Hardest Public Golf Courses in Indiana
The hardest public golf course in Indiana is Pfau Indiana University Golf Course in Bloomington, with a slope of 155 and a course rating of 80.2 from the Tournament tees (7,908 yards). It is a public course, open to all golfers. Next are French Lick Resort - Pete Dye Course (slope 151) and Brickyard Crossing Golf Course (slope 149).
5 hardest public courses in Indiana, by slope
Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.
| Rank | Course | City | Access | Slope | Course rating | Tee | Yards | Access checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pfau Indiana University Golf Course | Bloomington | Public | 155 | 80.2 | Tournament | 7,908 | Aug 2026 source |
| 2 | French Lick Resort - Pete Dye Course | French Lick | Resort | 151 | 80.5 | Gold | 8,102 | Nov 2026 source |
| 3 | Brickyard Crossing Golf Course | Indianapolis | Public | 149 | 75.1 | Gold | 7,180 | Nov 2026 source |
| 4 | Purgatory Golf Club | Noblesville | Public | 148 | 78.3 | Purgatory | 7,666 | Nov 2026 source |
| 5 | White Hawk Country Club | Crown Point | Semi-private | 148 | 74.7 | Green | 7,024 | Nov 2026 source |
How this list is built
Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.
Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Indiana, which ranks every rated course.
Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 239 golf courses in Indiana have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 10 of them so far.
Resort courses may require a stay or hold tee times for guests. Semi-private courses limit public tee times. Call ahead before you plan a round.
Indiana public course FAQ
What is the hardest public golf course in Indiana?
Of the Indiana courses Stymie has checked for public access, Pfau Indiana University Golf Course in Bloomington has the highest slope rating: 155 from the Tournament tees, with a course rating of 80.2. French Lick Resort - Pete Dye Course is next at 151. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.
Can anyone play Pfau Indiana University Golf Course?
Yes. Pfau Indiana University Golf Course is a public course, open to all golfers. Stymie checked its access in Aug 2026 against thepfaucourse.com. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.
How is difficulty measured?
By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.
More Indiana golf
- Hardest golf courses in Indiana, private clubs included
- Easiest public golf courses in Indiana
- Every rated course in Indiana
- All Indiana golf courses