Today In Golf Course Closure News: Indianapolis' Wolf Run And The Place Ike Loved In Aurora

Lindsey Erdody and Anthony Schoettle of the Indianapolis Business Journal detail the long forecasted and now very-real plans of owner Stan Burton to develop the Steve Smyers-designed Wolf Run.

The course was once ranked as high as 20th in Golfweek's list of best Modern Courses and currently sits in Golf Digest's second Top 100, making it the most acclaimed course to close since the 2008 market crash and correction.

Mike David, director of the Indiana Section of the PGA, said Wolf Run Golf Club owners have been trying to find a buyer or potential developer for the land for several years.

“Nationwide, Wolf Run would be one of the highest-profile closures,” David said. “The closure of this course—if it happens—would be significant news locally and beyond.”

Wolf Run, which first opened in 1989, has on multiple occasions been rated as central Indiana’s most difficult golf course, according to U.S. Golf Association slope ratings.

That might have been part of Wolf Run’s problem.

“It is an absolutely beautiful course. But it is challenging. You have to be pretty good to enjoy that course. It might not be the place where you would take the family or your kids,” David said. “That course is simply too hard for a segment of the golf population.”

Meanwhile in Aurora, Colorado,  demand to play historic Fitzsimons Golf Course delayed it's very sad closing.

Melissa Garcia reports on the demise of a course once played many times by former President Dwight Eisenhower, complete with another Ike's Tree.

The very sad video report:

Comments

[MC]

I had a chance to play here with my brother a few years ago. We played the white tees and it had to be one of the hardest - and in places oddest - designs I've ever played. We're both high single digit players, so not exactly hacks, but we certainly did not enjoy ourselves out there.

I honestly don't feel bad when places like this close. When courses are designed to be so hard and so difficult that they aren't enjoyable to a majority of player - or cant be enjoyed by beginners or people with young kids - then good riddance.

Same thing happened with a Johnny Miller course in the DC area years ago. JM loved talking about how hard it was, I think it was a 77/148 rating, something absurd like that, from the back. A local golf shop used to give away free rounds because they could never get people to play out there and the one time I played it I could see why - it was miserable. They had a relatively small number of members but I never heard of anyone else that had played out there.

[Jonathan]

MC - curious what Miller designed course in the DC area you are talking about....

[Top100Man]

Wouldn’t The Prince course on Kauai be the most prominent close that has closed ?

[MC]

Jonathan - it was called Beacon Hill - or the Golf Club at Beacon Hill, something along those lines. It would have opened in @ 2000 and IIRC they first filed for bankruptcy (or reorg, or whatever they called it) only two years later. In @ 5 years it was completely closed.

They just could not get people to play there, for most players it was just far too difficult. I don't know how many members they ended up with when they finally closed but I heard it was only @ 100 or so. Lots of legal issues with the home buyers/members after they closed, I don't know a whole lot about the fallout.

But the course was just too damn hard and not a lot of fun. Anyone I played with that had played there had no desire to go back. And this was at a time when Golfdom or GolfStyles were basically giving away foursomes there.

[J. Alan]

Beacon Hill typifies what commentators on TGC said in a discussion last week regarding star players attempting to become star course designers. Miller did not have a Clue as to what makes (and keeps) a club course attractive to the average golfer because - a) He himself was never an average golfer; b) He was not surrounded by double-digit handicappers on a daily basis, c) Never had to concern himself with the survival of a business.
As for the future survival of classic links, it comes back to course operators continuing to provide good value to its customers. When a product comes to be perceived as a poor investment of time and money the consumer will spend their time and money elsewhere. That's why old, well run country clubs still have waiting lists and filled tee times.

[dave]

As Lee Trevino said, you never see a Donald Ross course close down.

[Johnnnycz]

...or a Stanley Thompson

The era of “difficult is good” is over...thank god for that.

[razuuun]

Are jeans the dress code

jeez

[Jonathan]

Thanks. Seems developers at trying to reconstitute and rebrand Beacon Hill. New name is Belle something or other.

[Jeff Stamps]

If you are single digit and can't play Wolf Run then check your handicap BRO. If you can control your golf ball then you should be able to score at The Wolf. My guess you are a 16 masking as a high single digit at a local drive and pitch. In fact, you're that guy we invite to our Member Guest as an 8 and you shoot back to back 90's.

[Drew Thawley]

Wolf run was an absolutely exceptional course for golf purists. If you had a handicap of about 12 or less, it was a course that actually challenged and engaged you, unlike the blanded down clubs that are typical. I played this course for 6 years and probably totaled 500 rounds. It humbled you and made you an actual golfer. It made you think hard and play either aggressively or conservatively depending on the situation. Nick Price labels holes 12-16 the most difficult consecutive holes in golf. Amen. I sincerely miss this golf course and the devoted and selfless guys who played it weekly. D2...