trending_upHighest Slope Rating

Hardest Golf Courses in Indiana

The 25 most challenging golf courses in Indiana, ranked by maximum slope rating.

The hardest golf course in Indiana on Stymie is Pfau Indiana University Golf Course in Bloomington, designed by Jim Soutar (opened in 1957). It carries a maximum slope rating of 155, stretching 7,908 yards from the back tees, placing it well above the USGA's neutral 113 and into the territory where bogey golfers should expect to lose 8-12 strokes versus their handicap. These 25 courses below are ranked by maximum slope rating, the single best proxy for "how punishing this course is" for the average golfer.

Across the full Stymie directory, the average maximum slope in Indiana is 131 — above the typical US state benchmark around 125. 37 courses in Indiana carry a slope of 140 or higher; a slope of 140+ is considered very difficult and demands accurate driving, distance control on iron shots, and patience around the greens.

If you're testing yourself or planning a buddy trip built around difficulty, start at the top of this list and play from a tee one set forward of your normal handicap range. Course difficulty is not the same as course quality — many of the hardest courses below also rank among the most enjoyable in the state, but the slope rating tells you to bring your A-game.

Ranked

Peak slope

155

Avg max slope

131

Slope 140+

How this ranking is calculated

Each course is represented by the one published tee record with its highest valid slope rating. The tee name, course rating, par, and yardage shown with that slope all come from the same record; 113 is the USGA neutral slope baseline.

Eligible: 238 courses
Missing metric: 278 excluded
Published list: Top 25

Ranking data reviewed August 12, 2026. Courses without the required published metric stay out of this list rather than receiving an estimated value.

Hardest Easiest Longest Oldest Newest

Top three at a glance

In Indiana, Pfau Indiana University Golf Course ranks first at slope 155 from the Tournament tees; Victoria National Golf Club is second at slope 152 from the Victorian tees; and Pete Dye Course is third at slope 151 from the Gold tees. 4 slope points separate first and third.

#	Course	City	Par	Slope
1	Pfau Indiana University Golf Course Tournament tees · 7,908 yds · Rating 80.2 · Par 71 · Jim Soutar · 1957Bloomington	Bloomington	71	155
2	Victoria National Golf Club#60 GD Victorian tees · 7,242 yds · Rating 77.7 · Par 72 · Tom Fazio · 1998 · PrivateNewburgh	Newburgh	72	152
3	Pete Dye Course Gold tees · 8,102 yds · Rating 80.5 · Par 72English	English	72	151
4	Crooked Stick Golf Club#99 GD Black tees · 7,562 yds · Rating 77.9 · Par 72 · Pete Dye · 1964 · PrivateCarmel	Carmel	72	149
5	Brickyard Crossing Golf Course Gold tees · 7,180 yds · Rating 75.1 · Par 72 · Pete Dye · 1993Indianapolis	Indianapolis	72	149
6	The Fort Golf Course Blue/White tees · 6,478 yds · Rating 77.6 · Par 71 · Pete Dye · 1997Indianapolis	Indianapolis	71	149
7	Purgatory Golf Club Purgatory tees · 7,666 yds · Rating 78.3 · Par 72 · Ron Kern · 2000Noblesville	Noblesville	72	148
8	Sycamore Hills Golf Club Black tees · 7,319 yds · Rating 77.0 · Par 72 · Jack Nicklaus · 1989 · PrivateFort Wayne	Fort Wayne	72	148
9	White Hawk Country Club Green tees · 7,024 yds · Rating 74.7 · Par 72 · Tim NugentCrown Point	Crown Point	72	148
10	Sand Creek Country Club Blue tees · 6,568 yds · Rating 79.3 · Par 72 · Ken Killian · 1995Chesterton	Chesterton	72	148
11	Persimmon Ridge Golf Club Black tees · 7,169 yds · Rating 75.2 · Par 72Shelbyville	Shelbyville	72	147
12	Kampen Golf Course Black tees · 7,465 yds · Rating 76.5 · Par 72West Lafayette	West Lafayette	72	146
13	Valley Links Course Gold tees · 7,063 yds · Rating 81.3 · Par 72English	English	72	145
14	Hurstbourne Country Club White tees · 5,922 yds · Rating 75.6 · Par 72Hurstbourne	Hurstbourne	72	145
15	Chatham Hills Golf Course Black tees · 7,334 yds · Rating 76.3 · Par 72Westfield	Westfield	72	144
16	Blackthorn Golf Club Black tees · 7,136 yds · Rating 74.6 · Par 72 · Dr. Michael Hurdzan · 1994South Bend	South Bend	72	144
17	Mill Creek Golf Course Black tees · 6,762 yds · Rating 79.8 · Par 72 · Tom Zimmerman · 1991Rochester	Rochester	72	144
18	Round Barn Golf Club Black tees · 6,762 yds · Rating 79.8 · Par 72Rochester	Rochester	72	144
19	Chariot Run Black tees · 7,246 yds · Rating 75.3 · Par 72Laconia	Laconia	72	143
20	Heron Creek Golf Club BLACK tees · 6,642 yds · Rating 72.5 · Par 72 · Tim Dykstra · 1961Lagrange	Lagrange	72	143
21	The Golf Preserve Black tees · 7,041 yds · Rating 74.3 · Par 72 · Pete Dye · 1999Frankfort	Frankfort	72	142
22	Ackerman-Allen Golf Course Black tees · 7,546 yds · Rating 76.5 · Par 72West Lafayette	West Lafayette	72	141
23	Morningstar Golf Club GOLD tees · 7,018 yds · Rating 74.9 · Par 73 · 1991 · Semi_privateIndianapolis	Indianapolis	73	141
24	Rock Hollow Golf Course Black tees · 6,921 yds · Rating 74.0 · Par 72Peru	Peru	72	141
25	Hidden Hills BLUE tees · 6,623 yds · Rating 78.2 · Par 72Bloomington	Bloomington	72	141

Frequently asked questions

What is the hardest golf course in Indiana?

Pfau Indiana University Golf Course in Bloomington, Indiana is the hardest ranked course with a maximum slope rating of 155. Slope rating measures the difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch player — 113 is average, 140+ is very difficult, and 155 is the maximum.

How many golf courses in Indiana have a slope rating of 140 or higher?

37 golf courses have a max slope rating of 140 or higher in Indiana based on the scorecards in the Stymie directory. A slope of 140 or above is considered very challenging for bogey golfers.

How does Indiana's average difficulty compare to the rest of the US?

The average maximum slope rating across golf courses in Indiana is 131, versus a US average around 125. A higher state average indicates courses that are, on the whole, tougher for mid-to-high handicap golfers.

What makes a golf course hard?

Course difficulty is driven primarily by slope rating (how much harder it plays for a bogey golfer than a scratch golfer), course rating (how a scratch golfer would score), total yardage, hazards (water, bunkers, forced carries), green speed, and rough length. Slope rating is the single best proxy for "how tough this course is."