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.