Elwood Golf Links in Elwood, Indiana, is considered one of the most picturesque and challenging golf courses in these parts of the state. If you’ve never played here, you’ll probably pass it on your way into town. It’s also won a lot of praise from the golf industry media over the years, including Top 25 Friendliest Courses in the U.S. and Top 25 Value Courses in the U.S. in 2022, and Top Courses in Indiana and Top 25 Courses for Pace of Play in the U.S. in 2023, by Golf Advisor. It’s also the home course of the Elwood Panthers, the local high school golf team.
The course was founded in 1923 by several local golf enthusiasts who envisioned a course that would not only challenge players but also a club where they, their families, and friends could get together, fellowship, and enjoy each other’s company. Elwood Golf Links opened for play in 1924 with 9 holes.
Elwood Golf Links features 4 sets of tees and can be played anywhere from 5,012 – 6,646 yards. I chose the Blue Tees; they didn’t present any overly long carries off the tee, and they let me leave with a little dignity still intact.
Elwood Golf Links features two distinctly different nine-hole layouts. The front nine is over 100 years old and was designed by William Diddel. It still has its original push-up greens, which have been preserved and continue to flourish. The layout is a traditional municipal design, with seven mostly straight holes laid out up-and-back across relatively flat terrain. Holes #1 and #9 are the only two holes on the front nine that break that muni-mold. They’re both dogleg lefts that play about the same distance with a bunker in the front right of the green. The 2nd – 8th holes are standard fare at most municipal courses: straight holes with limited trouble that follow the back-and-forth tradition.
Once you leave the 9th green and head to Number 10, hold on tight because the ride’s about to start!
The back 9 was built and opened in 2005; it has a lot more character, with strategically placed hazards, several elevation changes, and much more movement in the terrain. This can be seen immediately. The 10th hole is a dogleg left that favors a draw off the tee. If you can’t hit a draw, hit something less than driver, or you’ll run out of fairway. If you hit your tee shot far enough, you’ll take the greenside bunker out of play; otherwise, you’ll need to hit your approach shot over it onto an elevated green. There are four bunkers in play off the tee on the left side – something that hasn’t been seen thus far in the round. They start about 120 yards from the green.
The 12th hole is one of the best and most challenging holes on the golf course. It’s a 475-yard, par 5 that is reachable in two with a well-struck and well-positioned tee shot. You’ll need to contend with a creek that crosses the fairway about 100 yards out from the green. Clear the creek with your second shot, and you’ll have a short pitch shot straight uphill to a well-undulated green that is a lot wider than it is deep.
Number 16 is a beautiful par three that plays 204 yards from the Blue Tees. Tee off from an elevated tee box, over a creek and wetland area. The hole plays downhill, so you may want to consider hitting less club. There’s a large bunker that protects the right side with a lot of mounding behind it. The green slopes back to front, so do your best to leave your tee shot below the cup. It’s a pretty golf hole.
Number 18 is the only flat hole on the backside. There’s out-of-bounds and pastureland on the right off the tee, and water and a wetland area that comes into play starting at about 150 yards from the tee box and goes up and wraps around the green. A good drive will leave a short to mid-iron into a small green protected by a single bunker on the right and that water on the left. It’s a nice end to a fun round of golf.
You may want to hit a bucket of balls before your round. The front nine may be pedestrian, but it provides an opportunity to work on distance and control, something you’ll need on the back 9.
Golfers seem to love the contrast. One golfer, who considers himself a decent player yet wants to remain anonymous, put it this way: “The front nine is your basic municipal course, and not a real challenge, but the back nine ate my lunch.”
I asked Director of Golf, Cameron Marine, what he thought about the course and what he’d like golfers to know about it. “I think it’s just a little hidden gem in small town, Indiana,” he said. Golfers will come in and tell me how hard the back nine was, how it beat them up. Yet, when they come back and only want to play nine holes, they specifically ask if they can play the back.”
Whether you’re visiting Elwood Golf Links because of its historical charm, the thrill of its newer back nine, or just want to save a little money, you’ll find challenge and enjoyment on each hole, making it a true hidden gem in Indiana. You can visit them at www.elwoodgolflinks.com.