By Mike May
For sports fans in Indiana, May is one of the most exciting months of the year as the first Saturday of May horse racing fans attend the Kentucky Derby in Louisville and on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, auto racing fans flock to watch the Indianapolis 500. In between, there’s nothing better to do than play golf, covering those green fees with money won at Churchill Downs!
One of the best places to play golf in the Midwest, in May is along the I-65 corridor, between Louisville and Indianapolis.
As you head north from Louisville to Indianapolis, there are four courses worth playing: Covered Bridge, Champions Pointe, Otter Creek, and the Legends. When you finally arrive in Indianapolis, Pete Dye’s Brickyard Crossing Golf Club at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway makes the perfect ending spot for your golfing journey.
Four holes of Brickyard Crossing are actually located within the infield of the race track with several holes virtually in the shadows of the grandstands.
As you head north on I-65 from Louisville Covered Bridge sits near the town of Sellersburg. It was designed and is owned by former Masters and U.S. Open 
Champion, Fuzzy Zoeller. One of Fuzzy’s philosophies was to cater to the amateur golfer. His goal was not to build a course that would challenge the best players in the world, but instead entertain, and delight every golfer in the world. It that endeavor he has succeeded.
The finishing holes of each nine, the 9th and 18th, are stunning par fives, which run parallel and share a double green. From the tee box the clubhouse is visible in the distance, perched atop a sizable hill overlooking the golf course.
Nearby Champions Pointe, opened in 2007, and is Covered Bridge’s sister course. Zoeller also played a leading role in designing this 18-hole venue. Champions Pointe has charm, character, and charisma, plus its fair, fun, and affordable.
Continuing north The Otter Creek Golf Course is located in Columbus and is a first-class golf course. It opened for play in 1964 and was designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The course is as popular, appealing, and relevant now as it was when it opened.
Top Indiana amateur golfers are familiar with Otter Creek. It hosted the Indiana State Amateur Golf Tournament 1965 – 1990, as well as, on five other occasions.
The East Course at Otter Creek was designed by RTJ Senior’s son, Rees. It was added in 1995 to make it a 27-hole complex and the original 18 holes were renamed the North and the West.
Just before you reach Indianapolis, The Legends Golf Club is in Franklin. It also features three nine-hole courses, The Middle, The Road, and The Creek. Surrounded by corn, soybean and wheat fields, it is a classic Indiana creation. Plus, it’s not surprising that the Legends has another distinguishing feature, it has hosted more Indiana championship golf events since the early 1990s than any other course in the Hoosier state.
As golfers are beginning to leave the safety of their homes and are seeking easy driving trips, the Southern Indiana I-65 courses, Covered Bridge, Champions Pointe, Otter Creek, Legends, and Brickyard Crossing will make the perfect golf getaway.
Golfers, start your engines, er golf carts!
