Crooked Stick Golf Club

Crooked Stick Golf Club is located just outside Carmel, Indiana, a suburb north of Indianapolis. Built in 1964 by the famous course architects Pete and Alice Dye, it was host to the PGA Championship in 1991 won by John Daly and the U.S. Women’s Open in 1993, won by Lauri Merten. It also hosted the Solheim Cup matches in 2005. Crooked Stick also hosted the 2012 BMW Championship, won by Rory McIlroy, and hosted the tournament again in 2016, where Dustin Johnson won with a record breaking -23. For many years it has been noted as one of the top 100 courses in the U.S. by Golfweek and Golf Magazine, two of golf's most popular magazines.

Course information

• 18 holes
• Few trees scattered throughout holes and around the perimeter
• Par 72 from all tee boxes
• 7,567 yards from the back tees
• Bentgrass

Scorecard

Holes

• The first hole is a short par four lined with trees on both sides. There is a sandtrap on the front left of the green and one on the back right. When the flag stick is back left it makes for a tough approach shot in.
• The second hole is a longer dog leg left par four. The hole slopes up and then back down to the green. The left side of the fairway is lined with a huge sandtrap. The right front of the green is lined with a deep sand trap. A few yards behind the green are a bunch of Pine trees.
• The third hole is a long mostly down hill par three. There is about a twenty-five yard long fairway in the front of the green. The green almost resembles an hour glass. Towards the middle back left part of the green there is a very deep sand trap, and towards the middle back right there is another sand trap. The green consists of two shelves, a high and low one. The lower one is in the front and the higher one is in the back. Trick putting happens on this hole when the flag stick is placed on the slope that connects the two shelves
• The fourth hole is a long par four. The tee box for the blue tees is normally placed on a peninsula. It is a straight hole with a small patch of trees and a sand trap on the left side of the fairway, which is shared with the fifth hole, and trees lined along the whole leftside of the hole. There is a bigger sand trap on the left front of the green. The front right of the green is actually a false front and makes for a deceiving shot.
• The fifth hole is a dog leg left and also the longest hole on the course. It can be played over six hundred yards. It shares a patch of trees with the fourth hole on the right side of the fairway. Under the tree limbs is a sand trap. The entire leftside of the hole is covered with trees. There is a sand trap on the leftside of the fairway in the middle of the hole. The hole opens up on the right after that small patch of trees on the right side of the fairway. Within about one hundred and fifty yards from the hole the right side of the fairway is lined with sand traps up until it reaches the left side of the green. The left side of the green is lined with a huge deep sand trap. The green is sloped up hill. A tough approach shot will happen when the flag stick is placed anywhere on the left half side of the green.
• The sixth hole is a long par three. The left side of the hole is lined with trees, and the right side is open. There is a pond that has to be cleared about one hundred yards. The green is in the shape of an inverse L. The whole right and bottom side of the green is lined with water. There is a sand trap on the left side of the green, and also trees behind the green. While putting everything leaks towards the water.
• The par four seventh hole can be very long when played from the back tees, but these tees are normally on the easier tee box. Trees line the left side of the hole and there is a patch of trees on the right side of the fairway. There are two long sand trraps on the right side of the fairway. There is also a huge sand trap that wraps around the left side of the green. The green is elevated and it is sometimes hard to keep the ball on.
• The eighth hole is the number one handicap hole. It is a par four dog leg left with a huge pond that lines the entire left side and behind the green. This huge pond makes for a difficult shot off the tee. The second shot could also be tricky depending on how far you cleared the water. On the left side of the last fifty yards of the whole there is a sand trap.
• The ninth hole is a long dog leg left par five. There is a huge sand trap that lines the area where the hole bends. To the left of that is a water hazard and then heather. There are few trees along the right side of the hole. There are railroad ties laid down when the hole elevates at about one hundred and fifty yards. The green is narrow with a sand trap at the front right and sand traps that line the left side of the green. The green has two levels like hole number three. The lower level is in the front and the higher level is in the back. Tricky putting occurs when a flag stick is placed on the slope that connects the two.
• The tenth hole is a long par four that slowly turns right. The entire right side of the hole is lined with a pond and a very long sand trap. The left side has a very small patch of trees along with thick heather. As the hole slowly turns there is a sand trap on the left side in the middle of the hole. The front right and front left sides of the green are lined with sand traps. This makes for a tight approach shot in. The green has two levels to it. The higher level is in the back and the lower level is in the front. Taught putts occur when the flag stick is placed on the slope that connects the two levels.
• The eleventh hole is a long par five. It veers off left and then comes back right. There are a set of sand traps within driving distance on the left side of the hole. The entire right side of the hole is lined with thick heather. Starting at about one hundred and thirty yards out from the hole on the right side of the fairway is a long sand trap. The left side of this part of the fairway is lined with thick heather. There is a bunker on the left and entire back side of the green. The green is sloped uphill with two levels like the previous hole, but the back high shelf is smaller. The approach shot to this hole is tight due to the sand traps on the right side of the fairway and left and back side of the green.
• The twelve hole is a long dog leg right par four. There is a huge grass bunker on the right side of the fairway. Beyond the grass bunker there is thick heather. The left side of the fairway is lined with small but many hills. The entire left side of the green consists of two big sand traps. The green is uphill and there is a drop off right on the back edge of the green. The right side of the green is a false front. Approach shots may be tricky depending on the flag placement.
• The thirteenth hole is an average par three. It is downhill with a creek that runs around the right side of the entire hole. There is a hill that protects the front right part of the green. The green slopes down from front to back. Any flag placement on this hole is a tough one.
• The fourteenth hole is a long dog leg left par four. The creek that runs from hole thirteen runs on the entire left side of this hole. The fairway is wide open except for the creek. The dog leg left corner is capable of being cut if the drive is high enough to clear the out of bounds trees. There is a sand trap on the right front side of the green and on the entire left side of the green. The beginning of the green is very skinny and elevated. The green then slopes down and left to a wide area of the green. Any flag placement causes tough putting and approach shots.

Membership

There are around 230 members, and the waiting list is about six months. Some famous members are Pete Dye, Alice Dye, Peyton Manning, Ken Dilger, Dallas Clark, Anthony Gonzalez, Jeff Saturday and Jim Irsay. Membership is by invitation only. ^[3]

Non-members

Non-members can play with members on designated guest days and during certain tournaments. There is also a guest fee.

Major events hosted

• bold indicates major championship on PGA Tour

Past professional events

• 2012 BMW Championship

References

External links

• Official website
• Dye Designs Website