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Brandon Urban

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Indian Hills Golf Course - Chapman, KS - A Photo Tour
« on: September 01, 2012, 12:27:13 AM »
My friend Barry and I had the unbelievable opportunity to play Prairie Dunes this past Sunday. I know, I know... If I was at Prairie Dunes, what the hell am I doing posting a photo tour of Indian Hills Golf Course in podunk Chapman, KS, population 1,394?

We were looking for a warm up round on our way south and thanks to Google Places on my Android phone we discovered that Indian Hills was the perfect pit stop for the day. I love seeking out new, small town courses. I truly believe you find the soul of golf there. There is just something that gets me about a course put into the ground by farmers on tractors, designed by guys who didn't really know what they were doing, but loved the game. I was recently reading Adam Clayman's thread on Stapleton and Thedford, Nebraska golf courses and was amazed at some of the comments that followed. I'm pretty sure one person said neither of those courses was worth slowing down to spit out of the window. I can't speak for Thedford and Stapleton since I have never been there (they're on my schedule for next year), but Indian Hills is no architectural gem. It does, however, have many of the things we look for in golf courses: lay-of-the land design, firm and fast unirrigated fairways with good greens, and small and interesting hazards. We, as lovers of the game, are missing out if we just pass these places by.

Off of my soapbox and onto the course. We pulled in to the gravel parking lot and were welcomed in the clubhouse by a grandmotherly figure who told us all about the course and even more about the sandwhiches and snacks available for lunch. Judging from her excitement, I'm pretty sure she doesn't see a too many of out-of-towners. We paid our $15 fee and were on our way.
 

Indian Hills, a 9 holer, offers at stern test at 3,461 yarsd from the back tees, especially in the ever present Kansas wind.


Hole 1 offers a gentle handshake on a downhill, dogleg left par 4 at 410 yards. The approach is to a pushed up green with two flags so the golfer can play 18 different holes.

A look back up the hole toward the tee shows the elevation change.


Hole 2 is a stout par 5 at 564 yards, but usually plays downwind.

With the perfect spot to take in your surroundings just off of the tee.

The approach is straight forward, but don't miss right or you will end up in one of the magnificent bunkers draped across the ground.



Hole 3 brings the first par 3 at 170 yards. It plays into the prevailing wind and the bank on the right side of the green will propel anything that is not well-struck farther away.


Hole 4 is my favorite on the course. This par 4 plays 400 yards and once again doglegs left. You will see that this is a recurring theme that prepared us well for the right-to-left confines of Prairie Dunes later in the day. Plenty of options off of the tee. Challenge the water hazard to the left for a shorter approach or play out to the right for a longer shot in at a better angle.

The approach on this hole was also my favorite. The 11th at Augusta National immediately came to mind. Minus the fact that the Kansas drought has rendered the water hazard defenseless,


Hole 5 is a straight away par 4 measuring 390 yards downwind. Not much here architecturally, but it sure was fun to rip a drive and watch it go bounding down the unirrigated fairway.


Hole 6 brings us the last of the par 5's at 485 yards. It plays downwind and, you guessed it, doglegs left. Pretty sure the guy who designed this place never hit a ball left to right.

This hole features my favorite hazard on the course. This awesome bunker is tucked in the trees on the inside of the dogleg. Can you say Pine Valley-esque!!!

The uphill apporach is no easy task with bunkers pinching in on the left and right.


Hole 7 plays almost identically to hole 5. It is a downwind par 4 at 387 yards, but features a very Maxwell-ish Roll in the middle of the green that definitely causes some thought on your approach.



Hole 8 brings us the last of the par 3's. At 210 yards into the prevailing Kansas wind, this thing is a beast.

The back to front sloped green means anything played past the hole will leave a screamer of a putt back down the hill.


The home hole is, you guessed it, another dogleg left. At 445 yards into the wind and uphill, it provides a nice test coming in. Anything hit left off of the tee is most likely gone forever.

The water tower may not be the windmill at NGLA, but it is ever present during your round and gives the golfer something to aim at on his final approach.


The course routing.


We had a blast at Indian Hills Golf Course. The City of Chapman has a great thing going. This tour may have been a little tongue in cheek and may not generate a bunch of discussion, but I hope it encourages all of us to visit these special kinds of places. Golf needs courses like this and I truly believe that all of us need a round or two like this every once in a while.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2012, 12:39:34 AM by Brandon Urban »
181 holes at Ballyneal on June, 19th, 2017. What a day and why I love golf - http://www.hundredholehike.com/blogs/181-little-help-my-friends

Sam Morrow

Re: Indian Hills Golf Course - Chapman, KS - A Photo Tour
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2012, 12:33:25 AM »
Good stuff Brandon, I love places like this. We gotta remember though that on this site if it's not a Top 100 or mentioned in the Confidential Guide it might not get much love. Was anyone else out on the course that day?

Greg Chambers

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Indian Hills Golf Course - Chapman, KS - A Photo Tour
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2012, 12:36:06 AM »
Love the water tower approach on the ultimate hole
"It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.”

Brandon Urban

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Indian Hills Golf Course - Chapman, KS - A Photo Tour
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2012, 12:36:41 AM »
Thanks Sam. I think there were two other twosomes out that day. It was a perfect 85 degrees and 10 mph wind. We walked it in just over an hour an dfelt like we were taking our time.

I'm not at all saying we give up Top 100's I just think there is alot to be learned and enjoyed from visiting places like this.
181 holes at Ballyneal on June, 19th, 2017. What a day and why I love golf - http://www.hundredholehike.com/blogs/181-little-help-my-friends

Sam Morrow

Re: Indian Hills Golf Course - Chapman, KS - A Photo Tour
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2012, 12:39:06 AM »
Thanks Sam. I think there were two other twosomes out that day. It was a perfect 85 degrees and 10 mph wind. We walked it in just over an hour an dfelt like we were taking our time.

I'm not at all saying we give up Top 100's I just think there is alot to be learned and enjoyed from visiting places like this.


These places are golf. I've played places like this that sucked but always had a blast.

Jason Hines

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Indian Hills Golf Course - Chapman, KS - A Photo Tour
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2012, 08:57:47 AM »
Brandon,

A few questions, (you pick out the serious ones)

The green on #8 looks looks like a lot fun, I suppose they have had to over water the greens to keep things alive so they were playing slow?

How much do you think the water tower influenced the architects final shot making decisions?

In the Kansasgolf.org course listing, do you think they list the fairway grass type as “Everything”?

Do you think the van sitting behind the 7th green actually starts?

In all seriousness, sometimes at my club down on the other side of Kansas, the spirit of the game is in the men’s grill, carts with heaters and perfectly green, carpet like conditions.  Everyone should play a course like Indian Hill every so often.

Jason
« Last Edit: September 01, 2012, 01:19:18 PM by Jason Hines »

David Harshbarger

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Re: Indian Hills Golf Course - Chapman, KS - A Photo Tour
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2012, 09:29:23 AM »
Brandon,

As a golfer who plays most of his rounds at a towns-people's club, I 110% agree with you how much fun one can have on these courses.  This is the spirit of golf incarnate: a place for mates to recreate while chasing the white ball around.  I also agree you are playing largely minimalist design, fast and firm, native grasses, lay of the land golf.  We are all thankful that golf design didn't stop at Indian Hills, but give me two nines at Indian Hills over 18 holes of cartball any day.  I'd split those 10 rounds 10-0.

Dave
The trouble with modern equipment and distance—and I don't see anyone pointing this out—is that it robs from the player's experience. - Mickey Wright

Brandon Urban

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Indian Hills Golf Course - Chapman, KS - A Photo Tour
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2012, 04:17:11 PM »
Jason,

Thanks for the questions. I was going to go all "Mucci" on you but trying to figure that out on my phone in the middle of nowhere is beyond me!

Brandon,

A few questions, (you pick out the serious ones)

The green on #8 looks looks like a lot fun, I suppose they have had to over water the greens to keep things alive so they were playing slow?

They were a tad on the slow side. With the extreme drought they have had to water much more than normal. The greens did have some interest, though, which surprised me.

How much do you think the water tower influenced the architects final shot making decisions?

Unfortunately, I think the architect missed a grand opportunity by not using the eater tower more. It's just right there looking down on you the whole time. It could have been a much bigger focal point, but maybe he was going for more of a Royal County Down church steeple effect.

In the Kansasgolf.org course listing, do you think they list the fairway grass type as “Everything”?

I'm pretty sure the course description lists the fairway grass as "whatever the hell we can get to grow." I would guess that it's mostly buffalo grass which, for those who don't live near these parts, is actually pretty fun to play off of... and fast.

Do you think the van sitting behind the 7th green actually starts?

I'm guessing that van hasn't started since the contractor working on that house had it towed there. It did, however, provide some much needed visual depth to the hole :)

In all seriousness, sometimes at my club down on the other side of Kansas, the spirit of the game is in the men’s grill, carts with heaters and perfectly green, carpet like conditions.  Everyone should play a course like Indian Hill every so often.

Jason
181 holes at Ballyneal on June, 19th, 2017. What a day and why I love golf - http://www.hundredholehike.com/blogs/181-little-help-my-friends

Ken Moum

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Indian Hills Golf Course - Chapman, KS - A Photo Tour
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2012, 08:10:14 PM »
Gawd, I've spent a lot of my life playing courses like that.

Grew up in Thief River Falls, Minn., and played tournaments there and on nine-holers in:

Crookston
Barnesville
Roseau
Fosston
Stephen
Mahnomen
Ada
Karlstad
Erskine
Warren

And in ND:

Grafton
Park River

Moved to South Dakota in the 70s and played tournaments on nine-holers in

Mobridge
Chamberlain
Platte
Timber Lake
Presho (where the cart paths are in the middle of the fairway)
Faulkton
Redfield
Milbank
Gettysburg
Phillip
Belle Fourche
Wessington Springs
Huron
Plankinton
Miller
Custer

Now I live in Kansas, ans so far have played tournaments nine-holers in

Holton
Sabetha

Every one of these courses is like Indian Hills.
If there ever was a soul for golf in mid-America, it resided in these nine-hole courses.

K
Over time, the guy in the ideal position derives an advantage, and delivering him further  advantage is not worth making the rest of the players suffer at the expense of fun, variety, and ultimately cost -- Jeff Warne, 12-08-2010

Jason Hines

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Indian Hills Golf Course - Chapman, KS - A Photo Tour
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2012, 08:55:56 PM »
That’s a good list Ken, here is a small list of mine from Nebraska when I had a little more time to explore.  The slide show on last link has all of the elements that make me giggle, but, Buffalo Ridge isn’t going broke either because of a club house redo and renovation.


Fairbury, NE

http://www.fairburycountryclub.com/

Friend, NE

http://www.friendcountryclub.com/default.htm

Milford, NE

http://www.milford-ne.com/parks_recreation/golf_course.html

Ewing, NE

http://www.golfsummerland.com/layout.html

Buffalo Ridge, Kearney, NE

http://www.buffaloridgegc.com/slidecourse/slidecourse.html


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