French Lick

Sits on top of Mount Airie ridge with views into Kentucky on a clear day. Pete Dye in his late period — exposed, windy, with the visual deception he made his name on. The yardage book lies and the elevation lies harder; take the caddie program at least once so somebody else can read the wind for you.

1917 Ross routing that hosted the 1924 PGA Championship and got a faithful Lee Schmidt restoration in 2006. Short by modern numbers, but the green complexes are the whole game — miss in the wrong spot and you're chipping uphill into a slope that won't hold. Walk it if your legs are up to it; it's the way it was built.

Nine-hole par-3 at the resort. Skip it on a serious trip, but if you've got an arrival afternoon with daylight to kill or a hungover morning before driving home, it's a $20 way to hit some wedges. Don't make it the reason you came.

Twenty minutes north in Jasper. Tim Liddy design that punches well above what you'd expect from small-town Indiana — elevation, water, a couple of holes that genuinely stick with you. Cheap green fees, good conditioning, and the kind of place locals are quietly proud of.

Muni in Bedford about 40 minutes east, opened in 1922. Not in the same conversation as the resort tracks, but if you're routing in from Indianapolis and want to break up the drive with a $30 round on a piece of rolling Indiana farmland, it does the job. Bring cash.

The reason people post photos. A 200-foot domed atrium that was the largest free-span dome in the world when it opened in 1902, restored from near-ruin in the early 2000s. Quieter and more grown-up than the Springs hotel down the road — book here if you want the bourbon-by-the-fireplace evening, not the casino noise.

Beaux-Arts pile from 1845, restored, attached to the casino and the Donald Ross course. More rooms, more action, more groups of golfers — the default pick for a foursome that wants to walk to dinner and stumble back. Slightly less polished than West Baden but cheaper and closer to the Ross.

The newer wing of the Springs hotel. Bigger rooms, more modern bathrooms, less of the period charm — which is exactly what some guys want after a day in the heat. Sleeps four comfortably in the suites if you're doubling up.

Twenty minutes out, on the lake. The play if you've got six-plus guys and want a kitchen, a deck, a grill, and rooms with doors that close. You give up the walk-to-the-bar convenience but you save real money and you can play poker until 2 a.m. without the front desk caring.

Down the road in French Lick proper. Bare-bones cabins meant for families at the waterpark next door, but they're cheap and they sleep multiple guys without anyone having to share a bed. Not luxurious, not pretending to be — useful if the resort is sold out.

The big-night dinner at the French Lick Springs Hotel. Dry-aged beef, a wine list that goes deeper than it needs to for rural Indiana, and a room that feels appropriately serious. Order the bone-in ribeye and don't fight the wedge salad. Reservations on Friday and Saturday — they fill up.

Quieter sibling to 1875, sitting inside the West Baden atrium. American food done well — duck, fish, a couple of pasta options — and the room itself is the show. Better choice if you want to actually hear the conversation.

Larry Bird's place in downtown French Lick. Burgers, pizza, beer, and Celtics memorabilia coating every wall. Exactly the post-round bar you'd hope for in a town this size — go for the cheeseburger and the beer list, stay for the fact that yes, that's a real Larry Bird trophy in the case.

Inside the old hydroelectric plant at the resort, now the late-night bar. Small menu, full bar, decent bourbon list. The move after dinner when the dining rooms close and you're not done.

Half-hour drive to Jasper, into a town settled by Germans in the 1800s. Schnitzel, sauerbraten, spaetzle, served by people who've worked there for 30 years. Worth the drive for one lunch — pair it with Sultan's Run if you're playing it.

Indiana wine isn't going to change your life, but the cafe attached does a solid lunch — flatbreads, soups, salads — and it's a calm break between rounds. Skip the wine, get the sandwich.

Breakfast in the West Baden atrium. Worth eating here at least once just to sit under that dome with coffee. Standard hotel breakfast otherwise — eggs, biscuits, the usual — but the room makes it.

Wood-fired pizza in downtown French Lick. Doesn't look like much from the outside; the pies are legit. Good casual lunch or a low-key dinner if you're not feeling another sit-down at the resort.