Winding Branch

Winding Branch golf course in Cambridge City, Indiana is an 18 hole course that offers an economical golf experience for the residents of East Central Indiana. This public par 71 golf course designed by Kermit LaGranq opened in 1972.

Setting the course apart from some other inexpensive golfing adventures in Indiana is the course layout. Every hole seems a little bit different and this allows for some inventive and fun play. Sand traps are in bad shape however, and there are plenty of opportunities to find your ball in water hazards or behind a thicket of trees. The course is challenging and is a great place to practice the game of golf and hone your skills. An excellent short game is necessary at this course.

If you are in the Wayne County area and you are looking for an inexpensive golf round, Winding Branch is a good location. If you come to this golf course expecting bent grass fairways and a fully stocked pro shop then you will be sorely disappointed. Come here to play golf at a great price.

Currently, Winding Branch serves as the home to the Cambridge City High Schools golf teams.



Pros:
- Inexpensive 18-hole course.
- Fun and challenging holes.
- Easily accessed from I-70 and US 40.

Cons:
- Though decently maintained, the course is often dry and unforgiving.
- Lacks adequate pro shop.

Winding Branch Golf Course
2284 S. Germantown Road
Cambridge City, Indiana 47327
765-478-5638

Purgatory...best of both worlds

Purgatory Golf Club in Noblesville, Indiana is oddly named and beautifully executed. The name alone probably conjures up many images in the head, none of which will prepare you for your first visit to this immaculately cared for golf course just northeast of Indianapolis.

According to the Purgatory Golf Club website, the name evokes religious mythology where souls gladly pay for the earthly mistakes to gain entry into heaven. With beautiful bent grass fairways, tees, and greens the course will pose a challenge to even the most skilled golfer, however, it is still easy to score well here with some effort. Accuracy is the key on this course; on some holes you would do well to put away the driver and concentrate on a few well-placed iron shots into the fairway to set yourself up with a nice chip onto the green. The greens at Purgatory are large, not huge, but large. You could easily find yourself with a 40 foot putt for par (or bogey) if you let your game wonder.

I find it hard to categorize this golf course. It stands out in Indiana, but it definitely feels at home here with its beautiful log cabin clubhouse. The course was designed by Ron Kern, a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Kern was sponsored by Pete Dye, who is a much famed Indiana golf course designer.


When you look at the course, it invokes images of Scotland with its barren almost treeless landscape and knobbly hills. Sand is a crucial design element of this golf course and it is everywhere. The sand traps are filled with crushed rock and are a joy to hit out of (whether you want to admit it or not) and are certainly a challenge to avoid. Some holes have upwards of 15 sand traps lining the fairways and encircling the greens. This design reminds me of the links style courses found mainly in Scotland and coastal Europe and North America.


Perhaps Purgatory needs not to be categorized or scrutinized but just played. This is the only way to understand its dynamics and to experience this Indiana treasure.




Pros:
- Lush fairways, tees, and greens.
- Amenity rich clubhouse.
- One of the most unique golf courses in Indiana.

Cons:
- Expensive: $70 single w/cart, but worth the price
(discounts are available i.e. ;Zoobook).

Purgatory Golf Club
12160 E. 216th Street
Noblesville, IN 46060
317-776-4653
Net: http://www.purgatorygolf.com/

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