Fort Golf Course Resort

This is my favorite public course to play in Indy, the staff and teaching professionals are top notch. The range and practice areas are head and shoulders above any other course around. The layoff with beautiful views and drastic elevation changes is unmatched even by the more expensive courses around. This course gets a lot of play and the greens have a tendency to get beat up slightly so please fix your pitch marks on the greens. If you read this review and you haven't played The Fort GC, please do you won't be disappointed.

This' was a splendid day out. We picked up a hot deal, but it would have been good value even if we had not. The course condition was exceptional for a state park. The design was suitably challenging & the native areas were full of flowers

Speed of play was very good at less than 4 hours

The staff were friendly & we would recommend this course strongly

Thanks. Pete & Jane

Since I moved to IN last year everyone has been telling me to play here. It's on everyone's top whatever list for public's in the state. After playing I sort of get it, but for what they charge it's nowhere near the other premium courses in the area. Nor is it worth all the accolades.

The course is different than others around here in that there's a lot of elevation change. It is an interesting, playable design. But the conditions leave a lot to be desired at their price point. Lots of fringes and fairways were brown and bare in spots. Greens are beat up from overplay.

I also played the whites, which that day were way up for some reason on some holes. Not knowing our way around, we found ourselves in bad positions off the tee on a few holes when we thought we'd hit decent tee shots. Had the tees been where they belonged, we'd have been out of trouble.

I guess I can recommend giving it a play if you get a hot deal. But it's not worth full freight. Go play Purgatory or Bear Slide or Prairie View - all are much better value for the money.

I was really excited to play this course. I had heard really good reviews from friends. I drove 2 hours to play course. The course is beautiful and practice area is really nice also. I love the design and enjoyed playing it. I was very let down to find they had been working on the greens and traps. The greens were just punched and top dressed the day before and bunkers were in AWFUL shape. On the second hole I was in a bunker where they had pulled all the sand out and was like concrete. I would play again but not worth the drive for me.

This was the third time playing the course this year -- and unfortunately probably the last. A short review follows:

Layout: I'd consider it one of the better ones in the Indy area. It has the gentle rolling hills that can produce some fun lies you're not normally exposed to around here, has a number of risk/reward holes that provide a test to your course management abilities, and has a good balance of hole difficulties.

Conditions: There had been a lot of rain a day or two prior, but for the most part was pretty well drained. Tee boxes, fairways, rough, and bunkers were all nicely groomed and maintained, and it seemed most of the divots in the fairway had been filled in. A number of soggy spots, but given the rain (wasn't cart path only), it could be unfair to judge this.

Greens: Very slow. Disappointingly slow. I also noted this the two previous times this year when there was not recent rainfall, discrediting that rationale. More often than not they ran true, but that's nowhere near enough for a course with one of the higher rates in town. Ball marks were generally fixed.

Service: This is what gets to me. There were no fewer than three marshals and a starter, only one of which was moderately pleasant. Having two separate marshals/starters radio to the clubhouse to confirm you're playing 18 because the rate appears too low (a supposed "deal" with GolfNow) is frustrating the first time, almost insulting the next -- especially when it's within one minute of the last one. To then be provided a 90 second tutorial on basic golf etiquette and common sense practices before being allowed to the first tee is perhaps only acceptable if the recipient of the lesson were a junior golfer driving a cart and playing more than a muni for the first time. Add in the various drive by sightings on the course without concern for impending shots (side bet for appearances on the back nine was at 4.5) and the hurried pace with which bags had to be pulled off of the carts at the end, and there are a lot of little things that begin to add up.

Price: Given the number of nearby courses in superior overall shape, hospitality, and with better/similar price points, I don't believe the peak fee (~$74) is justified.

Overall: I've been wanting to like this course for awhile, but unfortunately there consistently are too many things that preclude it from happening. If you're dying for some hills and can't make it out of the Indy area, perhaps this will suffice. Otherwise, there are better options.

Love the course. Not to long but very challenging for the occasional golfer.

You start off by noting how great the tee box look, then you look out and see this coarse is great looking and after checking the card to see what the slope is, you also see from the blue tee,s that this course is going to kick my butt.

At the end it was as great as the first hole said it be. What a great course for the money

This is an extremely challenging course with many tee options for every player. Course condition was excellent.

We actually ended up playing the front nine on Wednesday and then the back nine on Thursday since a storm came in just as we finished the first nine holes.

The course has great scenery and a nice layout though a little challenging.

All of the staff were very friendly and accommodating to our request to finish the back nine the following day since we were staying for the night at the hotel associated with the course.

The course was well maintained even with the huge amount of rain it had received. We plan to play again when in the area.

Still one of Indy's best upscale options, but their rack rate is too high. This is definitely a "resort course" and not so much a "players course".

It was hard not to enjoy myself because the layout is very solid, the weather was fantastic, and I happened to score well that day...... However-- While the course was in good shape, it wasn't as good as I've seen it at times. I've played it in much "firmer and faster" conditions which I prefer and it was set up more for the 20-handicapper. A few of the fairway bunkers had not been groomed that morning. All in all in good shape though!

What was HORRIBLE was playing behind a large group of 20 who "took over the course". They were from out of town, incredibly slow, and drunk by the end of it. I realize the importance of revenue to the facility, but as a "golfer" I didn't enjoy pulling up to virtually every tee box and watching 1-2 groups tee off......again, a group of twenty broke up into foursomes who were drinking heavily and disregarding the rest of the world behind them. They didn't do quite so bad on the front 9, but their alcohol abuse clearly affected their pace which was close to 3 hours on the back 9! Thankfully the guys behind me were good guys and solid players..... I got to have pleasant conversations on each tee box while they waited on me waiting on the groups ahead.

Played this well manicured course on a beautiful Friday afternoon. Pace of play was fantastic even when we got held up when our cart broke on the 5th hole. They brought us another cart within 10 minutes and we were off and running again with no delays and no one hitting into us. Many golfers out that day too! The course was challenging although not as challenging as I thought it was going to be considering the uneven lies, bunkers and water strategically placed everywhere. Fairways seemed to be wider than others though and sloped toward the middle. Hard to not have a good tee shot. Fast greens, tricky lies, and course layout along with very scenic views makes this course a must-play when in Indy for sure!

I played as a single with three others of varying skill levels. Each played a different tee and we all shot in the 80s. The course was in excellent condition and greens were pristine. It offers challenging distance and some high risk/reward holes for longer, more skilled players while remaining enjoyable for players of higher handicap. I can't wait to return to The Fort

The course was in great shape ( it always is) a couple greens need some work . Other than that a great track . I will play it over and over

Love The Fort, play hear at least once a month. Really challenges your placement from tips. Typically course in always in great shape, sometime pace of play can we slow. Course gets a good amount of play for the value. Definitely and must play.

Saw reduced green fee rates on website . Called to make tee time and mentioned rate shown on website. When we paid they would not honor the website rate because we did not make reservation on website. Cost me an additional $48. We are from out of town and visit Indy three or four times a year. Probably won't play here again.

Also, the golfers that play here are challenged at divot fixing. Fixed at least 5 divots on every hole.

I played with two other average golfers today. We played from the blue tees. A couple of holes were challenging to reach the fairway if you are not an average player but it made it all the more challenging for a regular player. Wide fairways were a plus, undulation was a nice surprise considering we are in Indianapolis. The course was cart path only when we played so it was a long round. Rangers and other staff were extremely friendly and helpful. As for price, if you pay full, it is a little steep. Anyway, I would highly recommend and look forward to coming back. *****

3rd time in a row i booked on golfnow and found out it was cartpath only. Never again.

Was there for first weekend it was open, so cart path only was a bit of a drag. Course looked good & staff very friendly. We had reduced rate, not sure it's worth what they want in summer?

Overrated. I had heard about how great this course was but after we finished it was like, that's it? Just didn't leave an awesome feeling with me, very bland. was difficult but just lacked something. It was dead and played super fast which was cool but just didn't have any wow factor for me. SUPER overpriced as well even on golfnow. just my opinion

It was a beautiful day in December and the pace of play was pretty good not much to complain about. The course was in pretty good shape for it being December balls rolled like you'd except for December..