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NOBLESVILLE, IN -- The Indianapolis 500 is dubbed “The Greatest
Spectacle in Racing.” It’s a long, grueling event, and only the
best racers finish unscathed.
The day after that old woman squawked, “Gentlemen, start your
engines,” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I headed over to
another Indy-area track no less grueling and much, much longer:
Purgatory Golf Club, the longest non-mountain golf course in
the world at 7,754 yards.
And when the starter growled: “Gentlemen start your drivers,” I
had a feeling I wouldn’t finish unscathed, either.
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"More heaven than Hell"
Purgatory Golf Club has been described in the past as “more
Heaven than Hell.” This assessment is accurate, as long as one
piece of advice is heeded: Play the appropriate set of tees for
your skill level!
Should you choose to ignore this warning, even the most
righteous golfer with the purest of hearts (and swings) will
linger a long while in Purgatory before entering the paradise of
the 19th hole.
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Fortunately for 99.8 percent of golfers, Purgatory has six tee
boxes on each hole, so even with its wickedly contoured greens,
evil fescue, and 133 hellish bunkers, this Ron Kern design is
playable for all golfers. There are only two small forced carries
off the tee, and all but one green have run-up areas, so miss-hits
that stay out of the bunkers can roll onto the putting surfaces.
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Modern with classic touches
Now before you jump to the conclusion that Purgatory – with it’s
eerie name and prodigious length – is just another gimmick course
designed to counteract the effects of new equipment, consider
this: Course architect Ron Kern’s father, Gary Kern, was also a
course architect and apprenticed under William (Bill) Diddel, one
of the five founding members of the American Society of Golf
Course Architects. And Ron learned the trade from his dad. As
such, Purgatory’s layout incorporates classic features and subtle
tributes to some of the great course architects of all time.
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The most notable aspect of the design is its linksy nature,
complete with ever-present fescue. This stuff swallows golf balls
like gray whales swallow krill. Head PGA Pro Greg Dycus’s advice
for playing Purgatory is, quite simply, stay in the fairway.
“People who can get off the tee straight will score,” says
Dycus. “If your driver isn’t working, take a 3-wood or fairway
wood. Don’t take yourself out of a hole early.” Staying clear of
the knee-high fescue is so important that Dycus also recommends
leaving your ego at home, at least for the first couple of rounds
here: “Play one set of tees shorter than you think you should the
first time or two. Then come back and play it longer, when you
know the course better.”
Several greens recall classic designs and designers. For
example, the green on the par-3, 197-yard 3rd hole is a genuine
Redan green, running diagonally away from the tees and complete
with front and back bunkers.
The green of the 434-yard 6th hole is a Seth Rayner-style
hogback, and has the most undulation per square foot I have ever
seen. The green of the 487-yard par-4 8th is deep, with bunkers
left and a fescue-covered hillock to the right. It is modeled
after Alister Mackenzie’s favorite green at Crystal Downs in
Michigan.
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The fairway of the 474-yard par-4 16th is also a tribute to
Mackenzie. Both sides are studded with fairway bunkers, but if you
turn and look back toward the tees from the green, you won’t see
any of them – a hallmark of McKenzie’s layouts.
Finally the green complex of the 406-yard 11th is in honor of
Bill Diddle. The green, which is full of subtle bumps and mounds,
is fronted by a postcard-perfect rock ridge set diagonally across
the front of the putting surface.
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Mind Games
Purgatory’s holes are all cleverly named, and none more so than
Nos. 1 and 2. No. 1, a rather simple and short par 4 (373 yards)
is named “Pride.” After carding several pars here, my foursome was
thinking Purgatory wasn’t so threatening after all. Then we hit
No. 2, a prototypical cape hole named “Stains of the Inferno.”
After each of us had driven over the water and through the fairway
into the bunkers on the far side, and subsequently carded three 7s
and a 5, we recalled that pride is in fact one of the seven deadly
sins. And No. 2 made us perform penance for that sin.
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One of the biggest mental effects of the course is simply its
length. When’s the last time you played a 741-yard par 5, like
Purgatory’s 13th? This is the sort of thing that makes weekend
duffers weak in the knees.
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The par-5 closing hole is also a mind bender, especially the first
time you play it. According to Purgatory Owner and Director of
Golf Mike Merchant, “18 is a classic risk-reward hole. With its
split fairway, you have the choice of going right and having a
shot at a birdie 4, or going left and maybe carding an eagle. But
left is definitely more dangerous.” And considering players can’t
even see the landing areas from the tees, either route is
intimidating to your average duffer/golf writer.
Your Time in Purgatory
Despite the ominous name, Purgatory is a superb golfing
experience. The clouds have opened over Indy almost daily this
spring, yet the course was practically free of squishy spots. The
greens drain better than any I have seen in the area. And the
bunkers, which are filled with crushed limestone rather than sand,
were immaculate – no standing water or washouts anywhere.
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The practice facilities are excellent – complete with sand and
short game area. Although the clubhouse is not memorable, the pro
shop is well stocked (check out the stuffed coyote greeting you at
the door), and the grill is adequate.
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The only aspect of Purgatory more hellish than heavenly was the
pace of play: The course was not terribly crowded on Memorial Day,
but our round lasted five hours nonetheless. Part of the problem
was that the foursome ahead of us insisted on playing from tees
beyond their skill level, so they spent lots of time hacking
around in fescue and flailing about in fairway bunkers.
And if you choose the wrong tees, you’d better have a relative
light candles for you at mass, because you’re going to be in
Purgatory for quite a while.
Purgatory Golf Club
12160 East 216th Street
Noblesville, IN 46060
Tel: 317-776-4653
Web: www.purgatorygolf.com
Course Information
Architect: Ron Kern
Opened: August, 2000
Director of Golf: Mike Merchent
Turf: Bent grass tee to green, fescue rough
Length: 7754, 7268, 6796, 6422, 5683, 4562,
Ratings: Range from 78.1 to 66.9
Slopes: Range from 142 to 115
Rates: M-Tu $55; W-Th $60; F-Su $65
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