The Pete Dye Course at French Lick

Welcome

Hole 1

The key to enjoying the Pete Dye Course at French Lick is to select the set of tees that best suits your game. We recommend that no one attempt the gold tees unless your handicap is 5 or less; black tees 10 or less, blue tees 15 or less, white tees 25 or less; all others play the forward tees. This opening hole requires a right center tee shot just inside the 3 large fairway bunkers. The proper approach favors the right side of the green, where there is plenty of bailout area.

Hole 2

One of the short par 4s on the course is lined with Pete Dye’s volcano bunkers up the right side. The fairway becomes very narrow at 300 yards from the black tee. This allows the long hitter the option to go long, but at a risk of having an awkward lie and stance for his short approach. The target is again right center.

Hole 3

This is a real 3 shot par 5. Again, large bunkers line the right-hand side of the fairway and a steep dropoff threatens players on the left, so accuracy is a premium. Even the longest of hitters will doubt their chances of reaching this hole in 2. The best approach angle is from the bunker at the turn of the fairway, approximately 140 yards from the green. However, the battle is far from over once you reach the green. Though this is one of the bigger greens on the course, it is also one of the trickiest.

Hole 4

This midrange par 3 is a great hole, so long as you don’t miss long or left. There is definitely some beautiful scenery in the background, especially from the top-tier tees.

Hole 5

This is the shortest par 4 on the course. Tee shot placement is the premium here. The ideal shot is left center of the fairway, missing the fairway bunkers. This will align you perfectly with this green that sits at a 45 degree angle from the fairway. It is a very small green, and the bailout is behind and left of the green. Remember this approach is a lot of uphill.

Hole 6

A great par 4 with lots of trouble to the left. Over 20 bunkers line the left rough. A premium is placed on an accurate tee shot near the fairway bunkers on the right, leaving an approach of 160-175 yards to the green. This hole will also be one of the most photographed; the vistas from the green are incredible.

Hole 7

The seventh, a long uphill par 5, is truly a “taste of Scotland,” as it looks very much like one of the old links holes from across the pond—especially from the greenside bunkers.

Hole 8

A spectacular view of the Pete Dye club house can be seen from this great par 3. Long and right are the places to avoid, but the large bunker left in the approach creates big issues for those forced to play from it. Accuracy is the premium here, as short left in the approach is the only bailout.

Hole 9

The finishing hole on the front nine is a left-to-right dogleg with an ominous waste bunker lining the right side of the fairway. A premium tee shot is one placed directly at the flagpole along the drive to the club house. Definitely steer clear of all obstacles right of the fairway and green.

Hole 10

High atop the boulder-lined tee, fire the tee shot at the left fairway bunker and the ball will funnel back to the middle of the fairway. This green will be among the most difficult to hit. A shot that shaves the left quarter of the green may run off down the steep slope toward the cart path, leaving an almost impossible pitch back to the elevated green.

Hole 11

There is not a lot of fairway visible to the player from the tee. Over the right side of the cart path, toward the right-hand fairway bunker, is the ideal play. Those who try to shorten the hole by playing straight at the green will have an awkward lie and approach angle and will limit their chances of hitting the green.

Hole 12

The long par 4 twelfth hole will require two big shots to reach the green in regulation. There is only one place to safely miss the green: short. An errant shot right, left, or long leaves an impossible up-and-down.

Hole 13

What a par 3! This long par 3 with a perched redan style green is dangerous! Left of the green is a huge waste area, and at the end is a deep greenside bunker with a face that is 12’ high. Short is a steep drop, so that if a ball does not rest on the green, it will likely roll back to the bottom of the slope. Balls right of the green will collect in the bailout area 10 feet below the putting surface. The green slopes right to left as well. Play for the center!

Hole 14

This is a great par 5 with a split fairway. You may be able to save 100 yards or so by going up the right side of the split, but you are faced with a slope on the approach to the green that is over 90 feet high. The green here falls off sharply on all sides, so accuracy is a premium on the third shot.

Hole 15

When you look back from the tee of this short par 4, the French Lick Resort is clearly visible, as is the rest of the town. A right center tee shot is the play here, and an approach that favors the right half of the green is less risky.

Hole 16

At this hole you arrive at the beginning of a great series of finishing holes. The sixteenth hole tips out at 302 yards, with a prevailing south wind blowing left to right, toward the boulder-lined lake. It’s a beautiful hole with lots of challenges, even from the regular tees.

Hole 17

Here you’ll find a big dogleg right with waste bunkers lining the right and pot bunkers and deep-face fairway bunkers on the left. Hit the middle here to have any chance of reaching this small green!

Hole 18

This closing par 5 plays into one of the most spectacular amphitheatres in golf. As you stand at the tee, this dogleg left par 5 looks perfectly level, but at 300 yards off the tee, the fairway drops 100 feet in elevation and turns 90 degrees left into this 13,000 square-foot green. Many major tournaments will be won or lost here.