Destination Golfer Upper Midwest May 2021

Page 44

Pete Dye Golf Trail’s Indy pit stops will amaze Brickyard Crossing • Indianapolis, Ind.

Maple Creek Country Club • Indianapolis, Ind.

F

The Fort • Indianapolis, Ind.

The Fort, Brickyard Crossing and Maple Creek feature speed, rolling landscapes and Army history

or many years, golfers have been coming to The Hoosier State to enjoy the scenic views and challenging courses designed by master architect, Indiana’s own Pete Dye. Along with his wife Alice, Dye created a golf course design legacy that is world-renowned and put Indiana on the global golfing map — highlighted by a collection of seven Dye designs known as the Pete Dye Golf Trail. Offering a variety of inviting layouts and challenges, the Trail is truly for golfers of all skill levels — each featuring Dye’s signature design style and ingenuity.

The Dye’s maiden voyage — Maple Creek Country Club The Dyes designed their very first 18-hole course in 1961 when they unveiled Maple Creek Country Club — located near downtown Indianapolis. They incorporated the mature trees and long grasses native to Indiana with narrow fairways and a copious amount of bunkers into this historic design to create a natural oasis in an urban setting. Maple Creek’s clubhouse features an expansive museum of Dye memorabilia that boasts the only complete logoed golf ball collection of every Pete Dye-designed course.

Start your engines — Brickyard Crossing Perhaps the most unusual Pete Dye course is woven into one of the sporting world’s largest and ‘fastest’ venues at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With Brickyard Crossing, Dye designed four holes inside the iconic IMS back straightaway where drivers top 230 miles per hour at the Indy 500 each May. The remaining 14 holes are located behind the racetrack’s backstretch. At the time Dye was redesigning the course, the old concrete racetrack walls were being pulled down and replaced. Dye salvaged the walls and used them around the holes and creek as an homage to the incredible legacy there. Visitors can even see the names of drivers along the walls melding golf and the racing heroes that wrote history there. The pilgrimage to Brickyard Crossing is well worth it for any sports aficionado.

History at every turn — The Fort Just outside of Indianapolis is The Fort Golf Resort. The course is situated on the grounds of the former U.S. Army post, Fort Benjamin Harrison. The neighboring Fort Harrison State Park offers a serene backdrop for the greens with views of the now landmark Army installation. The Fort accentuates the unusually hilly Indianapolis terrain located there, which lends to the flowing design. For those that play The Fort, this rolling parkland layout gives golfers a welcome sense of peace and tranquility. Four more unique courses in Indiana round out Indiana’s Pete Dye Golf Trail. If you complete all of them, you can receive a free Pete Dye Golf Trail pin flag — and bragging rights for life. The legacy of Pete Dye welcomes you to Indiana’s premier golf experience. Visit PeteDyeGolfTrail.com to plan your trip and book tee times.

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