Michigan Golf Journal January 2021

Michigan Golf Journal French Lick Resort The tee boxes at holes 8 and 11 are especially great lookout points for the surrounding forest and the two small towns in the valley below (French Lick and West Baden), but there are so many wonderful views from virtually every green and tee that no one location can be singled out as best. The overall wow factor is what will bring in the masses for many years to come. “This is a great golf product,” Harner said. “When we first started, I thought price might be prohibitive, and it is for some, but we have people come back 5, 6, 7 times a year to play.” Once the first 18-hole greens fees are paid at the Pete Dye, replays are no cost. However, Harner added: “We got into a heavy demand situation in 2020 (with Covid issues) to where if you didn’t book your second (same day) round you didn’t get it, we were so busy.” Donald Ross Course : Stately, elegant, classic and natural – a typical Donald Ross design. The good thing is – when would ‘typical Ross’ ever be considered a bad thing? The Donald Ross Course balances the resort’s modern Dye design with its historical ties to the area. Initially, the region was inhabited by people looking for the speculative ‘healing and relaxation” in the many mineral springs – the very reason two such massive, historical hotels inhabit two side- by-side small towns that combined, comparatively would have a hard time filling a Michigan Class C high school with students. Speaking of which, most know Springs Valley High School in French Lick as the birthplace of NBA Hall-of- Famer Larry Bird’s youth career. In 2007 the resort spent almost $5 million to restore the course back to Ross’ original layout in 1917. It soon after was the site of Walter Hagen’s 1924 PGA Championship. Ross’ design gently flows across the dramatic, natural rolling terrain. I suspect Ross just needed to figure out good routing because Donald Ross Course