Purgatory Golf Club

About the Course

Holes: 18

Par: 72

Yards: 7754

Rating: 77.6

Slope: 140

Peak Rates: ~$95

Twilight: ~$69

Closest city: Indianapolis (27 miles)

This is our first course in our UG Silver Series. We will be researching golf courses around major cities to inform everyone where the best deals and courses are! The first city we are tackling is Indianapolis!

Originally named Sassafras Golf Club, Purgatory Golf Club is located 27 miles Northeast of Indianapolis. Ranked #87 in the 2005-06 Golf Digest Top 100 Greatest Public Courses, Ronald Kern designed an absolute beauty.

Notes when researching the course: Cart paths appear to be in shambles based on many reviews. Overall condition of the course is very good, with most all the reviews raving about the green (the most important part of a course). Not too many notes about the fairways or rough, but the pictures show they are in good shape. Multiple reviews call out the bunkers for not having much sand (which makes sense with the insane amount of large bunkers they have on the course).

A few reviews talk about how the course is overpriced, nearly having to drop $100 for a tee time on a Saturday or Sunday morning. The rates seem comparable to other top public courses around the area such as Bear Slide ($102 Peak), Plum Creek Golf Club ($89), and Prairie View ($125). There are a couple of courses in the area that are considerably cheaper (Fox Prairie at $59, Forest Park at $32, and Stony Creek at $52).

Overall, this course seems like it needs to be one to add to the list if you plan a golf trip around Indianapolis. The distance from downtown makes it a bit less desirable, so maybe plan a 36-hole day with this being the morning tee time and choose something a bit closer to downtown for the second 18.

Stay tuned for more Indianapolis courses that will be featured over the next few weeks!