New 'World-Class' IU Golf Course Set to Open on Monday
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– There was a time several years ago when world-renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. visited the IU Championship Golf Course. He was asked what he thought about it, and if he would do anything differently.
"He said he'd blow it up and start all over again,'' said Mike Mayer, who's been Indiana's men's golf coach for the past 22 years. "It was a pretty poorly designed golf course and it was poorly routed. But that has changed dramatically.''
The former IU golf course, built in the 1950s on a beautiful piece of land on the eastern edge of campus, failed to live up to its potential, and it wasn't even close. All these years, it was a serviceable track for IU's men's and women's golf teams and got plenty of play from the public, but there was nothing spectacular about it.
Now, that's all changed, the new Pfau Course at Indiana University, which will officially open to the public on Monday, is spectacular. Designed by world-renowned course designer Steve Smyers and two-time major champion Fuzzy Zoeller, the course is basically brand new. There is nothing left of the old course, and the new one is fabulous.
The new Pfau Course at Indiana University.
"We're over-excited here with the Pfau Course opening on Monday. It's been a long time coming,'' Mayer said. "(Smyers) basically wiped the canvas clean and created a new golf course. I think he did a masterful job and this is a world-class facility now.
"It's both unique and extremely playable for players with all capabilities. It not only offers an opportunity for everybody to play at all levels, but from an NCAA standpoint, it has a chance to be one of the top courses in the country. It is capable of holding any event, from low-level junior events to top-level professional events. It's going to be a magnificent addition to Indiana University athletics.''
The golf course is a unique university property, because it houses two athletic teams but also is used often by the public, so it serves multiple purposes. It will become a popular golf destination for players throughout Indiana, but it also will become a huge attraction when it comes to recruiting for Indiana's coaches, Mayer and Hoosiers women's coach Clint Wallman.
"It's really awesome that we have a great facility now that's not only built for today, but it's built for the future of golf as well,'' Wallman said. "As the word gets out and people talk about it, we'll have a lot of demand to get into our events.''
The Pfau Course was built on the same 265-acre parcel, but with a completely different layout by Smyers, a course designer for four decades. He's proud of what was accomplished in this beautiful piece of property.
"It reminds me of the quote from the famous golfer Bobby Jones. He said the more he studied it, the more he loved it. The more he loved it, the more he studied it,'' Smyers said. "I think that's true for my feelings about this property here at IU. It's a fantastic place for golf.''
The university's new golf course is also environmentally friendly. The course is outfitted with Zoysia fairways, a slow-growing dense grass that prevents weeds from penetrating the surface. Zoysia is also a warm-weather grass that is both heat and drought-tolerant, another net plus for the environment with the course's regular maintenance.
There are 147 bunkers of various sizes and depths. The greens are bent grass, with an average size is 6,680 square feet, and they range in size from 4,145 square feet on No. 10 to 10,014 square feet on No. 7.
There are six tee options, offering an 18-hole experience that ranges from 4,586 to 7,908 yards. The facility also has two practice areas.
Greens fees start at $80 for the public, $55 for staff and faculty and $40 for students.
https://thepfaucourse.com/rates/
Mayer said the new course already has made a huge difference in recruiting, landing two top-35 recruits recently.
"It's been one of the mainstays of our recruiting pitch, that now we have a facility that is at the top of its class, that will give the players an opportunity to develop,'' Mayer said. "Just having this facility available for the student-athletes, they're getting a chance to play a world-class golf course every day.'
"I don't know if we could have gotten either of those young men without this golf course. I don't think there's any question about that.''
