Welcome to Golfweek’s Best 2023 Casino Courses in the United States. This list focuses on courses owned and/or operated by or in conjunction with casinos, with data pulled from Golfweek‘s massive database of course rankings.
The hundreds of members of Golfweek‘s course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each that is then used to compile the Golfweek’s Best course rankings.
Listed with each course below is its average rating, location, designer(s) and whether the course is modern (m, built in or after 1960) or classic (c, built before 1960).
The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort is the top course on the Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list in Indiana.
When basketball fans think of the best from central Indiana, they might reflect on the Hick from French Lick, Celtics great Larry Bird.
Switching sports, when traveling golfers think of that same region, it’s completely natural to focus on French Lick Resort, home to the top two public-access golf courses in the Hoosier State. And even more famous is Pete Dye, the famed course architect who left his fingerprints all over the course rankings for Indiana.
Golfweek ranks courses by compiling the average ratings – on a points basis of 1 to 10 – of its more than 750 raters to create several industry-leading lists of courses. That includes the popular Best Courses You Can Play list for courses that allow non-member tee times. These generally are defined as layouts accessible to resort guests or regular daily-fee players.
The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort is No. 1 on that list. Opened in 2009 on rugged terrain, the layout first took shape on a napkin, with Dye facing many challenges on the land but also many opportunities. The result is a modern stunner that ranks No. 4 on the 2020 Golfweek’s Best list for casino courses in the United States, No. 38 on the 2021 list for all resort courses in the United States and No. 147 on the 2020 list for modern courses built in or after 1960 in the U.S.
French Lick’s Donald Ross course (Courtesy of French Lick Resort)
French Lick Resort’s Donald Ross course, by contrast, is a much more traditional layout, as would be suggested by its iconic namesake designer. Built in 1917 and restored in exacting detail by Lee Schmidt and Michael Fay in 2005, the Ross layout ranks No. 2 on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for Indiana, No. 16 among all casino courses in the U.S. and No. 106 for all resort courses.
Pete Dye, in partnership with Tim Liddy, struck again for No. 3 on Golfweek’s public-access list for Indiana with The Fort, which opened in 1997 at the former Fort Benjamin Harrison U.S. Army post. Dye shows up again with the No. 4 course in Indiana, the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex’s Kampen Course at Purdue University in West Lafayette.
The Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame in Indiana (Copyright USGA/Fred Vuich)
The No. 5 honor in Indiana goes to the design duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and their Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame, which opened in 2000.
The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged together to produce a final rating for each course. Then each course is ranked against other courses in its state, or nationally, to produce the final rankings.
Mark your calendars for August 2021: The USGA and LPGA have announced back-to-back majors will be on the senior schedule for 2021.
The USGA and LPGA announced on Wednesday that the senior championship schedule for 2021 will feature consecutive major events.
Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Connecticut will host the third U.S. Senior Women’s Open, Aug. 19-22, while French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana hosts the fourth Senior LPGA Championship the following week, Aug. 26-29. Both events were both postponed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open will be Brooklawn’s fifth USGA championship, following the 1974 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 1979 U.S. Women’s Open, the 1987 U.S. Senior Open, and the 2003 U.S. Girls’ Junior.
“We could not be happier to still have the opportunity to host our 3rd U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship at Brooklawn Country Club,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director, championships. “Our newest championship continues to be a treasure for all who are involved. We cannot wait to see the players compete on this fantastic course next year.”
The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort has hosted the Senior LPGA Championship since its 2017 premier. In 2019 Helen Alfredsson joined Laura Davies as a Senior Slam winner, sweeping the U.S. Senior Women’s Open and Senior LPGA Championship in the same season.
The 2021 event will hold a qualifier for two spots the week of Aug. 23.
“We certainly missed the Senior LPGA Championship and its participants this year, and we hope to make the 2021 event the biggest and best one yet, not only for our players, sponsors, and spectators, but for the Patients at Riley Children’s Hospital,” said Dave Harner, director of golf operations at French Lick Resort. “We hope that everyone realizes the significance of this event on all points.”
Golfweek will host a three-day tournament for former college golfers on Aug. 15-18 at French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana.
The excitement around college golf has grown over the last decade, thanks in large part to the addition of match play at the NCAA Championships. The head-to-head concept was something different in college golf, but it has produced some of the most memorable championships yet in the sport.
Some former college golfers – whether because of age or failing to make it that far in the national championship – never got to experience that thrill. For those players, Golfweek will recreate the opportunity.
Golfweek will host a three-day tournament for former college golfers on Aug. 15-18 at French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana. The week will begin with 36 holes of stroke-play competition followed by an 18-hole match. The bracket depends on the size of the field. For example, if 10 teams enter, those 10 teams will be seeded for the match play with 1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4, 5 vs. 6, and on.
Any former college player is eligible to compete, whether or not that player has turned professional. A team will be made up of six former players from a school, and those players can be any age. Yes, a golf pro of any type can play, they only have had to play college golf.
Teams interested in competing should designate a team captain to contact Lance Ringler at lringler@golfweek.com to enter.
Take another important golf tournament off the 2020 calendar due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Take another important golf tournament off the 2020 calendar due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
The latest to be canceled is the 2020 Senior LPGA Championship, which was scheduled for July 30-Aug. 1 at French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana.
The event is scheduled to return in 2021, according to tournament organizers.
“Cancelling any golf event is a difficult and painful decision. We are extremely thankful for the support and flexibility from French Lick Resort and the Legends Tour during this trying time!” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said in a statement released on Friday morning. “Importantly, all of us are committed to this important senior women’s tradition, and we cannot wait to watch the women legends of the game tee it up once again in 2021.”
“These legendary players deserve nothing less than a first-class Championship, and with the current circumstances, our first and foremost concern is for the safety and well-being of the players, the sponsors, the spectators and our staff,” said Dave Harner, Director of Golf Operations at French Lick Resort. “It has become more and more evident that we would not be able to conduct the event to its usual and deserved standard, therefore, we feel cancelling is the best decision. We look forward to 2021 with an even bigger and better fourth Senior LPGA Championship!”
Helen Alfredsson won last year’s Senior LPGA Championship, giving her a sweep of the senior majors after first clinching the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. Laura Davies did the same in 2018. The 2020 Senior Women’s Open has also been canceled.
“During these unprecedented times for all, we understand the challenges associated with planning and hosting the Senior LPGA Championship this summer,” said Legends Tour CEO Jane Geddes. “That said, we look forward to returning to French Lick in 2021 and appreciate the ongoing support we have received from Steve Ferguson, Dave Harner and all at French Lick Resort.”
