The Fort Golf Course (Pete Dye) - Indianapolis, IN (All 18 holes posted)

[Matthew Sander]

Public golf in Indianapolis carries a pretty respectable reputation on this site, and The Fort is one of the courses that is usually mentioned. I don't believe there are many if any photos posted, so I thought I'd do a brief tour**.

The Fort Golf Course resides on the property of decommisioned Fort Benjamin Harrison. Since the closing of the military installation, the state has converted the site to a state park with a resort and conference center.

The current version of the course was done by Pete Dye and Tim Liddy. The site is wooded and has considerably severe terrain in spots. As a matter of fact, where many of Dye's courses feature an engineered look designed to visually intimidate the player, The Fort relies more on the large scale features of the property, including hills and elevation changes. Hopefully this comes across in the photos to follow.

**I apologize for the quality of many of the photos. Our visit was during a period of extreme heat and humidity.  Also consider that we played immediately following a thunderstorm and you should be able to understand why some of the photos are so hazy. I had to continually clean the fogged up lens and that led to some smudging as well...

The Fort tips out at 7148 yards. For the individual holes I’ll list yardages from the tips and one tee forward.



Hole 1 – Par 4 (381,370)

The first has a straightforward tee shot, although there is OB left for severely pulled/hooked shots. The approach is uphill to a well bunkered green. A more open approach is available from the right side of the fairway.



Hole 2 – Par 4 (323, 311)

I wish I had more photos from this hole as I think it is one of the best on the course. It is a short four that turns left and downhill. I think the hole would benefit greatly from tree clearing on the left hand side. As it is now, you don’t see any of the green. I feel if you could at least see a portion of the green from the tee, the player would be more enticed to attempt to get home.



Unfortunately, I don’t have a view of the green, which lies at an angle to the direction of the hole. It is perched atop a little hill and misses left, right, and long are punished pretty severely.

Hole 4 – Par 4 (479, 438)

This is a long downhill par 4 that traverses some hilly topography. From the tee…



From behind the green you see the nature of the terrain. There is a significant slope short-right of the green that can be used to bounce a ball to certain hole locations.



Hole 5 – Par 3 (170, 159)

Tee shot over a ravine to a large green with some movement. There is a predominant back to front tilt in this green.



More later…

[Mark Saltzman]

Hole 4 looks like a lot of fun! 

Do you happen to have a picture that shows the view from the fairway?

[Matthew Sander]

Sorry Mark, you'll have to take my word for it...it is one of the better holes with a great second shot. I'm also disappointed that I didn't get more shots of #2...

[Mark Saltzman]

Not to worry, Matt, I believe you. 

I really like the look of this course and am starting to regret playing Brickyard Crossing instead of it.  I was too drawn by the novelty of playing inside the racetrack...

[michael damico]

I'm with Mark on that one. Crooked Stick was fun and as novelty-istic (a la Mark), but wish I had done more research of the area.

Well, this is added to the list and then a drive down to French Lick next time in IN

[PCCraig]

Matt:

Thanks for the pictures of the Fort. I'm a big fan and I think it's my favorite of the very good public options in Indy. The course looks great in your photos all browned out from a long hot summer!

[Bart Bradley]

The most amazing thing about the Fort is the property. Nowhere else in Central Indiana has the topography of this piece of ground. 

Bart

[Matthew Sander]

Hole 6 – Par 5 (511, 496)

The first of two consecutive par fives. Tee shots will either find the ridge ahead or feed down to a very narrow low area of fairway below.



From the low area of the fairway you see diagonally arranged bunkers that split the layup area into lower (left) and upper (right) fairways.



You are left with a very open pitch if you lay up to the higher right side.



A view looking back down the fairway you can see the bunkers cut into the hill which divide the fairway.



Hole 7 – Par 5 (542, 531)

This hole begins a three hole stretch along the most ordinary portion of the property. A view from the tee…



A conservative lay up will leave this approach…



While laying up more aggressively up the left hand side leaves this unobstructed view of this slightly raised, and fairly flat green…



Hole 8 – Par 4 (345, 337)

A short par 4 that in my opinion gets better the shorter you play it. As a 345 lay up and pitch par four there isn’t much interest. However, if you’re tempted to have a shot at the green (or get as close as possible) the trouble spots short-right and behind the green are more in play.



From behind the green…



Hole 9 – Par 4 (482, 423)

From the tee…



Approach…



The green falls off in several places to tight chipping areas…

[PCCraig]

Love the 6th and 7th holes...not crazy about 8 and 9.

Again, the course looks awesome in your photos all browned out.

[Andy Stamm]

The most amazing thing about the Fort is the property. Nowhere else in Central Indiana has the topography of this piece of ground. 

Bart

Very true. And on top of that, it's such a peaceful place.

[Matthew Sander]

Pat,

I agree with you on the closing four of the front 9. The back to back par 5s are well done. My only criticism is that I think the fairway over the hill on the sixth is a bit too narrow and penal. I wish it didn't bother me, because I feel it is a fantastic hole otherwise, and maybe I'm too picky (or I've been burned by my own poor decision/execution there too many times). Eight and nine are two of the most ordinary on the course, although nine has a fairly interesting low profile green complex.

Regarding the brown conditions, we played at the end of July which was at the tail end of a nearly month long rainless period for most of central and southern Indiana. As a matter of fact, the thunderstorm that preceded our round was the first rain they'd seen in weeks. I would guess that would explain the browned out conditions more than an intentional maintenance approach.

[Matthew Sander]

Hole 10 – Par 4 (311, 305)

Longer players can challenge the green on this short par 4. There is actually quite a bit of room up near the heavily contoured green (unless you catch some cart path which is far too close to the green).  The hole plays downhill and then severely up to the green. For those familiar with the par 5 13th at Lawsonia (Links), the strategy here is similar. The player can play a 200 yd tee shot (give or take) to the flattest portion of fairway; or hit more club to try to get to the bottom of the hill, while risking a severe downhill lie; or attempt to drive the green.



Some shots from behind to show the contours of the green…





One more look back to illustrate the severe slope of the fairway…



Hole 11 – Par 5 (547, 523)

A stunning  S-shaped par 5 of massive scale to match the terrain. The large hill on the left can be used to corral tee shots to the fairway. However a shot that flirts with the rough and ravine on the right provides a less awkward lay up or line to the green in two.



The look uphill if going for green in two…



This is a view of the lay up from the same position...



Once atop the hill, the view of the green…



Another green surrounded by plenty of short grass…

[Matthew Sander]

Hole 12 – Par 4 (479, 434)

A stout par 4 in terms of length, but the fairway is quite generous as is the opening to the green. The only real disaster lies in the thick forest that runs along the left hand side…



The approach…



Hole 13 – Par 4 (407, 396)

No view from the tee, but here is the approach from a little over 100 out…

[Matthew Sander]

Hole 14 – Par 3 (186, 167)

From the tee, you can see that this hole location asks for a draw…



A view of the green from behind…



Hole 15 – Par 4 (471, 448)

This is a long double dogleg par 4. It is really one of the best holes on the property. From the tee, the fairway is fairly wide, but a better angle is gained by carrying as much of the left bunker as possible.



From the middle and right half of the fairway, your second shot is over a slightly sunken bunker that is barely visible in this photo. The green is blind and sits down in a little bowl…



Again, from the photo it is hard to tell, but the green sits down in a mini-punchbowl…

[PCCraig]

14 and 15 are two really neat low profile Dye holes.

[Bill Seitz]

Matt, you mentioned the conditions a few weeks ago.  It doesn't look too bad from the pictures assuming the greens and bunkers were in good shape.  What do you think happened to the fairways, and did they still play OK?  I certainly don't mind brown spots if there's still grass, though some of those areas look a little burned out.  Low maintenance budget?  Conscious decision to focus on the greens?  I seem to remember it being in very good shape when I played it a few years ago. 

[Matthew Sander]

Bill,

What caught my eye is that some of the bunkers were in really rough shape...almost as if they were letting several go back to nature (filled with actively growing weeds...). However, I doubt that is the case as the worst bunkers were the two on #15 and they help to shape the strategic interest of the hole, and are not superficial in any way. While several of the bunkers were in this oddly poor shape, most of the them were OK except for some washout due to the severe thunderstorm.

The fairways were spotty (thin or no turf) in areas, but as I mentioned earlier in the thread, I think that is mostly attributed to the month plus drought they were in the midst of. I think the day we played was the first rain they'd seen in at least a month.

The greens were decent, except #5 was in questionable shape. I believe it struggles somewhat due to ventilation issues as it is aided by a permanent fan. When you couple the green's setting with the extreme drought conditions, you probably have your explanation for its condition.

I think that most of the issues should be attributed to the confluence of conditions as opposed to poor maintenance or a slashed budget. It didn't really detract from the interest of the course, but I'd like to return in the near future to see what if anything they were doing with a few of those bunkers...

[Andy Stamm]

If you're talking about the fairway bunker on the left on 15, that's a waste area and not a hazard (or at least it was). The right fairway bunker was a hazard, but maybe that changed?

[John Nixon]

While the topography at The Fort is unusual for the area, it's not the only example. I'd submit Eagle Creek Golf Club (Dye, and later, Liddy), on Indy's west side, as fairly similar in topography. I just played it last week with someone's cousin, actually.  Photos of the course seem hard to find on the 'net though, but the course's website has a few images: http://www.eaglecreekgolfclub.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=45&Itemid=79

[Matthew Sander]

John,

Your message reminded me that my attempt to post the final three holes went unfinished...thanks for the inadvertent heads up...

Hole 16 – Par 5 (582, 560)

My only shot of this hole…



Hole 17 – Par 3 (247, 232)

A long but straight forward par 3. The green is open in front to accept a shot bounced in …





Hole 18 – Par 4 (474, 426)

A nice finishing par 4. A successful challenge of the left bunker will allow your ball to kick down the fairway leaving a much shorter shot to the green. Playing more conservatively toward the right bunker will leave a longer approach…





The Fort is an entertaining course on a interesting and varied parcel of land. There are several stout par 4s, but many of the shorter holes and reachable par 5s are well done. Indianapolis is a great city for value golf and The Fort remains one of its best options.

[Criss Titschinger]

One of my favorite things to do on this web site is to read up on courses, then have the chance to play them myself and compare notes.

Someone in this thread asked for a picture of the fairway of 4. Here's the best one I got, from about 150 out. You can see how the hill blocks the view of the right side of the green, but you could play a running shot along its contours.



Also, didn't see a picture of hole 3 on this thread, so I'll go ahead and add mine.



Plays 212 from the tips. A short shot is playable, but they keep the grass at rough length; so if you want short grass, you need to carry the green. There's a large bunker that's only in play if you hook it pretty well left. The smaller bunker closer to the green is the one to watch out for. Of course, I happened to find that one when I pulled my tee shot just a hair.

Unfortunately for my camera, I went to take a picture of a deer in the fairway while playing the 6th hole, and dropped my camera on the cart path. Completely broke it. I was able to get shots with my smartphone, but they're not nearly the quality I like to share out.

I do wonder what's going on at 15 though. Both long fairway bunkers looked like they weren't being attended to. I wonder if these will be grown out. Condition of the first one on the left was so bad, that when I hit into it, I wondered if it should have been marked ground under repair.

Aside from fairway bunker condition on 15, things were in really good shape when I played last Friday. The early spring has been very kind thus far in the Midwest. I was really impressed with the course and didn't know that type of land existed around Indy. Favorite holes were 2, 4, 11, and 18.

[Matthew Sander]

Here are some additional photos of The Fort from the Midwest Mashie's Sunday morning round. It was a chilly, but gorgeous morning.

The approach to the 1st



The short par 4 2nd from the tee



...and the approach, missing this green long or right will make for a difficult recovery.





A shot from the 2nd looking back across 7 and 8.

[Jud_T]

The most amazing thing about the Fort is the property. Nowhere else in Central Indiana has the topography of this piece of ground. 

Bart

Been to Harrison Hills?

[Matthew Sander]

A few more photos from Sunday at the Mashie. After these the pictures look pretty similar to those posted earlier in the thread.


The downhill 4th from the tee



The approach



This slope can be used to feed balls onto the green



This herd of deer was ever-present throughout the day



The par 3 5th from 4 green



From the tee at the 5th




The 6th fairway looms overhead at the 5th green



The second shot at the 6th



The par 5 7th from the tee

[JLahrman]

Thanks for bringing these back up. I only played The Fort once, about six years ago. Normally I remember courses quite well, but looking through these pictures I've forgotten quite a bit about The Fort.

I've played several courses around Indianapolis once or twice. I remember liking Purgatory better than The Fort. However, my opinion of Purgatory may have been influenced by the fact that I was expecting a gimmicky course given the gimmicky concept, but the course exceeded my expectations.

Regardless, based on these pics I'd love to give The Fort another try sometime.