Brickyard Crossing, in Indianapolis, IN, is a Pete-Dye renovation that resides next to and inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Four holes of the course lie within the track itself providing a unique and memorable golf environment. There have been other courses discussed here that are part of similarly unique settings that ultimately add to the experience. In fact, I found the setting to enhance the course and experience beyond many of the flaws the course may have.
The features around the course are unmistakable Dye. Railroad ties, angles, visual noise, and the use of water as a decision maker are all on display. There is also a surprising amount of movement in the land given the perfectly flat nature of the surrounds. Ultimately, the undulation is man-made, but it makes for some challenging and visually appealing holes, most notably some fantastic short par 4s.
The greens and their surrounding slopes are a primary challenge as you’ll see in many of the photos. Greens complexes at 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 14, and 18 stand out for me as exceptional in how they defend their holes and provide character.
The property itself lends itself to some inherent flaws. The footprint of the property is quite small and as you’ll see in the satellite image posted below, there is not much room between holes. There are several instances of awkward backtracking between holes and other examples of clumsiness in the routing. Again, I’m sure it would have been difficult to avoid these issues given the size of the property.
Another criticism I have is that there are several holes that are very similar. For example, holes 5 and 6 are almost identical in shape. Granted, one is a long par 4 (453 tips) and the other is a reachable par 5 (525 tips), but they are nearly the same hole. Three of the par threes (while very attractive) have a similar visual of a hazard running parallel to one side of the green (not to mention similar yardages of 206, 204, and 192).
Here are some pics and descriptions…Yardages are from the Gold and Blue tees. Also, some of the early photos are pretty hazy due to the extreme early morning humidity during our visit.
Hole 1 (Par 4 365, 353)
A modest/straightforward par 4 with a receptive green that is open in front.
Hole 2 (Par 5 560, 510)
I really liked this par 5 from the tees we played. From 510 it was quite reachable. There is a bunker inside the dogleg on the left that can be carried to leave a mid to long iron second shot. However, a severely sloped bank awaits shots that drift short right of the green. I like the severity of the feature considering you’re either going for a par 5 in two or hitting a short wedge for a third. If the same feature were awaiting on a long par 4 it may be too much.
From the tee
Going for the green in two. The severe slope short and right of the green isn’t truly represented in the photos.
A view from short left of the green. Any ball hit to the right of this hole location could easily feed off of the green to the right.
Looking back from behind the green.
Hole 3 (Par 4 365, 342)
This was possibly my favorite hole on the course. Like many here, I’m a sucker for good short par 4s. This is a great example of strategy off the tee to gain a visual reward. A tee ball down the left hand side of the fairway will still leave a short approach, but your view will be entirely obscured by a large mound.
From the tee.
Hit it down the left side, and here is your view.
Or flirt with the bunker on the right and you are left with this angle.
The view from atop the mound on the left.
Here is a look at one of Dye’s bulk headed bunkers. One question I have regarding this bunker is why is it so recessed from the green? Nevertheless, it is eye catching and I don’t think the hole suffers greatly.
From behind the green.
