Drop a Pete Dye design on a ridge in the middle of nowhere southern Indiana, and you get the best golf course nobody you know has played. French Lick exists because the railroad barons wanted somewhere fancy to drink mineral water in 1900 — and somehow that bones-deep history is still working in your favor.
The Pete Dye Course is the headline: hillside, exposed, occasionally mean, and on a clear day you can see 40 miles into Kentucky from the upper holes. The Donald Ross Course down at the Springs Hotel dates to 1917 and has been restored properly — short by modern standards, but the green complexes will eat you alive if you're sloppy. The hotel itself is a fully restored Beaux-Arts pile that feels like it should cost twice what it does. A foursome from Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, or Nashville can drive in, play two genuinely serious courses, and pay less than a single round at the places people brag about.
Dogleg's Pick Courses
Where to Play
In order of conviction. Every course on this list was chosen deliberately.
The Pete Dye Course at French Lick
$100–$175Sits 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.
Donald Ross Course at French Lick Springs
$50–$1001917 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.
The Pete Dye Course — not on anyone's top-100 list and better than most that are. Hillside layout, strong design, completely manageable price.
Where to Stay
Lodging Picks
Ranging from splurge to smart. Pick based on what the group wants and how much time you'll actually be at the hotel.
West Baden Springs Hotel
$$$The reason people post photos. A 200-foot domed atrium that was the largest free-span dome in the world when it opened in 1902, restored from near-ruin in the early 2000s. Quieter and more grown-up than the Springs hotel down the road — book here if you want the bourbon-by-the-fireplace evening, not the casino noise.
French Lick Springs Hotel
$$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.
Valley Tower at French Lick Springs
$$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.
Patoka Lake Vacation Rentals
$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.
Big Splash Adventure Cabins
$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.
Where to Eat & Drink
The Right Restaurants
8 picks across the full range — the big dinner out, the post-round decompress, and the morning before an early tee time.
1875: The Steakhouse
steakhouseThe 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.
Sinclair's at West Baden
fine diningQuieter 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.
33 Brick Street
sports barLarry 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.
The Power Plant Bar & Grill
gastropubInside 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.
Schnitzelbank Restaurant
germanHalf-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.
French Lick Winery & Vintage Cafe
cafeIndiana 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.
Clifton Café at West Baden
breakfastBreakfast 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.
Hagan's Wood Oven
pizzaWood-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.
Beyond the Course
When the Group Needs a Break
All of these are mandatory.
West Baden Springs Hotel Tour
Guided tour of the atrium and the hotel's restoration story — went from condemned and crumbling in the 1990s to fully restored on a Cook family checkbook. Forty-five minutes, surprisingly interesting even if you don't care about architecture. Do it on arrival day.
Book this experience →French Lick Scenic Railway
Vintage train through Hoosier National Forest. Slightly hokey, completely fine — the kind of thing your wife will ask if you did, and the answer should be yes. Twenty miles of woods, about two hours round trip.
Book this experience →French Lick Casino
Attached to the Springs hotel. Not Vegas, not pretending to be — but if your foursome has a couple of guys who want to play blackjack at midnight in their golf shirts, it exists and it's open. Bourbon list at the bar is genuinely deep.
Book this experience →Patoka Lake
Indiana's second-largest reservoir, 20 minutes out. Boat rentals, fishing, a non-trivial bald eagle population. Worth a half-day if you've got a five-day trip and need a non-golf morning, or if somebody in the group fishes.
Book this experience →Hoosier National Forest
200,000 acres of hardwood right outside town. Trails, overlooks, and actual quiet. Drive up to Hemlock Cliffs or Pioneer Mothers if you want a 90-minute leg-stretch between rounds.
Book this experience →Pro Tips
Before You Book
The Pete Dye Course is the reason to come. It's one of the most underrated Dye designs in the Midwest — hillside routing, strong design, no one knows about it.
The Donald Ross Course at French Lick Springs is the history round: restored Ross original from 1917, still playable, and a genuine piece of Midwestern golf heritage.
Indiana in October is spectacular. The fall color on the hillside layouts makes both courses look completely different than summer photos.
French Lick is a genuine resort town — the West Baden Springs Hotel next door is worth a meal even if you're not staying there.
Drive or fly into Louisville (LOU) — under 2 hours. Indianapolis is a viable option at 2.5 hours.
Dogleg's Advice
Most groups book the Pete Dye and treat the Ross like a warmup. Wrong. Play the Ross with intention — it's the more interesting design puzzle even if the Dye gets the magazine covers. And take a caddie on the Dye at least once; the elevation lies to you everywhere.
What to Know
There is no airport that makes sense — Indianapolis is the cleanest play, Louisville and Evansville also work, and most groups just drive. April through October is the window; spring and fall are best, summer gets sticky. Nightlife is essentially the resort itself, so come for the golf and the bourbon list, not the scene.
Who This Trip Is For
✓ Best for
- →Midwest golfers within 3 hours who haven't made it down yet
- →Architecture enthusiasts who want Dye and Ross on a single trip
- →Groups looking for a self-contained resort without urban distractions
- →Fall color seekers who happen to golf
✕ Not for
- →International travelers planning a one-stop US trip: this isn't the destination for that
- →Groups expecting significant nightlife or urban amenities
- →Anyone not within reasonable driving distance of southern Indiana
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