Mineral Mound State Park Golf Course

The Cullan at Mineral Mound State Park is one of the architectural bright spots on the Kentucky State Parks Golf Trail, a Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry design that opened in 2003 on the shores of Lake Barkley in Lyon County, about 3 hours west of Louisville. The Hurdzan/Fry partnership is better known for Erin Hills (2017 U.S. Open) and Cabot Links in Nova Scotia; that they took on a Kentucky state-parks course reflects the state's commitment to quality public golf through the trail system. The 6,930-yard par-72 layout plays to a 73.0 rating and 127 slope on Bermuda grass, with five sets of tees accommodating every skill level. The signature hole is the par-5 13th, a 510-yard three-shotter that starts from an elevated tee box, plays uphill to a narrow landing area, and famously keeps the green out of view on the lay-up shot, forcing an all-blind approach. State-park pricing plus Hurdzan/Fry pedigree is a genuinely rare combination. For the Kentucky State Parks Golf Trail trip visitor, Mineral Mound is a must-include marquee stop alongside Kentucky Dam Village.