Indianapolis Golf Course Recommendations

Hey Everybody,

I'm going to be road tripping through Indianapolis and staying a few days with some local family that doesn't golf. I likely will be able to get 36-54 in over the couple of days I am there. I have never played in the Metro Indianapolis area but know that there are some very nice suburbs which usually equate to some nice public courses. Would love to get any input on can't miss stops. Price is not a major issue as it will be during the week but if there are some high value plays I'd be interested as well. Thanks to everyone in advance!

Brickyard is fun. 4 holes in the infield of the speedway.

French lick is amazing if the road trip takes you near there (2 hours away)

The Fort and Purgatory are also good and near indy

I ate lunch at Brickyard Landing after touring the track. The holes inside the track looked good, and from what I could see, the rest of the course looked good, too. There were cars going around the track, so you could hear race cars going around. We sat on the deck behind the clubhouse, and it was typical golf course food, but it was good.

Where are you staying in the Indy area and does travel matter?

Inside I-465 (which is almost Indy's city limits) Brickyard is the only real top shelf public course. The city munis are ok, but nothing you'll write home about. Buffer Park is a solid 9-hole track near the airport.

But, if you don't mind travel, and/or are staying in the suburbs (especially in the Carmel/Fishers area) then we have many options. I rate them in this order based off personal preference:

Bear Slide (Cicero)

Trophy Club (Lebanon)

Purgatory (Noblesville)

Prairie View (Carmel)

Royal Hylands (Knightstown)

The Fort (Indy/Lawrence)

Plum Creek (Carmel)

Hickory Stick (Greenwood)

River Glen (Fishers)

Eagle Creek Sycamore (Indy just outside 465 NW of town)

Some of these are very easy to pair if you're considering 36 in a day (such as Prairie View and Plum Creek, which are next to one another, and Bear Slide and Purgatory are about 20 min apart). If you don't mind more of a drive (over an hour from the city), the courses at Purdue are hard to beat, as well as Rock Hollow in Peru.

We have a solid little group around Indy you can find in the midwest subsection. Drop me a line as well if you want someone to play with when you're in town, my schedule is very flexible, even more so than usual since I'm all online at work for the indefinite future.

Thank you all for the recommendations. My sister is in Fountain Square and her in-laws are in Noblesville so those will be where I will end up by the end of the day. I appreciate the help and will let you guys know what I end up playing.

So if you're out here in Noblesville, there is no shortage of great courses, and mid-tier options a short drive away. Where I live I'm within 20 minutes of Purgatory, Bear Slide, The Fort, Prairie View, Plum Creek, and River Glen. Can't go wrong with any of them and all are on the discount websites.

I've only been to Indy once for a few days but, I did play Purgatory and The Fort both were very enjoyable!

On a visit to Indy for my daughter's dance competition last year I only was able to play The Fort.  It is on a spectacular property.  I really enjoyed it and was looking forward to return to play some of the others recommended, but Covid got in the way.

Brickyard Crossing, Purgatory, Bear Slide, The Fort, Prairie View. Can't really go wrong with any of them. 

I'm relocating from AKR to IND around the first of Oct. and have rented an apartment near Payne/86th on the inside of 465, so I think I'm within reasonable distance of all courses mentioned above (other than maybe the Purdue tracks). I'll probably play them all eventually, but what would be your recommendations for an "every weekend" course for the limited time I'll have left this fall?  I don't care what tee-time is, as long as it's not a 5 hour round.  I'd ideally like to hook up with a group of guys who all have legit HDCPs and don't mind wagering a few Pesos?  I realize this is more likely at a private club, but that's not in the budget the first few years.

Halliedog check out the circle city chili dipper thread in the Midwest region page. We’ve a group of guys that play regularly. 

All my friends that have played the brickyard old recommend it.  I am a big fan of the French lick courses but that is father than I would want to go from northern Indy Burbs especially the farther north you base.