French Lick Resort (Donald Ross Course)

Overview: The Donald Ross Course at French Lick Resort is an 18-hole Golden Age layout in the hills of southern Indiana. Ross's routing uses the natural slopes rather than flattening them, so the round is shaped by uneven lies, deep-faced bunkers and greens with pronounced movement. The par-70 course measures 7,030 yards from the back tees in the current directory record, but its interest is not simply length. Approach angles and recovery shots matter throughout, especially where the putting surfaces fall away sharply from the intended line of play. It is a course for golfers who enjoy seeing a classic design feature announce itself in the shot required to negotiate it.

History: Tom Taggart sought Donald Ross's services in 1915, and the course that became known as the Hill Course opened in 1917. Seven years later it entered major-championship history when Walter Hagen won the 1924 PGA Championship there in the match-play final. The property later hosted LPGA and senior events, while a major restoration led by the Cook Group, Lee Schmidt and the Donald Ross Society returned the routing toward its earlier character in the mid-2000s. The restored course reopened in 2007 and was renamed for its original architect.

Did You Know? French Lick's official course history counts 80 deep-faced bunkers among the Ross Course's defining features. Its greens are also described as some of the most severely undulating in golf, a combination that explains why a well-struck approach can still leave a demanding putt.