Bill Cook & French Lick

[Ran Morrissett]

One of the great things about golf is the different places in the world that it can take you to. Without golf I probably wouldn’t have made it to Florida, the west coast, Cape Breton Island or England this year. There has been one constant: My girlfriend flapping her arms  , wanting to go. Alas, she isn’t a golfer and the logistics never quite worked. Recently, though, I told her I was heading to western Kentucky for business and planned to spend Friday night in southern Indiana for the sake of seeing an old favorite golf course. Her response to my invite: Have fun. 

Boy, did she miss out!! And it turns out that I had no idea what was ahead either.

Everything has changed since I was there a decade ago. I recall that Ted Sturges showed me a building with a grand history (so he claimed) hidden among trees but it looked overwhelmingly sad and hopeless. The Ross Course was the highlight of Larry the Legend’s town and was enough of a pull to warrant a return. Arriving late Friday afternoon in mid October, the fall lighting was perfect and I was lucky to grab many of the photos that populate the updated Ross Course profile. Since posting it, I have received several kind IMs and calls regarding their striking nature. If anyone else wants a particular photo as a screen saver, email me at rmorrissett@cabotlinks.com and I’ll shoot the jpg off to you.

After dark, Director of Golf Dave Harner gave me a history lesson about how two architecturally and historically significant hotels had been properly restored. I had no idea that so much had occurred in part because it is ludicrous  just how much had occurred! It was great to see French Lick hopping, no doubt in part because Billy Ray Cyrus was playing there Saturday night. So many rural towns - as well as their interesting histories - are fading away in America  but not here.

The town’s transformation was driven by one man - one very successful man, Bill Cook who had fallen in love with French Lick. He spent lots and lots of time and money rolling back the decades of neglect and fully restoring two grand resorts without a prayer of ever seeing a financial return on his $500,000,000 investment. He did it for many reasons but money wasn’t among them. This one page article centers on that story and its link is here http://www.golfclubatlas.com/frenck-lick-resort/ as well as the header for French Lick under Courses by Country.

We have never done anything like this on GolfClubAtlas.com but Bill Cook’s legacy (he died this past April) merits special treatment. You don’t have to be Howard Roark to appreciate the photo below and what has been brought back to life in French Lick.




A profile of the Pete Dye Course will be posted Thanksgiving Day. Here is a snap shot of the approach to the sixth as a preview.



Meanwhile enjoy this overview as the story is fascinating for all of us that appreciate architecture in general, not just of the golf variety.

Having opted to stay in the West Baden Springs Hotel I not very smartly sent some photographs of it via my phone to my girlfriend. She is now making plans for me take her there next year!

Cheers,

[John Kavanaugh]

Careful with taking the girlfriend.  My wife just exceeded her drapes budget by 300%.  When I asked her what happened she then informed me, much to late, that she directed the decorator to duplicate the look at French Lick.  Unfortunately for the neighbors, the material is not sound proof.

btw.  I have played the Ross course at least once a year for the last 35 years but now find the new Dye course a much more stimulating experience.  So, how did you handle the morning coffee situation?

[Chris Johnston]

Ran -

Great post and very worthy of recognition.

French Lick is very special and tremendous for golf.

John - Soundproof curtains?  Need plenty of notice if you plan bring her out to Dismal.

[Peter Ferlicca]

When I grew up in Carmel, IN and my mother worked for RCI Travel Company.  We had our once a year vacation down to French Lick every year, at different times of the year.  We stayed in the nice two story resort condo's up on the hill behind the French Lick Resort.  Some of the nicest resorts I have ever stayed in, very warm and home like feeling.  Great things about the resort; the sulfur smell from the well , the beautiful grounds surrounding the resort, the harp player inside the lobby, great ice cream store inside the resort, playing B-Ball with some french lick natives reminiscing about larry bird ,, and last but not least the amazing West Baden Springs Hotel.  I always enjoyed my trip to French Lick, very lovely place. 

[John Mayhugh]

Thanks for this profile, Ran. 

There were some tours of the West Baden hotel before its renovation, but I never made it on one.  As spectacular as it is now, imagine how it must have looked when it opened in 1902.

[John Kavanaugh]

At one point the hotel would hold prize fights in the atrium.  While I am not a MMA fan I would make the trip to witness such an event in that setting.

One note:  I prefer to stay in the main hotel given transportation and culinary issues.

[Craig Disher]

Reportedly the largest interior space in the world until the construction of the Astrodome.

[PCCraig]

Great post and article Ran, thanks for posting. I made the drive down to French Lick a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. The West Baden Springs hotel is incredible and very nice. Both the Ross and Dye Course are worth the trip down there. What Mr. Cook managed to do for that town is really amazing.

[Frank Sullivan]

Ran, thanks so much for sharing this thread!

I was lucky enough to call Bill Cook a good friend and mentor.  I went to Jeffersonville HS in southern Indiana while caddying at Valhalla.  I played on the golf team thus playing several rounds at the Hill Course each year.  Of course, I fell in love with the place immediately.  Ironically, I became involved with the Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps going into my senior year at Jeffersonville.  Bill Cook founded the Star of Indiana out of his love for the drum & bugle corps activity and how the activity benefited his son Carl.  Bill was a pioneer, to say the least, in the medical community.  Additionally, he had a love for taking on restoration projects in the state of Indiana.  If you look at the picture of the dome in this thread, and imagine trumpet players in each balcony of the fourth floor...I was one of those trumpet players who serenaded Bill at a surprise birthday party back when the interior restoration was complete.  Bill also generously helped me begin my business as a music composer. 

Bill passed away last year.  I had seen him just 6 days before, and he was as chipper as ever.  His love for music existed until the day he left this earth.  And, his love for the preservation and restoration of Indiana landmarks will live on through his wife Gayle and son Carl.

His influence on me will last through my life and hopefully through my children.  He will always hold a special place in my heart.

I highly recommend a visit to French Lick.  For an added treat, look up the house where Larry Bird grew up and imagine him as a youngster playing a pickup game or two.

[Bret Swanson]

Well, I guess we get to digest the Dye Course profile with our turkey, rather than our morning coffee. Looking forward to it.

A profile of the Pete Dye Course will be posted Thanksgiving Day. Here is a snap shot of the approach to the sixth as a preview.

[Wayne Freeman]

I made it a point to visit after hearing about the new Dye course on my way to Crooked Stick.  The hotel is certainly amazing.  Craig's
picture of the interior hardly does it justice because the ceiling is absolutely amazing.   The center piece at the very top changes colors
and you can just be mesmerized laying on one of the luxurious sofas staring upward. 

     The Dye course  warrants top 100  consideration.  Although very pricey the staff is great and the experience well worth it in my opinion.  The head pro came out to greet me and the caddy program is excellent.  I thought they did a very good job restoring
the Ross course which played surprisingly difficult because so many of the holes are dead uphill and the greens are pretty wild.
      Don't miss French Lick if you have the chance to go.