Did you know? French Lick Resort is full of unexpected surprises and stellar discoveries.
For starters, did you know that some of the earliest LPGA Championships were held here? Betsy Rawls and Mickey Wright, two pioneers of women’s golf, topped the leaderboard here in 1959 and 1960, respectively, when the fifth and sixth LPGA Championships were contested at Sheraton Hotel Country Club in French Lick, Indiana (also famous for being the hometown of basketball legend Larry Bird).
Today, that course is known as The Donald Ross Course at French Lick. And that leads to another “did you know”….
Did you know this is the only golf destination to feature courses by Donald Ross and Pete Dye together at the same property?
The Donald Ross Course maintains nearly all the classic elements of its original design from 1917, including some of the game’s most radically contoured greens. (If you’ve played here, you certainly remember how tricky yet memorable they are.
Complementing the classic Ross layout is a modern Pete Dye Course, completed in 2009. Dye originally conceptualized a course on this dramatic elevation point, sketched it on a napkin at a local restaurant, and the rest is history. Dye’s jaw-dropper that features 40-mile panoramic views has been named Indiana’s best public course by Golfweek for 15 consecutive years, with the nearby Ross course rated #2 in the same rankings for 14 straight years.
And did you know about the natural resource that made this a popular tourist destination long before golf courses?
Mineral springs were the first big draw here, dating back to 1845 when the first hotel was established in the area. Eventually, there were two grand hotels — built within a mile of each other — both sprouting from the popularity of the mineral water rumored to have curative healing properties. French Lick Springs Hotel and West Baden Springs Hotel have both been restored to their past glory, welcoming guests from all over the world for mineral baths and spa treatments, carriage rides, horseback riding, special events and championship golf. And soon, yet another golf experience as French Lick Resort is opening Sand Creek, its new short course, in fall 2024.
If you didn’t know about French Lick Resort, now’s your chance to discover. Tee times go fast here, so plan ahead for 2025 and get the full French Lick experience.
)
)
)
)
