French Lick Resort (Pete Dye)

Golf has been played at French Lick ever since the Tom Bendelow Valley course was unveiled in 1907. A fine Donald Ross layout appeared in 1917 – becoming the site of Walter Hagen’s victory in the PGA Championship seven years later – and so these two courses served the area for almost ninety years until 2005 when the French Lick Springs and West Baden Springs hotels were amalgamated to form the new French Lick Resort.

It was at this time that the Cook Group, the new owners, decided to overhaul their golf operation at French Lick by redesigning the old Valley track to form the new 9-hole Valley Links layout and commissioning a new 18-hole track to be built on top of Mt. Airie.

And so, four years after the idea of routing eighteen holes across such rugged terrain was first floated, the Pete and Alice Dye course opened for business at the cost of a reputed $28 million – with a large proportion of that price tag incurred as the result of moving around 2.5 million cubic yards of earth on an extremely difficult site.

It’s an absolute monster from the back tees at 8,102 yards, with five of the par fours on the card measuring over 500 yards. The first of these ultra-long two shotters is encountered on the very first hole, which sets the tone for the round – careful tee selection at the outset is absolutely essential as this tough track will easily destroy those who are over ambitious.