French Lick is a legitimate Midwest golf destination built around two courses representing opposite ends of the design spectrum: Pete Dye's modern brute that demands courage and smart positioning on nearly every hole, and Donald Ross's classic that rewards patience and course management. The resort infrastructure handles the rest, making it one of the most complete self-contained golf weekends in the region.
Courses included
The trip experience
The Pete Dye Course at French Lick is a modern championship course that demands full commitment from the first tee, built with the kind of visual pressure that makes golfers reconsider their shot selection before the club leaves the bag. Elevation drops, forced carries, and greens that punish anything but the correct approach angle are present from hole 1 through 18 without mercy or apology. It's not a resort round dressed up as something harder; it's the real thing, and groups that treat it like a vacation test come away either humbled or converted, but rarely indifferent.
"The Pete Dye Course demands full commitment from the first tee, built with visual pressure that makes golfers reconsider shot selection before the club leaves the bag."
The mandatory forecaddie is one of the best investments you'll make on the trip. Not because the Dye course is mysterious, but because local knowledge about specific angles, club distances, and where exactly not to miss is the difference between a round that's difficult and one that's genuinely unmanageable. Groups that try to navigate the Dye course without a forecaddie often leave frustrated; groups that lean on the forecaddie for routing advice tend to have the most memorable rounds of the year.
The Donald Ross Course is the best possible companion. Classic, rhythmic, and built with the understated strategy that makes Ross's work so replayable: gentle terrain, precise green complexes, and a layout where ball position determines approach angle in a way that rewards thinking more than pure hitting. After a day of the Dye course's relentless pressure, the Ross plays like a deliberate contrast, and most groups find it more enjoyable as a golf round even though the Dye is the reason they came.
"Most groups find the Donald Ross Course more enjoyable as a golf round than the Dye, even though the Dye is the reason they came. That is not a complaint about the Dye."
The resort infrastructure at French Lick is the fourth member of the group. Dining, bars, the casino, and the spa are all on-property, which means the schedule only requires showing up to the tee sheet and letting the resort handle everything else. French Lick has been a resort destination since 1917, and the accumulated infrastructure shows in how effortlessly the trip operates. One good steakhouse dinner, one relaxed breakfast before the early tee time, and the evenings fill themselves.
The best version of the trip plays the Dye first, on a weekday if possible to save $50 per person on the green fee, and lets the Ross be the recovery round on day two. Both courses are on-property, so no driving is required between rounds. Sultan's Run in Jasper is the right value add for a third round: a strong public course through hardwood forest at a fraction of the Dye rate and only 30 minutes away. Chariot Run along the Ohio River adds a genuinely different landscape for groups extending to three nights.
Brickyard Crossing in Indianapolis, with four holes inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, is the most unusual golf experience within easy driving distance and worth building into a travel-day if Indianapolis is part of the route home.
Book the Dye first.
Side trips & bonus golf
Sultan's Run in Jasper is the first add for groups extending to three days or wanting a value round that doesn't require much driving. Steve Smyers routed it through hardwood forest with significant elevation change, and at 30 minutes from French Lick it's the most accessible third-round option that adds real design variety without a premium green fee. The right choice when the group wants more golf without another resort-priced round.
Chariot Run along the Ohio River in Laconia is the strongest architectural extension for groups who want one round that feels completely different from the French Lick property. The elevation and river views give it a character that's impossible to replicate on the resort courses, and the 60-minute drive is worth it for groups who've already played both Dye and Ross and want range. The commitment level is higher than Sultan's Run, which makes it the right add for three-night trips rather than two-night ones.
The Pfau Course at Indiana University in Bloomington is a Donald Ross design open to the public that becomes relevant if your group is routing through Bloomington on the way to or from French Lick. It is genuinely worth a round for groups interested in Ross's design work, and the low green fee makes it the most affordable way to add a second Ross round to the trip. Brickyard Crossing in Indianapolis brings four holes inside the Speedway oval into the rotation for groups routing through the city; it is the most specific golf experience within easy driving distance of French Lick and worth the trip for the novelty alone.
Is this trip right for your group?
- ✓You want to play one of the most demanding public courses in America and need a weekend trip format to justify the commitment.
- ✓Your group appreciates architectural contrast: Pete Dye's modern brutalism and Donald Ross's classic subtlety in one two-day trip.
- ✓Indiana is driveable from your home base in the Midwest, Southeast, or mid-South without requiring a flight.
- ✓Staying on-property at a resort with built-in dining, a casino, and no logistics friction is the ideal group format.
- ✓The group plays to varying handicaps and wants two courses that work differently for different skill levels.
- ✓The forecaddie experience on the Dye is appealing rather than unnecessary.
- ✗You want easy, relaxed resort golf without having to think hard about course management and shot selection.
- ✗Your group's budget doesn't support $500-plus per person just in green fees; the Dye course's pricing makes this a premium destination.
- ✗Indiana in summer is hot and humid, and your group is not interested in early tee times to beat the heat.
- ✗You need nightlife beyond a resort casino; French Lick is a self-contained destination, not a city trip.
- ✗The forecaddie model feels like an imposition rather than an asset.
When to go
- April through May and September through October offer the most comfortable playing conditions: mild temperatures, low humidity, and the best turf conditions of the year.
- Spring conditions on the Dye are typically firm and demanding; fall conditions often play faster with excellent ball-flight weather.
- Peak season weekends at the Dye sell out three to four weeks in advance; book as soon as dates are confirmed.
- The resort is fully staffed and operating at its best in peak spring and fall; dining and casino are at their most active.
- Fall color in southern Indiana typically arrives in mid-October and adds visual reward to the outdoor round.
- June through August is viable but hot: morning tee times before 8am are essential for comfortable rounds.
- Summer green fees are typically the same as peak season but the conditions include heat and humidity that make afternoon rounds genuinely difficult.
- Resort occupancy is lower in summer, which means slightly better tee sheet access and occasional accommodation discounts.
- Early summer is often the best shoulder window: temperatures haven't peaked yet and course conditions from spring preparation hold through June.
- November through March brings cold Indiana weather and potential course closures or limited availability.
- The Donald Ross Course has a longer operating season than the Dye; confirm Dye availability before planning winter dates.
- The resort itself stays open year-round but the golf programming is significantly reduced in the winter months.
What a French Lick trip costs
| Item | Peak | Shoulder | Off-Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tee fees + forecaddie (3 rounds) | $925–$1,100 | $850–$1,000 | |
| Lodging (2 nights) | $270–$480 | $200–$380 | |
| Food & drink | $150–$200 | $130–$180 | |
| Total (est.) | $1,345–$1,780 | $1,180–$1,560 |
| Item | Peak |
|---|---|
| Tee fees + forecaddie (3 rounds) | $925–$1,100 |
| Lodging (2 nights) | $270–$480 |
| Food & drink | $150–$200 |
| Total (est.) | $1,345–$1,780 |
Per-person estimates for 2 rounds (Pete Dye with mandatory forecaddie, Donald Ross), 2 nights French Lick Resort, with a group of 4. Excludes flights. All-in: $1,050–$1,400 peak, $880–$1,200 shoulder.
How tee times and lodging actually work
- 1Forecaddie is mandatory on the Dye$50 per person per round, no exceptions; factor this into the total cost before booking.
- 2Weekday vs. weekend pricingSun-Thu green fees on the Pete Dye Course are $450; Fri-Sat are $500; the savings add up for a group of four.
- 3Book peak weekends earlySpring and fall weekend tee times on the Dye sell out three to four weeks in advance; book as soon as travel dates are firm.
- 4Ross Course is easier to bookThe Donald Ross Course has more tee time availability than the Dye; use it to build flexibility into the second-day schedule.
- 5Both courses on-propertyNo driving required between courses; the resort coordinates everything from a single tee sheet interface.
Common mistakes
- !Expecting the Dye to play like a resort courseIt will not; groups that arrive expecting resort-friendly conditions leave frustrated.
- !Not using the forecaddie on the DyeThe mandatory forecaddie fee is worth every dollar; local knowledge about angles and green nuances changes the round.
- !Playing the Ross Course firstThe Dye should come first when legs and patience are at their peak; the Ross works as the recovery round, not the opener.
- !Skipping the Ross entirely for a Dye replayThe contrast between the two courses is the best part of the trip; groups that play Dye twice miss the architectural education.
- !Over-scheduling casino nights before the early Dye tee timeA 7am first tee and a 2am casino run is not a winning combination.
- !Not budgeting for the forecaddieThe mandatory $50 per player fee catches some groups off guard; know the full cost before arrival.
What to pack
Sample itinerary
- Day 1Arrive + Donald Ross CourseDrive to French Lick, check in, afternoon round at the Donald Ross Course as the arrival warm-up. The Ross gives the group a feel for the resort and a relaxed first day before the Pete Dye challenge.
- Day 2Pete Dye CourseFull day for the Pete Dye Course. Morning tee time, forecaddie on the bag, and a commitment to smart course management from the first tee. Plan for five-plus hours and a proper dinner afterward.
- Day 3Sultan's Run + DepartMorning round at Sultan's Run in Jasper, 30 minutes from the resort, before driving home. Sultan's Run adds a completely different visual and design register at a fraction of the Dye rate; a good value closer for the trip.
Where to stay & eat
Know before you book.
Rankings and new trips, straight to you.