With so many courses within a 10-15-minute radius of Minor Park , it ’ s sometimes hard to believe the amount of play this course gets . But once you play it , it becomes easy to see why . Playability , walkability , fun , and just plain old convenience are all factors for sure . Plus , the staff is friendly , and the customer service has a lot to do with its popularity .
Under four-hour rounds are the norm at Minor Park — even for walkers . There are two main reasons why golfers can tool around this course at such a brisk pace . Not only is there very little elevation change , but there are also no bunkers . Zilch ! Nada ! Zero ! That takes some getting used to after playing modern-day courses with 60 to 117 bunkers !
We all know bunkers are a part of golf and certainly add a great visual effect to a golf course , but the fact is , they can be a costly nightmare to maintain . They can also dramatically affect the pace of play , which is extremely important to golfers who want to play golf in a timely manner and have fun while doing it .
Nevertheless , you can still get into plenty of trouble if you miss fairways and greens . There are plenty of tree-lined fairways and precarious chip shots from around the greens . Minor Park makes up for their lack of bunkers through strategically located native grass areas in numerous locations throughout the course . Those areas serve a two-fold purpose — adding character , definition , and challenges to a fairly simple layout while helping the environment by creating a habitat for wildlife and cutting back on emissions from mowing unused areas on the property .
Even though the course is not long , the par- 70 layout features several distinctive holes . And again , keep in mind that “ short ” doesn ’ t mean “ easy .” There are two par 5s at Minor Park , holes 6 and 14 — both present worthy challenges .
Six is a short and reachable par 5 with one of the most demanding tee shots on the course . It ’ s a blind tee shot over a hill , and the fairway drifts to the right , so it ’ s a challenging fairway to hit . I know , I don ’ t birdie this hole as often as I should , so it ’ s definitely an example of “ short is not easy .”
Fourteen is the longest hole on the golf course and a true three-shot par 5 . Long hitters have a chance to get home in two , but a creek comes into play approximately 50 yards in front of the green . The creek will cause most people to lay up with a fairway wood or long iron and leave them with a 100-yard shot into an enormous green .
And there ’ s a bit of American history surrounding the 14th . Roughly 100 yards east of the fairway lies the original Santa Fe Trail , and ruts created by the wagon wheels rolling through can still be seen to this day . The Urban Legend has it ; wagon wheel ruts run through holes 15 , 17 , and 18 , too . But after checking with the city of Kansas City ’ s Parks and Recreation Department , alas , it is just that — an urban legend . Nonetheless , it ’ s a really cool story .
Speaking of the city of Kansas City , Minor Park , located at 11215 Holmes Road , Kansas City , MO , is a city-owned golf course managed by Orion Management Solutions . Since taking over the day-to-day operations , Orion has truly transformed this course . Fairways were sodded with Zoysia , the greens and the grounds are typically in immaculate condition , and the staff is friendly and helpful .
For advanced and mid-range golfers , playing Minor Park should be a real “ ego booster ” for your game because most holes are reachable in regulation — even if you don ’ t hit it quite straight or catch it very solidly . Unless you take the greens for granted ! “ The greens are just not as easy as they look . Much of the undulation on the greens is very subtle . It kinda sneaks up on you . You ’ ll hit a putt and say , “ Wow , that was faster than I thought it would be .” It can lead to a lot of three putts .
At the end of the day , for me , it ’ s really fun to play Minor Park . It brings back a lot of pleasant memories . And apparently , it ’ s having a similar effect on golfers across the city . I talk to so many people in town about Minor Park , but they haven ’ t played it in years . Those who have played after telling me they haven ’ t been here in 30 years always tell me about their round and rave about the course . They always say , “ I ’ ll go back !”
I know I ’ ll give it another 85 to 90 shots , and another , and another !
John Baccala , Golf Writer Golf Course Profiles since 2010
TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE ™ Magazine
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