Some Of The Country's 'Most Unique Courses' Hide On This Indiana Golf Trail's Legendary Greens

Sports-mad Indiana is widely known as a state that eats, drinks, and sleeps basketball at all levels, from high school to the Pacers. However, another sport is rapidly growing at a fast pace across the state and causing a tremendous economic impact: golf. In 2022, per the Indiana Golf Association, the sport brought just over $2 billion to the state's economy. Hoosiers (and other Americans) are discovering that whacking a ball is a great way to build relationships, stay fit, and enjoy nature.

Golfers who want to play some of the country's most unique holes could take a boat, or they could visit Indiana's Pete Dye Golf Trail. Pete Dye's seven courses throughout the state are some of the most unique courses in America; in addition to being challenging, the courses tie together the state's heritage, love for sports, and scenic nature. While on the trail, you'll look over picturesque, 40-mile spans of rolling hills and the sprawling Hoosier National Forest, putt on a living research lab, and even drive inside a former U.S. Army fort and Indy Motor Speedway. 

Three of the courses on the golf trail lie within a stone's throw of Indianapolis, where Dye lived and perfected his golf game in the 1950s. As he won championships and traveled for golf in the U.K., he began to draw inspiration for his courses from his travels. Pete Dye built his first 18-hole course in northeastern Indy, now named Maple Creek. As he grew in prominence as a course designer, his wife Alice, the "First Lady of golf course architecture," also made major contributions to the sport, notably making golf more accessible to women.

The Pete Dye Golf Trail's seven courses are a mix of public, resort, and semi-private courses, providing varying experiences for the local golf communities that the courses support. Moreover, Pete Dye incorporated the regional geography and environment into his course designs, making each course challenging and unique. From Chicago, you're only two hours from a pair of the trail's most beautiful and standout championship courses at Purdue University in West Lafayette.

Dye earned a Doctorate in Landscape Architecture from Purdue and worked with the university to improve the university's existing Ackerman Hills (known as the Ackerman-Allen course) and design the Kampen-Cosler course, two key parts to the university's Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex. If you need to call a mulligan because the greens are too buttery-smooth, you've got a perfect excuse: The courses are testing grounds for turfgrass research and weed control. But note that despite being on a college campus, Kampen-Cosler has a 4.5-star rating from Golf Digest and is ranked as one of the toughest in the state.

At the heart of the Racing Capital of the World lies Indy's iconic Brickyard, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And at the heart of the racetrack, a public golf course redesigned by Pete Dye in 1993 called Brickyard Crossing. Four holes at Brickyard Crossing are inside the stadium and incorporate concrete from the stadium's walls and railroad ties into the design, adding to the course's distinct features. For that 19th hole, you've got plenty of options: Indianapolis is also one of the best cities in America for beer aficionados. 

French Lick in southern Indiana is one of the state's hidden gems for both golfers, families, and outdoor enthusiasts. The region has drawn tourists since the 1800s as a mineral spa getaway and Indiana's "Eighth Wonder of the World" (the West Baden Springs Hotel). Although not built from concrete, Pete Dye's course at French Lick transformed from a cocktail napkin sketch to a natural and inspiring wonder where breathtaking beauty and skill meet. At over 8,100 yards, the course challenges golfers on every hole, with Hole 16 being a legendary 301-yard, par-3.  Moreover, the hole rests high on one of Indiana's highest points, and in the minds of golf enthusiasts nationwide.

If you are looking to play French Lick, the French Lick Resort prioritizes tee times for guests staying at one of the three properties, however, the general public can book two weeks in advance. A round at the resort starts at $400, and kids under 12 and younger play free with an adult. For a much more affordable day out or for beginners, the nearby Valley Links 9-hole course starts at $40. If you are looking for tailored options to plan your trip, visit the official Pete Dye Golf Trail website and use the free trip planner function. Once you select your course(s), the site will provide the course's location, contact information, and local accommodation recommendations to build your perfect golf trip across the state. You've just got to decide when to go, but thankfully, the golf season lasts approximately nine months.