It’s Covered Bridge Festival time here in the Wabash Valley. Some visitors would probably rather spend some of these gorgeous fall days on a golf course than walking around shopping in the endless line of tents and displays at Mansfield and Bridgeton. Oh, the food is enticing, and some of the crafts are interesting, but you’re really only here because you’re appeasing somebody special in your life! Well, for future reference, I have found some golf courses that include covered bridges in their layouts. So if someone you know and love really needs to see some more covered bridges, you could suggest some of these places:
n Fuzzy Zoeller’s Covered Bridge Golf Club — Nestled in the hills of Southern Indiana, near Floyds Knobs, the Covered Bridge Golf Club features five lakes, a meandering creek, and of course, a Covered Bridge. Paved cart paths run throughout the course connecting all tees, and carts can be driven anywhere on the Zoysia grass fairways. It is a par 72 course with four separate tees, allowing you to match the course to your ability. The “Fuzzy” tees have a course rating of 74 and a slope of 132, with a distance of 7,068 yards. Or you could choose the back tees, total distance 6,453 yards with a rating of 70.9 and a slope of 129. The middle tees of 5,943 yards are sloped/rated at 69.0/122 for men and 74.6/129 for women. The forward tees, which play to 4957 yards, are at 64.0/108 for men and 68.8/114 for women. Stay and play packages are available with rates of $86 on weekdays or $96 on weekends (per person, based on double occupancy), which includes 18 holes of golf with a cart, one night hotel accommodations and breakfast. The package can be enhanced by adding another 18 holes of golf at Champions Pointe Golf Club, designed by Fuzzy Zoeller and Clyde Johnston, in Henryville, Indiana, for an additional $50 per person. For more information on packages or to make reservations, call 812- 246-3131. For more information about Fuzzy Zoeller’s Covered Bridge Golf Course, you can visit the Web site at www.coveredbridge.com.
n Covered Bridge Golf and Country Club, New Brunswick, Canada — When I did a web search for “covered bridge” and “golf,” this is what I found. It is located in Hartland, which is the home of the Longest Covered Bridge in the world. The golf course has a “little” Covered Bridge, connecting the 16th green to the 17th tee, so you get a little culture to go with your golf! The course itself is very challenging with a slope rating of 132 from the back. Less arduous individuals could play slopes of 122 from the middle or 109 at the front tees. There are cabins that can be rented or there is an RV park with nightly, weekly or seasonal rates. Greens fees are welcome, but there are also different kinds of memberships. If you have to see the world’s longest Covered Bridge, and you want to play some golf while you’re there, you can get more information at www.coveredbridgegolf.nb.ca, or send an e-mail to cbgcc@nb.aibn.com . There is also a toll free phone number: 1-888-346-5777. Remember that starting in 2008 you will need a passport to get into Canada.
n Crooked Stick Golf Club, Carmel — This is not a public course, so it’s not a place that anyone can just go play. However, there have been many professional or high-level amateur events played there, where spectators can come watch. If you’re a man with a wife who has dragged you around to see Covered Bridges, you’ve got a great excuse to get her to the 2009 U.S. Senior Open at Crooked Stick because it has a Covered Bridge on the 6th hole! It’s not part of the hole, it’s just a picturesque backdrop, and an interesting way to get from a green to the next tee box, but it’s a Covered Bridge nonetheless. The U.S. Senior Open, on the other hand, will be fun to watch regardless!
That’s one of the great advantages of playing golf: You have a built-in excuse to see the world, even if it’s 18 holes at a time!
• Quote of the day — “The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top.” — Pete Dye
On & Off the Course
On and Off the Course: Covered bridges, travel and golf
- On & Off the Course
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Death Notice: Feb. 7, 2013
• Gary R. Wright
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Donna Lynn Strahla Bown
Donna Lynn Strahla Bown passed away early Friday morning, Jan. 25, 2013, with her children by her side.
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‘The Match’ pitting amateurs vs. pros recalled 62 years later
Quote of the Day: “I play golf with friends sometimes, but there are never friendly games.” — Ben Hogan.
Bubba Watson has had a busy fall. Not only did he play all the way to the final round of the FedEx Championships, and in the Ryder Cup, he also played in an event commemorating a very famous match played at Cypress Point in 1956, pitting two of the greatest golf pros at the time against two of the best amateurs.
Come to think of it, all four were some of the best golfers of all time. This year’s event was celebrating The First Tee’s exceeding $100 million in pledges to reach 10 million new young people. It wasn’t televised and kept very quiet; only 225 people were in the gallery.
One of the people in the gallery was Mark Frost, the author of a book titled “The Match,” which is about that match played 62 years ago that was re-enacted in modern terms last week. The pros in 1956 were Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson and the amateurs were Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward. It was supposed to have been a private affair, built around a wager by two millionaires, George Coleman and Eddie Lowery. -
ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf from the wrong side of the brain
Imagine this scenario: a woman, small in stature (possibly freckled), walks into a hospital emergency room and says, “I have an emergency, I need a doctor quickly!” The admitting nurse, ever trying to be helpful, asks what the emergency is.
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Farmers looking at widely varying yields
Combines will roll through fields this weekend, bringing in the harvest from a summer with nearly no rain.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf debut in London would have been nice
As the Olympics get underway in London this weekend, I was thinking it’s too bad that the Olympic committee decided too late to add golf as one of the sports for this event; instead it will be added to the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Getting to Hoosier country’s best golfing venue part of the fun
If you are looking for Indiana’s premier golfing destination, then you should look no further than French Lick.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Indiana's Pete Dye courses worth the drive
You’ve probably heard of the Robert Trent Jones Golf trail throughout Alabama, but you might not be aware that Indiana has its own “Pete Dye Golf Trail” comprised of seven courses.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Fathers typically a big influence on golfing sons
Some events fall naturally into place around holidays. The Fourth of July always falls somewhere during Wimbledon, giving all of the Yanks in attendance something to be boisterous about, to the chagrin of their hosts; The Masters often, but not always, ends on Easter Sunday, which is fitting since golfers find it such a reverent occasion.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Memorial just one of many visions of Jack Nicklaus
When Jack Nicklaus was a young man, the golfer he most admired was Bob Jones.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: With some tricky rules, golf is not a walk in the park
Golf is not a casual sport, even though it has a term called “casual water.”
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On and off the course: Sycamores seeded sixth heading into MVC golf tourney
It wasn’t too long ago that Indiana State University didn’t even have a women’s golf team.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: A hard ticket to come by
This is the weekend of the Masters Tournament, the first of the four major tournaments.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Some things on golf course are worse than steep putts
It’s not often that anything gets more scary on a golf course than a steep downhill putt, but on some courses around the world, things a little more on the supernatural side might give you a bigger fright!
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The shot heard round the world
I don’t know if the Golf Channel will show a “Best Shots of 2011” highlight reel, much like ESPN does for baseball or football.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The Red, White and Blue visits the Isle of Green
In 2006, the Ryder Cup was held in Ireland at The K Club in County Kildare.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Fall may be coming but golf season is far from over
Once the major tournaments are over with, what’s there to look forward to in the world of golf?
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf… simplified!
Golf is not a simple game. A golf course is made up of 18 holes, all different. There are par-3s, par-4s and par-5s; they all vary in length and elevation, and each has its own challenges. There can be water hazards, trees, sand bunkers, tall grass, hills, valleys — and then, if that’s not enough, there’s probably wind too.
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On and Off the Course: Northern Ireland builds on golf history
Northern Ireland is only about 5,452 square miles in area and has a population about the same as West Virginia, which is about 1,880,344.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Women’s Open at the Broadmoor
This is the weekend of the U.S. Women’s Open, and this year it’s being played at The Broadmoor, East Course, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The Fort Golf Course: A Walk in the Park…
Indiana has some pretty spectacular state parks, but one of them gives you the ability to “spoil a good walk” by chasing a little white ball.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Father’s Day is a good day for golfers
Most people consider the time around Christmas to be the gift-buying season.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Playing with lead a difficult task
As exciting as last week’s Masters was, with six players being tied for the lead at one point on Sunday, it was very difficult watching Rory McIlroy fall apart to shoot an 80.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Masters a rite of spring
This is Masters weekend, the grand kickoff to the golf season for a lot of golfers. Sure, there have been tournaments on TV, because the professionals have been playing in Hawaii, California, Texas, Dubai, and other areas not so affected by winter as we are here in the Midwest, but to me, watching The Masters is a rite of spring.
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ON THE OFF THE COURSE: Some history on the Ryder Cup
I fell asleep in way too many history classes to ever qualify as a history buff. However, since I have grown up a bit (not much), I enjoy learning about all kinds of history. I often have questions about how something began, or how something came to be.
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On and Off the Course: Purdue's Kampen Course a gem in Indiana's rough
About a month ago, Indiana was still heavily mired in heat and humidity, making outdoor activities such as golf less appealing than usual. At that time it felt like the repressive heat would never go away, it would never rain again, and all of the grass was just going to continue to wither and die. And the month prior to that we kept getting rained out of golf events!
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On and Off the Course: Successful golfers know ... focus is the key
I have a good friend who coached his daughter’s basketball team for a number of years, and told me that his theme with the girls was always “focus”, until it was ingrained in their brains. Now when they play high school ball, if they hear “focus” yelled from the stands, they know the source.
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On and Off the Course: Technology adds even more fun to the course
You’ve hit a drive into some brush in an area marked as a hazard, but you can’t find the ball to prove it is there. And no one actually witnessed it go in the hazard. You just think that’s where it probably is. What is the rule for this situation?
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On and Off the Course: Anthony Gonzalez First Tee Classic a worthwhile charity event
On Monday, I worked as a volunteer for the Anthony Gonzalez First Tee Classic, Golf Tournament and Auction at Eagle Creek Golf Course in Indianapolis. It was an absolutely beautiful day, with clear blue skies, just a few wispy clouds here and there and a high temperature of about 76 degrees.
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On and Off the Course: Trends show golf in decline
You don’t have to watch the news or read the paper to understand that America is struggling on the economic front. The evidence can be witnessed at the local golf course.
- More On & Off the Course Headlines
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Death Notice: Feb. 7, 2013
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Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
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Jersey Shore Open for Business
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
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Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
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Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy
Today in History May 24
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
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Shakira's Shocking Talent
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
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Elin Nordegren Furious With Lindsey Vonn For Parading Kids in Public
Camera Captures Climber As He Loses Grip And Falls
Helen Mirren Meets with Dying Boy in Queen Elizabeth's Place
Crowd Chants '¡Si, Se Puede!' After Passage of Immigration Bill
DWTS Crowns a Winner
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Demi Moore a Rocks Bikini at Harry Morton's Family House
Anthony Weiner: I'm running for New York City mayor
Kate Middleton's Dress Flies Up
VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal
The Hangover Baby All Grown Up
