Golfers Find Great Value in Barren County Courses
Whether at the scenic Barren River Lake State Resort Park Golf Course in Lucas‚ or at the maturing Fox Hollow Golf Club in Glasgow‚ golfers of all ages and experience can find good play‚ and at rates that won’t break the bank.
Barren River Lake State Resort Park is a 1‚500-acre park with a 10‚000-acre lake. On site are 51 guest rooms and 22 cottages‚ walking and hiking trails‚ pontoons and jet skis and 141 miles of shoreline‚ says Bobby Lee Hurt‚ park manager.
“Everything you would expect in a resort‚” Hurt says.
And the park operators don’t skimp on the golf. The 18-hole course “offers all the amenities of golf‚” Hurt says.
Originally a nine-hole course‚ Barren River expanded to 18 holes in 1992. The original nine runs along the lake‚ while the back nine takes players through the park’s woodlands.
Four sets of tees allow the course to play “from fun to difficult‚” says PGA Professional Jimmy Bewley. Both nines feature exceptionally large greens and impeccable conditioning‚ he adds.
Its location in the popular park‚ in the middle of the United States‚ makes it a destination for family reunions or golfers looking to escape cold weather elsewhere. And while scoring may be more difficult on the inward nine‚ it’s the original nine that keeps golfers coming back for more.
“The beauty of the lake really makes the course stand out‚” Bewley says.
The cost for 18 holes with a cart is in the $30 range.
Like Barren River‚ Fox Hollow was also a nine-hole course before upgrading to 18. The second nine was added by the Shipley family‚ which purchased the course in 1990.
Longtime golfers‚ the Shipleys (father Richard and brothers Matt‚ Mark and Mike) had been looking to build a practice facility when Fox Hollow went on the market. They purchased it‚ then began making the necessary improvements.
“We realized we needed a second nine to accommodate play better‚” general manager Matt Shipley says.
The course‚ which is surrounded by a housing development‚ features Bermuda fairways and bent-grass greens. The front side plays through gently rolling hills while the back side is a little more flat‚ Matt Shipley says.
Fox Hollow is the second family business. The Shipleys have operated Green Leaf Nursery for more than a quarter-century.
“It’s conducive to running a golf course‚” Mark Shipley says of the family’s business roots.
Green fees for 18 holes with a cart run only $20‚ while discount rates are available for juniors and seniors.
Both courses are open year-round‚ weather permitting.
