Southern Indiana Trip Report May 2018

[jaygween]

Argonne, if cost wasn't a factor would you rather play the Donald Ross course at French Lick or Chariots Run? I tried finding a trip report you did for French Lick, but I didn't see one, but it looks like you've played it. Pictures from your trip and your description of Chariots Run look like it's a great course.

 

I'm trying to decide which one to play. Looks like the winter rate for the Ross course is $75 and Chariots Run is $45 so the difference isn't that big so I'd like to just play the best one.

[Argonne69]

Argonne, if cost wasn't a factor would you rather play the Donald Ross course at French Lick or Chariots Run? I tried finding a trip report you did for French Lick, but I didn't see one, but it looks like you've played it. Pictures from your trip and your description of Chariots Run look like it's a great course.

 

I'm trying to decide which one to play. Looks like the winter rate for the Ross course is $75 and Chariots Run is $45 so the difference isn't that big so I'd like to just play the best one.

 

Yeah, my active posts only go back to 2018 it appears. My trip to Indy and French Lick was in May 2013. Ooh, tough call. I'd have to go with the Ross course by a hair, only because you don't get to play too many old school courses. CR is top notch, but there are a lot of solid prairie-style courses out there. You can add Sultan's Run to the agenda if you decide to play the Ross.

 

 

[jaygween]

Argonne, if cost wasn't a factor would you rather play the Donald Ross course at French Lick or Chariots Run? I tried finding a trip report you did for French Lick, but I didn't see one, but it looks like you've played it. Pictures from your trip and your description of Chariots Run look like it's a great course.

 

I'm trying to decide which one to play. Looks like the winter rate for the Ross course is $75 and Chariots Run is $45 so the difference isn't that big so I'd like to just play the best one.

 

Yeah, my active posts only go back to 2018 it appears. My trip to Indy and French Lick was in May 2013. Ooh, tough call. I'd have to go with the Ross course by a hair, only because you don't get to play too many old school courses. CR is top notch, but there are a lot of solid prairie-style courses out there. You can add Sultan's Run to the agenda if you decide to play the Ross.

 

 

 

Thanks! I was trying to decide which one to play along the drive on I-64. But I honestly think I should play both. I was going to play one of those two and then stop in Lexington and play but it seems like I need to just play both and I'll worry about Lexington later.

[Bob Cat]

Report back, Jay!

[TheLarch]

Did you have any motion sickness the last 10 or so miles before arriving at Chariot Run? The only way I can play that course is to be the one driving. I'f I'm in the passenger seat, or goodness forbid the back seat on the ride there the motion sickness/nausea is overwhelming.

[Argonne69]

Well, I did stop at a few brewpubs on the way to the Louisville area, but I wouldn't call the feeling motion sickness. :drinks:

[jaygween]

> @"Bob Cat" said:

> Report back, Jay!

 

So I played the Ross course at French Lick last Thursday. I was super disappointed with the conditions of the course. Every fairway was really patchy with lots of bare spots with a mix of a mystery light green grass and maybe some bent grass. The tee boxes were also patchy and were not bent grass. The greens were recently punched and sanded and were extremely slow. No hyperbole, they may have been the slowest greens I've ever played. I'd be surprised if they were over a 5 on the stimp. On the long par 3 on the back, I believe #13, the pin was in the back left and there was a big swale in the green where I had to putt up the swale and then the pin was very close to the bottom of the downslope. I hit my putt up the swale and the ball literally stopped on a pretty extreme downhill like 6 feet short of the hole.

 

I understand that it's late March but I played 4 other courses on my trip and the Ross course was in by far the worst shape. It was also the most expensive. I paid $75 which is their winter rate and felt that was even too much for the condition it's in. From my understanding it bumped up to $125 on April 1st which would be insanely overpriced. I played Chariot Run which is very close and conditions there were night and day in comparison. Chariot also had punched greens but they were way quicker and rolled true.

 

For a course that's always ranked in the top 100 public courses in the country I was very surprised. I tried not to let the conditions ruin the experience, but it was hard not to. The course itself is awesome. In my non expert opinion I don't see anyway they would be able to get it into good shape this year. Looks to me they would need to bring new sod in.

 

So just a heads up on this to anyone that was thinking of making a trip to play it this year. I would definitely get confirmation that conditions have improved before going out there. Especially for $125

[zer0]

> @jaygween said:

> > @"Bob Cat" said:

> > Report back, Jay!

>

> So I played the Ross course at French Lick last Thursday. I was super disappointed with the conditions of the course. Every fairway was really patchy with lots of bare spots with a mix of a mystery light green grass and maybe some bent grass. The tee boxes were also patchy and were not bent grass. The greens were recently punched and sanded and were extremely slow. No hyperbole, they may have been the slowest greens I've ever played. I'd be surprised if they were over a 5 on the stimp. On the long par 3 on the back, I believe #13, the pin was in the back left and there was a big swale in the green where I had to putt up the swale and then the pin was very close to the bottom of the downslope. I hit my putt up the swale and the ball literally stopped on a pretty extreme downhill like 6 feet short of the hole.

>

> I understand that it's late March but I played 4 other courses on my trip and the Ross course was in by far the worst shape. It was also the most expensive. I paid $75 which is their winter rate and felt that was even too much for the condition it's in. From my understanding it bumped up to $125 on April 1st which would be insanely overpriced. I played Chariot Run which is very close and conditions there were night and day in comparison. Chariot also had punched greens but they were way quicker and rolled true.

>

> For a course that's always ranked in the top 100 public courses in the country I was very surprised. I tried not to let the conditions ruin the experience, but it was hard not to. The course itself is awesome. In my non expert opinion I don't see anyway they would be able to get it into good shape this year. Looks to me they would need to bring new sod in.

>

> So just a heads up on this to anyone that was thinking of making a trip to play it this year. I would definitely get confirmation that conditions have improved before going out there. Especially for $125

 

It's March, seriously what do you expect????? I've played DR on a couple different trips, both times in the middle of the summer and both times the course was in pristine perfect condition with lightning quick greens. I understand other courses in the area were in better shape, but it's March, I would expect the courses to be pretty ratty and definitley wouldn't hold it against a course if it was in crap shape.

 

That said, the course shouldn't be charging that much money if the course was as bad as you say. I'd consider asking the manager for some sort of credit or even a partial refund.

[jaygween]

> @zer0 said:

> > @jaygween said:

> > > @"Bob Cat" said:

> > > Report back, Jay!

> >

> > So I played the Ross course at French Lick last Thursday. I was super disappointed with the conditions of the course. Every fairway was really patchy with lots of bare spots with a mix of a mystery light green grass and maybe some bent grass. The tee boxes were also patchy and were not bent grass. The greens were recently punched and sanded and were extremely slow. No hyperbole, they may have been the slowest greens I've ever played. I'd be surprised if they were over a 5 on the stimp. On the long par 3 on the back, I believe #13, the pin was in the back left and there was a big swale in the green where I had to putt up the swale and then the pin was very close to the bottom of the downslope. I hit my putt up the swale and the ball literally stopped on a pretty extreme downhill like 6 feet short of the hole.

> >

> > I understand that it's late March but I played 4 other courses on my trip and the Ross course was in by far the worst shape. It was also the most expensive. I paid $75 which is their winter rate and felt that was even too much for the condition it's in. From my understanding it bumped up to $125 on April 1st which would be insanely overpriced. I played Chariot Run which is very close and conditions there were night and day in comparison. Chariot also had punched greens but they were way quicker and rolled true.

> >

> > For a course that's always ranked in the top 100 public courses in the country I was very surprised. I tried not to let the conditions ruin the experience, but it was hard not to. The course itself is awesome. In my non expert opinion I don't see anyway they would be able to get it into good shape this year. Looks to me they would need to bring new sod in.

> >

> > So just a heads up on this to anyone that was thinking of making a trip to play it this year. I would definitely get confirmation that conditions have improved before going out there. Especially for $125

>

> It's March, seriously what do you expect????? I've played DR on a couple different trips, both times in the middle of the summer and both times the course was in pristine perfect condition with lightning quick greens. I understand other courses in the area were in better shape, but it's March, I would expect the courses to be pretty ratty and definitley wouldn't hold it against a course if it was in **** shape.

>

> That said, the course shouldn't be charging that much money if the course was as bad as you say. I'd consider asking the manager for some sort of credit or even a partial refund.

 

If they would have charged $125 I might have been tempted to ask for some type of refund but I’m not a very confrontational person by nature so idk. I understand it’s late March but I would hold a course ranked in the top 100 public courses to a higher standard. I’m sure you would agree based on your post on Whistling Straights conditions. In my non expert opinion it had the look of a course that was in bad shape last fall and one that won’t be able to be in good shape this year. I would love to be wrong but I have my doubts. This also agrees to what DrOldSchool said above that conditions were bad last summer.

 

I should have taken more pictures but this is how every fairway looked (I have no idea if these will work with the new golfwrx)

 

 

Greens

 

 

That actually may have been one of the better fairways. Again the wasn’t just a one off this was every fairway on the course. If you hit the fairway there was probably a 1/3 chance of finding bare ground. Just wanted to update just in case anyone was planning on playing it soon as $125 would be stealing.

 

 

[jaygween]

For comparison here is Chariot Run which is close geographically and the Stonehaven course in West Virginia that has lower average temperatures than French Lick.

 

Chariot Run

 

Stonehaven