Elbel Golf Course (South Bend, Ind.)

[JJShanley]

Scorecard:  http://goo.gl/gkhDgB
Course Tour: http://www.sbparkgolf.org/events/elbel/elbel/course-tour/
The City of South Bend recently sold its Blackthorn course (previously city-owned, but managed privately) to a consortium for $1.655 million.  (Construction cost $5.6 million in 1994.)  The city maintains three other municipal courses: Elbel Park, Studebaker, and Erskine Park.  The city planned on selling Elbel Park for non-golf use, but the new owners of Blackthorn have suggested they would like to purchase that property for golf use as well.


I hope they can make Elbel Park work as a golf course.  It sits about ten miles from downtown South Bend.  https://goo.gl/maps/XD0cV  Although that might not seem a long drive, Warren and Blackthorn provide more convenient golf, especially to the residents of Mishawaka and Granger to the east of South Bend.  I enjoyed the layout more than I did Blackthorn.  It could do with some tree removal, especially on the early holes by the water, to improve the turf.  Some of the holes look out of place.  But I maintain that in the correct hands, South Bend golfers could enjoy another excellent public facility in addition to Warren.  It also has a 300 yard driving range, that faces east, so lacks the problem that west-facing Warren has during the evenings.


At 6,885 yards from the tips, they really don’t need to add yardage.  Warren and Blackthorn each host D1 and D3collegiate tournaments, so I don’t think Elbel Park could work their way into that market.  The front nine has at least two holes (6 and 9) that don’t satisfy at all.  6 provides a fun tee shot, but then the green looks like someone just plonked a flag down and mowed the grass. 


On the back nine, you have the possibility of shifting tees, fairways, and greens, to open up the course, while using land not currently in use.  Starting with 11, a 468-510 yard par 5 that routes like a tall, slim “S”: you have the possibility of relocating the green to the east so that the hole plays more of a dog-leg left.  That would allow the tee shot on 12 to play from further to the east.  13, a longer par-3, could play as a Biarritz.  17 could play as a Redan. 


I’d love to hear the thoughts of others who have played this course.  The suggestions I’ve offered require financial investment by someone.  It’s easy to spend other folks’ money pontificating about course renovation on a message board.  But these suggestions reflect a respect I hold for the course and the property itself.  I hope that it remains open for generations to come.

[Ken Fry]

John,

As of now, the City of South Bend has not decided if the property must remain a golf course or open to any development.  Popular thinking is the city would receive a much larger sum of money if the new owners were able to develop the land into a neighborhood.  If forced to remain a golf course, numbers have been thrown around in the $600-$800 K range.

The property itself has great movement and I've felt since I moved to South Bend in 1994 Elbel is an unpolished gem.  As you mentioned, there are areas of improvement if someone was willing to invest the money (adjust tees or greens, bring bunkers into play around greens, etc.)  Return on any investment would be a challenge.  The market here is a bit saturated and eliminating a course or two (or more) could be beneficial to the remainder.

You mentioned holes #6 and #9 being quite weak.  #6 is exactly as you described it.  The original green was located 100 yards behind where the current green is, set at the base of the hill for the back of the range.  I was told that part of the property had constant drainage issues and the green would flood and be unplayable.  The current green was built in the middle of the fairway.  It looks very out of place.

Hole #9 is a victim of the change in equipment.  The two large trees on the left side of the hole were not there, a bunker was.  An aggressive tee shot could challenge the bunkers into the heavy left to right canter of the fairway.  Now, the trees push tee shots to the right with no chance of holding the fairway.  Laying back is an option but the trees can still block that play.

Elbel falls into the "sporty" category for me, meaning it's a bit short by today's standards for some players but still lots of fun to play.  There are three private courses in the area I'd choose to play Elbel over any time.  It remains to be seen if Elbel will survive  beyond this season.

Ken

[Chris DeToro]

Elbel is a solid public city course.  It actually typically hosts the State Am qualifying (I believe that's still the case though I haven't lived there/played it since 2007) so it can hold up despite its short length. 

[JJShanley]

Sadly I agree with you.  For probably one-third of what the city spent to build Blackthorn, which I enjoy but won't miss like I will miss Warren after I graduate, they could have renovated Elbel to a similar standard.  Had they waited a couple of years, someone might have gotten ideas after having read about the renovation of a muni on Long Island...but as someone's signature says "if never happened."  Instead South Bend built Blackthorn, Notre Dame opened Warren, and the established clubs survive.    As you suggest, the finances likely don't add up to make it worth anyone's while renovating Elbel.  You'd need to bank on a lot of folk playing 54 holes during football weekends.


I just find it frustrating that a walkable property with great potential will fall by the wayside.