IU golf course

[twenty02]

Some interesting comments by Glass, regarding the golf course.

Basically saying the time has come to either do a major renovation bringing it up to conference standards, or just close it down entirely. Says the status quo is untenable.

Hopefully they can come up with a plan to renovate. It's on a great piece of land and could be a great course. But likely looking at several million $ minimum.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/iu/Fred-Glass-and-the-State-of-IU-Athletics----Facilities

 

[Rakkasan29]

Some interesting comments by Glass, regarding the golf course.

Basically saying the time has come to either do a major renovation bringing it up to conference standards, or just close it down entirely. Says the status quo is untenable.

Hopefully they can come up with a plan to renovate. It's on a great piece of land and could be a great course. But likely looking at several million $ minimum.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/iu/Fred-Glass-and-the-State-of-IU-Athletics----Facilities

Any excess money the University has should be going towards a buyout.

Screw the golf course. It can wait.

 

[twenty02]

Any excess money the University has should be going towards a buyout.

Screw the golf course. It can wait.

There is plenty of money for the buyout already.

 

[Rakkasan29]

There is plenty of money for the buyout already.

I know, I know...

 

[Cream&Crimson]

Some interesting comments by Glass, regarding the golf course.

Basically saying the time has come to either do a major renovation bringing it up to conference standards, or just close it down entirely. Says the status quo is untenable.

Hopefully they can come up with a plan to renovate. It's on a great piece of land and could be a great course. But likely looking at several million $ minimum.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/iu/Fred-Glass-and-the-State-of-IU-Athletics----Facilities

I hope they don't do anything for at least a few years. My retired bro-in-law works there part time for a little extra pocket change and all the free golf he wants to play. It's a great retirement gig. He just drives around on his golf cart, shoots the shit with people and keeps things moving along.

 

[burnthemallralphie]

If Fred Glass is smart, he is on the phone with the author of Anal Golf to-frigging-day.

 

[crimsonlaw]

I don't trust Glass. And I don't want him involved in negotiating any deal to renovate the golf course.

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

Some interesting comments by Glass, regarding the golf course.

Basically saying the time has come to either do a major renovation bringing it up to conference standards, or just close it down entirely. Says the status quo is untenable.

Hopefully they can come up with a plan to renovate. It's on a great piece of land and could be a great course. But likely looking at several million $ minimum.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/iu/Fred-Glass-and-the-State-of-IU-Athletics----Facilities

You should play The Cardinal Club - in Fisherville, KY.
It's the UofL course.
Year round stays in better shape than Valhalla.

 

[LeConte]

You should play The Cardinal Club - in Fisherville, KY.
It's the UofL course.
Year round stays in better shape than Valhalla.

Hmmm. I'll have to try that one out. What are the fees?

 

[Hoops Cat]

Hmmm. I'll have to try that one out. What are the fees?

Well, as always, MTIOTF means well, but is misguided.

The University of Louisville bought the Cardinal Club a few years back, and converted it to the University of Louisville Golf Club. It was private as the Cardinal Club, and is private as the UofL club, and I don't know what the member fees are. As a university club, though, my guess is that there are ways of getting on if you are determined.

http://www.ulgc.net/Home.aspx

 

[kkott]

"... the status quo is untenable." - Fred Glass

Man, I sure hope we hear those words again this season!

 

[i'vegotwinners]

the IU golf course has the potential to be the best layout in the state.

it's easily the most under rated layout now.

needs about 50 to 60 more traps, (and i know just where i'd put them), needs to be in better condition, upgraded grasses on the fairways, set up to take advantage of it's design, (such as shaving all the slopes of the raised greens). and lengthening some holes where possible. (the USGA and R & A did a piss poor job of protecting courses from technology).

i also know a few places i'd like to see some water, but it doesn't need a lot of water, and could survive without any.

adding a touch of Augusta National to the area surrounding the 9th green, (originally 8 green), large high back traps in back of the green built into the hill ala 13 at Augusta National, and possibly some water in front, would make the view from the top of the bend in the fairway all the way to the green, flat out spectacular.

would take some money to add the needed traps, premium grass, and upgrade condition, but only a small fraction of the cost of a new course that would never have half the potential.

tough to extend IU to 7,700 plus yrds, but with IU's tightness, it doesn't need that kind of length as a defense, as many courses do.

also needs the clubhouse location and 9s setup returned to original set up,

moving the clubhouse and making 18 hole one, totally screwed up both the flow and the beauty of the original design, as well as made the course near unwalkable for anything short of 18 holes. (a terrible negative for any course).

they moved the clubhouse and made 18 hole one, simply because of logistics to the range and par 3.

since IU Health is taking the range and par 3, no reason not to return the layout to the original plan.

the original setup gives you back a great finishing hole, ( beautiful reachable par 5), and returns the brilliance and beauty of the original design that brought you back to clubhouse area numerous times, was extremely player friendly, and made for a uniquely fan friendly and beautiful spectator experience where one could practically stay in one spot near the clubhouse, and watch players go out or come into 6 different holes, all beautiful.



there are a zillion nice "modern" template courses, and they're all made out of ticky tacky, and they all look just the same.

don't misunderstand me, they have their place, but that place isn't a great hilly heavily wooded track like IU has.

IU could be the state's closest thing to more of an Augusta National type course, of which there aren't many now, nor are we making any more.

unfortunately, i worry that IU, (and possibly IU Health), has their eye on hijacking that land, and this is all more about that than any course deficiency. (they're already taking the range and par 3 iirc).



"outdated" isn't a term people use for golf courses, but it is one for facilities "powers that be" have their eye on, and want an excuse to go after.

hope i'm wrong.

like i said, imo it's potentially the best course in the state, and literally nobody is making them like that anymore.

 

[C-$]

the IU golf course has the potential to be the best layout in the state.

it's easily the most under rated layout now.

needs about 50 to 60 more traps, (and i know just where i'd put them), needs to be in better condition, upgraded grasses on the fairways, set up to take advantage of it's design, (such as shaving all the slopes of the raised greens). and lengthening some holes where possible. (the USGA and R & A did a piss poor job of protecting courses from technology).

i also know a few places i'd like to see some water, but it doesn't need a lot of water, and could survive without any.

adding a touch of Augusta National to the area surrounding the 9th green, (originally 8 green), large high back traps in back of the green built into the hill ala 13 at Augusta National, and possibly some water in front, would make the view from the top of the bend in the fairway all the way to the green, flat out spectacular.

would take some money to add the needed traps, premium grass, and upgrade condition, but only a small fraction of the cost of a new course that would never have half the potential.

tough to extend IU to 7,700 plus yrds, but with IU's tightness, it doesn't need that kind of length as a defense, as many courses do.

also needs the clubhouse location and 9s setup returned to original set up,

moving the clubhouse and making 18 hole one, totally screwed up both the flow and the beauty of the original design, as well as made the course near unwalkable for anything short of 18 holes. (a terrible negative for any course).

they moved the clubhouse and made 18 hole one, simply because of logistics to the range and par 3.

since IU Health is taking the range and par 3, no reason not to return the layout to the original plan.

the original setup gives you back a great finishing hole, ( beautiful reachable par 5), and returns the brilliance and beauty of the original design that brought you back to clubhouse area numerous times, was extremely player friendly, and made for a uniquely fan friendly and beautiful spectator experience where one could practically stay in one spot near the clubhouse, and watch players go out or come into 6 different holes, all beautiful.



there are a zillion nice "modern" template courses, and they're all made out of ticky tacky, and they all look just the same.

don't misunderstand me, they have their place, but that place isn't a great hilly heavily wooded track like IU has.

IU could be the state's closest thing to more of an Augusta National type course, of which there aren't many now, nor are we making any more.

unfortunately, i worry that IU, (and possibly IU Health), has their eye on hijacking that land, and this is all more about that than any course deficiency. (they're already taking the range and par 3 iirc).



"outdated" isn't a term people use for golf courses, but it is one for facilities "powers that be" have their eye on, and want an excuse to go after.

hope i'm wrong.

like i said, imo it's potentially the best course in the state, and literally nobody is making them like that anymore.

JESUS!!!

 

[Rakkasan29]

the IU golf course has the potential to be the best layout in the state.

it's easily the most under rated layout now.

needs about 50 to 60 more traps, (and i know just where i'd put them), needs to be in better condition, upgraded grasses on the fairways, set up to take advantage of it's design, (such as shaving all the slopes of the raised greens). and lengthening some holes where possible. (the USGA and R & A did a piss poor job of protecting courses from technology).

i also know a few places i'd like to see some water, but it doesn't need a lot of water, and could survive without any.

adding a touch of Augusta National to the area surrounding the 9th green, (originally 8 green), large high back traps in back of the green built into the hill ala 13 at Augusta National, and possibly some water in front, would make the view from the top of the bend in the fairway all the way to the green, flat out spectacular.

would take some money to add the needed traps, premium grass, and upgrade condition, but only a small fraction of the cost of a new course that would never have half the potential.

tough to extend IU to 7,700 plus yrds, but with IU's tightness, it doesn't need that kind of length as a defense, as many courses do.

also needs the clubhouse location and 9s setup returned to original set up,

moving the clubhouse and making 18 hole one, totally screwed up both the flow and the beauty of the original design, as well as made the course near unwalkable for anything short of 18 holes. (a terrible negative for any course).

they moved the clubhouse and made 18 hole one, simply because of logistics to the range and par 3.

since IU Health is taking the range and par 3, no reason not to return the layout to the original plan.

the original setup gives you back a great finishing hole, ( beautiful reachable par 5), and returns the brilliance and beauty of the original design that brought you back to clubhouse area numerous times, was extremely player friendly, and made for a uniquely fan friendly and beautiful spectator experience where one could practically stay in one spot near the clubhouse, and watch players go out or come into 6 different holes, all beautiful.



there are a zillion nice "modern" template courses, and they're all made out of ticky tacky, and they all look just the same.

don't misunderstand me, they have their place, but that place isn't a great hilly heavily wooded track like IU has.

IU could be the state's closest thing to more of an Augusta National type course, of which there aren't many now, nor are we making any more.

unfortunately, i worry that IU, (and possibly IU Health), has their eye on hijacking that land, and this is all more about that than any course deficiency. (they're already taking the range and par 3 iirc).



"outdated" isn't a term people use for golf courses, but it is one for facilities "powers that be" have their eye on, and want an excuse to go after.

hope i'm wrong.

like i said, imo it's potentially the best course in the state, and literally nobody is making them like that anymore.

Hey McNutt, are you paying attention...?

This is how you make a golf post.

 

[Hoops Cat]

the IU golf course has the potential to be the best layout in the state.

it's easily the most under rated layout now.

needs about 50 to 60 more traps, (and i know just where i'd put them), needs to be in better condition, upgraded grasses on the fairways, set up to take advantage of it's design, (such as shaving all the slopes of the raised greens). and lengthening some holes where possible. (the USGA and R & A did a piss poor job of protecting courses from technology).

i also know a few places i'd like to see some water, but it doesn't need a lot of water, and could survive without any.

adding a touch of Augusta National to the area surrounding the 9th green, (originally 8 green), large high back traps in back of the green built into the hill ala 13 at Augusta National, and possibly some water in front, would make the view from the top of the bend in the fairway all the way to the green, flat out spectacular.

would take some money to add the needed traps, premium grass, and upgrade condition, but only a small fraction of the cost of a new course that would never have half the potential.

tough to extend IU to 7,700 plus yrds, but with IU's tightness, it doesn't need that kind of length as a defense, as many courses do.

also needs the clubhouse location and 9s setup returned to original set up,

moving the clubhouse and making 18 hole one, totally screwed up both the flow and the beauty of the original design, as well as made the course near unwalkable for anything short of 18 holes. (a terrible negative for any course).

they moved the clubhouse and made 18 hole one, simply because of logistics to the range and par 3.

since IU Health is taking the range and par 3, no reason not to return the layout to the original plan.

the original setup gives you back a great finishing hole, ( beautiful reachable par 5), and returns the brilliance and beauty of the original design that brought you back to clubhouse area numerous times, was extremely player friendly, and made for a uniquely fan friendly and beautiful spectator experience where one could practically stay in one spot near the clubhouse, and watch players go out or come into 6 different holes, all beautiful.



there are a zillion nice "modern" template courses, and they're all made out of ticky tacky, and they all look just the same.

don't misunderstand me, they have their place, but that place isn't a great hilly heavily wooded track like IU has.

IU could be the state's closest thing to more of an Augusta National type course, of which there aren't many now, nor are we making any more.

unfortunately, i worry that IU, (and possibly IU Health), has their eye on hijacking that land, and this is all more about that than any course deficiency. (they're already taking the range and par 3 iirc).



"outdated" isn't a term people use for golf courses, but it is one for facilities "powers that be" have their eye on, and want an excuse to go after.

hope i'm wrong.

like i said, imo it's potentially the best course in the state, and literally nobody is making them like that anymore.

If you're going to a B1G championship level course you're going to need the range; else, no tournaments there.

Also, any renovation plan would almost certainly require a new irrigation system, the #1 expense in golf course construction. Could be $2.0 million, depending on what system etc., and based on what kind of network you need to support whatever turfgrass you're looking to put in, then add in for the bunkers, new grass, redesign, etc.

IU could renovate the course (not the clubhouse, that's extree) all-in somewhere between $5 and $7 million, would be my guess, but they could also build new for that same amount somewhere outside of town if they are in fact already eyeballing IU Health taking down the land.

Also, adding 50-60 bunkers would cost a lot, too, and would also significantly increase the maintenance budget (as do maintaining bentgrass or other higher types of turfgrass) once the renovation is done. Bunkers cost more to maintain than greens do, so you need to be cognizant that once you build it, unless IU wants to subsidize it, that it will have to be self-sufficient to a degree.

 

[twenty02]

If you're going to a B1G championship level course you're going to need the range; else, no tournaments there.

Also, any renovation plan would almost certainly require a new irrigation system, the #1 expense in golf course construction. Could be $2.0 million, depending on what system etc., and based on what kind of network you need to support whatever turfgrass you're looking to put in, then add in for the bunkers, new grass, redesign, etc.

IU could renovate the course (not the clubhouse, that's extree) all-in somewhere between $5 and $7 million, would be my guess, but they could also build new for that same amount somewhere outside of town if they are in fact already eyeballing IU Health taking down the land.

Also, adding 50-60 bunkers would cost a lot, too, and would also significantly increase the maintenance budget (as do maintaining bentgrass or other higher types of turfgrass) once the renovation is done. Bunkers cost more to maintain than greens do, so you need to be cognizant that once you build it, unless IU wants to subsidize it, that it will have to be self-sufficient to a degree.

They would be basically building a new course, only savings would be the playing corridors would already be complete.

Purdue spent about $4m renovating Ackerman Hills, with Dye doing the work for free. And they already had 1 high level course in Kampen.

Rates are upwards of $90 there. If they can sustain that for 2 courses, surely IU could for 1.

 

[i'vegotwinners]

the current course doesn't need a redesign, as the current one is great.

just needs embellished as i suggested.

irrigation costs as much or more on a new course as it would at the current location. and the current one has some irrigation in place now.

as does grass, as do traps, and any new course would likely have at least as many traps as i'm talking about.

and no way is anybody carving a course out of a forest anymore, as is the case with the current IU course.

and any new course would look like every other new course, and it wouldn't be at a campus location.

no way a new course has anyway near the potential of the current one, and would cost far far more than the embellishments i suggested to the current one.

anyone telling you differently, has another agenda in mind.

and the course the current one would be with the tweaks i laid out, would be an elite level course, at least the equal of any in the state or the B10.

anyone who can't see what the current course potentially could be, is flat out blind on the subject.

unfortunately, i worry for any green space on IU's campus, and see this one as potentially in someone's sights now.

 

[twenty02]

Glass's comments about abandoning the course, but also maintaining a golf team is absurd. They might as well just shut the golf program down if you don't have a course (or a range). No decent player at that level is going to attend a school that doesn't even have a course or legit outdoor range facilities.

 

[Hoops Cat]

the current course doesn't need a redesign, as the current one is great.

just needs embellished as i suggested.

irrigation costs as much or more on a new course as it would at the current location. and the current one has some irrigation in place now.

as does grass, as do traps, and any new course would likely have at least as many traps as i'm talking about.

and no way is anybody carving a course out of a forest anymore, as is the case with the current IU course.

and any new course would look like every other new course, and it wouldn't be at a campus location.

no way a new course has anyway near the potential of the current one, and would cost far far more than the embellishments i suggested to the current one.

anyone telling you differently, has another agenda in mind.

and the course the current one would be with the tweaks i laid out, would be an elite level course, at least the equal of any in the state or the B10.

anyone who can't see what the current course potentially could be, is flat out blind on the subject.

unfortunately, i worry for any green space on IU's campus, and see this one as potentially in someone's sights now.

embellished = redesign. Every new bunker, and you want 50-60 of them, would have to be designed. Its not as simple as digging a trench and throwing in beach sand.

Any existing irrigation network would be obsolete, and unusable in a modern course. Not modern "design", but in terms of its bones.

Any turfgrass in place would likely not be suitable for a new layout - you can't just throw down bentgrass seed on top of bluegrass or zoysia or whatever and hope it grows. What's there now isn't good, by all accounts, right?

I'm not arguing your larger point that the course has the potential to be great; just that it will cost $$ to get there.

 

[dusto nomo]

WiscHoosier foretold this tale 16 years ago...

 

[Chad_36]

Aren't they building the new hospital on the practice area?

 

[Chad_36]

Aren't they building the new hospital on the practice area?

Guess I should read before posting...with The Pointe closing up and now potentially the IU course golf is in a sad state in Blomington.

 

[i'vegotwinners]

just how dense on the subject are you?

you have to build the bunkers with a new course as well as with the current one.

difference is, with new, you have to build (including design) ALL the traps, not just the ones you're adding.

irrigation also costs just as much or more with new than with redoing the current, and you have no idea just what the current system saves doing over.

that said, if not one inch of irrigation digging or designing was saved. (not likely but possible), it still wouldn't cost any more to redo the current irregation than build from scratch.

but with a new course, you have to find the land, acquire the land, design the entire course, remove or add and grow trees, (and that's a lot of trees unless you're building a cornfield or links course), grade every inch from scratch, remove dirt, bring in dirt, design and build every green from scratch, every fairway, every tee, every water feature, every mound, bring utilities to the site, lay every cart path, build a road to the clubhouse, build clubhouse, rezone possibly, deal with environmentalists and all the other political tasks, and on and on and on.

and do everything else from scratch as well.

all i'm doing with IU is adding some additional traps, replanting tees and fairways, but not greens, upgrading or building new irrigation, adding a couple or a few or no water features, building a new clubhouse on the approx site of the original.

and i'll have a drop dead gorgeous elite level old school fully mature course yr one, ON CAMPUS, you'll have one in 30 - 50 yrs, and god knows where.

i'll have a ten times nicer course from year one, than you'll ever have. (and one that can't be done from scratch these days).

if you think doing a whole new course from scratch won't cost many many times what i'm proposing, or that you'll ever end up with anything remotely close to what i'll have once done, or that you'll have it anywhere near the campus, or possibly even close to Bloomington, you couldn't be any more 100% totally brain dead on the subject.

to even try to "sell" such a totally and completely absurd argument, makes me seriously question your real agenda here.

 

[Hoops Cat]

just how dense on the subject are you?

you have to build the bunkers with a new course as well as with the current one.

difference is, with new, you have to build (including design) ALL the traps, not just the ones you're adding.

irrigation also costs just as much or more with new than with redoing the current, and you have no idea just what the current system saves doing over.

that said, if not one inch of irrigation digging or designing was saved. (not likely but possible), it still wouldn't cost any more to redo the current irregation than build from scratch.

but with a new course, you have to find the land, acquire the land, design the entire course, remove or add and grow trees, (and that's a lot of trees unless you're building a cornfield or links course), grade every inch from scratch, remove dirt, bring in dirt, design and build every green from scratch, every fairway, every tee, every water feature, every mound, bring utilities to the site, lay every cart path, build a road to the clubhouse, build clubhouse, rezone possibly, deal with environmentalists and all the other political tasks, and on and on and on.

and do everything else from scratch as well.

all i'm doing with IU is adding some additional traps, replanting tees and fairways, but not greens, upgrading or building new irrigation, adding a couple or a few or no water features, building a new clubhouse on the approx site of the original.

and i'll have a drop dead gorgeous elite level old school fully mature course yr one, ON CAMPUS, you'll have one in 30 - 50 yrs, and god knows where.

i'll have a ten times nicer course from year one, than you'll ever have. (and one that can't be done from scratch these days).

if you think doing a whole new course from scratch won't cost many many times what i'm proposing, or that you'll ever end up with anything remotely close to what i'll have once done, or that you'll have it anywhere near the campus, or possibly even close to Bloomington, you couldn't be any more 100% totally brain dead on the subject.

to even try to "sell" such a totally and completely absurd argument, makes me seriously question your real agenda here.

Who are you talking to? I don't have an agenda, I was merely trying to clue you in that doing just what you've described is still going to cost money. Around $4 million, just to do what you've described, excluding the clubhouse - you can add $200 per sq ft or thereabouts for that.

I'm not the dense one in this conversation, trust me.

 

[twenty02]

just how dense on the subject are you?

you have to build the bunkers with a new course as well as with the current one.

difference is, with new, you have to build (including design) ALL the traps, not just the ones you're adding.

irrigation also costs just as much or more with new than with redoing the current, and you have no idea just what the current system saves doing over.

that said, if not one inch of irrigation digging or designing was saved. (not likely but possible), it still wouldn't cost any more to redo the current irregation than build from scratch.

but with a new course, you have to find the land, acquire the land, design the entire course, remove or add and grow trees, (and that's a lot of trees unless you're building a cornfield or links course), grade every inch from scratch, remove dirt, bring in dirt, design and build every green from scratch, every fairway, every tee, every water feature, every mound, bring utilities to the site, lay every cart path, build a road to the clubhouse, build clubhouse, rezone possibly, deal with environmentalists and all the other political tasks, and on and on and on.

and do everything else from scratch as well.

all i'm doing with IU is adding some additional traps, replanting tees and fairways, but not greens, upgrading or building new irrigation, adding a couple or a few or no water features, building a new clubhouse on the approx site of the original.

and i'll have a drop dead gorgeous elite level old school fully mature course yr one, ON CAMPUS, you'll have one in 30 - 50 yrs, and god knows where.

i'll have a ten times nicer course from year one, than you'll ever have. (and one that can't be done from scratch these days).

if you think doing a whole new course from scratch won't cost many many times what i'm proposing, or that you'll ever end up with anything remotely close to what i'll have once done, or that you'll have it anywhere near the campus, or possibly even close to Bloomington, you couldn't be any more 100% totally brain dead on the subject.

to even try to "sell" such a totally and completely absurd argument, makes me seriously question your real agenda here.

I think there is a lot you are missing here.

Go look at Ackerman Hills at Purdue. There are pics on their website showing the progress. That's exactly what would need to happen at IU.

You are basically bulldozing everything and rebuilding it...most specifically the greens would be totally new, and those alone likely cost $50k/each.

 

[twenty02]

Guess I should read before posting...with The Pointe closing up and now potentially the IU course golf is in a sad state in Blomington.

Didn't know about the Pointe. Sounds like they are trying to sell, with hopes the buyer would still operate the resort and course

 

[kraft cheese+macaroni]

Guess I should read before posting...with The Pointe closing up and now potentially the IU course golf is in a sad state in Blomington.

Rolling Meadows over near Spencer is no longer open either.

 

[Daydreamer]

I would suspect that it's going to close. Golf courses are a pretty hot button topic with a lot of IU faculty and Bloomington residents. With the expense, it's proximity to the Griffy watershed, and all the hoopla about the hospital being built next door, I don't think a multi-million dollar golf course renovation is politically viable. The golf teams can play at French Lick. It's a bit of a drive but they don't really play at home much anyway and it would immediately be one of the best home courses in the Big Ten.

 

[kraft cheese+macaroni]

I would suspect that it's going to close. Golf courses are a pretty hot button topic with a lot of IU faculty and Bloomington residents. With the expense, it's proximity to the Griffy watershed, and all the hoopla about the hospital being built next door, I don't think a multi-million dollar golf course renovation is politically viable. The golf teams can play at French Lick. It's a bit of a drive but they don't really play at home much anyway and it would immediately be one of the best home courses in the Big Ten.

But where are they going to practice? They have great practice facilities and they can rebuild a range if they close the course, but all of those things don't really help if you can't play golf from time to time.

 

[Daydreamer]

But where are they going to practice? They have great practice facilities and they can rebuild a range if they close the course, but all of those things don't really help if you can't play golf from time to time.

Cascades? It's not the greatest course but it's golf. I'm not making a judgement about it. I'm just saying that it's not politically viable. A lot of people at IU and in Bloomington utterly hate golf.

 

[dusto nomo]

I would suspect that it's going to close. Golf courses are a pretty hot button topic with a lot of IU faculty and Bloomington residents. With the expense, it's proximity to the Griffy watershed, and all the hoopla about the hospital being built next door, I don't think a multi-million dollar golf course renovation is politically viable. The golf teams can play at French Lick. It's a bit of a drive but they don't really play at home much anyway and it would immediately be one of the best home courses in the Big Ten.

This was WiscHoosier's thesis...they told him to do Sanskrit but he relented into the RMK Firing Conspiracy including Griffy watershead.

 

[twenty02]

I would suspect that it's going to close. Golf courses are a pretty hot button topic with a lot of IU faculty and Bloomington residents. With the expense, it's proximity to the Griffy watershed, and all the hoopla about the hospital being built next door, I don't think a multi-million dollar golf course renovation is politically viable. The golf teams can play at French Lick. It's a bit of a drive but they don't really play at home much anyway and it would immediately be one of the best home courses in the Big Ten.

I just can't fathom a college golf team (a major conference at that) that doesn't even have a home golf course.

Cascades? It's not the greatest course but it's golf. I'm not making a judgement about it. I'm just saying that it's not politically viable. A lot of people at IU and in Bloomington utterly hate golf.

What a bunch of dumb ****s.

They need to just shut the program down if that's the route they want to take.

 

[Daydreamer]

What a bunch of dumb ****s.

True but I'd bet you'll find that attitude about golf in the majority of university communities.

 

[twenty02]

True but I'd bet you'll find that attitude about golf in the majority of university communities.

I don't know, a lot of schools have very nice courses. And as mentioned here, Purdue just spent $4m on a rehab of AH....and they already had a top notch course in the Kampen course. Of course Purdue does have a major turf science program, as do other B1G schools like MSU and OSU

 

[C-$]

Rolling Meadows over near Spencer is no longer open either.

Shit.

We stole one of their signs in college.

That bitch was dug in deep.

 

[twenty02]

Shit.

We stole one of their signs in college.

That bitch was dug in deep.

That was once a nice course when I was down there. I think it was Liddy who designed it (Dyes protege, also did Trophy Club and a lot of other Indiana work).

I heard a few years ago that it had gone to shit....that greens were half the size of original design, fairway turf drastically reduced.

Too bad...we'd go play there over everywhere in town, they'd serve us $4 double Crowns all day, and the course was better than IU or Cascades. Not sure how we made it back to Btown some days.

 

[Rangeline Fan]

the current course doesn't need a redesign, as the current one is great.

just needs embellished as i suggested.

irrigation costs as much or more on a new course as it would at the current location. and the current one has some irrigation in place now.

as does grass, as do traps, and any new course would likely have at least as many traps as i'm talking about.

and no way is anybody carving a course out of a forest anymore, as is the case with the current IU course.

and any new course would look like every other new course, and it wouldn't be at a campus location.

no way a new course has anyway near the potential of the current one, and would cost far far more than the embellishments i suggested to the current one.

anyone telling you differently, has another agenda in mind.

and the course the current one would be with the tweaks i laid out, would be an elite level course, at least the equal of any in the state or the B10.

anyone who can't see what the current course potentially could be, is flat out blind on the subject.

unfortunately, i worry for any green space on IU's campus, and see this one as potentially in someone's sights now.

So if it was a women, it would just need a nice set of bolt-ons....

 

[i'vegotwinners]

Rolling Meadows over near Spencer is no longer open either.

didn't know Rolling Meadows closed.

horrible news. haven't been down there for a few yrs, but loved that place, especially the front 9 which was tremendous.

very affordable with PM rates. usually in great shape. (all bent grass)

always saw ownership working hard on it.


saw where The Pointe was temp closing shop, with hopes of a savior perhaps.


both RM and TP were pretty remote locations.

sign of the times perhaps.

not sure if it's a jobs/wages thing, but perhaps the fact that employers demand more and more of employees' time, thus many have no time to play even if they wanted to and could afford.

also with larger businesses cutting expenses to the bone, less employer leagues these days.

 

[i'vegotwinners]

I think there is a lot you are missing here.

Go look at Ackerman Hills at Purdue. There are pics on their website showing the progress. That's exactly what would need to happen at IU.

You are basically bulldozing everything and rebuilding it...most specifically the greens would be totally new, and those alone likely cost $50k/each.

i'm not bulldozing anything, and definitely not doing new greens for now.

yes, you could redo all the greens, but that's a lot of work and expense, risky, takes a long time to take hold, and all for minimum benefit.

current greens are fine, and definitely not where you're going to get the most bang for your buck.

bunkers and condition is.

i'm adding some bunkers and redoing any, and only any, irrigation that actually needs redone. (maybe water in front of what's now 9 green with large high back bunkers built into the hill in back, ala 13 at Augusta, as my signature hole), but water features isn't the main need nor a must have).

in front of what's now 9 green is a very low level area now, with all sides sloping into it, so a water feature there might also have benefits besides looking great on my sig hole, and make some players think twice before going for it.

i'm seeding premium grass in the fairways/tees, (bent, zoysia, or whatever experts say will work best there)

bent is the norm for midwest, but zoysia is supposed to do well in areas that get less sun, so might be a good fit for IU. looking at grasses that need less water would also seem prudent. i'll leave that up to the grass guys.

no idea the state of the current irrigation, but pretty sure there is one, (there used to be anyway), and no reason to assume the system for the green areas needs redone.

i'm not spending any money just to spend it. if it ain't broke, i'm not fixing it. anything broke but fixable, gets fixed. not redone.



this is to make it a truly elite level course.

it's already a fabulous layout on a fabulous piece of land, that only needs more bunkers and condition to be elite.

all that said, if you left it alone and only took care of it, it's still a fabulous layout now that will always have the potential to be made elite later, and infinitely better than no course at all.

 

[i'vegotwinners]

I would suspect that it's going to close. Golf courses are a pretty hot button topic with a lot of IU faculty and Bloomington residents. With the expense, it's proximity to the Griffy watershed, and all the hoopla about the hospital being built next door, I don't think a multi-million dollar golf course renovation is politically viable. The golf teams can play at French Lick. It's a bit of a drive but they don't really play at home much anyway and it would immediately be one of the best home courses in the Big Ten.

you're getting a little carried away.

while no doubt there are "those people" who hate golf, there have always been "those people" who hate golf.

plenty of Btown and IU people love golf and always will, and not having a nice university course would definitely NOT be a plus in recruiting faculty or administration or coaches, or schmoozing the donor class. (and some students are going to want a course as well).

and French Lick is hardly a viable option. you could drive to Indy more easily and that's not a viable option either.

IU golfers use the course way more than you think, even if it doesn't host competitions all the time due to weather.

and a few million is chickenfeed by IU's standards.

2 individuals alone make more than 4 mil a yr total, and what's been spent on other non major sports that don't and never will get a fraction of the use the course does, tells me this isn't about money anyway.

and IU doesn't HAVE to do anything to it.

as is, it's still a great layout, and infinitely superior in every way to no course at all.



like i said above, "outdated" isn't a term EVER used for golf courses, but i've now seen Glass use it twice recently.

but "outdated" IS often code for "the powers that be want this property", and an effort to fictionally devalue it to the public through the university's PR machine, as step one in damage control in an effort to ward of opposition.

if the champ course goes, (and any credible attempt to field a golf team with it), it has nothing to do with money or the current state of the course.

it will pure and simple be a land grab by IU Health, because they want that land, and want to extend the new health campus along the bypass.

so much about hospitals relocating is about controlling the real estate surrounding the hospital itself.

no doubt that tidbit factors in a lot as to why they want to move an already great established hospital (where they don't control all the surrounding real estate), across town, at a beyond ridiculous cost no doubt, that will cost far more than what they'll sell the project as costing, in an era of already runaway healthcare costs, with no doubt devastating effects to the downtown area it now resides in to boot. and the loss of the golf complex as the icing on the cake.

i highly doubt Glass has any say in this what so ever, though just my guess on the matter.

more likely IU Health is the tail that wags the dog.

the city of Bloomington already fought like hell to save the hospital, to no avail.


IU is a great layout now. could be flat out fabulous for not that much.

but if it goes, it will have nothing to do with the course, it's condition, or any cost to improve it.

imo, Glass's devaluing a very nice course to the media, is just step one in damage control in IU Health (the 10,000 pound gorilla), taking over that entire part of the campus.