Published: October 19, 2009 03:37 pm         

Jennifer Myers: As winter approaches, it’s time to start thinking about great courses to play next golf season

The 2009 golf season in Indiana and Illinois is dwindling down, which always saddens me a little bit. I love fall foliage and some of the crisp autumn evenings, perfect for a bonfire and roasting marshmallows, but not so perfect for playing golf! We’ve had so much rain that I’m not getting any roll, and believe me, I need all the help I can get! So even though I haven’t quite put my clubs away for the season, I’m already starting to think about next year.

Each year I like to play one or two courses that I’ve never played before if I can work it in.

This year my highlight was when I got to play Victoria National Golf Course in Evansville. To top that, or even come close to matching that, I’d have to play a very nice course or two next year!

There are many top-ranked golf courses in Indiana, but their ranking depends on the source. Golf Digest had Victoria National as the No. 1 course in the state in their 2007-08 rankings. Sycamore Hills C.C. in Fort Wayne, Wolf Run G.C. in Zionsville, Crooked Stick G.C. in Carmel are the next on the list. The problem with that list is that they are all private clubs.

The next five on their list are open to the public: The Trophy Club in Lebanon round, Otter Creek Golf Course in Columbus, Purgatory G.C. in Noblesville, Prairie View G.C. in Carmel, and The Fort Golf Resort in Indianapolis. I have played all but The Trophy Club and Otter Creek, so maybe those two should be moved to the top of my “courses I need to play” list.

Another public course in Indiana that I’ve seen in person, by watching my son play there, but not played myself, is Rock Hollow in Peru. That course is ranked 12th on the Golf Digest list.

Of course, someone else’s “best” course might not be one of my favorites, so I like to check other lists for more input. Golflink.com has a list of the best Indiana courses that they view as being more objective than most because it is calculated on a range of factors, including the preferences of the visitors to their site.

Their list has Wolf Run Golf Club as the No. 1 course in Indiana. From what I have heard about Wolf Run, I probably would not be thrilled with it!

For one thing, Wolf Run was built for and was always intended to be a male retreat, a pure golf club and a stern challenge. Since the majority of golfers are male, I can see why that course would be ranked so highly by visitors to a golf web site. However, that doesn’t mean everyone would like it!

Their second-rated course is Elcona Country Club in Bristol — which I had never heard of before — but found out that it is a private club constructed in 1956. Crooked Stick G.C. is third, and the Donald Ross G.C. in Fort Wayne is fourth. The Donald Ross G.C. is a public course, built in 1927, by Donald Ross (of course). Green fees are reasonable, from $28 to $30. Prairie View Golf Course is fifth and the Indiana University Golf Course is sixth.

The description given on IndyGolf.com is “Hilly, woodsy course bulldozed through mature forest. Spectacular setting.” The weekend rate for 18 holes is $27 plus $13 cart fee. I’ll have to move that one up on my “Courses I Need to Play List” too. Victoria National is rated seventh on Golflink.com, and The Fort is eighth. The ninth-ranked course is Belterra Golf Club in Florence, a Tom Fazio design which is part of the Belterra Casino Resort and Spa. That one I definitely have to move up on my list! The Covered Bridge Golf Course in Sellersburg is next. It is a semi-private club, designed by Fuzzy Zoeller. It looks like a beautiful course, in a beautiful area of the state. That wraps up the top 10 from Golflink.com.

The next 10 courses also offer some good ideas for future rounds, I just don’t have room on here to name them all.

I’ll have plenty of time this winter to dream about courses I’d like to play. Fortunately, I don’t have to travel out of the state of Indiana to get to some really nice places!



Quote of the Day: “Golf is a science, the study of a lifetime, in which you can exhaust yourself but never your subject.” — David Forgan.



Upcoming events: The last THWGA event of the season will be a 4-person scramble at Hulman Links on Oct. 24. Teams will be drawn, so a handicap or average score is needed. Tee times begin at 10 a.m. and lunch will be provided. The entry fee is $10. Send entries to Kelly Gosnell at gozinin@aol.com or call (812) 894-2299.