TERRE HAUTE — Terre Haute has won another state championship. Only this time, the rest of the nation knows all about it.
Golf Digest Magazine, one of the most popular magazines for a sport that has a ton of publications devoted to it, ranked its best municipal courses in all 50 states. Hulman Links, which is run by the Terre Haute Parks Department, was ranked No. 1 among Indiana’s “muny” courses in the magazine’s August edition.
“It always feels nice to be recognized by Golf Digest when the staff and community put so much into what we do here,” Hulman Links director of golf Ryan Klopfenstein. “We’ve made about 40 copies of the magazine and we’ve got them printed all over the shop.”
It’s just a one-line mention in the magazine and on the publication’s web site, but being honored in a magazine that uses its ranking system as one of its most prominent features, brings a lot of exposure to any course.
“It’s always rewarding when you get noticed for stuff you do on a daily basis. It’s one of the better honors we’ve had,” said Hulman Links superintendent Dave Alumbaugh, who ought to know considering he’s in his 30th year at the course.
Both Klopfenstein and Alumbaugh agreed that some of the changes that have been made to Hulman Links in recent years has made it better. Both mentioned the removal of trees as one of the big keys in making the course better.
“Over the years we’ve made steady improvement and the tree removal was really noticeable, it made it kind of different from where it was in the past,” Alumbaugh said. “We removed trees on both sides of the 10th and 11th holes and had extensive removals on four or five other holes.”
Klopfenstein said it made the course more challenging, but what makes it an effective muny course is its flexibility.
“It’s truly a championship layout, from the teebox to the 18th hole, it’s demanding, but with five sets of tees the course can be played by anyone,” Klopfenstein said. “And we’re affordable to play. Among the courses ranked, we were one of best values.”
Indeed. Listed at $22, only four other states had muny courses mentioned that had lower peak, nonresident walking rates than Hulman Links.
Hulman Links wasn’t the only Terre Haute course, or Wabash Valley layout, to grab Golf Digest’s attention.
Mark’s Par Three, located in East Glen just north of Hulman Links, was included in an internet photo slideshow called “Sampling The Muny Courses.” The slideshow tried to capture the feel of public courses. A photo of the American flag with the sun gleaming through it was shown flying from Mark’s Par Three’s clubhouse looking over the course. The slideshow also had had a miniature American flag placed inside a fish bowl advertising two-cent golf tees.
Waveland’s Turkey Run Golf Club was mentioned as one of the best values in golf. Using a system that calculated peak green fees per star earned by the courses in Golf Digest’s course rankings, Turkey Run GC’s four-star rating was rated as one of the best values in the nation with a $14 green fee.
With national exposure comes greater interest, especially from avid golf fans who love to play as many courses as they can. Both Hulman Links and Turkey Run anticipate that being nationally featured should increase business.
Klopfenstein also said a public announcement was to be made at the Parks Department meeting on Wednesday.
“They need to know about this and they should be proud of being a part of one of the finest muni golf courses in the country,” Klopfenstein said.
Hulman Links
Holes: 18
Length: 7,225 yards from the longest tees
Par: 72
Designed: David Arthur Gill, ASGCA
Opened: 1978.
On the net
Golf Digest rating: www.golfdigest.com/rankings/courses/2009/08/photos_muny_courses
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