Sunflower Hills benefits from location and unique design By David Smale They are common terms around golf courses. But “traffic” and “up and down” have different meanings at Sunflower Hills Golf Course in Kansas City, Kan. Traffic, in this case, has nothing to do with how many people walk through the doors with the intention of playing golf. Located at the intersection of Interstate 70 and Highway 7, 40,000 to 50,000 cars pass by the road that leads directly to the course. That puts Sunflower Hills in the path of plenty of traffic. There is another type of traffic that is very evident from the course, and we’re not

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Golfers who value lush conditions will have another reason to play the Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville north of Kansas City. A new irrigation system is going in on every hole of the 18-hole Posse and Outlaw courses and the four-hole Academy practice course. The $3 million project began in the second week of May and will take six months. Each sprinkler head will be individually controllable, allowing selective watering for uniform turf conditions instead of some areas being too wet or too dry, said Eddie Hall, general manager and director of golf at Paradise Pointe. “It’s going to be easier to water everything, and more importantly,

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One of Kansas City’s best golf values is Hodge Park Golf Course in Kansas City, Mo. The 5707-yard course (from the white tees) is not long, but there are plenty of challenges, with lots of risks and rewards. A smart player has a good chance to win over a masher. The best example of that is the 10th hole. The 371-yard par 4 is actually much shorter as the crow flies. But going for the green is not a wise idea. In fact, probably the best play is an iron off the tee to a little right of the middle of the fairway that leaves a

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For the full golf experience, it’s hard to beat Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville. Paradise point is unique in Kansas City for having two 18-hole golf courses, plus a four-hole practice course.  The two courses are built along Smithville Lake, offering not only sweeping views of the lake but several holes where water lines fairways or surrounds greens. Just as the courses are memorable, so is the pro shop. Paradise Pointe prides itself on having the largest and most varied selection of fitted clubs and other golf equipment in Kansas City. Paradise Pointe is also set up to host large golf events, with a 4,000-square-foot banquet room

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The next time one of your out-of-town buddies tells you that Kansas is flat and boring, take him to Tomahawks Hills Golf Course in Shawnee. The 5,978-yard course (from the blue tees) is more like two courses played at different elevations. The course is still in Kansas, so we’re talking about differences of a few hundred feet, but there’s a definite separation. With numerous hidden greens and sloped fairways, the par-70 course is challenging but fair. The challenge mostly revolves around the uniqueness of almost every hole. Many of the visible greens are crowned, making perfect approach shots almost necessary. “This is totally different than any other course

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With smaller bunkers, shorter rough and new forward tees, Tiffany Greens Golf Club is trying to make fun par for the course. While still a challenging 6,648 and 7,055 yards from the two back tees, Tiffany Greens has responded to laments of the average and casual golfers that the course was too long and difficult, said Head Golf Professional Doyle Harris. The Northland course opened in 1999 during the "Tiger Boom" when golf was peaking in popularity and courses were made longer and harder, Harris said. As years passed, golf started losing business to other recreational endeavors. "People were getting frustrated with how tough the game was and we wanted

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Since 2001, Shoal Creek Golf Course has been among the top (if not the top) course in the Kansas City area. And that’s not just our assertion, the course has been recognized consistently as a top ten course in Missouri by GolfWeek and last year was the top rated Missouri course on GolfAdvisor.com. “It’s nice to get that kind of feedback from golfers. [The GolfAdvisor rating] has nothing to do with professional reviewers; it’s just people who come out and want to leave a review. So, that’s really nice to get that bonus,” said Brett Plymell, General Manager. When asked what resonates most with golfers and reviewers

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A lot has changed in western Wyandotte County in the last four decades, but not when it comes to championship golf. Sunflower Hills, opened 1977, has been a mainstay during the development boom just to the east that includes the Legends shopping center, a casino, NASCAR track and stadiums the Kansas City Sporting and T-Bones. Visible from Interstate 70 just east of Highway 7, Sunflower Hills is carved into rolling, wooded landscape that stretches over 7,000 yards from the back tees. You won’t find houses on Sunflower, one of its appeals, just a very engaging 18 holes of golf. “The things we hear most about the course is

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Comfortable and relaxing, Clinton Country Club can be the perfect respite for travelers to or from the lake. The small, semi-private club is located just outside of Clinton off 7 Highway as you head towards Truman Lake and Lake of the Ozarks. The club is approximately two miles east of town, then north about a mile along NE 201^st Road. “As you turn east and head towards Truman Lake out of Clinton, we’re just off 7 Highway,” explained Tom Browning, Vice President of Clinton Country Club. “There’s a sign that say ‘Clinton Country Club’ with an arrow to where to turn off.” As the town of Clinton grew to

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Prairie Highlands Golf Club, already a destination course in Olathe for its links-like feel, is becoming even more attractive as one of the newest members of the GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness group of courses in the Kansas City area. Prairie Highlands became a GreatLIFE course at the start of the year and is in good company in the Classic Plus tier of courses that includes Deer Creek, Falcon Ridge and Hillcrest. All four courses can be played for $179.99 per month, including cart. Classic Plus members can play nine courses in two lower tiers and have access to the four courses in the Legend group. "It's a

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