Prairie View Golf Club (Carmel, IN)

Prairie View is Robert Tent Jones Jr course laid out in the bend of the White River. It’s an upscale design that delivers on everything you you would expect. It’s in exceptional condition; it’s landscaped with prairie grasses throughout; and it challenges both off the tee and into the green. 

(The 433/415 yard par four ninth is a stout finisher.) 

This is my fourth RTJ2 course. I find his architecture to be loaded with decision making. Many of his holes dogleg but they do in a bending type of way, usually with the inside line being heavily bunkered. The player must know his yardages, and be confident with the line he’s picking from the tee. If the opportunity is there to cut off part of the leg, and falls within his carry point, then one can be aggressive. There’s usually plenty of room to avoid the inside line, but playing conservative always makes the hole play longer. A good mid to long iron player may not ever need to challenge the inside line and take his chances from a further distance in the fairway. 

(The 215/194 yard par three fourth is a difficult hole. The direct line is intimidating but the bailout is sloped enough on the left to propel it on the green. I love the walk path through the grass.) 

(The 401/388 yard par four sixteenth doglegs to the right....
....this is the view from the inside bunker. Look how seamlessly the green blends in with the prairie grasses and sand.)

One of the tenants of good architecture is reconnecting the golfer back with nature. RTJ2 design style excels on that principle. The way Prairie View mingles with the high grass gives one a sense of place. The colors and texture change with the seasons, making a round of golf an enjoyable experience every time. 

(The 433/399 yard par four seventeenth doglegs to the left. Note how the green has false front cutting in at the left side just past the bunker. The bunker is, in fact, several yards short.) 

(This is an early morning photo of the eighteenth green. The 549/527 yard par five has a shallow creek that fronts the green. It’s a good last birdie opportunity.)

Prairie View is considered one of the top ten public courses in Indiana. The only criticism I have is the lack of river views which is literally just beyond the trees. I didn’t even know it was there until I saw a satellite overview. I give Prairie View a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play).