gathering info on KC

[Cool Hand Luke]

My family and i could potentially be moving to the KC area next year so i'm wanting to do a little digging on the golf scene...

 

1. How many months per year can you realistically play golf (>50 deg)

2. I will probably look to join a club fairly quickly, what are the best privates considering quality of course, quality and age of membership (i'm 36, married with 2 young kids), finances (not looking for a bargain but also not into the stuffy old-timer clubs that cost north of 50k to get your foot in the door), practice facilities, amenities and location.

3. Which club has the best greens in town?

4. Golf aside, what is the best part of town for living (schools, traffic, restaurants, cleanliness, home values, etc)?

 

Please feel free to add in any other info you may think helpful. I am really starting from square one so it's all new to me....

 

Oh also, both my wife and my job's would be at KU med center

 

Cheers

[dlygrisse]

1. I have played golf 12 months a year before, however that is not always realistic. December thru February can be a bit iffy, so you have to be flexible and get out and play when the weather allows on occasion. Generally Mid January to mid February are the rough months.

 

2. Depends on your income, but check out Lion's gate, Loch Lloyd, Milburn, Indian Hills, Shadow Glen if you want a quality private club experience. There is also a group called Great Life Golf that has multiple courses you can play at a good price, highly recommended on a moderate budget.

 

3. Tough call, but Shadow Glen's are usually really nice, most of the public courses have good greens as well.

 

4. Lenexa is the new hot growing area, lots of new development, golf, restaurants and highway access. There are tons of good areas to live, just depending on the scene you are looking for. Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Brookside, and some great areas in North KC. What part of town will you be working in? Edit. You have a decision to make, do you want downtown living or do you want to live in the burbs? Not a horrible drive, but some commutes are quicker than others to KU Med.

 

Feel free to PM me.

 

My opinion on schools is this, if you live in Kansas you are pretty safe some of the best schools in the midwest, if you live in Missouri you need to look at private. Just my opinion.

[baby-g]

The previous poster is correct about the the climate and playing time. Being on the MO side there are very good schools and homes there. At the north end the Park Hill, Liberty and North Kansas City districts are all some of the top schools in the state. For golf in Parkville you have the National, Deuce, and Staley Farms (Part of Great Life KC) as good private options.

[dlygrisse]

The previous poster is correct about the the climate and playing time. Being on the MO side there are very good schools and homes there. At the north end the Park Hill, Liberty and North Kansas City districts are all some of the top schools in the state. For golf in Parkville you have the National, Deuce, and Staley Farms (Part of Great Life KC) as good private options.

 

Good post, I live on the south side, sounds like you are more Missouri or Northland. One thing the OP needs to understand is that sometimes the North/Missouri side and the South/Kansas side seem like two different worlds. I mean a border war could break out any minute. :)

 

I will confirm Staley, and the National are good clubs, and in my opinion the National is one of the top in the area. There really is a lot of good golf in the area.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Thanks gents,

 

Coming from AZ any thing will be a shock but being able to play 9-10 months out of the year is not bad.

 

I think ideally we'd like to be as close to work without being "in the city". Plus my wife likes older homes, colonials and such.

[vernon]

As long as I - 35 isn't involved in your commute, you should be just fine. In my opinion, traveling to and from KU is simplest from the south or the west. Driving through downtown KC during rush hour can be a bit of a challenge although when compared to Phoenix/Scottsdale type stuff probably no big deal at all.

 

The Great Life deal has its up and downs. My wife and I play out of Falcon Ridge and there are other pretty good layouts included in the membership. Course conditioning is my biggest issue as none of the Great Life courses that we play (and all are in the upper two tiers of membership) do a very good job of managing their rough and several courses have bunkers that are 100% ground under repair - not a grain of sand in any of them.

 

Improvements are supposedly on the way but I'm not holding my breath as Prairie Highlands has been that way for over a year now. They even have a sign on the door that states something to the effectof, yes, we know our bunkers are terrible but renovations are coming.

 

Most mow rough at 3 - 4 inches and usually only once per week. If it rains on mowing day, it can get ridiculously gnarly by Sunday afternoon.

 

In fact, my wife has about lost her desire to play as the rough is just so penal for an "older" (60 year old) female. She's a pretty good player overall but just has no chance in 4" plus fescue rough. Balls are hard to find and hacking back to the fairway with a wedge is about the best she can hope to do on the bad days. Gets pretty frustrating.

 

I guess too many people are shooting 65's and the supers feel the need to toughen 'em up a bit. Just kidding but I really have never understood why any course would mow their rough higher than 2" unless they're getting ready to host some big event.

 

Nonetheless, the layouts are good to very good and the price is unbeatable in the KC area. Something like 13 courses (several are goat tracks however) for $239 per month for the two of us. As they're looking to take at least one or two more courses private in the near future, I'm not too sure how long they'll hold that price point however.

 

The three that are currently private do charge an initiation fee. Not sure about St. Joe Country Club or Staley Farms but Canyon Farms initiation is currently 5K. We can also play those courses Mon - Wed for a $30 cart fee which we've done a half a dozen times or so this year which is a nice perk.

 

If moneys not an issue, Shadow Glenn would be a great option and a pretty simple commute. That's where I'd be if I lived a little closer but can't justify that expense when it would require a half hour drive.

 

Milburn would be another attractive option with a piece of cake commute. A really good old school course that hosted the Tom Watson Challenge a few weeks ago. The best players in the metro (including Watson) couldn't do better than a couple under par for a three day event. Winner was at seven under which won going away. Personally, on the rare occasions that I've been able to play it, I've always loved that course.

 

Good luck - I think you'll like it here. It's been home for 64 years and the people are as good as any anywhere in the country.

[dlygrisse]

Thanks gents,

 

Coming from AZ any thing will be a shock but being able to play 9-10 months out of the year is not bad.

 

I think ideally we'd like to be as close to work without being "in the city". Plus my wife likes older homes, colonials and such.

 

Plus there is no cactus, which nice when you miss the fairway. :taunt:

[Cool Hand Luke]

I just saw the other kc private club thread which has a lot of good info

 

2 other factors I would consider positives with a club would be a walkable course and no tee times....

 

Milburn cc seems to check a lot of boxes for me. Shadow glen too but maybe a bit far out for work...

[KUJayhawks]

It's always going to depend on where you choose to live. Proximity tends to be one of, if not the most, important factors of your club usage. The Kansas vs MO argument is totally based on who you ask as there's quite a rivalry. That said, the quality of public schools is not really debatable. South KC has some of the best public schools in the country. KCMO has some good private schools, though.

 

Anyways, back to golf. I'm more familiar with the golf out South but have played most of the CCs in town.

 

KCCC is a great old school track, but I'd put it under the stuffy category with an older membership.

 

Mission Hills did an extensive reno a few years back and I've heard their membership is trending a bit younger. Not a huge fan of the course, though.

 

Milburn is a good course in the Prairie Village area. Not sure on the membership but know they got a new club house as the old one burned down a couple years ago.

 

Lionsgate in Overland Park is a fun track. I live close to it so I play it a couple times/year. Like I said, it's fun (kind of easy) but ultimately not a course I would want to play every weekend. I feel like I would get bored.

 

The National up North is one of the more underrated courses in town. Fun layout, tough enough to keep you interested.

 

Shadow Glen - Haven't played it but have heard nothing but great things and that they have the best practice facilities.

 

Wolf Creek - WAY out south. Good course, nothing overly special imo, Women NOT allowed on the premises.

 

Hallbrook - (My club) I think it's one of the toughest tracks in town. Fun layout, challenging, good greens. Membership has really gotten younger in the last couple years. Currently on a short wait list. Let me know if you have any questions on it.

 

Hope that helps.

[pdakc]

I echo most of the sentiments expressed above, and will comment only on the golf:

 

If you're in the Mission Hills/Prairie Village area, I would prefer Indian Hills to both Mission Hills and Milburn. Mission Hills may be more "prestigious" but I am not a fan of the course. Milburn is extremely proud of itself, and will remind you of it frequently. I'm not a fan of the course or its location, but that's because I live out south.

 

If you move further south, you have more financially reasonable options, I think. Lionsgate (my club) is relatively inexpensive and fun, but feels corporate, is crowded, and is basically like playing in someone's back yard. I belong because its very close to my house. Hallbrook is a better track, but far more expensive from what I've heard.

 

I love Wolf Creek, but if you have a wife/kids who want to play, it's not the best fit. It's also extremely far south.

[baby-g]

It's always going to depend on where you choose to live. Proximity tends to be one of, if not the most, important factors of your club usage. The Kansas vs MO argument is totally based on who you ask as there's quite a rivalry. That said, the quality of public schools is not really debatable. South KC has some of the best public schools in the country. KCMO has some good private schools, though.

 

Anyways, back to golf. I'm more familiar with the golf out South but have played most of the CCs in town.

 

KCCC is a great old school track, but I'd put it under the stuffy category with an older membership.

 

Mission Hills did an extensive reno a few years back and I've heard their membership is trending a bit younger. Not a huge fan of the course, though.

 

Milburn is a good course in the Prairie Village area. Not sure on the membership but know they got a new club house as the old one burned down a couple years ago.

 

Lionsgate in Overland Park is a fun track. I live close to it so I play it a couple times/year. Like I said, it's fun (kind of easy) but ultimately not a course I would want to play every weekend. I feel like I would get bored.

 

The National up North is one of the more underrated courses in town. Fun layout, tough enough to keep you interested.

 

Shadow Glen - Haven't played it but have heard nothing but great things and that they have the best practice facilities.

 

Wolf Creek - WAY out south. Good course, nothing overly special imo, Women NOT allowed on the premises.

 

Hallbrook - (My club) I think it's one of the toughest tracks in town. Fun layout, challenging, good greens. Membership has really gotten younger in the last couple years. Currently on a short wait list. Let me know if you have any questions on it.

 

Hope that helps.

I love Hallbrook, played it a couple times with a former club president. Very challenging. For people on both sides of the the state line I think from a school perspective you can't go wrong as long as you stay away from the KCMO district itself. The long history of issues there is easy to look up for people looking to move here. If you are looking for more private clubs out south and on the Kansas side will give you more options. There are a few good ones in the northland but not as many.

[QMany]

1. How many months per year can you realistically play golf (>50 deg)

2. I will probably look to join a club fairly quickly, what are the best privates considering quality of course, quality and age of membership (i'm 36, married with 2 young kids), finances (not looking for a bargain but also not into the stuffy old-timer clubs that cost north of 50k to get your foot in the door), practice facilities, amenities and location.

3. Which club has the best greens in town?

4. Golf aside, what is the best part of town for living (schools, traffic, restaurants, cleanliness, home values, etc)?

 

1. Going by average high monthly temperatures, 9 months. But I'd say 8 months is more realistic: mid-March to mid-November. You will get the occasional awesome days December-February, but they are rare.

 

2. It all depends on location. If you move to Olathe or West Lenexa, Shadow Glen is hard to beat. But if you end up closer to KU Med, you're local options dwindle a little. In the Prairie Village area, you have KCCC, Mission Hills, Indian Hills, and Milburn, all good clubs, in order of stuffiness and price (high-low).

 

3. Milburn, then Wolf Creek.

 

4. Some people love the Prairie Village area, but it is not for me. But it is relatively close to KU Med. South Overland Park has really expanded lately and has some great schools (Blue Valley district).

[nix]

Location, location location...that's the first order of business.

 

If I had unlimited funds and lived close, I'd join the National for sure. No-brainer.

 

Plenty of good schools and golf on the Missouri side, though fewer private clubs.

 

Great life really is a nice deal, and can give you plenty of variety of courses if you want to mix it up.

[Truman]

Location, location location...that's the first order of business.

 

If I had unlimited funds and lived close, I'd join the National for sure. No-brainer.

 

Plenty of good schools and golf on the Missouri side, though fewer private clubs.

 

Great life really is a nice deal, and can give you plenty of variety of courses if you want to mix it up.

The problem with GreatLife courses is the poor maintenance. They own or manage some very nice properties, but seem to lack the resources to maintain them.

[Cool Hand Luke]

well we ended up settling in south overland park. been here a few months and really liking it. i've checked out most of the clubs of interest down here - wolf creek, hallbrook, lionsgate and even shadow glen. they are all nice clubs but have very different offerings- from the golf course to the social scene. here's my thoughts so far:

 

wolf - great men's club, seems there's a lot of camaraderie out there. good players and you can always find a game. course has 16 really good holes and 2 really poor holes (8 and 16). 7 min drive from my front door.

 

hallbrook - toughest course I've played out here. good conditions. very nice practice facilities. course felt cramped a bit? there were quite a few bottle necks and waited on several holes. membership seemed stuffy but I was there on a weekday so that could be a factor.

 

lionsgate - has to be the best "deal" in town. good course conditions but didn't necessarily love the course layout/architecture. linksy style but with elevation and odd bunker placements on some holes, seems the course was made to fit the property. club house was okay. didn't get a great welcoming vibe. kinda sterile. bonus- I work right across the street so would probably be able to play and practice much more here than any of the other clubs.

 

Shadow - loved the course. holes are all unique but fit together. I would not get tired of playing it. clubhouse and social scene were decent, membership a little on the older side.... but it's just too far out for me (25-30min)

 

as it stands I am torn b/w wolf and lionsgate. I like Wolf's course and social scene more but a good bit more money up front and the fact lionsgate is so close to work makes it very appealing.

 

still thinking about maybe checking out milburn, but like shadow it would be a 25-30 min drive (give or take with traffic)

 

gonna probably wait out the winter to mull it over...

[ericjohnson520]

Did you have a chance to check out Blue Hills? If not, I would encourage you to take a look at it. It's not far from your work (127th and State Line). The golf is great, and if you are interested in more than golf, it has a great family and social vibe. DM if you want to check it out.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Did you have a chance to check out Blue Hills? If not, I would encourage you to take a look at it. It's not far from your work (127th and State Line). The golf is great, and if you are interested in more than golf, it has a great family and social vibe. DM if you want to check it out.

 

I have heard the same from other guys I've met here. It may be too far from "home base" but I'd love to come check out the course. For me it's really all about the golf - my wife and daughters have non-country club related interests and hobbies.