The Trophy Club

The Trophy Club in Lebanon, Indiana is one of Tim Liddy's most-celebrated solo designs, a 7,317-yard par-72 links-style layout that opened in 1998 about 20 miles outside Indianapolis's I-465 loop. Liddy, ASGCA, was Pete Dye's understudy for over 28 years and teamed with Pete on numerous projects before building out his own portfolio. The Trophy Club is genuine Dye-school architecture in the best sense: strategic, creative, and playable rather than punitive. The links-style routing straddles both sides of Prairie Creek with wide 60-yard bentgrass fairways, large USGA-spec bentgrass greens, and four sets of tees. Liddy used a strategic concept on holes #3, #12, and #15 where the holes 'flow one way off the tee and then turn back the opposite direction into the green', a routing trick that makes the course feel different from typical American parkland. The #1 handicap hole is the par-4 6th at 464 yards, featuring a fascinating rolling three-level green. Unlike Dye's visually intimidating statements, Trophy Club presents as a visually welcoming course, same Dye school, different emotional tone. For the Pete Dye Trail visitor, Trophy Club is the Liddy headliner alongside Pete's own Plum Creek.