WHAT TO EXPECT: A nice, well maintained city park course playable by all skill levels. Course is showing its signs of age, is definitely mature and broken in, but it is well taken of by the local club and you can definitely see their efforts if you make return visits. 18 hole course with a blend of short wooded holes and wide open bombers, with two sets of basket locations on most holes to provide an even more challenging trip around if you so desire.

AMENITIES: Large pavilion shelter and ample parking, walking trails, nice bridges over the creek that splits the course into two halves, a permanent miniature golf course, modern bathrooms, and volleyball courts.

TEES/SIGNAGE/BASKETS: Narrow but adequate textured concrete tee pads that are flat to the ground so you can run up from behind or the side without much issue. Tee signs are definitely showing their age but contain all relevant information and a hole map showing intended line. Baskets are Discatchers (Some holes have both a yellow short and a red long location with both baskets installed at the same time). I have visited when only one color was out, or the colors were swapped, but just be sure to double check which layout you are playing and which basket is currently in.

DESIGN: Course designer opted to squeeze a bunch of fun, short, technical but fair, holes into the small wooded footprints on the course, instead of just creating a bunch of long open hyzer holes in the larger center of the park. There are still a few open holes, but these use elevation, mandos, and existing paths/roads to increase difficulty and add flavor. The wooded holes are extremely cramped together and shorter than normal. This does both positive and negative things for the course, but the biggest positive is that it makes the course easily playable by all skill levels, families, and beginners. Ultimately the designer chose fun, slightly technical, ace run holes over super challenging ones, which is honestly great for a small park course. There is always a fun shot shape to the basket and a fair path to the basket, which I thoroughly enjoy.

FLOW: Course flows and navigates extremely easily. The first three holes play through a moderately wooded but small section of the park before opening up for Hole #4, then you dive into the woods on the other side of the creek for probably the best holes on the course (#5-#8) and then back out for some open holes (#9-#11) and then back into the woods again (#12-#16) before ultimately exiting the woods for your final 2 holes. You do bob and weave at times but the next tee is almost always right next to the basket you just finished and when it isn't the tee signs are visible. You start and end next to the parking lot for #1 and #18, #9 is close to the parking lot so you could just knock out 9 holes if you wanted to.

EXTRAS: Course has been nicely mowed every time I have visited (Open part of the park). And the local club keeps the wooded section across the creek in excellent shape and clear of debris as well. You won't find much thick or super punishing rough in that section unless you throw into the creek or near the property line.

SAFETY: This course rarely sees a ton of traffic, but the holes are crammed together and errant shots or speedy tree kicks can certainly be an issue. The open holes do run a risk of interfering with park goers as I could see the mini golf golf, volleyball court, and pavilion areas being potential hazards if in use.

OPEN HOLES: The open holes are outshined by the wooded holes, but have been redesigned several times in the few years that I have played here. The local club is continually putting in work to make the course better so I applaud them for that. Some people will love the wooded section and dislike the open section, which is understandable.

DRAINAGE: The wooded section can be extremely swampy and stay muddy for long periods after significant rain.

DIFFICULTY: The course just isn't that difficult for Intermediate and up players despite the alt pins and design changes. If you want a real challenge, you may have to skip this one. If you want a fun and peaceful round though, this might be exactly what you need.

This course is way more fun and enjoyable than it has any business being. Probably a course I would give a 2.0 rating to normally based on just aesthetics, hole distances, challenge, etc but is much closer to a 3.0 in playability and experience. Since I can't give the course a 2.75, I'll round it up to a 3.0 and suggest that anyone traveling through the area stop and give this relaxing course a shot. Though not a destination course on its own, Kess definitely is one of the most enjoyable stress free park course rounds I've played.

Nice city park course playable by people of all skill levels. 18 holes with concrete tees, tee signs, Discatchers. The course seemed mature and broken in just right, and was a nice mix of fun, challenge, and relaxing.

There was a mix of 6 very open holes with more distance and use of some hillier land with the grass very neatly mowed. The first 3 holes were more park style playing around a few trees. And 9 holes were in a relatively densely wooded area and was my favorite part. There were plenty of trees in this section (holes 5-8, 12-16) to add challenge, yet the ground was either grassy and mowed, or mostly worn dirt, with little to no deep thick stuff except for on the perimeters of a few of the holes. There was always a fair path to the basket, yet not always easy. Mid-range/fairway accuracy and placement definitely required to get 2's and 3's.

Each set of 9 started with some open holes, went to the woods for several, and back out to open to finish up.

Navigation is pretty easy, just look at the kiosk before starting your round at the two places where you have a very short walk across a bridge to get between the open and wooded holes. And if you don't like lots of trees or crossing bridges over a creek 4 times, you could easily play 9 holes without too many trees (1-4, 9-11, 17-18).

The open holes were very open. Only #9 had a tree to avoid, the others were pretty bland visually other than some having some length, a hill, and a break from the woods to allow a chance to rip a drive with little penalty for being off-line.

Hole 11 played along a mini golf course that was also parallel to the walking trail, and tee 11 is on the other side of the splash pad and was very swampy. It was also an out of the way walk to play this one. I understand wanting to maximize the hill and get a 500' downhill hole, but you could have sacrificed a bit of distance and scooted the entire hole over a bit away from the other stuff (maybe the course came first? If so maybe consider moving 11 over some.)

Some of the open holes played over a walking trail (10 and 18 I think). Overall, not completely isolated. The walking trail is very popular and many times I had people watching me throw or asking me about the game (or telling me to get a hole-in-one...) Comes a little close to picnic areas, playgrounds, but is designed in a way those should, yes should, not be a factor.

Pretty course in a nice small town, but sadly #18 had a sign post with no sign, and #12 had neither.

For me it is a strong 2.5+ (Decent), a 2.75 if I could. It has a nice mix of styles and is not terribly difficult so it can definitely be enjoyed by a large range of skill level. Missing signs and some waaay too open holes for my taste keep me from giving it a 3.0, but I did enjoy this course and would not mind playing here again.

I chose to park in the paved area of the parking lot, but on past is a gravel area closer to the practice basket, kiosk, and hole 1.

Located in a really nice city park.....
Start with the usual... concrete pads, good signage, easy to navigate with the map, nicely mowed areas on the open holes in the park.
Then... the right blend of open and wooded holes... you go from tight shorter throws, to being able to open it up for the last few holes.
Other reviewers had open holes as a con but these were configured into the course in just the right places. (#4, #9, #11 and #17)
There was even some elevation changes on some of the open holes.

Lot of school children roaming around... must have been a class trip to the park... Had to wait several times for them to clear.
Wooded area was a bit marshy.... must have rained a bunch in the last week.
No major cons re: the course itself.

Was course #5 on a 6 course, 5 state trip and this was definitely my favorite!! (Maybe because it was the one I scored best on!!)
Again, a perfect blend of open and wooded holes.... just a very enjoyable course!!!!

Glad I waited to review this course until it had all 18 holes in and cleaned up. The first three holes are in among a few trees that make for a fun start. Short holes with well placed OB. Then it out into the open for one hole and this long three par will let you crank the drive. Be aware though of the OB just behind the basket. Back into the woods for some tough little placement shots and threading the needle shots. Back out into the open and three more open holes including a long downhill that says a par four but it can be threed by most intermediate players. Back into the woods for some tight lines and dangerous OB then out into the open for the last two holes. They keep this course clean and playable throughout the summer and is challenging enough for most levels of players. There are food places galore within 5 minutes with bathrooms available and playgrounds for the kiddies.

The park is too busy during the daylight hours on the weekends and you have to watch your throws and wait for parkgoers to get out of your line before tossing the plastic. A few of the holes are in dangerous territory and picnic tables have been drug into the fairway of holes #1 and #3. Hole #18 is a downhill big hyzer shot with a playground just to the left. Just too close for my comfort when the kiddies are playing in their designated area unaware of incoming bombs.

I wanted to give this course a 3.25 but it's either 3 or 3.5. This course is a great addition to Mayfield and western Kentucky.

Really nice park with walking paths exercise equipment, playground and pavilions. Disc course provides a nice mix of wooded and open holes, with nice tee pads and baskets

We played the day after a rain and there was lots of standing water on all the holes. Some of the holes in the woods were pretty tightly wooded

A pretty good course that anyone should try to play if in the area

Kess Creek is a very nice park, with playgrounds, restrooms, a nice basketball court, a few pavilions, and a walking trail running through the whole park. There are some challenging holes on this course, which ups my rating a little bit. There are a few stinkers too, however. The first 3 holes are all fun, with tight lines and tress a plenty. Hole 1 has an elevated basket guarded by a very large tree just in front and to the right. The mound is probably over five feet tall, so discs will roll away from the basket with a miss. Hole 2 is a tight little shot with thick brush on the right and another guardian tree just before the basket, not counting all the trees in between! Hole 3 plays back towards #1 teepad, with several trees blocking your line. Then you get to the first of the stinkers, Hole 4. Just a pad and a basket with nothing in the way. But, right after that one, #5 takes you over the footbridge that spans Kess Creek and into the back side of the park. All of the holes back there are challenging, with tight lines, creek (OB), and thick brush on the back side. Most of the holes are fairly short back there, but that's kind of a relief since there just isn't room to rip anything. Hole 6's basket is hard to find from the pad, but with a quick walk up a little ways, you can find it. 7 plays long across the very back of the park and is another really tight hole. Hole 8 is the first one on the back side that I didn't think really had a fairway. There is very little room to throw through. I'm sure as the course gets played more, more lines will open up. BUT, there are lots and lots of seedling trees that will eventually block most of the alleys out there. Hole 9 takes you back to the front side of the park and is just a field, pad and basket. The only real obstacles on this side of the creek are the people playing in the park. 10 and 11 are also on this side. Then, you get to go back in the "good" side of the park for 12 - 16. All of those are nice holes, with 15 and 16 repeating 8's dilemma of not really having a fairway (all 3 of those are tree city!). Then, you're back in the front side for 17 and 18, with just baskets, picnickers and nothing else in the way. All in all, it's fun to play.

As I mentioned, holes 4, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18 are just a field. 11 is still fun though, because it's 550 feet downhill with thick brush on the left.
The back side seems to be in a gulley as well, because we haven't had a good rain in some time and there was a lot of mud and standing water on the back.
My only other real gripe is the lack of throwing lanes on 8, 15 and 16.

Once those trees on the back side mature, those holes on that side of the creek are going to be almost unplayable. This is a few years away, but branches will be blocking more and more lanes as the years go by. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth playing. Some of the holes will challenge your accuracy, and a few will challenge your distance.