French Lick Resort
- French Lick Golf Resort And Casino Resort
- French Lick Resort Casino Golf
- French Lick Golf Resort And Casino Buffet
- French Lick Golf Resort And Casinos
- French Lick Golf Resort And Casino No Deposit
8670 West State Road 56
French Lick, Indiana 47432
French Lick Casino and our golf courses are open to the public. Dining venues in hotels are open to resort guests only. By state mandate, masks are required at all indoor resort venues. Your health and safety is our #1 priority, and you can click here to learn more about our enhanced safety protocols and other resort amenities. French Lick, known as the Home of Larry Bird, is a popular golf destination for traveling golfers with more than 7 golf courses and 2 resort courses - from golf course designers like - Donald Ross and Pete Dye. French Lick offers golf packages for buddies trips, couples getaways and golfers looking to play top notch golf courses in Indiana. Before it became famous for golf French Lick was famous for its’ sulfur hot springs and a casino visited by celebrities like boxer Joe Lewis, composer Ervin Berlin, and gangster Al Capone. It’s also well known as the hometown of basketball legend Larry Bird. The West Baden Hotel has the grandeur of a European classic.
- Historic and lavish lodging is offered at two hotels: West Baden Springs and French Lick Springs. Plus gambling and golf. What’s not to like about that trifecta? If you’ve never played the Pete Dye.
- The French Lick Resort is one of golf’s most historic, and esteemed, resorts. It embraces the natural beauty of the Hoosier National Forest in southern Indiana. Guests will have a tough decision choosing where to stay among the 757 guest rooms and suites of The French Lick Springs Hotel (listed on the National Register of Historic Places), the.
Phone: 888.936.9360
Nestled among the hills of the Hoosier National Forest resides a classic American destination – French Lick Resort. Home to two AAA Four-Diamond nationally historic hotels, three challenging golf courses, two rejuvenating spas, impressive meeting venues and a Vegas-style casino, the resort exceeds expectations.
Step into chic American sophistication, which caters to the family. The French Lick KidsFest program provides plenty of organized activities for guests’ children, giving parents a chance to pursue more grown-up leisure; maybe retail therapy at The Promenade of Shoppes, a round of golf on a championship course or a historic hotel tour featuring tales of famous guests. At the end of the day, gather the crew together and enjoy a trip on the iconic trolley, maybe some fast-paced bowling at Pluto’s Alley or an adventure at one of the hiking, biking or horse trails across the resort. Do not forget to bring your four-legged companions. French Lick Resort is one of the most pet-friendly hotels in the midwest, with designated pet-friendly rooms at each hotel.
The Pete Dye Course
Par: 72
Length: 8,102
Rating: 80
Slope: 148
After contemplating several well-known designers, the resort owners decided on Pete Dye, arguably the world’s top golf architect, to design the property’s marque course. Dye walked Mt. Airie – the proposed building site – and concluded there was no way to build a golf course on the land because the slopes were too severe and the terrain too rugged.
Dye, not being one to give up easily, soon returned to the resort with a topographical map of the area and preliminary drawings on a napkin. He said he intended to “build the course whether they want me to or not.” The course officially opened in the spring of 2009 and held its first major PGA event by the summer of 2010.
Senior PGA champion Colin Montgomerie called the Pete Dye Course “one of the iconic courses” in America and one that golfers all over the world will want to play.
This championship golf course, located on one of Indiana’s highest elevation points, has narrow, immaculate fairways and rugged, intense terrain. It has gained national acclaim for its 40-mile panoramic views of the southern Indiana countryside, three man-made lakes, “volcano” bunkers and a variety of elevation changes. A robust 8,102 yards from the professional tees punctuate Dye’s signature sting from vista to vista.
Recognitions and Awards
#1 Course in Indiana – GolfWeek, 2010 – 2019 (The Pete Dye Course)
#17 America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses – Golf Digest Magazine, 2014 – 2015 (The Pete Dye Course)
#4 Best Casino Courses – GolfWeek Magazine, 2015 – 2017 (The Pete Dye Course)
Hosted the Senior LPGA Championship, 2017, 2018
Hosted the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, 2015
Hosted the LPGA Legends Tour Championship, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
AAA Four Diamond rated hotels
Best Historic Resort – USA Today, 2015
#1 Best Hotels in Indiana – US News & World Report, 2013-2014 and 2016 (West Baden Springs Hotel)
#5 Best Hotels in Indiana – US News & World Report, 2015 (French Lick Springs Hotel)
Hall of Fame Certificate of Excellence – TripAdvisor, 2011-2016 (West Baden Springs Hotel)
Hall of Fame Certificate of Excellence – TripAdvisor, 2011-2016 (French Lick Springs Hotel)
#9 Best U.S. Casino – USA Today’s, 2015
Designated a National Historic Landmark, 1987 (West Baden Springs Hotel)
Designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, 2002 (West Baden Springs Hotel)
Designated a Historical Hotel of America, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2008 (West Baden Springs Hotel)
Designated on the National Register of Historic Places (French Lick Springs Hotel & West Baden Springs Hotel)
If you are seeking a getaway to a resort that combines memories of yesteryear with the amenities of today, choose the French Lick Resort in the adjacent towns of French Lick and West Baden, Indiana. It’s fair to say that the French Lick Resort, which includes the French Lick Springs Hotel (443 rooms) and the West Baden Springs Hotel (243 rooms), truly rivals what is offered at, say, the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, which proclaims itself as ‘America’s Resort.’ When you enter the French Lick Springs Hotel or the West Baden Springs Hotel, both lobbies exude ‘old world charm’ from the Roarin’ ‘20s. The West Baden Springs Hotel, featuring its massive free-span dome that was once the largest in the world, is so magnificent that it once earned this hotel the designation as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World.’
The French Lick Resort was built in the early 1900s and quickly established itself as one of America’s premier destinations. In its early days, French Lick and West Baden were a destination playground for the rich and famous.
THE FRENCH LICK COMEBACK: A FACELIFT
Like many business ventures, the French Lick Resort was unable to keep up with the changing times and business suffered in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The French Lick Resort had lost its luster and the ‘bloom was off the rose,’ so to speak. But, that just meant the French Lick Resort was poised for a comeback. Enter successful medical professional and entrepreneur Bill Cook from nearby Bloomington. His Cook Group oversaw the infusion of enough funds to resuscitate this resort that had fallen on hard times. The property was literally falling apart. The West Baden Springs Hotel was in such bad shape that it once appeared on the National Trust’s list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Properties in the United States. But not for long.
French Lick Golf Resort And Casino Resort
Restoration efforts on both hotels started in 1996. After a decade of work and nearly $600 million, the French Lick Resort opened its doors to visiting tourists and businesses from around the world. Business has been brisk ever since.
The total restoration of this destination has been dubbed the “Save of the Century.” That may be an understatement!
The recreational appeal of the French Lick Springs Resort is now on par with resort competition around the country. It includes an indoor and outdoor pool, a six-lane bowling alley, bicycle rentals, horseback riding, and a 27,000-square foot spa. The area also boasts 5.5 miles of hiking trails and a 9-mile mountain biking trail.
FORE! — A FRENCH LICK TRADITION
Today, golfers are spoiled at the French Lick Resort, as there are two world-class 18-hole championship golf courses in this small southern Indiana town — The Donald Ross Course (originally named the Hill Course, opened in 1917) and The Pete Dye Course (opened in 2009). There’s also a nine-hole course – the Valley Links Course, designed by Tom Bendelow. As the names on the 18-hole layout suggest, both courses are named after their respective architects. It’s worth noting that the French Lick Resort is the only resort in the world which boats a classic Donald Ross design and a more modern Pete Dye layout. And, it’s only resort with two golf courses designed by two hall of fame architects.
The Donald Ross Course is one of two public golf courses in Indiana which were designed by Ross. In recent years, the Ross Course in French Lick has been renovated, courtesy of a $4.6 million investment. It has now been restored to Ross’s original plans, which are brilliant. Many of the greens have false fronts, which are accentuated by the back-to-front slope of the greens. When you play this course, check out the configuration of the 8th green. It’s in the shape of a square, as many greens were, back in the day. After playing this course, you can understand why the 1924 PGA Championship was held here. It’s a true test of anybody’s ability to play golf. By the way, Walter Hagen won that year’s event, defeating England’s Jim Barnes, 2 up, in the final.
It’s worth noting what took place during the 1924 PGA. When the official photo was taken of that year’s field of contestants, both Barnes and Hagen appeared in the group photo twice – on both the left and right side of the picture. And, this was not accomplished with Photo Shop! Truth be told, Barnes and Hagen were able to run from one side of the group photo to the other as they were able to outrace the slow-moving camera used to capture the image of the 1924 field.
That picture hangs on the wall of the clubhouse at the Donald Ross Course. By the way, the restaurant at the Ross Course is now called Hagen’s Club House Restaurant. Would that restaurant, which serves delicious breaded tenderloin sandwiches, now be called Barnes’ if the tall Englishman had prevailed back in 1924?
The bar at Hagen’s has an interesting story. According to Brendan Sweeney, the director of golf media relations for the French Lick Resort, the bar is actually from the Chicago stockyards and was shipped down when the bar area at Hagen’s was built. On that bar, you will see a message that was carved into the wood by former gangster Al Capone.
Besides that 1924 PGA, the Ross Course has hosted many high-profile golf events such as the 1922 Indiana Open, 1958 French Lick Open (LPGA), 1959 and 1960 LPGA Championship, 1983 Senior Open Championship, 2012 and 2013 Women’s Big Ten Championship, among others.
French Lick Resort Casino Golf
The Dye Course, which includes three man-made lakes, was built on top of the surrounding hills. Many powerful adjectives have been used to describe the Dye Course — breathtaking, dramatic, exciting, and spectacular, to name a few. The clubhouse on the Dye course is the old Taggart mansion. This hilltop peak is Mt. Airie — 972 feet high and roughly 450 feet above the town of French Lick.
When you arrive at the clubhouse, it’s Indiana’s second highest elevation point, but it probably has the best view of any vantage point in the Midwest. It’s Indiana’s own ‘Rocky Mountain High’ – a 360-degree view of southern Indiana and the surrounding Hoosier National Forest. From many parts of this golf course, you can see 30-40 miles in every direction. When Dye built this course, he wanted to give golfers a panoramic view of southern Indiana. He succeeded.
After playing golf at the Dye Course, don’t rush away. Instead, have a bite to eat at The Mansion at the Pete Dye Course, where you can continue to enjoy the hill-top and birds-eye views of southern Indiana.
“As I built the golf course, I tried to get the tees, the fairways, and the greens in position that they have these long views over the valleys and hills,” stated Dye. “A lot of southern Indiana is natural forest, a lot of it is state owned, so you can see for miles. The ambience of the course is the look, the vistas from all the different tees, greens and fairways.”
The most dramatic stretch of holes is the early part of the back nine – 11, 12, 13, and 14. On 11, steer clear of the volcano bunkers which hug the fairway along the right. The 12th is a true three-shot par five with a massive green. The views of the area as you play the par-three 13th are memory makers. The 14th is the Signature hole. It’s a lengthy par five with a split fairway, divided by a massive green hollow. Pars are celebrated at 14.
Another 18-hole course in the area that’s worth playing is Sultan’s Run — located in nearby Jasper, a 30-minute drive from French Lick. Sultan’s Run was designed by Tim Liddy, a Dye protégé. Sultan’s Run features rolling hills, wonderful bunkering, and a scenic waterfall behind the 18th green. The 18th hole is the signature hole at Sultan’s Run and is named Supreme Sultan. Sultan’s Run is a brilliant creation.
You would be hard-pressed to discover a better 36-hole golf experience than French Lick’s dynamic duo of the Donald Ross Course and the Dye Course. And, if you include Sultan’s Run, that’s a terrific trifecta.
It’s worth noting that the Pete Dye Course hosted the 2015 Senior PGA Championship (presented by Kitchen Aid), which was won by Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie and it also hosted the Big Ten golf championships for men and women in 2015. The Dye Course is also the current host of the Senior LPGA Championship (presented by Old National Bank), which was first held there in 2017 and 2018 and is slated to continue on The Dye Course through 2021. It’s the first-ever senior major on the LPGA Tour, another historical moment at French Lick.
DINING @ FRENCH LICK: AN EXPERIENCE
Believe it or not, but the kitchen of the French Lick Springs Hotel is where tomato juice was created for the first time. It was 1917 and the chef needed a breakfast juice for his guests and he didn’t have any oranges left, only tomatoes. Hence, tomato juice. But, tomato juice is not the only great item that emerges from those kitchens.
Dining options abound in French Lick. They range from fine dining to casual dining to grab-and-go. If you like steak, there’s no better choice than 1875: The Steakhouse, which is located in the French Lick Springs Hotel. Why 1875? It’s named after the date of the inaugural Kentucky Derby — May 17, 1875.
Another fun, fine dining option is Table One, the private chef’s table (for ten) in the kitchen at the West Baden Springs Hotel. From your table, you can watch the chef prepare your meal as you look through glass walls. Then, with the flip of a switch, the walls can become frosted which provides you with privacy and seclusion.
If you want another combination of food and history, enjoy the breakfast buffet in the Grand Colonnade Family Restaurant in the French Lick Springs Hotel. This is where Franklin Delano Roosevelt received the nomination to run for President back in the early 1930s.
In 2019, a sports bar is being opened.
French Lick Golf Resort And Casino Buffet
FRENCH LICK’S HIGH HONORS
Since the restoration of the French Lick Resort by the Cook family, a number of awards, honors, and accolades have been bestowed upon this property’s meeting space, spa, casino, hotels, and golf courses by publications and organizations such as Golf Digest, Golfweek, GOLF Magazine, LINKS Magazine, Southern Gaming, Reader’s Choice Awards, Conde Nast Traveler, and U.S. News & World Report. The national recognition has been steady and strong since 2008.
French Lick Golf Resort And Casinos
Historians have also taken note as both the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Resort Hotel are designated on the National Register of Historic Places.
French Lick Golf Resort And Casino No Deposit
Suffice it to say, it won’t be easy leaving The French Lick Resort and its world-class golfing and dining opportunities – and its gaming and entertainment options — but it will be easy making plans for a return trip to this getaway in the Hoosier National Forest.