French Lick Resort

From Michigan I have been fortunate enough to have traveled and golfed the best courses around the US. I put this course as one of the best- mostly because of the course care, design/challenge, the secluded feeling and the pace was just right.. Friendly staff. 5 stars ⭐️

Short review: Play it and play it in season. You want the greens pure and fast so you can really enjoy the Donald Ross slopes. I can't recommend this course enough, it's the most pure JOY I've had in a long time on a course.

Full Review:

Truthfully, I had never heard of this course. When I thought of French Lick, I thought of Larry Bird and Pete Dye. So when I happened to be in Louisville with a chance to swing over, I was sure I'd be playing the PD course. However, my playing partner balked at the $350 price tag and I've always wanted to play a Ross course, so we made the decision to play the Donald Ross course. It was a great decision.

No range, so don't expect to warm up. (I'm not a big warm up guy, so didn't matter to me.) Clubhouse is nice and employees were all great. But we're here to golf.

First tee is right next to practice green. It's an awesome sight. I don't remember exactly, but I believe you can see 6 or 7 holes from this spot. We took a few minutes and took it all in, excited as heck.

Basically, EVERY hole is fun. Because the greens are so contoured and the bunkers and mounding is so good, even short holes presented great challenges. There are holes where above the hole = bogey or worse. There are holes where you can play past the hole 30 feet and roll it back. There are holes where if you miss short, you are rolling back 30 yards. The green compounds are definitely the highlight, but the course design is fun as well.

The Par 3's are honestly a bit crazy. 3 of them are 200-240 yards from the normal men's tees. That's very difficult given the green severity, but they are all gorgeous.

I left fully believing that if this was an ultra exclusive private course, it would be top 100 in the nation, no problem. Maybe top 50. It's that good.

That said, play it in good shape, I wouldn't play here early or late season or around an aeration. Why? The greens are so important that bumpy or shaggy greens would be heartbreaking.

This course has my highest recommend. If I had to give it a slogan...it's simple. The Joy of Golf.

Sultan’s Run is a magnificent golf course from every standpoint, regardless of your playing level. The course is designed so that each hole has its own unique vista. There are no visual distractions or design “tricks” to distract the player. This is one of the most beautiful courses in the Midwest, capped off by the signature finishing hole which features a spectacular view of the clubhouse, perched above the 18th green and a beautiful waterfall to a small lake which wraps the backside of the green. The zoysia fairways offer the Golfer lies which “sit up” to encourage better approach shots to the sizeable greens on each hole. An excellent practice facility allows golfers to hit all shots to warm up for each round. This is a course which will provide golfers of any skill level a great test of golf and a most enjoyable experience visually at the same time. The price to play this course makes it an outstanding value for the money. I’ve played the course since it opened in 1992, and I never tire of playing it. It just continues to improve with age! You will love Sultan’s Run!!!

This facility is outstanding. The staff is welcoming, friendly and helpful, the course is in excellent shape, the 18th hole is one of the gems you will find everywhere and the value is unmatched.

Plan a trip to southern Indiana and play this course along with Victoria National and one (or both) of the French Lick courses. You’ll be glad you did!

Course was in better condition than when we played 16 years ago. Nice amenities and great weathers.

No tricks just straight ahead golf on a great layout. Several rapid heart beat shots and the 18th green is an incredible experience! Excellent condition, beautiful course and priced right! Clubhouse and outside staff gave us great service and we felt appreciated for being there. We played as a twosome on a Sunday morning and although we waited on a couple holes the pace of play was good and the foursome in front of us were nice enough to let us play through. I live a couple hours away but I will be back as often as possible if nothing changes.

First time player here. Good golf course and we enjoyed our round although I thought a couple greens were tricked up a little too much for my tastes. The golf course was a challenge, conditions weren't great but good enough that we had a good time, the views were pretty awesome. I was a little surprised by the young clerk in the pro shop who had terrible customer service skills and even though he wasn't busy seemed to have better things to do than answer my questions. Overall a good course but I enjoyed Sultan's Run better than this course and the customer service was second to none!

Great course with beautiful layout that will challenge your golf skills and your talent for course management.

Don’t be fooled by the serene vistas from the tee stations, there’s more to meet the eye.

Jeff Howerton and his outstanding staff are first class and make your visit memorable.

One of the best in Indiana.....

Play the Ross Course at French Lick! The green complexes are probably as much fun as any I've ever played. Be prepared for lots of elevation change. I wouldn't want to walk it. (Really peppy golf carts get you around quite nicely.) I loved the golf course. You should play it any time you're at French Lick Resort. One more thing... I saw a review in which someone complained about the greens. There's nothing to complaiin about now. They aren't easy to play, but they're smooth, fast and true.

If I've ever played a better-conditioned course, I don't remember it. The Dye Course at French Lick is everything you expect a Pete Dye course to be. It challenges your eye. It provokes a little self-pity. The greens are almost impossible. It brings out your "left brain" creative self. It's also the biggest golf course I've ever played, and the 18th hole is the largest hole on the biggest course. I have one complaint. The $350 greens fee is unnecessary. I think it's that expensive, because the resort wants to maintain a level of exclusivity for the course that, unfortunately, keeps many people from enjoying a golf course that should be played by many more golfers. We saw one other twosome during our entire round.

Playing all the time in Florida it was a real treat to play with hills. Course was excellent!

A satisfying course. Real golf.

Not unfairly penal or tricked up. Good shots keep you moving towards the pin and poor shots put you in a recovery mode. (Value received for dollar spent? This is hands down the best course of the three connected to French Lick’s resort complex. Yep.)

As for condition, I found it the superb. When confronted with summer rain deluges, the course recovers to a playable condition almost immediately. A tip of the hat to whoever did the design work.

Best of all, the vibe is pure golf. The pro, Jeff Howerton, is a real deal PGA head professional... courteous, good natured, leaning forward to help any stranger who walks through the shop, and he flat out knows the game.

The outside staff folks make you feel genuinely welcome. If you want to chat; they will gab. If you want to keep your distance; they just quietly set you up to play.

Designed so many years ago by a golf legend but it stands the test of time. As up-to-date as the Dye course but you can sense the classic design elements of bunkering and green sloping. What you don't find is a course that has lost its ability to challenge and test the golfer. Length isn't the only way to make a course. More designers need to follow some of the classic elements you'll find here.

Friendly accommodating staff. Genuinely eager to please. Course` has lots of contour and challenge. Local knowledge is helpful. Greens were smooth and fast but very receptive. I was able to hold 5he greens better than usual for me. A course to be played more than once. Looking forward to the next round there.

Excellent shape. Only complaint were the greens. Never seen them this slow and bumpy. Couldve been due to rain and alot of play that day. Otherwise enjoyable time as always.

Beatifull course. 4.5 star condition. But...

They had an outing in the morning and let out a lot of 4somes for replay rounds. No rangers in the afternoon. We were more than 5.5 hours finishing. Doesn’t matter how great the course is, it was not fun. They did recognize there was a problem and gave us rain checks for 50% of a round. Didn’t really make things all better.