Lake Shawnee

Not a bad course, just repetitive. This would be a good course to learn to paly as every hole is drive, upshot and putt for an average 300' throwing player. The day I played the course there were 40 m ... show more ›

Not a bad course, just repetitive. This would be a good course to learn to paly as every hole is drive, upshot and putt for an average 300' throwing player. The day I played the course there were 40 mph winds and still was under par. Also it looked as if there were multiple pin placements, but everything was in the shorts. There may be more diversity in the longer layouts, but there was no map or course layout information. The concert around the pins did point you to the next tee and were easy to find. Holes 14, 15, 17 and 18 are the most interesting holes on the course, where the lake comes into play. Several of the baskets have had their top ring bent down, making them more like a bulls eye or Marksman. No reason to make a special trip to this course.

This course has some really nice holes, especially the ones along the lake. The other holes are not as good, but made more interesting by the rolling terrain and a scattering of large trees. The baske ... show more ›

This course has some really nice holes, especially the ones along the lake. The other holes are not as good, but made more interesting by the rolling terrain and a scattering of large trees. The baskets are placed strategically for the trees to complicate your approaches, but the tee shots are pretty open -- not much pressure to hit gaps. The lengths of the holes are mostly in the 300-380' range, which for me means a lot of short approaches for easy pars. A good player should shoot a low score here. The holes by the lake are more technical and scenic, however, and rank among the best I've played in Kansas. It is definitely more fun than the other courses in town (though Crestview is pretty good, too).

Thumbs up for the navigation, which is made easy due to tee pads with numbered stones that stand up and are visible from a distance, and arrows pointing to the next tees carved into the cement aprons around the basket placements. Every hole has a couple of placements. The concrete tee pads are nice, and many include benches to rest on while waiting to throw.

I was able to play this course while in city for work. The park is very well taken care of. The locals I met were very friendly and helpful. The course signage was excellent and the course itself w ... show more ›

I was able to play this course while in city for work. The park is very well taken care of. The locals I met were very friendly and helpful. The course signage was excellent and the course itself was easy to navigate. I played the am tees first and then the pro tees. I love the long drives and varying fairways. Good mix of shots left and right with a few precision shots needed as well. Great overall course.

Pros: This course has been nicely groomed every time I have been out here, and is very easy to navigate without a map. There are nice benches on the course and a couple of trash cans. Multiple pin pla ... show more ›

Pros: This course has been nicely groomed every time I have been out here, and is very easy to navigate without a map. There are nice benches on the course and a couple of trash cans. Multiple pin placements that seem to be moved often. The teepads are large and in great shape. There isn't much elevation on this course, but enough to have some fun with and what they had to work with was used very nicely. I especially like how some of the baskets on the back 9 were in risky areas and the shot on 18 over the cove although it would definitely be overwhelming for beginners or rec players.

Cons: No restrooms on or near the course. There were no signs with any hole info other than hole #s on a stone next to the tee pad. Most of the front 9 can be pretty boring, especially on a calm day since there isn't much to navigate around and the wind would be your only hope for much of a challenge. A couple of the baskets could use some minor work, but nothing that would cause any trouble.

Other Thoughts: Maybe something as simple as some designated fairways with some marked OB would make the front 9 more entertaining.
Of the 3 courses I am familiar with in Topeka, this is always my first choice while passing through town.