TERRE HAUTE —
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. The Fort Golf Resort is inside the Fort Harrison State Park on the east side of Indianapolis, at 56th Street and Post Road. It is the only golf course owned and maintained by the Indiana state parks system.
Historically speaking, it hasn’t been a state park for very long. On June 28th, 1904, the War Department issued an order announcing the purchase of land for “Military purposes, about nine miles north-easterly from Indianapolis.” In 1906 the land was dedicated as Fort Benjamin Harrison by President Theodore Roosevelt, in honor of the 23rd president and Indianapolis resident.
The idea had been suggested by Harrison’s son Russell, in order that Indianapolis maintain some military presence to honor the tradition the Indianapolis Arsenal had played in fighting slavery and maintaining the Union. Fort Harrison served multiple purposes during all major conflicts from WWI to Desert Storm.
The fort was shut down in 1991 through the Base Realignment and Closure process. Then in 1995 the U.S. Department of the Interior approved a request from the state of Indiana to convert 1,700 of the 2,500-acre post into a state park and nature preserve.
There was a golf course on the military base, but from what I’ve heard, it was pretty unplayable. It was very hilly and rocky, and balls easily found their way into the creek. It was a private course only for military personnel though, so they were probably happy to have it.
After the State of Indiana got permission to open the state park, Pete Dye and Tim Liddy were commissioned to redesign the decrepit golf course. They evened out fairways, made multiple teeing areas, and incorporated nature preserve areas in their design. The old Officers Club, now called The Garrison Conference Center, serves as the clubhouse, pro shop and restaurant.
The new course opened in 1997, and was named third under “Best Affordable New Public Courses” in Golf Digest in 1998.
The Fort Golf Course varies in length from 5,045 yards to 7,148 yards, depending on which tee you want to play. The Gold tees have a course rating of 74.4 and a slope of 139 while the white tees’ rating is 69.9 with a slope of 128. Rating and slope from the most forward tees is 69.2 and 122.
I played the course recently and kept thinking I’d like to play it a second time because many of the tee shots have a hidden landing area, so familiarity with the course would help with my confidence of where I’m aiming off of the tee and with club selection.
There are tips given on the hole layouts shown on the golf cart, but seeing it in two-dimensions and in real life are entirely different. The greens are big and undulating, and not always very easy to read. Again, playing more than once would probably help with reading greens too.
Luckily, playing multiple rounds at The Fort isn’t too awfully expensive. The 18-hole rate (including cart) on Monday is $49, Tuesday to Thursday is $59, and Friday to Sunday $69. On Tuesdays both women and seniors can play for $39 with tee times before 10 a.m., and discounts are given with a valid military I.D. every day. If you play early enough and want to play another 18 holes, the replay rate is $30 everyday. Or, if you’d like to spend the night, the Fort Harrison State Park Inn would be a great choice.
Originally opened in 1908 as the base hospital, the inn offers 28 uniquely decorated rooms. The Harrison House offers suites and overnight lodging rooms, located just 100 yards from the golf course. You can even rent The Officers Homes, fully furnished 3-bedroom homes on the grounds.
Besides the golf course, the state park offers walking and jogging trails, picnic sites, and fishing access to Fall Creek.
The Fort is a fun course to play, and is in excellent condition. Another thing that I really enjoyed about it, especially this year, is that gnats were not a problem. A welcome relief from the pests that are plaguing golfers in the Terre Haute area. So leave your Absorbine Jr. and insect repellents in the car and enjoy your round. It’s worth the trip to Indianapolis for that alone!
For more information, make tee times and reservations online at www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/inns/ftharrison/index.html or by calling (317) 638-6000.
• Quote of the Day: “What is that, a putter? It looks like a giant staple remover.” — Overheard while unloading clubs at The Fort Golf Course.
On & Off the Course
ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The Fort Golf Course: A Walk in the Park…
- On & Off the Course
-
-
Death Notice: Feb. 7, 2013
• Gary R. Wright
-
Donna Lynn Strahla Bown
Donna Lynn Strahla Bown passed away early Friday morning, Jan. 25, 2013, with her children by her side.
-
‘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.
-
Farmers looking at widely varying yields
Combines will roll through fields this weekend, bringing in the harvest from a summer with nearly no rain.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.”
-
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.
-
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.
-
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!
-
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.
-
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.
-
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?
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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!
-
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.
-
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?
-
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.
-
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
-
Death Notice: Feb. 7, 2013
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
Raw: Germany Protestors Picket Barbie House
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
China, Others Want What's Under the Arctic Ice
Raw: 6 Die in Russian Ship Fire
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
One Million Evacuated As Cyclone Hits Bangladesh
Raw: Suicide Bomber Kills 2 Americans, 13 Others
Raw: Texas Gov. Flies Over Tornado Damage
Raw: Pope Frees Doves From Cage
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Coffee Stop Leads To Arrest Of YouTube Sensation Wanted For Murder
Bearded Dragon Reunited With Owner
Marine Reunited with Warzone Companion
Beyonce Is Pregnant!
SF baseball player overpaid $500,000 RETURNS money -- and team says KEEP IT
Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises family during Rays' first pitch
See Jennifer Lopez's New $10m Hamptons Mansion
Woman tricked into taking abortion pill
Emma Watson Goes Pantless
IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes
Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety
Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Swollen Feet Into Stilettos
Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths
Cindy Crawford Stuns At Cannes
Raw: Marines Come to Obama's Aid in the Rain
CUTE: Monkey shares lollipop with dog, then HITS pooch on head with it
Miranda Kerr Looks Sexy in a Bikini Photo Shoot
