Eagle Ridge at Yatesville Lake

Eagle Ridge is another fine addition to the Kentucky state park system’s collection of golf courses, and perhaps its most dramatic. Most architects may have raised an eyebrow when confronted with a canvas such as this plot at Yatesville Lake, however Arthur Hills and Steve Forrest saw an opportunity to take the firm’s noted boundary-pushing to new levels.

If players haven’t gotten the idea after the first hole, the second will bring the course’s quirky identity rushing at them. Measuring 415 yards from the back tees (a downhill tee shot will help), players will consider a fairway that boomerangs around a ravine sitting just ahead of the green. A number of stupendous forced carries and tee shots like this will occur during the round; although just more than 6,600 yards from the back tees, even the best players will experience some adrenaline, knuckles white from gripping the club ever so tightly.

Considering the extreme nature of the terrain, a return to the clubhouse would be near impossible, but players will be able to make stops at strategically-located central areas.