Woodland - Indiana - USA

There are various iterations of the Bill Diddel-Pete Dye story...some say the former spurned the up-and-comer Dye, who was looking for his first gig, and some say Diddel offered counsel if not an outright job. Regardless, Woodland Country Club serves as a metaphorical timeline for Indiana’s two most prominent golf course architects. Originally designed by Diddel during the ‘50s, Dye — one of the more prominent architects in the game's history — would recreate it in his own image during 2002.

The club is one of five by Dye in the vicinity of Carmel, a wealthy suburb of Indianapolis (the most acclaimed is the Crooked Stick Golf Club). Although it stretches to nearly 7,200 yards, Woodland is designed so that less skilled players can avoid brutalization, as the fairways are generous.

That said, those who look to score will need to understand his game. Those wide fairways will be receptive to most shots off of the tee but will generally require the player to work the ball both ways to get on the putting surface in regulation. And for all the forgiveness such a wide landing area provides off the tee, water hazards still abound. Those looking for the optimal line to the green will need to wrangle with them during their first shot.