SpringsValley.com News and information for Springs Valley, French Lick, West Baden, Patoka Lake and all Southern Indiana Recreation - GCSAA Video Features Pete Dye Golf Course at French Lick

SpringsValley.com News
Lexington, KY USA
By Megan Adams, SpringsValley.com News Staff
"Best New Public Course" - The new Pete Dye Course at French Lick (presented by Tee-2-Green)

FRENCH LICK, INDIANA- As many Southern Indiana Golf enthusiasts already know, the Pete Dye Golf Course at the French Lick Resort of Springs Valley was recently name "Best New Golf Course" by Golf Digest magazine. In a video on GCSAA.org, Superintendent Russ Apple and Pete Dye talk about the challenges of building Dye's latest course, which features drastic elevation changes, phenomenal vistas and unique bunkers.

Photo: Pete Dye Golf Course at the French Lick Resort

In the video, Dye discusses his initial reservation about attempting to build a golf course on the site, saying, "When I first looked at it, I thought you could never made this a walkable golf course."

But after much consideration, Dye changed his mind and went on to create an unforgettable course. After 200 million pounds of dirt moved and over a hundred personal visits to the construction site, the Pete Dye Golf Course at French Lick is an ideal course for any golfer.

We wanted to "make a course that can challenge any golfer, all the way from the novice, up to the Championship tour player," says Superintendent Apple.

But the versatility of the course was not the only challenging aspect of construction. The course is located on the second highest point in Indiana. "The goal was to have a view of all the vistas of Southern....

Orange County," says Apple. A struggle to achieve, the unique appeal of the Dye course made the lofty goals well worth it.

The video goes on to detail the maintenance program for the course with Apple discussing fertilizers, the different grasses used, and an extensive aerification program that keeps thatch from becoming a problem. Dye still visits the course about once a month and walks it to comment on progress and aspects that could still be improved. After all, they do have the 2010 PGA Tour National Championship for which to prepare!

For more information about the course that has been called legend Pete Dye's best inland site, watch this fascinating video about what goes into the making of a masterpiece, or visit the Pete Dye Golf Course website at frenchlick.com.