Featured Course
Heritage Park Golf Course
Challenging, Yet Player-Friendly
Editorial by Bill Cromwell
Whether you strip it down the middle of the fairway or slice it into the trees, there is plenty to enjoy at Heritage Park Golf Course in Olathe, KS. Heritage Park’ s par 71 golf course opened in 1990, and is located within Johnson County’ s Heritage Park, with no housing developments— a very peaceful and scenic setting. For 36 years, it’ s been a favorite course for KC-area golfers to challenge themselves on.
This Don Sechrest-designed course features four sets of tees, with yardages ranging from roughly 5,000 to nearly 7,000 yards. It’ s very“ player-friendly,” regardless of ability level. It challenges and rewards golfers at the same time.
At Heritage Park Golf Course, your first real challenge comes quickly on the 2nd hole. A relatively lengthy par 3, your tee shot is all carry over water. The 2nd hole, along with the par-3 16th, gives Heritage Park two of the most formidable and intimidating par 3s in the KC Metro. From the championship tee, the 2nd hole plays 220 yards and is intimidating even for the best players. Even from the forward tees, just 90 yards away, you need a solid strike, or else you’ re all wet. The par-3 16th at least has a bailout area— if you clear the large lake fronting the green— but it is no gimme, especially when the wind is in your face. The green is severely undulated; even with a great shot to the green, a par score isn’ t in the bag if you don’ t survive the tricky green.
Tough par 3s are typical of Sechrest-designed courses, so if you are going to“ go low” at Heritage Park, you need to take advantage of the course’ s wide fairways. For the most part, there’ s plenty of room off the tee here to let it fly on the par 4s and 5s. However, that’ s not to say the par 4s and 5s are easy— they’ re not. Especially the dogleg-right par-5 9th, where hitting the“ right”( as in“ correct”) side of the rolling fairway is critical.
The course features Zoysia grass fairways, beautiful Bentgrass greens, and an exceptional combination of traditional tree-lined and links-style holes, providing an interesting, challenging, and picturesque round of golf. Three lakes, as well as Coffee Creek, bring water into play on 11 of the 18 holes.
About twelve years ago, the par-4 8th hole was restored to its original design. It had a split fairway right and left, but with a creek and a lot of trees, the higher-level areas were difficult to maintain well. Now, it’ s been leveled off, and it’ s just a tremendous hole.
Heritage Park’ s demanding par 5s include the 599-yard 15th hole and the 539-yard 18th hole, which requires a big drive and a wellplaced second shot to clear a creek that fronts the green. Both are fun holes to play. Plus, finishing your round on a par 5 with a birdie or even an eagle opportunity is always an exciting way to end your round.
Heritage Park’ s typically pristine conditions make hitting good( and great) shots easier thanks to the hard work of Golf Course Superintendent Ethan Shamet and his grounds crew. Shamet began working at Heritage Park in July 2020, when tee boxes and bunkers were upgraded, and the driving range was laser-leveled, featuring Zoysia turf, just like the fairways. The facility also features an expansive putting clock, making it a great place to practice as well. Shamet says,“ Greens, fairways, and roughs all require different approaches to maintenance. We also benefit from an outstanding irrigation system, allowing us to keep the course green and healthy.”
If you want to test every facet of your golf game, Heritage Park is the place to play. You’ ll use every club in your bag, and when you’ re finished, you’ ll feel tested, but not beat up. A round of golf here offers a little bit of everything, leaving you looking forward to a return trip.
16 September 2026 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE