By Mike May
The late, great hall-of-fame golf course architect Pete Dye was one of the finest golf course architects of his generation. Dye’s ‘footprint’ on golf is prolific. It’s on display around the world, especially in Indiana. 
To honor Dye’s ties to Indiana, The Pete Dye Golf Trail is comprised of seven of Dye’s creations: The Pete Dye Course at French Lick, Brickyard Crossing Golf Club, The Fort Golf Course, Maple Creek Golf & Country Club, Tippecanoe Country Club, plus the Ackerman-Allen and Kampen golf courses at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.
The Pete Dye Course at French Lick
The Pete Dye Course at French Lick opened in 2009. It includes three man-made lakes and was built atop a high ridge. The elevation changes and views alone make this a must play. Powerful adjectives like, dramatic, exciting and spectacular have been used to describe The Pete Dye Course experience.
From the clubhouse high atop Mt. Airie, Indiana’s second highest elevation point, you get a 360-degree view of southern Indiana and the surrounding Hoosier National Forest. It is possible to take in the vistas for 30-40 miles in every direction.
“As I built the golf course, I tried to get the tees, the fairways, and the greens in position that they have these long views over the valleys and hills,” stated Dye.
Brickyard Crossing 
Golf at Brickyard Crossing is a blend of golf and motor sports as the course sits adjacent to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Dye redesigned the Brickyard Crossing Golf Club with 14 holes situated on the outskirts of the Speedway and four holes located within the infield of the Racing Capital of the World. The infield holes are accessible via a tunnel, under the actual racetrack.
All pins have black-and-white checkered flags with the logo of the IMS sewn across the flag. So, when you play Brickyard Crossing, you get 18 checkered-flag experiences.
The Fort Golf Course
The Fort Golf Course is one of the finest public golf courses in the Midwest. In fact, on the home page of this golf course’s website, it’s stated that The Fort Golf Course is one of the “best golf courses you can play in Indiana.”
“Our course is surrounded by the Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park, so there are no residential homes on the course,” said John Swan, head golf professional at The Fort.
Golf has been played here since the early 1950s by U.S. Army personnel. The golf course was originally called the Fort Harrison Officers Club and Golf Course. Things changed for the better in 1998 after the re-design by Pete Dye and Tim Liddy.
Located 25 minutes from downtown Indianapolis, The Fort has three on-site housing options, Fort Harrison State Park Inn, Harrison House, and Officer’s Home.
The Maple Creek Golf & Country Club
The Maple Creek Golf and Country Club, located on the northeast side of Indianapolis, was Dye’s first 18-hole golf-course design.
Originally opened as Heather Hills Golf and Country Club in 1961, this 18-hole layout was created in partnership with his wife, Alice. Today, Maple Creek features small tees and greens, narrow fairways lined with mature trees and natural long grass areas with a creek winding through the front nine.
“Maple Creek is a picturesque, traditional and classical setting defined by challenging yet rewarding design features,” said Jim Grossi, Maple Creek’s General Manager and Head Golf Professional
Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex
Purdue University is blessed with two great, nationally respected Pete Dye golf courses, Ackerman-Allen and Kampen, which are located at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.
Ackerman-Allen is a parkland-style course with rolling hills, tree-lined fairways, white sand bunkers, and wide collection areas around the greens. Kampen is a links-style layout with vast sand bunkers, well-placed waste bunkers, man-made wetlands, and a natural celery bog.
“As for Ackerman-Allen, Pete Dye took an already good golf course and turned it into an incredibly fun and truly enjoyable golf course,” said head golf professional Daniel Ross. “Kampen has always been a strong golf course. Now, the course is in great condition and the greens are very consistent. Both courses are kept in phenomenal shape.”
Tippecanoe Country Club
The Tippecanoe Country Club in Monticello is one of the most treasured attractions in northern Indiana. It opened for play in 1920, as a nine-hole golf course.
The most significant change to the golf course took place in 1963 when a young Pete Dye was hired to add an additional nine holes to the existing golf course. He designed the back nine and re-designed portions of the front nine, including all the tees and greens. His work remains as relevant today as it was back in the early 1960s.
Indiana is proud of its native-son, Pete Dye. He has left a legacy of great golf for all golfers to enjoy.
Find out more about the Pete Dye Golf Trail at: https://www.petedyegolftrail.com/.
