. Innova Discatcher targets on every hole are all in good shape.

I liked every hole on the course. Some are easier than others, but all require accuracy. The first hole is the longest and has a lot of open grass with several mature trees along the way. It takes two long throws to get near the basket, and there is a road in front of it that is OB. Getting distance and landing in the right zones is crucial.

The second hole is an awesome tunnel shot that opens up toward the end. There are thick trees and rough along the left side and a line of trees to the right.

Aside from holes 4 and 11, the middle portion of the course is all pretty wooded. Hole 3 is a dogleg left where a big skip will help get you into the pocket and near the pin. Hole 4 is interesting, a dogleg right, with a walking path on top of a short ridge down the middle of the fairway. The right side is full of trees, but there is a lot of open air above the trail and on either side. Being on top of the ridge will give the best angle and view for your second shot.

Hole 5-10 are all mid distance through the trees, with subtle changes in direction from hole to hole. Hole 11 come back into the sun, teeing over the top of a flood control channel at the bottom of a ditch that's fairly wide and deep. The line from tee to pin crosses the ditch diagonally, making it more likely to wind up at the bottom if you don't put a good snap on the drive. This is the only place I saw water on the course, and if you go in the ditch, the only time elevation change will come into play (besides the ridge on hole 4).

Hole 12 has a little distance and a steady curve to the right all the way to the basket. 14 is even longer and tighter and has multiple curves through the trees. This was probably the toughest hole on the course. My doubles partner made an incredible drive that somehow made all the way out of the woods, still leaving us a 75'+ second shot.

Cons:

The only complaint I can make is avoidable as long as you wear long pants or high socks, and watch where you put your arms. There is poison ivy and poison oak in the rough, and I left with a fair amount of it on both legs and my right arm. I may have gotten some at Moon Lake that morning, but you definitely need to watch out for it here.

The layout is kind of choppy, but the course map linked to the home page is great. Be sure to print one out or take a screenshot.

Other Thoughts:

I pulled into the parking lot and saw a group of people preparing to partner up and tee off for doubles. I was a little dismayed at first, knowing this was going to take longer than I had planned on. They invited me to enter, and I hurriedly put on my socks and shoes, and rigged up a leash for my dog.

Once we got going, I was really glad that I joined in on the round. My group was great, I was partnered with Tim and we took second place (with a 55, the winners made 54). On top of meeting cool new people and winning a few bucks, the course is really great.

I enjoy heavily wooded courses, so this is about as good as it gets without having a lot of elevation change. I am up to 49 courses in Kansas now, and this one is definitely top 10 for me. I wanted to give it a 4.5 rating, but that isn't quite consistent with other courses I have reviewed this year. Either way, Thomas Park is really good, and if you are in the area it's totally worth getting in a round or two.

Thanks to Tim for organizing doubles, guiding the way through the course, and supplying me with some cold beverages along the way. It starts around 2 PM on Sundays of you are interested.
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5 0
Tstringer
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Gem of Salina 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 3, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is my hometown course so of course I play it a lot but it is also one of the top courses in the area.
Thomas will present a challenge to the best players but is fun for lower skill levels to.
The course has many great features.
The teepads are great. They are all 12-15 ft long and plenty wide with great cement. They are probably the best I've ever played on.
The baskets are all Innova Discatchers in good shape and there is also a warm-up basket next to 1s teepad.
The course is a strong par 57 that is moderate to highly wooded. The course starts out with 2 par 4s. They will give you fair shots for birdie but are not give mes at all. Hole 2 is probably my favorite of the course. It is a 400 ft tunnel shot that finishes with the basket perched on the side of a hill. Watch the rollaway. Hole 3 is a 200 ft dogleg left. 4 is one that gives you a chance to rip on it. 5-10 are going to challenge your accuracy game in the woods. 11 is probably the signature hole of the course. Be prepared to rip it. 12-14 are back into the woods. 15 opens up a little. 16 is a 315ft right in front of you in the woods. 17 is tough it is prob a 275-300 foot tunnel shot then sharp dogleg right back into a little cove. 18 is a fun finishing hole that is friendly to the grip and rip.
Thomas is going to force you to bring out every shot in the bag but it is a very fun well designed course.

Cons:

I can't find many with it but here are a couple.
It would be nice to have par listed on the tee signs.
The walk between 4-5 and 11-12 is lengthy.
14 fairways could have a couple trees taken out in my opinion.

Other Thoughts:

I would like to note that Thomas in the past was known for having overgrown fairways but in the past year or so they have been trimmed up and they are well kept. To sum it all up Thomas park is a must play if you are in the area or for that matter the state.
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2 0
mtndisc'r
Experience: 6.9 years 24 played 13 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Excellent Humility 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 10, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice tees with great mapping
Nice baskets with minor vandalism
Holes 2-3, 5-10, 12-17 are almost completely clear of other users
Quiet with Good parking
Easy to find
Many chances to practice accurate tunnel shots
good variation and punishment for lousy throws

Cons:

Long walks from hole 3 to tee 4 and from hold 4 to tee 5 are confusing based on the maps
Hole 1 plays past 2 shelters, one playground, and through one playground
Hole 18 plays across a road past 2 parking areas, 3 picnic tables, 2 buildings, and 2 shelters
Holes 4 and 11 play across a biking trail
sticky seeds
some holes have no viable lanes for aces

Other Thoughts:

What a great change from the Rockies! Not that I'm dissing Rocky Mtn DG, but the reality is most of those courses are very grip n rip friendly. Thomas dgc ain't (except for #11), and it makes no bones about it. The holes aren't too long, but whoosh do they penalize inaccurate throws; almost pinball to the point of being funny in a very humble way. I'll be back!
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2 0
Justinperkins
Experience: 26.8 years 63 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun course, huge park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

* Long shots
* Tight woods
* Requires a variety of shots (not everything is straight/hyzer)
* Huge beautiful park

Cons:

* Hole 1 fairway very close to playground
* Lack of marking to find next tee
* Long walks to some tees (3-4, 4-5, for example)
* No elevation changes

Other Thoughts:

Considering this is right off the Interstate in the middle of Kansas, I was stoked to find such a nice course so accessible. I struggled from time to time to find the tee pads, and sometimes the map I used had the pin/hole reversed, which cost me even more time, but overall I really enjoyed this course. The park stretches way back and opens up to some pretty views for 5-8 (especially at sunset), while still having tightly wooded shots back there. Fun course
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4 0
bobmcnelly
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.9 years 324 played 189 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 27, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- good concrete tees
- good baskets
- decent tee signs that give all the info you need except par
- tons of technical holes through trees along with some fun long holes that are a little more open
- large variety of distances with shots ranging from 225 to 600 feet
- this course with challenge you to throw every type of shot you have
- beautiful park, that really puts you in nature

Cons:

-the course could be a little easier to navigate, a few arrows here and there would go a long way
- considering some of the distances and tight lines on this course, it would be nice to have pars on the tee signs.
- hole one plays right through a playground

Other Thoughts:

A real quality course and with some new signage could be one of the best courses in the state.
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2 4
teams32
Experience: 20.8 years 17 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Challenging! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 10, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Excellent mix of long and short holes and not too much of the same thing. Love the corridor shots. Very nice tee pads. Two pin placements at all but one hole keeps the course from getting stale.

Cons:

The occasional fallen tree or homeless vagrant. As others said, a bit of a walk to some holes. Bugs can be pretty thick in the summer months.

Other Thoughts:

Playing here will make you a well rounded player. I view it as a top 10 course in Kansas.
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6 0
Chained Evil
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 1091 played 232 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Takes time to grow on you 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is well maintained and the tee pads are plenty long and ample. Signage is relatively new and informative.
The flow of the course is logical and the Discatchers work great.
There are low ceiling shots here as well as tunnel shots and both dog leg L and R holes.
Good mix of short, moderate, and longer length holes.
Good technical challenging holes on 5-10 and the tunnel shot on hole 2 is one of the best that I've seen.
You can air out a drive on holes 4 and 11.
Multiple pins on many of the holes to give you a different look and to keep things from stagnating.
Many of the holes have a good amount of risk/reward to them and will challenge your shot shaping abilities and test your mental toughness as well.
There are trashcans and benches here and there on this course.

Cons:

The long walk from 3's basket to 4's tee and 4's basket to 5's tee slow the flow of the round down a bit. Also having to backtrack on hole 11 so you can cross the ditch(if you choose not to navigate up and down the ditch) takes a bit of time as well.
Graffiti on the new signage is an absolute outrage.(see hole 12 for example!!!) People and parks departments spend quality time, money, and effort to provide the public with these nice facilities to be enjoyed by all and some @**hats go out and destroy public property. This is inexcusable and needs to stop!!!

Other Thoughts:

This course will test your accuracy for sure. You will need a good overall game, and on many holes you will need to re think your approach in order to score well. Grip and rip players will think this course is unfair as will newer players to the game. Good thing that Salina has 2 park style 9 holers across town that will be more to their liking. Players that are just starting out or are new to the game can learn to play at the Lakeside courses before stepping up to this technical course.
Overall this is a very solid course that will make you work on all aspects of your game. If you were to master the shots on this course IMO you would be a very solid disc golfer.
Highly recommend playing this course if you are anywhere near Salina or are passing through the area. If you like a course that provides a good challenging round that will constantly keep you on your toes then this course is for you.
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7 0
nat16dick
Experience: 13.5 years 95 played 16 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Tough, Tight Fairways 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Teepads: All are large and in excellent condition
-Baskets: Innova Discatchers are great baskets, all are in great shape, and they are easy to see from a distance
-Signs: Signs are easy to read, informative, and make navigating the course easy
-Variety: The course provides you an opportunity to throw all the shots in your bag
-Maintenance: All fairways were well mowed, and the course is generally well kept

Cons:

-Lack of flow: Many walks between holes are very long, and it is difficult to navigate if you are not paying very close attention to the signs
-Trees: The trees are extremely dense, and nearly all the holes are tight tunnel shots that feel nearly the same
-Layout: The first tee and last pin are nowhere near each other, and convenient parking is not near either of these

Other Thoughts:

A very difficult course to score well on. If you get off the fairway, it is tough to get back for a good score. Slightly confusing to navigate the course on a first visit, but well worth the trip
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4 1
asjzn6
Experience: 18.6 years 136 played 59 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great stop on I-70 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 16, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

First on a through trip from KC to Denver just a quarter mile off I-70. Teepads were large and plenty of space to run-up. Innova baskets nice and bright. Tee signs were fantastic, great tee view and overhead map view. Take a look at the tee sign and you will find your way around the course just fine. This course was very challenging nice tight holes were you will have to be nice and creative. Great opportunity to use lots of different shots.

Cons:

Not a whole lot of elevation change but the tight holes make up for that.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this course. Would love to play every time i travel to denver and possibly on the way back
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3 7
Tan-Vic-Own-Sim-Moon
Experience: 12.9 years 92 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Goes great with a 4 loko 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 22, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great wind cover in the normal Kansas days

Cons:

The mooney tree is huge and makes it tough to drive it deep on hole 6. Huge wingspan always helpful when reaching around the larger trees

Other Thoughts:

People immune to poison ivy will enjoy the course more.
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4 0
DisCat13
Experience: 25.1 years 110 played 19 reviews
3.50 star(s)

What a challange! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 24, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

First and foremost the biggest pro is the challenges that this course present. Many shots are tunneled in between and underneath trees. This course was clean and well kept in all areas (open and wooded). It was fairly easy to navigate and the maps on the signs at each tee box helped immensely with that. There were nice restrooms available here as well. Also, there was a great mix of short to long holes (200' to 475') at Thomas Park. And lastly, it was great to play in the wooded area most of the day, then pop out of the woods here and there (1, 4, 11, 15, 18) to play some more open holes. Great design.

Cons:

If you do not pay attention to the signs at each tee, you will lose your way from time to time, but other then that, fairly easy to navigate.

Some of the holes started to feel the same as previous ones, but not too often.

Also, there were a couple of holes (and #14 in particular) where there was no path through at all.

Very tight and challenging, so course is easily frustrating for beginners.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a must play for any passing through. It is not far from I-70 and very easy to find. I can honestly say that this is one of the very most challenging courses I have yet to play!
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9 0
scarpfish
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.8 years 360 played 98 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hidden gem just off I-70, with woods! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good intermediate to expert level course. Dense woods on both sides of 13 of the 18 holes make this a rare wooded treat in mostly open central Kansas. Big spacious tee boxes. The great part is that each tunnel is just a little bit different. Excellent signage with distances, photos and diagrams. While this is a multi-use park, there is rarely interference from other activities. Hardly ever crowded. The diagonal shot over the drainage ditch on Hole 11 is big fun. The occasional open holes (4, 11, 15) after a few holes of dense woods offers nice variety, before returning to the woods.

Cons:

Beginners are going to have a very frustrating round here (see the review of the guy who gave it a 1.5) as this course is a radical departure from the open park golf most casuals around here are used to. Course will cause some orientation problems for first timers. Namely between holes 4 & 5, and between 15 &16. (Note: there are next hole indicators on the tee signs). Holes 5 through 8 are packed pretty tightly, and people standing on 6's teebox could get a shot coming in from someone on Hole 8 who can't see them. Not much in the way of elevation or water.

Other Thoughts:

Thomas is a great contrast to the more standard park golf at Lakewood across town, and has served a need for more wooded courses in the area. Unlike a number of rushed new course installations I've seen recently where everything was put in at once, the Salina club took great patience in installing permanent tee boxes here to make sure things turned out right.

Not just a must play, but probably one of the top five courses in the state, and just a hop and a skip off of I-70. If you like them wooded and challenging, this will be up your alley.
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4 0
templink
Experience: 20.7 years 124 played 27 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Thomas Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Huge 8' concrete tee pads! Great tee signs are color photos of the fairway indicating basket position and distance. Easy to get to, less than one mile from I-70. Well designed course incorporates long (500+), short (200) and average length holes, left and right turns, both tight and open fairways. Lots of tunnel shots in the woods. Hole #11 thrown over the ditch was impressive and fun.

Cons:

Several holes were repetitive (5,6,7) (8,9), basically repeating the previous hole's look and feel.
Finding the next hole was sometimes difficult (for example, from 3 to 4) until i went back to the #3 tee sign and read it again.

Other Thoughts:

Despite no water in play or elevation changes, this is a nice course with good variety of shots. Lots of opportunity to practice precision down tight fairways, and some wide open shots as well. I would play here again if I ever make it back to Salina.
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1 12
Tony
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Very frustrating! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Large teepads new and awesome and fantastic new baskets

Cons:

Everything else... Difficult to navigate thru course. Constantly in poison ivy infested woods.. Too wooded. Just wasnt an enjoyable experience

Other Thoughts:

Usually shoot 0 thru plus 2 on average courses I shot plus 19!!!
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2 0
mgcarney
Experience: 14.9 years 94 played 55 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Jungle 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 7, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course varies length regularly. It has long and short holes with a lot of variety with technical shots. The course had nicely groomed paths to walk on with several workers cutting the grass and maintaining the park. This course is right off the main road so I would highly recommend it for road trips. The trees provide nice shade for a hot day as well.

Cons:

The course had a couple moments where it was hard to find the next tee, but not impossible. The dense trees are a nice obstacle, but very frustrating. Bring long pants if you aren't very accurate. Prickly weeds, and bugs cover the woods. Try to stay in the fairways.

Other Thoughts:

More and more I am amazed by the quality of courses in Kansas. While most people wouldn't think of Kansas immediately for disc golf, there are some great courses here.
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4 3
one19
Experience: 14.8 years 34 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Thomas Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 28, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Scenic, foliage-filled, landscape. Former & Current City Orchard. Very Challenging. Plenty of tunnel action, especially as you enter the rear woods.
Huge Concrete Pads.

Cons:

Poison Ivy & Mosquitoes are still yet not under control. Rain can create quite marshy conditions.
The walk around the culvert on 11 is irritating.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a"must-play", and is one of the newest & finest in Kansas..
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