FRENCH LICK RESORT (PETE DYE COURSE) FRENCH LICK, IN
Date Reviewed: May, 2011
The Pete Dye Course at French Lick opened for play in 2009. The course is routed on top of Mount Airy and provides sweeping views over the Hoosier National Forest. While the site has over 200 feet of elevation change, the vertical transitions are rarely noticeable (2.5 million cubic yards of soil were moved to accomplish this).
While the course can be stretched to 8,100 yards, the championship tees are rarely used. Players will likely choose from one of four sets of tees that vary by 2,100 yards. The transitions between holes are short from the middle tees, where a majority of golfers will play. Players opting for the championship tees will have to walk further back to start many holes.
Like many Dye designs, the course is visually intimating, daring players with numerous risk / reward scenarios. The fairways are generally narrow, but are lined by low rough, allowing mid-to-high handicappers an opportunity to recover from stray drives. The greens are small and undulating, many of which are surrounded by deep collection areas and hazards, requiring precision iron play to score well.
The clubhouse sits at the site’s highest point and once belonged to Thomas Taggart, a former owner of French Lick Springs Hotel who once served as Indiana’s Governor and Senator. The adjacent carriage house now serves as the pro shop. The views from the patios are hard to beat.
While the course can be stretched to 8,100 yards, the championship tees are rarely used. Players will likely choose from one of four sets of tees that vary by 2,100 yards. The transitions between holes are short from the middle tees, where a majority of golfers will play. Players opting for the championship tees will have to walk further back to start many holes.
Like many Dye designs, the course is visually intimating, daring players with numerous risk / reward scenarios. The fairways are generally narrow, but are lined by low rough, allowing mid-to-high handicappers an opportunity to recover from stray drives. The greens are small and undulating, many of which are surrounded by deep collection areas and hazards, requiring precision iron play to score well.
The clubhouse sits at the site’s highest point and once belonged to Thomas Taggart, a former owner of French Lick Springs Hotel who once served as Indiana’s Governor and Senator. The adjacent carriage house now serves as the pro shop. The views from the patios are hard to beat.
Course Information
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Course Rating
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Course Layout & Scorecard
(Click to Enlarge)
Hole 1
The long opener plays downhill to a landing area guarded by two bunkers right and water left. A solid drive leaves a slightly uphill approach between 150-180 yards to a narrow, deep green that slopes predominantly back-right to front-left. Anything missing slightly left will catch a deep bunker. Bailing out right leaves a difficult recovery from a tightly mown collection area to a green that slopes back-to-front. The safe miss is short.
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Hole 2
A drive left-of-center is ideal, avoiding rough and volcano bunkers right. Missing the fairway left leaves a blind approach from the rough or sand. Longer hitters should note that the fairway pinches significantly approximately 275-yards from the black tees. A solid drive leaves an approach between 110-140 yards to a small infinity green guarded by bunkers right and short-right. Missing long or left is dead as the green falls away sharply towards the woods.
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Hole 3
The long third plays uphill from the tee to a landing area that slopes to the left. Bunkers right will catch any drives played away from severe slopes that line the entire left side of the hole. The layup should be played out to the right, leaving a level approach between 110-130 yards. Players laying up to the bottom of either bowl in the fairway will be left with an uphill, blind approach. The green is narrow, but deep, and is surrounded by steep falloffs. The putting surface is multi-tiered and slopes predominantly back-to-front.
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Hole 4
The fourth plays slightly downhill to a deep green guarded by sand left and right. Missing long or left is dead as the green falls away sharply. Recovery from the depressed collection areas right leave a difficult recovery as the green slopes right-to-left. Play to the middle of the green when the pin is set back or left.
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Hole 5
The short fifth plays uphill its entire length. A drive left-of-center is ideal, avoiding a sea of bunkers right. Anything missing the fairway left will likely be lost. A solid drive leaves a blind, uphill approach between 100-130 yards to a small, angled green guarded by sand short-right. Missing long leaves a difficult recovery from a depressed collection area to a green that slopes significantly back-to-front. The safe miss is short-left.
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Hole 6
The long sixth plays to a tight landing area guarded by steep slopes left and three bunkers right. When the tees are up, longer hitters may have the opportunity to catch a severe downslope beyond the bunkers, drastically reducing the distance for the second shot. Most players will be left with an approach between 160-190 yards to a small, exposed, infinity green with trouble left. The green is multi-tiered and slopes back-to-front. The safe miss is short-right.
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Hole 7
The long, uphill seventh favors a drive right-of-center, avoiding two bunkers on either side of the landing area. Drives missing left of the fairway bunkers will likely be lost. The layup should favor the left side of the fairway, leaving the best angle into the green. A well-positioned layup leaves an uphill approach to a small, angled green guarded by deep bunkers and mounding right. The putting surface is relatively flat, leaving a good birdie opportunity for players hitting the green in regulation.
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Hole 8
The mid-length eighth plays slightly uphill to a small green guarded by seven bunkers right. Missing long leaves awkward recovery from a depressed, tightly mown collection area. The green is multi-tiered and slopes generally back-to-front. The safe miss is short-left.
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Hole 9
The front nine closes with one of the course’s more challenging tests. A drive left-of-center is ideal, avoiding three bunkers left of the fairway. The steep slopes and waste area right of fairway should be avoided at all costs. A solid drive leaves an uphill approach between 170-200 yards to a large, undulating green that is surrounded by trouble. Missing long is dead as the green falls away sharply to a deep collection area, leaving a near impossible recovery. The safe miss is short-left.
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Hole 10
A drive down the middle is ideal, avoiding steep slopes and mounding right. Longer hitters should note that the landing area pinches 275-yards from the black tees. A solid drive leaves a slightly downhill approach between 80-110 yards to a small green guarded by sand and steep slopes short and right. Missing left leaves an awkward recovery from a depressed collection area. The putting surface slopes predominantly back-to-front.
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Hole 11
The eleventh will play differently depending on the day’s setup. From the back tees the hole will play as a tough two-shotter, requiring a drive to a narrow landing area partially hidden from view. A solid drive leaves an approach between 140-170 yards. When the tees are up, the hole is drivable. Drives missing right of the fairway or green will likely kick to the bottom of a deep ravine, leaving a blind second shot with a steep grassy slope in your face. The green is large and multi-tiered, the front half sloping severely left-to-right. The safe miss is short.
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Hole 12
The long twelfth plays slightly uphill to a generous landing area. Longer hitters should note that the right fairway bunker pinches the landing area 290-yards from the black tees. Drives missing left will leave a difficult second from a severe side hill lie. A solid drive leaves an approach between 160-190 yards to a Raynor-inspired infinity green guarded by a deep bunker that wraps the green left-to-back. Bailing out right leaves an awkward recovery from a depressed collection area to a green that slopes back-right to front-left. The safe miss is short.
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Hole 13
The mid-length thirteenth plays to large, redan-like green that is surrounded by steep falloffs. The bunker short-left is the deepest on the course and should be avoided at all costs. The putting surface is multi-tiered and slopes primarily right-to-left. The internal contours will help feed shots down to a back-left pin placement.
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Hole 14
The fourteenth plays uphill from the tee to a landing area that was once a deep ravine. Anything missing left of the fairway will likely kick into the fescue. A solid drive leaves a severely uphill second shot between 240-260 yards. Anything coming up short leaves a blind third from the steep grass face in view. Players opting to layup should play to the higher, left section of fairway, leaving a third between 40-60 yards. The green is large and relatively flat, but is slightly elevated from its surrounds, leaving a tricky recovery from depressed collection areas.
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Hole 15
The short fifteenth will serve as a welcome breather between two difficult stretches. The drive plays uphill to a landing area lined by sand on both sides. Drives missing left beyond the bunker will face a second from a severe side hill lie. A solid drive leaves a slightly uphill approach between 100-125 yards to a small infinity green guarded by sand short-left. Missing left or long should be avoided as the green falls away sharply. Bailing out to the right leaves an awkward recovery from a depressed collection area. The putting surface is relatively flat, leaving a good birdie opportunity for players hitting the green in regulation.
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Hole 16
While the scorecard reads 301 yards from the tips, most will play this difficult par-three between 170-220 yards. The green is multi-tiered and slopes generally back-left to front-right. Water right and bunkers short and left will catch anything slightly offline. The safe miss is short. Bogey on this hole is a good score.
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Hole 17
The difficult seventeenth plays to a narrow landing area lined with bunkers left and steep slopes right. A solid drive leaves an approach between 180-210 yards to a small green guarded by slopes and bunkers right. Players bailing out left or long will be left with an awkward recovery from tightly mown collection area. The green is undulating and slopes generally back-left to-front right. The safe miss is short-left.
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Hole 18
The round closes with the course’s longest hole. A drive down the middle is ideal, avoiding bunkers left and a depressed waste area right. When the tees are up, play towards the distant flagpoles as the fairway shifts right approximately 280-yards from the black tees. A solid drive leaves an intimidating second between 260-290 yards, all carry over a deep ravine. Most players will layup to the corner of the dogleg, leaving an approach between 100-125 yards. The green is the largest on the course, but is surrounded by sand and collection areas. Missing long leaves a difficult recovery as the green slopes generally back-to-front.
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Clubhouse & Practice GreenThe clubhouse was once the mansion of Thomas Taggart, a former owner of French Lick Springs Hotel who also served as Indiana’s Governor and Senator. The adjacent carriage house now serves as the pro shop.
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