The Black Hoof Park reviews are in: This Johnson County disc golf course is an ace

Black Hoof Disc Golf Course was designed for everyone to enjoy — even those who have never picked up a disc.

“What is unique about our course is we decided we wanted it so anybody who wanted to play this course could — not just the professionals,” said Logan Wagler, director of the city of Lenexa’s Parks & Recreation department.

The disc course opened April 1 within the 231-acre Black Hoof Park at 9053 Monticello Road. It includes a championship-level 18-hole timber course and a family-friendly nine-hole course. The championship-level, 10,000-foot-long course is laid into 80 acres of rugged terrain. It includes multiple tee pads, the designated area from which the first throw of each hole takes place, and multiple basket locations, the goal of every hole, on most holes.

This design offers users variations in the course. The nine-hole course is shorter and more accessible to families and novice players.

While the course is new, the idea of playing disc golf in Lenexa is not.

“Disc golf has a really long history in Lenexa,” Wagler said.

The course was part of the discussion when Black Hoof Park was being designed in 2014.

“At that time, disc golf was envisioned to be a part of the park,” Wagler said. “We have had it on the radar for a long time.”

Meanwhile, the popularity of the sport has done nothing but grow, Wagler said. That has been shown by the popularity of a nine-hole, family-friendly disc golf course at Lenexa’s Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park.

“We knew the demand was there and then when the pandemic hit, it exaggerated the demand for disc golf,” Wagler said. “This just feels like the right time.”

The 80 acres being used for the course is on the park’s north side. The land was not dedicated park land but owned by the city, Wagler said, adding that a team approached the city council staff with a proposal to build the disc golf course.

Among the benefits to the idea: disc golf would have little impact on the environment on a beautiful piece of property.

“If the city in 10 years changes its mind, it is a lot easier to move away from a disc golf course than a building with a parking lot or a bunch of infrastructure,” Wagler said. “It is something that is not an absolute permanent commitment.”

Wagler’s staff did the construction work. Henderson Engineers and the Kansas Flying Disc Association provided financial support to the city’s Lenexa Foundation to help fund the construction of the course.

With multiple lead pads and multiple basket locations, professionals could play alongside amateurs like himself, Wagler said.

“The professional could play the long lead to the long basket. We could play the short tee to the short basket. Also, the short course offers a variety of options for people depending on their skill level and what they want to do.”

The courses have groomed areas and other parts surrounded by trees, which has proven to be an additional benefit.

“It is a little bit of a hike. A lot of people not interested in golf just walk the course because it is just a beautiful piece of property. It’s like a nature hike,” Wagler said.

“I knew it was popular but I had no idea the amount of interest. If the trend continues and usage continues we will have tens of thousands of rounds played in a year.”

The reviews of Black Hoof from the disc playing community have been fantastic, said Rich Smith, president-emeritus at Henderson Engineers and founder of the Kansas Flying Disc Association.

Black Hoof’s professional design, attention to detail and quality legitimizes the sport, said Smith, who has played since he was a high school senior in 1980.

“It elevates the experience of disc golf and provides amazing flexibility,” he said.

“As a professional, when you stand on the tee, you want to be challenged and inspired by the layout. Black Hoff is a challenge. This is inspiring; this is exciting. It just elevates it.”