Where legends are made
The Legends golf course is something of a legend in Indiana.
The course, which serves as the home for the college’s golf teams, boasts 27 championship holes designed by world-renowned golf course architect Jim Fazio, an 18-hole par-3 course and a large practice facility.
The Legends of Indiana Golf Course has become one of the finest places in Indiana to enjoy a leisurely round or drive for a championship trophy since it opened in 1991.
The golf course has been run by notable PGA professional Ted Bishop since the very beginning. Bishop was selected Golf Professional of the Year by the PGA in 1998, and he currently serves as PGA secretary. In 2013, Bishop will become the president of this, the largest working sports organization in the world and be tasked with presenting the coveted PGA Championship trophy to the tournament winner.
"It’s very playable. If you play well and shoot a good round you’re going to get a lot of satisfaction out of that," Bishop said of the course. "The fairways are great, the greens are outstanding. Quite honestly, I never get tired of playing this course."
The Legends course, once ranked by Golf Digest as the sixth-best golf facility in the state, is located on Hurricane Road in Franklin. It is the site of virtually every golf tournament Indiana has to offer, including the Men’s and Women’s State Amateur Championships, the Indiana PGA Championship and the high school golf championships, Bishop said.
"We have been home to the FC men and women’s teams since we opened back in the early ‘90s," Bishop said. "I would call it a very complete golf facility. There’s really something there for anyone."
Next year, The Legends will host the Indiana Open Championship, the most prestigious tournament in the state.
"The conditions are always really good and our staff works hard to try to keep up on that," said Ashely Davidson, the course’s member and event coordinator. "Just within the community it’s an important place because we continue to host a lot of championships and we see a lot of young players."
Davidson grew up in Franklin and spent her time playing golf at The Legends. She finally ended up back where she came from about five years ago. Davidson explains that the course’s most important patrons come from Franklin and Indianapolis, although the attention it gets through hosting big tournaments means that some out-of-towners occasionally drop by to play.
"Our local market is obviously very important to our business," Bishop said, "but certainly ... because of the national exposure it’s received, we attract players from across the nation."
Bobby Knight even emceed a short-lived television show out of the course, during which the infamously temperamental coach tried his hand teaching golf swings instead of basketball shots. The show, and the course, has since been immortalized in several Youtube outtake montages.
The Legends offers members a full slate of instructional programs for young and old, beginners and advanced golfers alike. Players there enjoy the same amenities they would have at any of the finest golf clubs in the country. The Legends’ staff includes four PGA members who are available for lessons.
