Near the Indiana border on the Ohio River, Louisville is often called the
northernmost Southern city or the southernmost Northern city. Known for
the Kentucky Derby, the city hosts the Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club,
September 18–21. If it’s another European blowout, there are plenty of other
things to do. Golf
Among three nines at Quail Chase Golf Club, the East is the
toughest but most enjoyable. With five par 5s, nearby Heritage Hill Golf Club
offers plenty of birdie chances. Just across the Ohio River in Indiana is
Covered Bridge Golf Club, designed by Fuzzy Zoeller, from nearby New Albany. An
hour and a half from the city is French Lick Resort, with a restored Donald Ross
course to be joined by a Pete Dye layout in the spring.
Accommodations
The massive Brown Hotel, which opened in 1923,
went belly-up in 1971, but has regained its luster after resuscitation in
the ’80s. 21c Museum Hotel is both a place to lay your head and a gallery
for a collection of works by living artists. Old Louisville’s Historic
Preservation District boasts the greatest concentration of Victorian
houses in the country; two converted into charming bed-and-breakfasts are DuPont
Mansion and Central Park B&B.
Dining
Linen napkin: 610
Magnolia, the toughest reservation in town, serves a six-course prix fixe dinner
three nights a week. Paper napkin: Pig City BBQ smokes over cherry wood
instead of hickory for an unexpected sweetness. New Southern: Limestone
offers corn and crawfish chowder, ribs and greens, osso bucco with a Kentucky
glaze. Red meat: Jack Fry’s has been searing steaks and chops since 1933;
whatever you order, don’t skip the shrimp and grits
starter.
Activities
The racing world converges on Churchill
Downs in May for the Kentucky Derby, but the museum is open year-round. The
Muhammad Ali Center commemorates the native son’s glorious boxing career and
tumultuous life. Don’t ask for directions to the Louisville Slugger Museum &
Factory. Just head for the 12-story baseball bat rising above a downtown
building. To unwind, hop America’s oldest active steamboat—the 157-foot
sternwheeler Belle of Louisville—for a leisurely jaunt along the Ohio
River.
