New owners of the French Lick Springs Resort & Spa recently
announced plans to renovate the Donald Ross-designed Hill Course there.
It was
hard to hear the news and not feel anxiety. Followed by
trepidation. Angst,
even. The Hill is an 85-year-old heirloom, one of
the last virtually untouched
Ross designs anywhere. To play it is to
enter a 140-acre time capsule, where you
will find yourself on the most
intimate possible terms with Ross and his design
principles.
An overreaction? Gross exaggeration? Only if you've never seen
French Lick's Hill Course or heard about its thoroughbred origins. Ross
himself
scouted the area and hand-selected this hilltop site, which is
two miles
south-west of the town center and the renowned resort and
hotel. It
looks quite as it did in its infancy, a framed photo in the
clubhouse confirms as
much. Stand on the first tee just a few steps
from the clubhouse and let your
eyes sweep the panorama. With few
interior trees on the property, nearly half
the holes are visible,
their features vibrant and palpable.
Of course, there was plenty of history here before Ross arrived
bearing golf. Built on the site of a fort that had long protected this
Midwestern outpost from Indian hostilities, French Lick achieved
prominence due
to its natural springs, which were rich in minerals. The
property's first hotel
was erected in the 1830s and was an instant
success, attracting travelers from
hundreds of miles away to partake of
the miracle waters.
Today, visitors can
opt for a
revivifying $25 soak in these same sulphur-laced waters at the resort
spa, whereas back in the 19th century
the stuff was taken internally for its, ahem,
ñpurifyingî powers.
It was even dubbed "Pluto Water" and bottled for mass
distribution. Business was brisk, because the slogan on each bottle,
"When
nature won't, Pluto will," proved to be far more than mere
marketing speak.
(Today the slogan can be seen on a gazebo behind the
hotel where spring waters
continue to bubble forth.)
