Donald Ross Golf Course Review, French Lick Resort, Indiana

The Donald Ross Golf Course in French Lick is easily one of the best Ross courses I’ve ever played. A friend of mine said it was the best he’s ever played. It has the classic Ross elements (Easy bogey – tough par, raised tees and greens, specific landing areas on greens, wonderful bunkering, etc.), and is a complete delight to play. I had the pleasure of playing it 3 times during a week span, and it was interesting and challenging each time.

The course starts with a par 4, teeing off from an elevated tee. The approach is (as is often the case with Donald Ross courses) uphill to a tiered green. Pay attention to the GPS for the pin positions; being on the proper level is key to scoring well and avoiding three-putts.

The second hole is similar to the first, except it plays a bit shorter. If you hit driver (probably unnecessary, but you could) you’re approach will be under 100 yards. The approach is uphill, and semi-blind from this position. If you’re not being rushed, you may want to walk up to the green to see where you’d like to land the ball. I did, and it helped me save a par. Here’s the view of my approach:

The tee shot on three is blind. The best shot is going over the bunkers on the left with a slight fade. After the bunkers, the fairway slopes downward all the way to the hole, where the green is again, raised. Being on the proper level of this green is key, so be sure to take into account the downhill lie for your approach.

The 4th is the first par 3, and let me say right now that Donald Ross isn’t shy about adding some length to his par 3’s. Playing from the Ross tees, the distances for the four par 3’s is as follows: 194, 210, 228 and 133. Oh yeah, and the Ross tees aren’t even the back tees. I hope your long-iron/hybrid game is on; you’ll need it. For this hole, don’t be long or left; you can see the trouble.

The fifth is a relatively straight-forward par 4. The tee shot is crucial; there are bunkers in the fairway at about the distance of a well-struck drive, so you need to decide whether to hit a bit shorter and guarantee a fairway approach (albeit a bit longer), or grip and rip.

The sixth is the next par 3. Not only is it 210 from the Ross tees, but it’s uphill AND into the wind. This was a hybrid for me, and it had to be struck perfectly.

The seventh is the only par 5 on the front, and reachable for the longer hitter (513 from Ross tees.) Avoid the bunkers in the middle of the fairway, and be prepared for a downhill lie for your second. I made it once, but three-jacked. Still, a par’s a par right?

The eighth is probably my favorite hole, at least on the front 9. The tee shot calls for a mid-iron to small hybrid at the most, unless you want to risk hitting driver and hitting your second from a deep valley of rough. I tried both ways, and prefer the approach from the fairway. The green is almost an island, and slopes SEVERELY from back to front. If the pin is back, be sure to get it to, or past the hole. Here’s a view from behind the green, but it doesn’t truly do it justice. It has to be seen to be believed.

The tenth hole almost mirrors the first, with a tee shot from a raised box, hitting into a valley with an uphill approach to a raised green. Ross at his finest! I found myself short on this hole all three days; it’s tough taking enough club. My advice; when in doubt, take the extra club.

The eleventh is the shortest par 4 on the course. The difficulty here is avoiding the bunkers. The fairway slopes left to right, so be sure to land your tee shot on the right side. The approach is all uphill; again I advise walking up to the green and deciding on where you want to land the ball, if you have time.

Thirteen is a monster par 3, period. Uphill, into the wind and measuring 228 from the Ross tees (252 from Medal tees). There’s room to bail left of the green, and bunkers front and right. I hit 3-wood twice, and driver once, and missed the green all three days. Difficult? Definitely, but easily one of the most interesting and challenging par 3’s I’ve ever seen.

The fourteenth is very similar to the third; blind tee shot (with the best bet up the left side), and a fairway that runs downhill the entire way, leaving a downhill approach. Be sure to be left; there’s a single, large tree that will get in the way of your approach on the right, as you can see from the picture.

The sixteenth is the only short par 3 on the course. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. The bunkering is impressive, and it also slopes pretty severely from back to front, so be wary of that when you hit. Almost every shot will roll down the green, and if there’s any backspin (which is expected hitting PW/9 iron), it’s even more so.

Standing on 18 tee, I decided to take a picture of 17 green, which was beneath me. I think it clearly shows what I mean when I say Donald Ross makes some of the toughest greens. Imagine hitting your approach to the wrong side of this green; a two-putt would be lucky.

The eighteenth is as strong of a finishing hole as I’ve ever seen. A great tee shot might still leave you with a 200 yard approach. Again, it’s of the utmost importance that you aren’t short on your approach, or it will roll 15-20 yards down the hill (experience talking here.) I was short the first two times I played here, and long the final day, and I took two extra clubs to be long. Fantastic hole.

The first time I played it, I was in a scramble format, so I wasn’t able to keep a personal score. The second time I shot an 86 from the Regular Tees, and the third day a 92 from the Ross Tees. I got to be honest; I’m pretty happy with those scores. The difficulty isn’t in keeping the ball in play; it all revolves around tee placement, and where your approach lands. There were holes where two approaches might land ten feet apart, but after rolling, end up between 10 feet and 50 feet from the hole. It really is a different game of golf on a Donald Ross course, and I highly suggest this course to any fan.

Here’s a short video I took while standing on the practice green between the clubhouse and first tee: