Rising Star (Liddy, Indiana) - hiding in plain sight

[John Mayhugh]

 Using editorial discretion, I am referring to the course in this post as Rising Star rather than its full name – “The Links at Rising Star Casino.” The course deserves better.
 
Along the Ohio river between Kentucky and Indiana, there are a several casinos in Indiana that have golf courses as amenities. Anyone in the Louisville area that wants to play higher quality public access courses has their choice of Chariot Run (Bill Bergin), French Lick (Ross & Dye courses), Belterra (Fazio), and Rising Star (Tim Liddy). Of these, few venture the 1:15 to Rising Star. Until a few years ago, I wasn’t even aware that there was a course there.
 
A played there with a couple of friends last week. For the most part, the course was in pretty good condition considering the casino revenue tap has been shut for two months. The one exception was with the bunkering. No real playability issues, but you’ll see there are grasses growing in the bunkers in spots and some need more sand. Fully understandable given the financial challenges of operating a course in a town of about 2,500 without the normal visitor revenue. The aerial photos will give a better idea of what the bunkering normally looks like.
 
From the back tees, the course is 6,752 yards, par 70. We played one set up to a yardage of 6,349. My friends could have easily managed the longer course, but some of the second shots faced were much more fun with shorter clubs in.
 
Rising Star is very much a second shot course. Liddy did a good job of providing interest on the tee shots, but the need to approach from a certain place isn’t evident from tee. It’s a tougher driving course once you know what to expect from the approaches.
 
 
HOLE 1
Par 4, 395 yards
 
rs 1 and 2 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
The first and second holes parallel each other. From the tee, the large waste bunker is not visible. The player also does not appreciate the need to approach the narrow green from the left side of the fairway. Missing left or right makes for a difficult recovery.
 
IMG_7107 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
IMG_7108 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 2
Par 4, 385 yards
 
The tee shot on 2 requires a bit of a diagonal carry across the waste bunker. Some of the deferred maintenance is obvious from the tee. Thanks to a ridge than runs across the green at a bit of a diagonal, it’s better approached from the right part of the fairway. Cleverly, the tee shot looks harder on that line.
IMG_7109 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
IMG_7111 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
HOLE 3
Par 4, 440 yards
 
rs 3 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
Not a hole anyone would immediately love. The first fairway bunker is about 230 from the tee, so a longer tee shot must either carry the edge of the bunker or be threaded between the bunker and water. It’s an imposing tee shot. On the approach, it’s easy to play safe just left of the green for a pitch on. This is also the most receptive angle.
 
IMG_7112 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7114 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 4
Par 3, 158 yards
 
rs 4 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
This green is 40 yards deep but only about 15 wide and is subtly angled to the left from the tee. Hard target to hit.
 
IMG_7115 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 5
Par 4, 312 yards
 
rs 5 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
This all-star hole is a great example of why short par 4s are the most fun. Those playing from all the way back would have a 424 yard hole instead of this wildly entertaining one. The fairway is split a pair of centerline bunkers. It’s about 230 yards to the bunkers, and 270 to carry them. There’s more width to play left of the bunkers, but it’s probably an easier hole to be further back if you’re not in line with the green. The green is two tiered and slightly hour-glassed shaped.
 
I should note that I had the best approach angle, but my playing companions made the birdies from less desirable spots. We talked a bit about how much fun it is to have recovery options. The hole corridor is about 80 yards wide, but the pitches get more challenging as you stray.
 
 
IMG_7116 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7117 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
IMG_7118 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 6
Par 3, 137 yards
 
rs 6 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
The 6^th offers a short shot to a wide but shallow green, and the tee is angled slightly to confuse. With significant back to front slope, this green makes for tough recoveries. Reminds one a bit of Augusta’s 12^th, but the water is less of a threat.
 
IMG_7119 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7120 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
HOLE 7
Par 4, 375 yards (does not match the card, but more typical tee)
 
rs 7 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
Before moving to the 7^th tee, I should note that when the casino is open, there is regular ferry service from Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. Rabbit Hash is noteworthy for its general store and having elected a dog as its first mayor. Not a bad choice.
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/kentucky/most-unique-town-ky/
 
The 7^th is a dogleg left with the landing area obscured by a large roll in the fairway. Ideally, an approach would be from near the left side bunker, but that’s a visually imposing line.
 
IMG_7121 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7122 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 8
Par 4, 421 yards
 
rs 8 and 9 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
It takes multiple plays to attain any sort of comfort with the tee shot here. The fairway shaping and large bunker on the right provide just enough blindness to confuse, and a tee shot played on the wrong line can easily run through the fairway. Almost all approaches will have to carry the waste bunker to an elevated, diagonal green. Like Dye, Liddy excels in making the player question how to best play a hole.
 
IMG_7124 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7125 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7126 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 9
Par 3, 175 yards
 
The 9^th plays alongside a water hazard to a kidney shaped green. The mounding around the left bunker helps conceal some of the green surface from the tee.
 
The first 9 is finished at a par of 33. My playing partners are younger guys and thought that was weird. Then we talked about Elie (16 par 4s) and Town & Country (7 hole run with four par 5s ad two par 3s), so all of a sudden this didn’t seem so unconventional.
 
 
IMG_7127 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7128 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 

[John Mayhugh]

 HOLE 10
Par 4, 396 yards
 
rs 10 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
Other than the walk from 9 green to 10 tee, the course is very compactly routed and an extremely easy walk. Since this is broken up by a stop at the clubhouse, it’s barely noticeable. I suspect most people that play here ride, which is a shame.
 
The 10^th plays along an irrigation pond, and the fairway slopes somewhat to the left. Still, there’s ample room and the green is best approached from the right side anyway. The fairway runs downhill towards the green before rising back up at the entrance.
 
IMG_7129 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7130 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
HOLE 11
Par 4, 353 yards
 
rs 11 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
Another short 4 with a centerline bunker complex – this time with a slice of rural Indiana as a backdrop.This approach is steeply uphill to a reverse boomerang green that runs away from the player – severe punishment to those that come up short. We had a good discussion about how to best play this fun hole.
 
IMG_7131 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7134 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7150 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 12
Par 5, 612 yards
 
rs 12 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
A semi-blind tee shot over a large hogs back in the fairway. There’s enough contour in the fairway throughout to make the second shot more challenging and provide a bit of randomness. Overall, I really admired the shaping work that was enough to offer interest but not overdone.
 
This small green (4-5,000 sq ft) is an overturned saucer that excels in repelling approaches. No bunkers needed.
 
IMG_7151 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7152 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7153 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7154 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 13
Par 3, 211 yards
 
rs 13 and 14 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
A long par 4 with mounding on the left and a narrow bunker on the right. Pick your poison. I don’t love the aesthetics of the mounding, but it does hide the hole a bit from the property behind.
 
IMG_7155 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
IMG_7156 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 14
Par 4, 300 yards (distance shorter than scorecard)
 
This tee shot has to fit between the water hazard and mounding/bunkers. I don’t know if this hole works as well as some others, as the smart shot will be a layup and maybe not enough of reward to temp a tee shot over 240 yards.
 
IMG_7158 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7159 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 15
Par 4, 335 yards
 
rs 15 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
This short hole features an unconventional split fairway. There’s more room left, but a better angle from the right.
 
IMG_7160 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7162 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 16
Par 4, 382 yards
 
rs 16 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
A dogleg left, where the fairway runs downhill to something like a cape green. The water behind is farmland that’s under water – not the river. The house in the distance is across the river in Kentucky, and you can sort of make out the ferry dock in between. The first half of the green slopes from front to back.
 
 
IMG_7163 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7164 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7166 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 
HOLE 17
Par 5, 471 yards
 
rs 16 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
The fairway here curves between bunkers well placed for tee shot interest. A tough target to go for in two, and misses right can be troublesome.
 
IMG_7167 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7169 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
IMG_7171 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
HOLE 18
Par 4, 414 yards
 
rs 18 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
The course ends with a tough par 4. A ridge crosses the fairway at about 250 yards from the tee, so for shorter  hitters the hole can play consdierably longer. An uphill approach with deep bunkers on the side adds to the difficulty.
 
IMG_7172 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
IMG_7174 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
If you’ve made it through this tour, you can no doubt tell that I have a high opinion of the course. If it were closer to home, it would probably be my regular place to play. There are very few indifferent shots out there, and I think the variety and bit of quirk means you would have a hard time tiring of the course. I’ve never played there when conditions were especially firm or when the wind was up, but I can imagine it’s possible to have some teeth. Certainly a place where you feel like heading back out for anther round.
 
To give some idea of what Tim Liddy accomplished here, check out this picture of the adjacent land by the river. While I didn’t see what he started out with, the resulting course used no small amount of imagination. Yet except in a few spots, you don’t get the feeling that a lot of earth was moved.
 
IMG_1336 by john mayhugh, on Flickr
 
 
 [size=0pt]By seeing this course, I’m heartened to think that there may be more good courses out there that we don’t ever talk about. This one is well worth your time. Most importantly, the guys that accompanied me were able to see something different and liked it. [/size]

[Jason Thurman]

John, thanks for this one. It's a course I've thought of playing a few times, and only 45 minutes from the house (apparently just 22 miles as the crow flies!), but it's pretty much the middle of nowhere and I've never heard anyone talk about it locally. I've seen a few aerials and thought it looked interesting, but your pics from ground level make it look more so. Like you, I can't imagine the site offered much elevation change or real interest prior to construction, but this is a really nice looking finished product. I think I kind of even like the texture of the grasses peeking up in the waste areas.

[Criss Titschinger]

I never thought I'd see The Links of Grand Victoria Rising Star discussed on this site.

After reading John's review, I think my opinion of it stems from my inability to play this course in under 5.5 hours. To date, it's my least favorite Liddy course I've played. I like it, but I like his other work better. Granted, those were on much better palettes of land (Trophy Club, Sultan's Run, The Fort, Des Moines reno).

It looks like they have cut the heather down. I haven't played the course in more than 10 years, so this could have been a previous maintenance change, and not due to current circumstances. If that's the case, I think the course becomes much more enjoyable. Sure, I'm a hack of a golfer. I get that. I just had too many experiences, especially on 14, where I was inches off the fairway on the left, in deep heather. Given the winds that can come off the Ohio River, I always felt this hole was too narrow. The rest of the course gives you enough buffer. 13 and 14 are my least favorite holes of the golf course, but that's probably because they have the least interesting land. That being said, I assume it took a lot of land movement to come up with the final product.

The greens also used to run super fast. I would see multiple groups play ping-pong on 12 green.

Where the soccer fields are was supposed to be a driving range, but I think part of the land deal was the town of Rising Sun got that land for recreation. Would need an official confirmation of that.

[John Mayhugh]

Jason,
Well worth a trip. They only charged us $18 to walk on a Friday. I think normal rate is more like $40, including cart. If someone provided cool drone photography, this might be a much more discussed place.


Criss,
5.5 hours?! Three of us played on a busy day in about 3:20. I've never had a slow round there, but this was also my first prime season visit. There's still too much tall grass (not heather - that's more of a shrubby plant) and I can see how this could affect pace of play and enjoyment. The course doesn't lose any interest with more short grass. Agreed that 13 & 14 are probably the weakest holes, but could be improved immediately with less tall grass.

[Criss Titschinger]

5.5 hours?! Three of us played on a busy day in about 3:20. I've never had a slow round there, but this was also my first prime season visit.

These were Saturday rounds, many years ago, on a packed course, with a group that putted out everything. I'm certain my opinion is tainted because of that. This thread may entice me to get back there. I'll grab Thurman.

[John Emerson]

Out of all my years (born and raised in Louisville) I never made it to this place.  I’ve played or walked probably 80%+ of all golf course within 100 miles of Louisville.  My old man went with his group and they love it!  As in they don’t shut up about it, and go back 2 times a year.  Shame I live 600 miles away now.  Maybe I can get a round in Before Xmas...

[Jason Thurman]

COVID has been great for pace of play. I like to think it's because so many people are walking. I also think greater spacing of tee times is making a difference.


Johnny May, I'm embarrassed to admit that if I'd seen a celebrated drone tour of the course, I almost certainly would have visited by now. Indiana is just so loaded with strong, affordable public golf. I had seen photo tours and other public reviews of courses like the Ross at French Lick, Belterra, and Otter Creek, just to name a few in Southern Indiana that I've made the drive to see. Rising Star always stuck out a bit for its lack of publicity - I just figured it must not be as good as the satellite images suggested.


I have a hard time evaluating courses with lots of native grass areas where lost balls are going to be prevalent. On one hand, they suck and make golf way less fun. On the other hand, they're a reality of public courses in this part of the country where maintenance budgets require making some tough choices and the native flora isn't conducive to golf when left to grow unchecked. From photos, though, this one doesn't look any more punishing than the average public in the Greater Cincinnati area. You can lose a lot of balls if you get going sideways at Lassing Pointe, Elks Run, Shaker Run, Aston Oaks, and even Stonelick Hills, just to name a few local "upscale publics." And it's a hell of a lot more walkable looking than most of those.

[John Mayhugh]

Jason,
The course is not marketed at all, as far as I can see. I first saw it about four year ago when I was in the town for business. A look at the course from the road piqued my interest and I made an effort to get back there soon after. It's been hard to convince people to come and play something in that location that they've never heard of.

It's bizarre to me that with slow play and lost balls being big frustrations, courses still don't make the connection. At Rising Star, corridors are generally plenty wide, and only terrible shots get in trouble. With these green complexes, being out of position still costs the player, but it's through a more gentle impact on score than a lost ball exacts.
RS is far more links-like than any other place in the area that promotes that aspect.

If you decide to check it out sometime and want company, let me know.

[Tim Rooney]

Is most of Liddy’s work quite similar to his mentor,Pete Dye?

[John Mayhugh]

Is most of Liddy’s work quite similar to his mentor,Pete Dye?

I'm not qualified to answer this.
Of the Liddy courses that I've seen, if you told me that these were actually Dye courses, I wouldn't be shocked. Keep in mind that many of Dye courses would have had significant contributions from Liddy, so similarities should be expected.
An interesting question for Tim Liddy would be how he feels his solo work differs from Dye's. Hopefully he will check in on the thread and answer.

[John Nixon]

I grew up near Cincinnati, and have lived in central Indiana since 1982. I've never heard anyone mention playing this course.


I'm a fan of Mr. Liddy's work, and will see if I can't get down there to play this one as well. Thanks for the review.

[Nigel Islam]

Is most of Liddy’s work quite similar to his mentor,Pete Dye?

There are some similarities to Dye’s Work, but I think it’s fair to say that he has a style of his own. I like to think of Liddy as a modern day Langford. Just my opinion and obviously Tim posts on here himself, but he has a lot of affordable Midwestern courses that just aren’t high profile. That belies the fact that they are excellent places to learn the game and enjoy a game with your friends. If you are playing a Liddy course generally the bones are there for it to be very good even if the maintenance budget might undercut the quality. I feel like he is very underrated (under appreciated maybe?) on this board.

[Tim Rooney]

Good answer,but no Liddy courses in Ohio.

[C. Sturges]

Tim,


He is the consulting architect at Hyde Park Golf and Country Club, in Cincinnati, Ohio.


chris

[Steve Kohler]

Thanks for the writeup and tour, John.

Public golf around the KY/OH/IN region mostly skews toward the "meh" category in my experience, especially compared to other Midwest metros of comparable size. I had not played Rising Star Links at Grand Victoria Rising Sun Casino (or something like that - what a catastrophe of a name) until last summer when, at the urging of Mr. Mayhugh, I made the trip out for a match with him.  I entered with low expectations, expecting 18 lifeless holes slapped on undistinguished farmland just to add another amenity for the adjoining casino. I left pleasantly surprised – it’s not a “Top 100” or “Best …” quality course by any stretch, but it offered enough to keep me engaged through the whole round. 

The course, while inconsistent, offers some fun and strategic interest scattered throughout.  The short Par 4’s (#5, 11 & 15) are the most memorable on the course.  Each requires a decision from the tee on line of play, and a skillful approach to contoured greens.  Many other holes have some strategic element to navigate, but didn’t hold my attention from tee to green.  And of course, there are a handful of holes that are just nondescript and forgettable.  Even upon review of the photo tour and Google Earth, I’m unable to recall much about them. 

Price wise it’s a decent value ($40 weekends w/cart), but you have to factor in the hour plus drive from Cincinnati or Louisville.  Conditioning was ok – about what I would expect at this price point.  We were one of the first groups out on a Saturday, so pace of play was not an issue.  Overall, I’m not rushing to return but would play again if the opportunity arose.  A better name and a real marketing push would help raise its profile substantially in the region.