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.
Local Interest
Jennifer Myers: As winter approaches, it’s time to start thinking about great courses to play next golf season
- Local Interest
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Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
A high school baseball game that had been tense all the way through reached angina-producing heights at the end Monday night, as Northview ended Terre Haute South’s sectional championship run by a single run and a fraction of an inch.
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Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
Forty-eight teams had been chosen for the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show and things were getting antsy in the Indiana State clubhouse on Monday.
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Miners beat 2A newcomer for 3rd straight title
Linton and North Central were both defending high school baseball sectional champions, but the Thunderbirds’ move up to Class 2A did not go as they expected.
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South hangs on after scary moment in sectional semis
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PREP/METRO ROUNDUP: Turkey Run rolls to title
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Eaton’s pair of long balls put Linton in title game
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COLLEGE REPORT: Rockville’s Greene helps lead Illinois State to MVC title
Rockville grad Lindsey Greene recently completed an outstanding freshman season for the Illinois State softball team, helping lead the Redbirds to the Missouri Valley Conference championship and a runner-up finish in the NCAA regional tournament.
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FROM TERRE HAUTE TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES: Thatcher having a good 0-for-May
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HOT MEMORIAL DAY weekend ahead for workers, campers, garage salers
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METRO ROUNDUP: ISU’s Pounds qualifies for NCAA Championships
Brandon Pounds of Indiana State missed the 2011 outdoor season with a hand injury but has made up for lost time, qualifying for the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake University with a fifth place finish in the men’s hammer throw at the NCAA East Preliminary Friday.
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Quiz King
Matt Aselage doesn’t usually watch TV game shows, but he is certainly up-to-date on current events.
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MVP of the MVC: Lucas first Sycamore to earn Player of Year honors
Indiana State’s baseball team got the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season hardware last week and it’s hoping to grab more gold this week in its quest to win the Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament.
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Sycamores try to catch Missouri Valley Conference tourney vibe
A Missouri Valley Conference championship season has bloomed for the Indiana State baseball team in 2012. The Sycamores have been dominant through most of the season.
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Braves, Knights open with wins
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Lough dreamt about McMillan
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METRO ROUNDUP: ISU 5th in MVC all-sport standings
Winning three league championships in 2011-12 helped Indiana State finish fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Trophy standings announced Monday by the league office.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Panthers cruise in sectional opener
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Notable tradition bodes well for Riverton Parke
Located practically in the shadow of a high school that sets one state standard in track and field, Riverton Parke has a tendency to be overlooked in that sport.
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Vikings get 18th win over Shakamak
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Greencastle new site for girls tennis regional
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METRO ROUNDUP: ISU’s Beisser honored with good neighbor award
Softball pitcher Lindsey Beisser has been named Indiana State’s spring representative for the Missouri Valley Conference State Farm Good Neighbor Award.
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From Terre Haute to the major leagues
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METRO ROUNDUP: Bloomington runners win Run Through the Jungle 5K
Kevin Murphy, an Indiana University student from Bloomington, was the overall winner of the eighth annual Run Through The Jungle 5K at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point on Saturday.
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Knights will get at least a share of WIC title
Monday was a good day for Northview in high school baseball.
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Colts have no plan to move from Anderson
Apparently the Indianapolis Colts and Anderson University officials found a way to work out a few last-minute snags concerning the team’s summer training camp site.
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PREP ROUNDUP: South dominates Sullivan in tennis
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METRO ROUNDUP: HCAC tourney at Rose
Rose-Hulman will serve as host for the 2012 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament, featuring four familiar in-state rivals.
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Taking aim: No shortage of pitchers in this week’s Big 4 round robin
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Colts fill need at cornerback
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METRO/PREP ROUNDUP: Moren, Hile enter Hall of Fame
Amy Hile, Indiana State’s all-time leading scorer and its all-time leading rebounder until last season, and current Sycamore women’s coach Teri Moren were honored Saturday at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
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